bigpigeon.us webpage WWII Germany > The MTO > Italy, © 2023 by Robert A. Christiansen, updated by RAC 26 Dec 2022.  
The Italian Campaigns began with the Allied invasion of Sicily in July 1943 and continued until May 1945.
Links to Big Pigeon's The MTO > Italy webpages:  (Some subpages are incomplete.)
The Allied Italian Campaign in Sicily, July - August 1943
Sicily Narrative:
A joint British-US force invaded southern Sicily in early July 1943. The six-week Sicilian campaign ended with the German-Italian withdrawal across the Straits of Messina in mid-August.

​Sicily Timeline - 1943:
  • May - All Italian and German forces surrender in Tunisia.
  • 9 July - British and American forces based in North Africa invade the Italian island of Sicily.​
  • 17 August - The Allied campaign to capture Sicily  ends.
Regions of Italy
Regions of Italy
The Allied Campaigns in mainland Italy, September 1943 - May 1945
Mainland Italy Timeline:
1943:
  • ​3 September - First Allied landing on the mainland of Italy - British at Calabria.
  • 9 September - Additional Allied landings on the Italian mainland: British at Taranto and Brits & Americans at Salerno.
  • 1 October - US Fifth Army occupy Naples on the west coast and British Eighth Army Foggia area near the east coast.
1943 - 1944:
  • October 1943 - January 1944 - Allies attack the Winter Line area and advance to the Gustav Line.
1944:
  • January - May - Bloody Gustav Line battles in the Cassino area.
  • January - May - Allied beachhead invasion at Anzio followed by four months of stalemate.
  • May - Allied breakout of Gustav Line followed by breakout of Anzio Beachhead.
  • June -  Germans abandon Rome and retreat northward.
  • June - August  - Allies advance northward in Italy to Gothic Line.
1944 - 1945:
  • August 1944 - April 1945 - Moderate gains by Allies past Gothic Line with significant casualties.
1945:
  • April - May 1945 - Allies break out of Gothic Line and advance across the Po Valley and begin to penetrate the Italian Alps.
Physical Map of Italy
Physical Map of Italy
The Allied Campaign in Italy
The Italian Campaign in Sicily and the Mainland
Sources for Big Pigeon's The MTO > Italy webpage:
  • The Regions of Italy map is courtesy of italiantourism.us.
  • http://www.italyouritaly.com/blog/2021/4/13/regions-provinces-comuni-of-italy contains more information about the current political organization (regions, provinces and communes) of Italy.
  • The Physical Map of Italy is courtesy of privateinternetaccess.com.
  • The The Italian Campaign in Sicily and the Mainland map is courtesy of Infobase Publishing. Note an error, the Anzio Beachhead breakout didn't occur until the end of May.

​Appendix: Extended Family Members Who Served in the Italian Campaign:
  • Roland and Rodney Paulson, my uncle Louis Petersen's nephews, were identical twins from Ames, Iowa who served together on a B-17 flying from the Foggia area. Their squadron used Azon, the Air Force's first guided bomb. Roland, as the lead bombardier, once disabled the Avisio viaduct on the main German supply line to Italy for several days.
  • Ralph Shower of Terre Haute, Indiana, my wife's uncle, was a member of a port battalion stationed in Naples. Companies from his battalion would load ships in Naples, and then accompany the ships to the Anzio beachhead, where they would unload the ships while under fire.
  • Ralph Edward Spencer, Jr. of Boomer Township, my step-uncle, served with the 3rd Infantry Division in North Africa, Sicily, the Italian mainland, and then in southern France.