Operation Avalanche was the codename for the Allied landings near Salerno, Italy, on 9 September 1943. Following the defeat of Axis forces in North Africa and the successful invasion of Sicily, Allied planners turned their attention to mainland Italy. Churchill in particular saw Italy as the “underbelly of Europe,” believing its capture would knock Italy out of the war, secure the Mediterranean, and force Germany to divert troops away from northern France ahead of the planned invasion of Normandy. The Italian government capitulated on 8 September, but German forces quickly moved to take over the defence of the peninsula, ensuring that the invasion would be anything but easy. The main objective of Avalanche was to seize Naples and advance eastward to cut off retreating Axis forces in southern Italy. The landings were carried out by the U.S. Fifth Army under Lieutenant General Mark W. Clark, made up of the U.S. VI Corps, the British X Corps, and elements of the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division. To draw German troops away from the Salerno beaches, diversionary landings were mounted in Calabria (Operation Baytown) and Taranto (Operation Slapstick). At Salerno, Clark hoped to achieve surprise by foregoing a preliminary naval and aerial bombardment, but German defenders were well prepared. When the Allied troops came ashore, they were met by artillery, machine-gun fire, and scattered armour. Despite heavy resistance, both British and American units secured their beachheads, though they remained separated by a dangerous ten-mile gap on the first day.

Small thread on the main Generals behind Market Garden 🧵

Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery (British 21st Army Group):

Montgomery was the architect behind Operation Market Garden. His goal was to break through German lines by capturing key bridges and crossing the Rhine. While his leadership during the war was well-regarded, Market Garden's failure cast a shadow on his strategic judgment, as many felt he overestimated the chances of success and underestimated logistical challenges. Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick Browning (British I Airborne Corps):

Known as the "father of British airborne forces," Browning played a pivotal role in the planning and execution of Operation Market Garden. As the overall commander of the airborne component, he was criticized for underestimating the challenges of the operation, particularly the strength of German forces. His leadership was later questioned due to logistical failures and the choice of drop zones.

OTD 3rd Canadian Infantry Division is only 14km's from the Beach on this day 76 years ago. The landings have been successful, but the fight inland is anything but concluded. The mission of the Division now shifts to its most important task: stopping the Panzers.
On the 8th and 9th of June that is exactly what the Regina Rifles did. Building a Battalion Fortress based on the town of Bretteville-l'Orgueilleuse.

This is going to be a map thread, talking about some of the best stuff we have and why they are important. Most of these come from a war diary or an official history. They are like tapestries, telling the story of battles gone by.

So read along First off, why do we love maps? Simple. They show WHERE things were happening. Books and war diaries often tell you the what and the when, and probably even the why, maybe even the how.

But a map puts that all in a visual perspective.

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We would like to thank Project’44 contributor Federico Peyrani for his work on mapping and translating the source war dairies. /contd These regiments in their Panzer IV’s and Panthers would be a constant foe of Anglo-Canadian troops in the area in and around Caen and are key to giving context to the fanatical resistance 1stSSPzrCorps created in trying to contain the allied breakout from the beaches of Normandy.