Videos: Operations Baytown and Avalanche, Sept. 1943 (2)

Canadians in RCNVR and Combined Operations in Italy, 1943

(Associated Press (AP) Archive Has Huge Collection to Explore)

Canadians in Combined Ops are active in Italy beginning Sept. 1943

Many news clippings from Charlottetown Guardian available here 

Introduction:

The Allied invasion of Italy took places initially at three locations beginning on three different days, e.g., at the toe of the boot (Reggio di Calabria) on September 3, 1943, at the heel of the boot (Taranto) on Sept. 8, and at the shin of the boot (Salerno) on Sept. 9. The 80th Flotilla of Canadian Landing Crafts, including my father aboard an LCM or Landing Craft, Mechanised, assembled chiefly at Messina. Other troops and crafts awaiting orders to embark at Catania and perhaps a few other ports along Sicily's east coast, e.g., at Charlie Beach at Santa Teresa. 

The embarkation for Reggio was preceded by a naval bombardment and it is likely that German troops were well on their way inland before the Canadian sailors - and many others from the U.K. - landed their landing crafts and helped Canadian and British troops get started on pressing forward to months of stiff fighting.

The Associated Press Archive is rich in videos and photographs. One cannot read a WWII newspaper without coming across photographs from an AP photographer. Readers can use the search engine easily ("If I can do it.... ") and I wish "Happy Hunting" to all who are interested in doing so.

Below please find links and descriptions of a few informative videos related to the invasion of Italy:

1. Into Europe

Time - 1min:03sec.

Storyline - After the capture of Sicily the attack moves onto the toe of Italy.

Shot List - Officers point across Straits towards Italy (Town below - Messina?). GS across Straits. Beach scenes. Coming ashore from craft, wading waist-deep in water.

Disclaimer: British Movietone is an historical collection. Any views and expressions within either the video or metadata of the collection are reproduced for historical accuracy and do not represent the opinions or editorial policies of the Associated Press.

2. On The Way

Time - 3min:24sec.

Storyline - Allied aircraft continue their bombardment of the toe of Italy, whilst strategic attacks are being made further up the peninsula. Embarkation begins for the landing in the Italian main land and the troops that cross found they were virtually unopposed. Italian resistance was only half-hearted after the disappearance of the Germans.

Shot List - Baltimore in flight. Aerial of Baltimore and land below. Bombs going down. Aerial of coast (toe of Italy). Smoke from targets. General Montgomery in car. Troops paraded. Montgomery addresses troops from car. Salutes. Many ships in Mediterranean ports prepare for embarkation. Troops go aboard. CU types. Night shots barrage across Straits of Messina. Invasion force under way across Straits. 'Duck' [sic] into sea and out of camera. 'Ducks' across Straits. Beach scenes. Landings - ramp down - troops from same. Wounded ashore - some stretcher cases brought in by RAMC. Pan of many ships and craft in harbour.

More details from The Charlottetown Guardian

3. Italy Yields

Time - 01min:05sec

Storyline - The Italians capitulate and the overthrow of Mussolini brings jubilation to the streets.

Shot List - Landing craft on beaches and men wade ashore. People throw missiles at picture of Mussolini. Speaker on stand talks to people (Lawyer). CU speaker with people around him. CU King Victor Emmanuel. Badoglio walks into camera. People wave in streets (very good shots).

4. Embarkation for Italy (No Sound)

Help Wanted! Is the location Messina or a city farther south?

Time - 02min:13sec

Storyline - N/A

Shot List - Landing craft and troops on beaches. Troops along beaches and go aboard Landing craft. Civilians watch same. Lorry backed onto craft. Look down shot of R.A.F. lorries on road. GS of harbour - hills in the distance - and landing craft can be seen below. Bren-carrier along winding road. Car comes ashore from craft. Tank ashore and along beach - throws up dust. A.L.C. comes ashore. Aerial of town. Masses of ALC in harbour. Planes in formation LS Troops on board wave etc. Plane in sky and balloon. Soldier fires gun in ship's turret. ALC in harbour at sunset. Silhouettes men ashore. Troops on ships (night). Disembarking at night then day shot. Troops wade ashore into camera. Push jeep ashore, C.U. Driver's back and luggage. Back of jeep. Netting on beach. Troops single file on shore with rifles. Feet into camera. Invasion barges at sea. Troops by barbed wire on beach. Jeep ashore from barge. Lorry ashore. Barge end lowered. Gun on beach and various activities.

