1. Sicily and Italy Notes

2. Sicily Campaign July 9 – August 17 1943

3. The Americans and the British invaded the Island of Sicily, fighting against the Italians and the Germans. The Americans, commanded by General Patton. The British, commanded by Field Marshal Montgomery. Both raced to capture the northern city of Messina. The Americans WON!!!

4. Though the campaign to take Sicily was a GREAT success, with thousands of Italian troops surrendering, many of the German troops and their equipment managed to escape into Italy to fight another day.

5. Italian Campaign 3 September 1943 – 2 May 1945
September 3rd Operation Baytown British land in Italy, unopposed, the Italians surrender and hold Mussolini as a prisoner. September 9th - 6 October Operation Avalanche Americans land at Salerno, but land right by the Germans, who almost push us back into the sea. September 9th Operation Slapstick The British also land at Taranto, but are mostly unopposed.

6. Hitler appointed Field Marshal Kesselring who advised Hitler that the Germans should use Italy’s mountains as a natural fortress to keep the Americans and British away from Germany.

7. Battle of Monte Casino 17 January -18 May 1944
Battle of Monte Casino 17 January -18 May Located on the Gustav Line, the allies tried to break through, but with no luck. For more than 100 days the Germans held up the allies.
The U.S. even bombed the historic Benedictine Monastery, thinking the Germans were using it as a fort. They weren’t. But they did turn the ruble into a fortress.

8. Battle of Anzio January 22 to June 5 1944
Battle of Anzio January 22 to June In a desperate attempt to get around the fighting at Monte Casino, the allies landed behind the German lines at Anzio. Initially, the Germans were caught by surprise, but the allies were cautious, they could have captured Rome, but instead fortified the beachhead, letting the Germans build their defenses.

9. After Normandy
After the allied invasion of Normandy, France, the war effort turned away from Italy, with many of the troops leaving and fighting in France. However, fighting was still fierce. The farther north the allies got, the more fortifications the Germans built.

10. Gran Sasso Raid September 12, 1943
Gran Sasso Raid September 12, Mussolini was held captive in an Alps ski lodge. German special forces landed with gliders and took the guards by surprise. They then flew Mussolini back to meet Hitler.
Side events
Otto Skorzeny, Hitler’s top commando
Campo Imperatore Hotel
Mussolini

11. Italian Torpedo Men

12. Persecution
When the Germans moved in to Italy after the Italians had surrendered, they found that the Italians had not rounded up their Jewish population, so the Germans went into over drive to get the job done. Massacre of the Acqui Division in September 1943 Italian division slaughtered by Germans after the Italians surrendered. More than 5,000 soldiers killed. Ardeatine massacre 24 March 1944 The Germans rounded up hundreds of civilians into a cave and killed them.

13. http://www. bing. com/videos/search
etail&mid=15A739088AA A15A739088AA A&FORM =VRDGAR

14. Death of Mussolini 28 April, 1945