Story re "55th, 61st, 80th, 81st Flotillas" Part 2

The 55th, 61st, 80th, 81st Canadian Flotillas in Sicily and Italy - Part 2

By Lt. Cdr L. Williams, RCNVR, RTD (Data from Lt. Cdr J. Gibb, RCNVR)

"80th Flotilla carried out its familiar routine of ferry work"

from Messina,Sicily to Reggio di Calabria, 'Toe of the Boot', Italy

Photo Credit - University of Texas Libraries

Sicily and Italy: 

From an address delivered to the Maritime Museum of Vancouver, 1995

Italy - Messina

Just before the departure for Northern Sicily in preparation for the jump across the Straits of Messina, it was decided that the 81st Flotilla would not be sent. The 80th Flotilla therefore sailed alone from Malta on August 27. They picked up a solitary 81st LCM 1 and crew who had been left at Syracuse.

Thirty-six hours later they began to embark the Canadians of the Royal 22nd Regiment, the West Nova Scotians, and the Carleton and Yorks. Canadian soldiers and Canadian sailors were operating together at last. For a month after the lightly opposed Italian landing, the 80th Flotilla carried out its familiar routine of ferry work. The end came with the Italian Armistice and a great celebration in which the population of the countryside joined, and after that the word "England" was on every man's lips. The 61st Assault Flotilla had long been in the UK. The 81st was also there. The 80th arrived on October 27. The 55th Flotilla aboard Otranto remained in Algiers and prepared for the landings at Salerno.

The Invasion of Italy. Four arrows point to Salerno.

Photo Credit - Today in WW2 History

Italy - Salerno - Operation Avalanche, September, 1943

On September 11 the British landed unopposed in the harbour at Taranto, but Salerno was a far tougher nut. Apart from Dieppe, which was a special case, it was the first seriously opposed landing that we had ventured on and there was a period when it was near failing altogether.

Despite warnings not to expect something like a walkover, top level arguments and the consequent lower level adjustments were still continuing when the first and slowest elements of the Invasion Force crept out from their bases and set their course for Salerno.... There were several air attacks on passage but the total damage was negligible....

Salerno Beach on D-Day. LSTs deliver trucks and tanks onto the sand. At right are

rolls of beach matting used in building roads over the sand. In the center are members

of the medical battalions, which had collecting companies on the beaches as early as

0400 on D-Day, 9 Sept. 1943 : Photo Credit and Caption - Today in WW2 History 

The northern or British half of the front comprised of sectors, each of two beaches. On the northernmost beach the leading battalion got ashore successfully and Brigade Headquarters followed it soon afterwards, but the right battalion on the next beach was less fortunate. The leading army group landed on the wrong beach.... The supporting weapons, following in the next wave, did not know of the change in direction, and landed on the original beach where - with no bridgehead to protect them - they were wiped out.... 50 per cent casualties.

On the extreme left of the British front, the American Rangers and British Commandos were having a rough time. The LCMs which were to have landed the Commando stores apparently found the fire too heavy for their liking and withdrew without unloading (until) objectives were finally captured....

In the American area where the 55th Canadian LCA Flotilla landed, south of the Sal River (R. Sele on map below), the battle remained critical for several days. The scales of equipment taken ashore were far too generous; no labour was provided to unload the LCTs and DKWs (Amphibious trucks).... there was a mass of unsorted material - petrol, ammunition, food, equipment - lying so thick on the beaches that landing craft could find nowhere to touch down.

The build-up was very slow so that when the Germans counter-attacked with tanks the US troops had nothing with which to defend themselves....

....Our Flotilla, the 55th LCA working from SS Otranto was quite badly raked by small fire and suffered casualties immediately after the soldiers stepped onto the beach.

So ended Salerno, a hard and difficult battle, the severest test so far of the technique of Combined Operations.

Map of Salerno and R. Sele as found in St. Nazaire to Singapore, Vol. 1

Photo Credit - L. Williams

The full address related to Part 2 can be found at St. Nazaire to Singapore, Vol. 1, from the bottom of page 197 - 199.

As well, please link to Story re "55th, 61st, 80th, 81st Flotillas" Part 1