Italy: OofB Sources Sicily Italy...Axis Salerno-Naples Naples-Rome Rome-Florence North Apennines Po Valley
bigpigeon.us webpage WWII Germany > The MTO > