ANZIO: german accounts of the battle

Hi All

Does anyone have German accouts of the battle of Anzio in text/pdef formats?

Thanks in advance...

 

There was a recent thread that asked for this, although not specific to Anzio and someone popped up to recommend a book possibly by James Holland.
Found it, try: German Units in Italy 1943-45

 

Vladimir.

Gary Tankard is a guru on German books. Start a conversation with him.

Regards

Frank

 

There's currently some on-line work done (by a conglomerate of German/Dutch/British WW2talk members) on the translation of German book(s)/documents: 3 Panzer- Grenadier Division- 3 Infanterie Division( mot.)

 

"Anzio Beachhead" a military study by CMH. Will give you some more detail and maps of Anzio.
ANZIO BEACHHEAD (22 January-25 May 1944)

T-314 R1574 LXXVI Panzer Corps, you can download this KTB (wardiary) from the FTP server from John Calvin. 3rd Panzergrenadier Division was part of this Corps.

 

Many thanks

 

Thanks!

 

For those interested there is also this link to the official US Army histories https://history.army.mil/catalog/browse/pubnum.html; these are digital versions of the publications, which can be viewed online. They also go into some detail re the enemy side of battle:

Salerno to Cassino: CMH Publications Catalog - SALERNO TO CASSINO
Cassino to the Alps: CMH Publications Catalog - CASSINO TO THE ALPS
Combat forces in action: Anzio: CMH Publications Catalog - ANZIO BEACHHEAD, 22 JANUARY-25 MAY 1944

 

There is also a CMH publication produced in 1946 called 'The German Operation at Anzio' which you maybe able to find on the internet. I can't remember where I downloaded it from.

It is based on German daily reports from the bridgehead and quite interesting to see the Allied units and locations being identified.

 

Try Monte Cassino. (German) Hardcover – 1 Jan. 1956 by Rudolf Böhmler (Author) It covers paratroops at Anzio

And the FMS series of manuscripts

MEDITERRANEAN, ITALY--OPERATIONS IN

• Airborne operations MSS # P-051a, b
• Antiaircraft protection of German supply routes in Italy, 1944-45 MS # D-191
• Anzio, German defenses, Feb 1-944 MS # B-281
• Artillery at Anzio--Nettuno MS # D-158
• Artillery on the Italian front, 1944-45 MS # D-378
• Campaign in Italy, Apr 1943-May 1944 MS # T-1a (Ger)
• Campaign in Italy, May 1944 to surrender MS # T-1b (Ger)
• Coast artillery in Italy 1943-44 MSS # D-208; T-1a, Ch. 10
• Drive on Rome, comments of German commanders on US operations MSS # C-097a-e
• Field fortifications at Anzio--Nettuno MS # C-061
• Fighting in Italy, May 1944-Apr 1945 (Kesselring) MS # C-064b
• German fortifications in Italy MS # C-031
• German surrender in Italy, role of Gen Schulz MS # B-813
• Germany and her allies, coordination of effort MS # P-108
• Greiner diaries (notes on conferences and decisions OKW) MSS # C-095a, e-g, j-m
• Guerilla warfare in Italy (Kesselring) MS # C-0K23
• Italian theater, 1 Apr-31 Dec 1944, comments by Gen Warlimont on the activities of OKW and OB Sued MS # C-099b (Ger)
• Italy, 1944-45, Engagements in MS # D-379
• Mediterranean campaign, concluding remarks (Kesselring) MS # C-014
• OB West, History of MSS # T-121; T-123 (Ger)
• OKW activities, 1 Jul-30 Sep 1943 MS # C-093
• OKW: Comments by Gen Warlimont on the fighting in Italy, Jan-Mar 1944 MS # C-099e (Ger)
• OKW, response to the Allied landing in North Africa, Nov 1942 MS # D-066
• Parachute Pz Div Hermann Goering, battle for Rome, 26 May-5 Jun 1944 MS # C-087b
• Parachute Pz Div Hermann Goering, Sicily, 10-14 Jul 1943 MS # C-087a, c, d
• Rome, protection during the fighting at Anzio--Nettuno; evacuation on 4 Jun 1944 MS # D-314
• Strategic field fortifications in Italy, construction, Sep 1943-Oct 1944 MS# D-013
• Strategy in the Italian campaign (Kesselring, Westphal) MS # B-270
• Supply in Italy during Allied offensive, May 1944, and subsequent fighting to the Apennines MS # D-128
• Tactical mission, trace and organization of Senger switch position, Italy Nov 1943-Mar 1944 MS # D-170
• War diary of the Italian campaign (XIV Panzer Corps, MSS # C-095a-g
• 26th Pz Div, 15 May-12 Jul 1944 MS # D-312
• 26th Pz Div, southern Italy, 7 Sep 1943-23 Jan 1944 MS # D-316
• 29th Pz Gren Div, counterattack at Anzio--Nettuno Feb 1944 MS # D-141
• 78th Inf Div, Jan 1944-May 1945 MS # C-084
• 362d Inf Div, battle for Rome and subsequent retirement, 23 May-10 Jun 1944 MS # D-169

 

Many of the FMS series of manuscripts are downloadable here: FMS Index

 

Found it. It is in two parts:

World War II Operational Documents
World War II Operational Documents

 

Gary,

Thanks, that was a good find.