5. Reading Behind the Lines

Time - 02min:56sec.

Storyline - (News from various fronts, Reggio, Italy included) America is expanding it's Airborne troops and dogs are among the new recruits. General Montgomery crosses to the Italian mainland. In Denmark the citizens of Copenhagen show their unswerving loyalty for King Christian. From Bulgaria comes the news of the death of King Boris.

Shot List (partial) - Newspapers turned over. Troop carrying planes into camera. Paratroops from same. One comes down with US flag. Dog jumps and floats to earth. Montgomery boards Naval Launch. Salutes Naval Officers. Launch flies Montgomery's own pennant and tows a 'duck' [sic]. General under gun, looks through glasses at coast, and CU. 'Duck' going ashore at Italy. Troops along beach single file. Montgomery and officers study map on beach. General watches troops march along streets and waves to them. Fires on shore at Palermo, naval craft in fore. Shipping on fire in harbour. Naval man looks through glasses. Terrific explosion. Crowds round King Christian on horseback and CU. King Boris meets Hitler and shakes with Nazi officials. Sicily Bombing - CARD 44000 (Pathe US) Cut story - Bombing at dawn of Palermo. Ships burning in harbour. Terrific explosion when one ship is hit, VG. 'Invasion Of Italy' - CARD 43994 -see this under this story number for tape (AFU) General Montgomery ashore amongst his men (Italy). Travels in a Naval Motor Launch, towing 'Duck'. General boards the launch. Stands in bows and looks through field glasses. His own pennant flies above White Ensign and shot of 'Duck' in tow. General in main streets of Reggio, waves to column of troops, single file. Pan of White Ensign over town. LS of harbour full of wrecked ships. General out of 'Duck' helped by Italian POW's and enters house. LS of beach shows landing craft disembarking. Troops greeted by civilians and given grapes...

6. Salerno (Operation Avalanche)

Time - 03min:44sec.

Storyline - A night barrage from the sea paves the way for the landing by the Fifth Army. The landing craft quickly ran ashore and the troops began moving forward.

Shot List - 'Nelson' and 'Rodney' at sea. Elevated view of the guns of one of them. Big guns firing, both close and long shots. Sailor in tin hat with telescope to eye. Big guns fire. GS of battleships at sea. Night barrage. Loading the guns in the turret. GS of sunrise. British troops of Fifth Army embarking CU feet up gangway. Men leaning over rail looking towards coast of Italy in the dawn. Troop convoy steams towards Italy, also landing craft. Troops on beaches. GS of landing craft of new type in which a lorry comes out of the hull. Lorry on beach, and down road. Men and vehicles advance. GS of explosion in sea and Italian coast in background.

A Canadian pilot saw the landing forces approaching the Italian coast at Salerno on September 9th.

Clipping from The Montreal Star, Sept. 9, 1943. "News travels fast!"

More information about the pilot (I met his brother shortly after I

spotted this news clip on microfilm at the University of Western

Ontario in London) based on my research is provided here.

7. Fifth (Army) Held On

Time - 21min:28sec  - No Audio but good quality images

Storyline - The second report on the Battle of Salerno shows the British and Americans pursuing the withdrawing Germans. The lack of airfields which had hampered the early campaign was remedied by the German retreat.

Shot List - VS British troops advancing along road - could be near Nosciano River. Various shots of Monte Corvino Airfield. Our smoke shells falling amongst abandoned aircraft FW190. Transport crossing aerodrome. British soldier at site of German camp. VS troops moving supplies, discussing plans with officers, with wrecked German aircraft, troop and vehicle movement. Fifth army. Soldier digs out mine. VS mine being removed. Italian and British officers look at mines. Supplies unloaded. VS soldiers around crashed aircraft. Refuelling aircraft - Spitfire. Seafire landing on aerodrome and taking off. VS German aircraft. Troop movements - tanks and men marching along country roads. Horse drawn cart with weapons and men aboard. VS men moving through countryside. Smoke on horizon. Men lying on ground with guns at ready. Troops relaxing - lying down in road, snoozing, smoking cigarettes, chatting to locals. Bren carrier moving at speed. Abandoned tank with holes in side. VS abandoned German tanks - Shermans. Tanks on fire. Tracer fire. Night shots of firing. Day shots of ships off coast - VS different ships. Convoy. VS troops on board ships, LCTs, on beach. POWs on beach. Vehicles being driven onto beach from landing vehicles. VS POWs on beach and troops on beach. Various activities on beach. More troops arrive at beach. VS army vehicles driving onto beach. Troops disembarking from landing craft - VS. LS of ships at sea. HAS soldiers on landing craft . Soldiers being briefed on landing craft. Street scenes - troops make friends with local Italians. Unloading supplies, loading and firing artillery. Eisenhower greeted by Monty at Catania. General Patton shakes with Monty. GS of group.

