General Patton takes over Operation Shingles

General Patton takes over Operation Shingles

On Dec 10, 1943, General John P. Lucas, the commanding general leading the assault for Anzio dies unexpectedly from a heart attack...

General Patton is re-assigned from his 'Furlough' due to the slapping incident that had happened on August 3, 1943...

General Patton arrives in the MTO and meets the overall Commanding General;

General Harold Alexander, commander of Allied Armies in Italy;
and is informed of what divisions he will be given for the initial invasion and his objectives...

General Patton is furious to find that he will not only invade the beaches of Anzio and Nettuno with only two divisions,

The British 1st Infantry Division on 'Peter Beach' which will attack six miles North of Anzio...

The American 3rd Infantry Division on 'X-Ray Beach' which will attack six miles East of Anzio...

plus three Ranger Battalions and one Parachute Battalion on 'Yellow Beach' which targets the port of Anzio...

With only two Infantry Divisions and a special Ranger Battlegroup and no further support or reinforcement for at least a week and to hold until they do arrive...

General Patton demands that at least an additional Infantry Division among with the unassigned US 1st Armoured Division be assigned to his attack force so that he can properly consolidate his beachhead and at least provide some armour for his men under his new command...

General Alexander sees the logic to his demand and not only promise them, he assigns the recently arrived First Special Service Force of Canadian and American volunteer soldiers composed of three combat regiments among with the British 2nd Special Service Brigade composed of the 9th and 43rd British Commandos as additional reinforcements...
as a sweetener, General Alexander assigns the 45th Infantry Division once sufficient LSTs and LSIs are available in Early January before the assigned Invasion date of Jan 22, 1944

General Patton is ... pleased ... that his ... request is granted..
He meets his new command and his Generals that will run his new divisions and battlegroups..

Will General Patton make a difference or suffer the same issue & fate that cost General John P. Lucas his command on Feb. 23 1944 when his Anzio command was lay siege by Kesselring's Armies...?

Quiry.
Will General Patton's Successes and reputation from his leadership in the battles of North Africa and Sicily force German High Command to send more troops or the same quantity of units as in OTL?

More Quiry.
If by sheer luck and determination, Patton gets even One Division, the U.S. 1st Armoured into Rome...
or even elements of the motorized and mechanized regiments from the 45th Infantry to liberate Rome...
Would that success make the Allied Leadership in the MTO and ETO to divert more shipping, supplies and Combat units to augment Patton's success from becoming a countersiege of not only Anzio but Liberated Rome??
And likewise force Herr Hitler to divert even more troops and units to re-conquer Rome and crush Patton's army?
 
Last edited:
The problem with landing another division at Anzio is that Allied shipping schedules in preparation for Overlord and other operations limited the number available for Shingle. So Overlord will be delayed, or other offensives in the Far East cancelled.

That being said, Shingle probably needs more than just 1 additional division to break the Gustav Line and thus seize Rome. I think Lucas did well with what he was given and never should have been fired.

Unless the Allied leadership sees the flaws in Shingle quickly, Patton will get pink slipped as well.
 
When Patton saw the invasion plans and considered the overall prospects for success he actually told Lucas that the only chance Lucas had to survive the operation and keep his career might require an injury forcing medical evacuation as soon as possible so the premise that Patton will have any enthusiasm for this operation is not very clear.

Under absolutely no circumstances will forces be diverted from Overlord for the landing at Anzio.
 
I think the biggest issue with Patton taking command is that

1) He is too senior a general. Lucas (major general) commanded a Corps while Patton (lieutenant general) already commanded an army. It is a demotion. Plus, he'd have to report to Mark Clark.

2) Patton is needed in Britain to assist in the deception plans for the Normandy invasion. Allies want the Germans to think Patton will lead the invasion force at Calais. Keeping him in the Mediterranean for much of early 1944 throws that into jeopardy.
 
Top