Returning from Cairo to Algiers, I began digging away at the minor mountain of paper accumulated on my desk. Memories of Egypt and Palestine faded completely as I worked late each night to reduce those piles of the General’s fan mail. Like everyone else at headquarters, however, I was still busier on unofficial duties… working overtime on the old rumor that Gen Marshall, not Gen Ike, would head the new American Expeditionary Force building in Britain, and that Ike would go to Washington to become Chief of Staff.
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Oct
27
2009
Big Brass gathered for the Cairo Conference were concerned mostly with world-wide strategy. But they also wanted to hear testimony on the war raging right there in the Mediterranean… so Gen Marshall dispatched a special C-54 to bring the star witness. Instead of flying over in lonely pomp, Gen Eisenhower made a characteristic gesture. He invited about a dozen of his lower-rank staff members to go along : There’s no use wasting all the space in this big plane, he explained. Besides, it may be the only chance you’ll ever get to visit the Middle East.
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Jun
26
2009
Category : Belgium
Let me tell you about this lovely little Belgian city called : La Roche. Nestling in a leafy setting on the banks of the Ourthe River, La Roche, the Jewel of the Ardenne, has a fascinating past, a wealth of history, legends, and even a ghost. We know the La Roche area was already inhabited in Neolithic times, 20 centuries before our own era. The ancient Belgæ built an oppidum (hill fort) on this rocky outcrop, where the castle now stands. In 57 BC, Ardenne like Gaul had to submit to the yoke of Rome. A fortlet was built to replace the oppidum. Excavations in La Roche have found coins dating from the time of Emperor Domitian (AD 81-96) and Constantine II (AD 337-340). Taking advantage of the decline of Rome, the Franks, a Germanic people, invaded our country in the 5th century. Under the Frankish occupation in the 8th century, Pepin of Herstal turned the Roman fort into a hunting lodge. The first castle was built in the 9th century and was at its peak between the 12th and 17th centuries. In the following century, faced with attacks from the French, the castle was turned into a fortress. After 1721, a slow decline set in. A proposal to restore it was made in 1744, but never came to anything. Abandoned and neglected, the castle fell into ruin. Excavation started here in 1995, projected to finish by the end of 1999. There is a project afoot with plans already drawn up for a partial reconstruction.
Jun
15
2009
Category : Anzio Beach Head, Italy
XXIX – 22 February 1944
A. Operations Report
The attack to destroy the enemy pocket at Cle Buon Riposo did not succeed. Under heavy enemy barrage, the troops had to fight in difficult terrain with deep ravines. Up to the present, 150 prisoners have been brought in.
In the morning, and again in the afternoon, the 715th Infantry Division attacked Cle Biadaretto, 2 km north of Cle di Padiglione, and the Cle Carano hills. However, due to the enemy’s defensive fire, these attacks were halted short of their objectives.
At 1900, the 3rd Pzr Gren Div took over the sector formerly occupied by the 26th Pzr Div. The 67th Pzr Gren Regt of the 26th Pzr Div was attached to the 3rd Pzr Gren Div.
To complete the mission successfully, the 14th Army requested the Commander in Chief Southwest to strengthen it with one complete division ready for combat service, possibly a mountain division for greater mobility in wooded areas; one heavy mortar and one medium howitzer battalion; one engineer assault battalion; and additional portable radio sets, of which the Army has a shortage of 468.
We intend to shorten the main line of resistance on the east flank of the LXXVI Panzer Corps by seizing the Biadaretto and Carno hills, as well as destroy as quickly as possible all enemy units still in the area of Cle Buon Riposo, in order to relieve units of the 3rd Pzr Gren Div in the area west of the highway.
After the 3rd Pzr Gren Div has taken over the present sector of the 26th Pzr Div and parts of the western flank of the 29th Pzr Gren Div, it will be attached to the I Parachute Corps. When fighting has ceased in the area of Biadaretto, the remaining units of the 715th Inf Div will be withdrawn in order to take over the sector of two battalions on the eastern flank of the 362nd Inf Div. All forces committed south of the area will be attached to the 715th Inf Div.