8. Bridgehead to Rome (with sound)

Time - 6min:39sec.

Storyline - The landings at Anzio caught the Germans napping having just moved troops up to the Cassino front. Salerno was the embarkation site and crafts of many sizes took the troops over to the landings. General Alexander was soon on the spot, together with Admiral Troubridge. General Clark also arrived to see the progress of the landings.

Shot List - KS. Troops in fore on deck on transport, craft in background. Various shots of transport & craft assembled off Naples, Mount Vesuvius in background. US Rangers embark, hand over pass as they board craft. Army lorry boards craft. "Ducks" along beaches, make way out to large transport, alongside, troops go aboard, "Ducks" aboard large transport. GS of troops singing on deck of ship. Convoy under way, craft in fore, several shots. TLCs with barrage balloons aloft. Ducks come ashore, artillery, & Sherman tank off floating pier. Various shots of floating pier, being assembled, in rough sea, sunken Army lorry alongside. CU Naval officer, troops disembark from craft. GV of mined beach, also sign to indicate same. Naval personnel signal flag, CU Aldis lamp being used. MS of General Alexander & Rear Admiral Troubridge on beach of Anzio. MS of Clark also on beach. Aerial shots of Bostons in formation aerial shots of convoy off Anzio beaches. CU Bostons engines running, CU Boston in flight. Aerial shot of convoy off Netturno beaches. Air shots of Anzio harbour & town. Various aerial shots of Mussolini canal with bridge demolished. More shots of TLCs, LCIs & LSTs, come ashore. British troops on beaches. LS of explosions around convoy off coast, all misses. Bren Carriers come ashore, through wooded area, first batch of German POW's brought in. Ruined buildings. Artillery towed through streets. British troops march into camera, single file, cut-in of road sign to ?, finish on British troops marching out of camera along road.

I do not know if any Canadians in Combined Operations participated in another landing in Italy that followed the Salerno landings (Operation Avalanche). However, there would have been many similarities in the role of the navy re use of landing crafts and more during this later operation at Anzio.

9. Bridgehead to Rome (No Sound)

Time - 13min.00sec.

Storyline - (same as above, but this video is twice the length) The landings at Anzio caught the Germans napping having just moved troops up to the Cassino front. Salerno was the embarkation site and crafts of many sizes took the troops over to the landings. General Alexander was soon on the spot, together with Admiral Troubridge. General Clark also arrived to see the progress of the landings.

Shot List - Panning shot of Naples Bay with convoy assembling - VS. On beach - VS troops getting into landing craft. Supplies being taken aboard. VS of scene on beach as craft approach to land. VS men aboard landing craft. VS men climbing aboard ship. CU of soldier looking out over sea - looking pensive. Group of three look out over sea. Dawn shots of landings. Men wading through sea. Troops walking along beach. Searching beach for mines. VS activity on beach during landings. Some vehicles stuck in sand. Soldier digging hole in sand. VS activity on beach - vehicle movements. At sea - various vessels. VS of coast, ships and landing craft. Troops on beach. Ships approaching shore. Troops leaving ship and climbing into smaller landing craft. Troops marching on land. Vehicles moving through countryside. Mesh being laid for road making. Troops marching single file. At sea - VS convoy. Shelling at sea. Smoke rising on horizon - possibly ship on fire. VS convoy and troops arriving on beach. Dusk or dawn shots of tanks and troops in silhouette on beach.

Please click here to view more videos related to the above. i.e., Operations Baytown and Avalanche, Sept. 1943 (1)

Unattributed Photos GH