The Anzio Breakout

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January 22, 1944 the sun is shining, and there is quite wind blowing across the beach of Anzio. In the next two days this beach will be covered in upwards of 30,000 allied troops and will see some of the bloodiest fighting of the war in the next four months. Anzio was originally supposed to be a distraction that Sir Alexander could use to breach the Gustav line. However, after a failure to immediately push towards Rome the allies would be trapped in trench warfare and would be forced to breakout of Anzio. This was, simply enough, called the Anzio Breakout. The escape from Anzio was comprised of the plan and its flaw, the invasion, and the Breakout.

The allied commander Sir Alexander felt that he would be unable to take Rome unless a water assault exhausted the Cassino front that would lure the German troops off the Gustav line. This plan was called operation “shingle.” Alexander believed that if he could capture the Alban hills which lied northeast of Anzio he would stop the Germans from being able to send supplies to Cassino. And without supplies the Germans would be forced to retreat to the Apennines. However, the general of the German troops, Lucas, saw a flaw, after the invasion. He realized that the allies could not hold both the Alban Hills and the lifeline to the port of Anzio. Hoping to exploit this weakness Lucas created a beachhead on the outskirts of Anzio to stop the Allies. Alexander, now with a plan and not realizing its flaw, gave the go and the allied troops began their invasion.

January 22, 1944, Allied troops dropped on the beaches of Anzio completely surprising the Germans catching them off guard. This was possible because the attention and reserve troops were moved south, in order to oppose the allies attac...

... middle of paper ...

...scott’s platoon into fractions thus insuring that in the final drive the Americans would be the ones who liberated Rome. Rome finally fell after months of fighting on June 4, 1994.

Works Cited

"ANZIO 1944." U.S. Army Center Of Military History. Web. 03 Apr. 2010. .

"Anzio and the Road to Rome." Home Of Heroes Home Page. Web. 03 Apr. 2010. .

"Battle of Anzio ? History.com Articles, Video, Pictures and Facts." The History Channel ? Home Page. Web. 03 Apr. 2010. .

"The National World War II MuseumStalemate at Anzio." The National World War II

MuseumJune 6, 2010 â?? Museum Marks Tenth Anniversary, Commemorates D-

Day.

Web. 03 Apr. 2010. .

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