On or about 26 February the Army plans a breakthrough to the Mussolini Canal, from the north, crossing a general line from Pte della Crocetta to Isola Bella. Units to participate in this attack will be :
- 362nd Infantry Division
- Panzer Division Herman Goering
- 26th Panzer Division.
The attack will be made from the west flank of the 362nd Inf Div. If this action meets with success, the Army intends to push on to the lower Spaccassassi Creek. The two battalions of the 15th Pzr Gren Div (earmarked for the 29th Pzr Gren Div) which are at present in transit, will be held in reserve in the are west of Velletri. After the 29th Pzr Gren Div has been withdrawn from its present front sector, it will be used either for the attack against Fosso di Spaccassassi and to roll up the enemy lines southwest of Cisterna from the west, or to make a surprise attack from north of the area of Borgo Podgora against the enemy units fighting in the area of Isola Bella.
Experience has shown that the enemy reacts every quickly to the regrouping of our forces. It is, therefore, imperative that the regrouping be concealed, and it is of particular importance that the enemy be engaged along the entire line by continuous raids. These raids will have the secondary purpose of improving the local front. By means of all types of deceptive measures, the enemy must be misled as to the actual assembly area of the assault divisions. To aid this deception further, I Parachute Corps will erect dummy tanks in the area around Adrea.
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Jun
08
2009
Category : Anzio Beach Head, Italy
The following study of German operations against the Allied beachhead at Anzio, from 22-01-44 to 31-05-44, is based on the available journals and records of the German X and XIV Armies. It should be noted that the facts and opinions expressed in the text reflect the German point of view, all statements on Allied troop strength, are German estimates. Records of the German Luftwaffe were not available, therefore the details of air action against the beachhead has not been included. The expressions like Panzer (tanks, armored), Jager (light infantry), and Panzer Grenadier (armored infantry), have been left in the German for purposes of clarification.
The daily reports list German and Allied losses. The Allied losses are limited to prisoners taken in most instances, and to weapons or materials known to have been destroyed. The German losses seem always to be minus at least one division, which means the German loss figures are probably grossly under-reported, for whatever reason. In addition, the German figures almost never reflect any material losses, so they do not show the number of tanks, trucks, airplanes, artillery pieces, etc., lost in the day-to-day fighting.
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Mar
04
2009
Stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington and known as the 3rd Division it moved to Fort Ord, California Jan 22 1940 then returned to Fort Lewis, May 19 1940. It moved again to Hunter-Liggett Military Reservation, California May 25 1941 for IX Corps California Maneuvers. The 3rd returned to Fort Lewis again on Jul 1 1941 and participated in the Fourth Army Maneuvers Aug 15 to Aug 30 1941. The 3rd was then transferred to Fort Ord, California on May 1 1942 and was re-designated 3rd Infantry Division on Aug 1 1942. Sent to Camp Pickett, Virginia on Sep 22 1942, it staged at Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia on Oct 27 1942 and departed Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation on the same date. The 3rd Inf Div assaulted Fedala North Africa on Nov 8 1942, assaulted Sicily Jul 10 1943 and arrived Italy Sep 18 1943. On Jan 22 1944, the 3rd assaulted Anzio then southern France on Aug 15 1944. The division entered into Germany on Mar 13 1945, arrived New York POE Sep 4 1946 and then Camp Campbell Kentucky Sep 8 1946.
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Mar
02
2009
Category : OSS & SOE
Special Operations Executive Summary of Operations in Western Europe
This summary refers only to those operations with the fullest material in the files. For reasons of space it does not refer to every operation mentioned in the records. Similarly, the newly released records do not contain evidence on every operation which was mounted by the sections.
Source : Adam Matthew Publications
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