General Mark CLARK

Concur. Capturing and destroying the German Army in Italy was more important and Clark really messed up and should have been sacked. If Clark wanted to capture an open city that bad, send an recce in force of a battalion but stick to the objective of trapping the Germans.

 

There were other benefits to taking Rome. Avalanche and the support of the US for an invasion of Italy was predicated on Italian defection and the over promised military support for Allied landings. The Op Avalanche plans originally included provision for an airborne landing by the 82ndn US Airborne on Rome, Op Giant a plan that might have made Arnhem look like a victory.... How Gen. Ridgway Saved the 82nd Airborne From a Suicide Mission in Rome

De Guingand's criticism is valid and may have expressed the views of his boss. Montgomery expressed serious doubts over Op Baytown complaining that he was being ordered to make the first assault on mainland Europe without being given a clear idea of the aim.

One result of the Italian campaign was to remove one axis nation from the order of battle. Although the Italian army had limited capabilities their garrisons across Eastern Europe would need to be replaced by German troops who might have been better employed elsewhere.

 

Monty seems curiously uninvolved in the planning for the invasion of Italy. Perhaps the furore caused by his recasting of the plans for Husky made him to take a lower profile.

 

Baytown and Avalanche were two separate operations with no direct planning link. Baytown was Monty's show. As an Army Commander he did want to know what he was supposed to do.

 

The invasion of mainland Italy was not unlike the early planning for Husky - multiple non-supporting landing sites.



The invasion of the mainland was always going to be more important than the invasion of Sicily.

 

A bit of Festive trivia: if you watch the 1954 movie White Christmas, listen up for the line in which Bing gives stage instructions for his Army reunion pals to line up like they did 'when Clark came through'. Like most people I've seen the movie many times, but for many years always assumed that excellent Christmas on the frontline musical scene at the start of the film was set during the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium. Now it's clear that Bing saved Danny Kaye's life (before becoming the postwar showbiz duo 'Wallace and Davis') somewhere in Italy in either Christmas 1943 or Christmas 1944.....And so, in turn, Dean Jagger's General Waverley also served under Clark...

 

In the interests of historical accuracy, I have to correct the above post: it was Danny Kaye who saved Bing's life in the opening sequence of White Christmas, which has an opening title of 1944....

 

I brought this book with me on the last stand that we did earlier this year. Rapido river crossing Study the crossing sites of 141 Inf Regt in the first battle of (this fine 36 US Inf Div) on 20-21 Jan 44. For what ever reason we did not have the time to read out the preface from this book. The next time may be? Willing to read it out my self which would be a change. It needs to be. Not for me too advise James Holland that he should read this book. I'm sure he will get around to it in time. I've shown this preface in the past.

It says much about the that lovely chap called Mark Wayne Clark.

Squire, what do you normally call him?



Regards,
Stu.

The book is: THE TEXAS ARMY A History of the 36 Division in the Italian Campaign By ROBERT L. WAGNER.