Anzio - was it really necessary?

There was plenty of confusion on names (IIRC in 1942 had to send a letter to the US clarifying them) but "Round-up" seems mostly to have been used for a general invasion of Northern France in 1943, not just raids. However this varied over time, especially after a full-scale invasion in 1943 was put on hold.

The old Sledgehammer plans were still on hand, but as I understand the attention was to the 'opportunity' plans like Rankin I, II, & III. Perhaps "raid" is the wrong word. The objective of the Rankin plans was to capture a under defended port. Not just raid it. A opportunity plan as it were. Hyperwar has the best description I've found of the Rankin plans & Roundup in general. If anyone has a detailed analysis aside from Michael Guimarras essay I'd like to know about it.

I've not seen it presented in this way before - sources? Fifteen divisions sounds a little low given that British/Canadian/Polish could have provided at least twelve.

My estimate drawn from assorted descriptions. Depends on the date, and the logistics support at hand, particularly supply transport. That includes how swiftly Cherbourg or some other port might be restored. There is also the question of when various formations were fit for combat. I may be a bit conservative here. The descriptions I have of the early COSSAC version of Op Overlord only ran out to 30 days, so I am unsure what Morgan & Co expected.
 
The distinction is between an emergency assault conducted with the forces on hand in the event of German ( or Russian) collapse and a deliberate assault planned at a future date of your own choosing.

For planning purposes in the former case you can only count on the forces immediately available. In the latter you can forward plan on the availability of troops currently either elsewhere or in training.

So of the 17 US divs available vs Germany at eo 43 7 had arrived in Europe or NA since September, 12 more arrive before D Day and 15 after D Day.
Eisenhower’s appointment (14 Jan 44) and the commitment to Overlord in 44 mean the last 27 divs can be counted on to arrive at roughly the time they arrived.

Though it’s a bit chicken and egg, the divisions are going to available on schedule and that's why you need to appoint SHAEF.

There are all sorts of issues with an invasion in 43 but the root of it all is the pace of US mobilisation. For all of Marshall's blustering any invasion before 44 would be a British Invasion with the bulk of the US army showing up after a year’s fighting.

As it was Overlord puts roughly equal sized ground forces into contact and the Germans can reinforce much faster.
 
Getting back to the OP

On the other hand, what was the alternative to Anzio?
1) Nothing - Just pushing at Cassino?
2) Adriatic landing - where?
3) North of Rome - Where?

Number two seems to have been considered. IIRC there was a small flanking movement on 8th Armies sector in 1943. Maybe a battalion or two. I cant recall if those were commandos or other infantry. In 1945 there was the sue of the Buffalo LVT to flank German defenses in the estuary & tidal marshes @ the mouth of the Po River. This was a fairly large operation.

Churchills ideas for the Balkans were shutdown at the Eureka Confrence at Terhan in November 1943. Stalin made it clear he would not be a cooperative Allied nation if there was no invasion of western Europe in 1944. Roosevelt agreed with the idea the Balkans were not a war winning second front, and Churchhills staff gave him weak or no support. The US leaders did agree to allow the Brits to use the token amphib fleet remaining in the Mediterranean in 1944 for small or micro ops in the Balkans. According to Atkinson & Ikes bios a small 'single division' lift was left in the Med after January 1944. This was to add credibility to the deception ops under way, and to give SACMED the ability to take advantage of any significant German weaknesses. I've never seen a definition of what this single div lift actually was, so it may have been a exaggeration to call it that.

In any case if the politics of the season are followed either a early winter amphib op in Italy, or a spring attack on south France are about all the US leaders would agree to. But, for a moment assume Churchill is still able to get his way. Then assorted ill defined ops in the Balkans are possible. A Crete/Athens op is possible. I am unsure if Tiranias port is worth capturing or any other Adriatic port.. Maybe Salonika? I've long thought the Balkans a dead end for the west Allies in 1943 or 44, but perhaps some fresh arguments can be presented?
 
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So of the 17 US divs available vs Germany at eo 43 7 had arrived in Europe or NA since September, 12 more arrive before D Day and 15 after D Day.
Eisenhower’s appointment (14 Jan 44) and the commitment to Overlord in 44 mean the last 27 divs can be counted on to arrive at roughly the time they arrived.

...

Misplaced all my consolidated notes for the 1943 invasion question. :( A lot of the material I collected proved 'in error' when probed, so technically it was no great loss, but it was nice to have it at least in one wad for reference. Hopefully I still have the Anglo/US OB still saved in a second location. Staunton is a good refrence for when the US formations were sent to Europe, but is a lot less clear on when their training was considered complete.
 
I think that is a correct interpretation:

The Balkans would be a dead-end for the Western Allieds.

If any Adriatic landing was to go North in any serious way, it might just have get bogged down in the politics of the Balkans. That, AFAIK, was still unfinished business.

Stalin had a slightly more hands-on approach to all that, I believe. As in just crush it all and put his stooges in power.

If the objective of Anzio would have been to cut Italy in two, could it have been achieved with a landing at Anzio? Or would it have required another (real) port somewhere?

Ivan
 
Those numbers were from the Hyperwar Official History on the build up.

I suspect the early ones have incomplete training for a landing. More likely to have completed field training.


Is that regarded as adequate in the light of Mediterranean experience, probably not. I know at least some of the US units in Britain were run through Battle schools in the UK and its possible that some of the 43 units were rushed while in the US.
 
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