Regards

Tom

 

Amazon Kindle edition £2.27.

 

Going by the references to the war diaries of German 10th and 14th Armies (and not any smaller formations), the six (6) A2 colour maps and the similar number of pages (134 rather than 128), I suspect that the following is just a reprint of 'German Operations at Anzio' under a different title.
Given the £40 price tag for a paperback re-print, it might be cheaper to order a print-off of the freely available PDFs through a document supply printing service, although I am not sure what kind of prices commercial printers might charge for six A2 full colour maps:
ANZIO - THE GERMAN WAR DIARIES, 3RD EDITION:
"US Intelligence Mint paperback reprint. 134pp. The Allied invasion at Anzio was intended to open up the stalemated Italian front and lead to a rapid drive on Rome. The German High Command was hampered by the surrender of Italy in September 1943, and Field Marshals Kesselring and Rommel had to decide where to make their main line of resistance. Kesselring took overall command in Italy in November 1943. Allied landings at Salerno began well, but became bogged down; the landing at Anzio was intended to solve this logjam. The accounts of the action from January to May 1944 are taken from the War Diaries of the German 10th and 14th Armies. There is a day-to-day account of the German operations, including many comments on the British and US troops involved. Complete with Orders of Battle, this is a singular document which completes the picture of this battle. With six A2 maps from the original edition of the paper."
Welcome to Caliver Books

 

Joerg Staiger's 1962 Anzio book from the Wehrmacht im Kampf series is being translated and published later this year.

Anzio Nettuno 1944: A Battle of Leadership Mistakes (Die Wehrmacht im Kampf): Amazon.co.uk: Staiger, Jörg, Lyons, Linden, Strohn, Matthias: 9781636241913: Books

 

I think that's one of the stronger books in the series.

Never understood why they translated that execrable Crusader book as one of the first.

All the best

Andreas

 

Andrea.

If the book summary is anything to go by then I am underwhelmed.

Success depended on the element of surprise, and the speed with which the invaders could build up strength and move inland. This was understood by General Mark Clark, commander of the US Fifth Army, but not fully understood by his subordinate commanders.

Surprise was achieved at Anzio and the speed with which Lucas built up his strength was impressive - given the paucity of shipping lift that he had at his disposal. As for the idea of immediately moving inland with just two Infantry Divisions, an ever increasing perimeter to defend and a lengthening supply line, Lucas was absolutely right not to advance on Rome.

Mark Clark understood the need for achieving surprise and then exploiting it but he never gave Lucas the resources to achieve anything more than a landing followed by a massive build up. Lucas knew exactly what Clark wanted to achieve but he, and others, realised the stupidity of Clark's concept of operations from the very beginning. It was flawed for lack of shipping and the growing demands of Op OVERLORD for that precious shipping.

Lucas's brilliant handling of logistics in the early stages of the landings, and his ability to use the mass of artillery ammunition that he had accumulated, ultimately blunted the massive German counter attacks and paved the way for an impressive breakout in May 44.

Regards

Frank

 

The landings at Anzio were an extension of the "end runs" concept adopted by Patton on the northern shores of Sicily and by the British at Termoli. It was a logical attempt to leverage allied command of the sea. Don't blame Clark alone - though he should bear the blame for ill co-ordinated operations by Fifth Army. The plan was enthusiastically backed by no less than Winston Churchill, who liked operations with lots of buccaneering and daring do, and tended to ignore logistic limitations, and by Brooke, a very level headed General.

Decisive success at Anzio was doomed by the poor planning and execution of the First Battle of Cassino. A landing by three divisions in the Rome area was only going to be a success if it led to the abandonment of the Gustav Line. Three divisions was never going to be enough to both defend an extended beachhead AND make bold moves inland against a German enemy. The Allied attacks on the Gustav Line in Jan 1944 were ill co-ordinated and although the Germans were stretched by both X British Corps and the FEC, there was always just enough time to rush troops to the critical point. The Anzio landings could be sealed off

There was a lot of benefits to the Anzio operation as long as it is considered in the context of Italy as a side show, just a way of engaging German troops ahead of a cross channel assault and unavailable for the East Front. The Anzio landings sucked in additional German troops from France, Germany and the Balkans. It cost the Germans about 40,000 casualties. The Germans also had an opportunity to defeat a "mini D Day" under optimal conditions - and failed. This cannot have helped morale and confidence in those tasked with defending the Atlantic Wall. It also reinforced the soundness of the decision broaden the Normandy assault from three to five beaches. The culmination of the Anzio operation on 5th June was the fall of Rome, perfectly timed to distract from events in NW Europe. The Anzio operation reinforced a pattern of allied behaviour that may have influenced the Germans to retain significant forces in the Pas de Calais. These may have been unintended consequences, but on balance Anzio worked out well for the Allies.

 

Hi Frank

I pretty much ignore what these books write about the other side, and focus on what they say about the German side. In that regard I consider it one of the stronger ones (but by no means one of the best).

All the best

Andreas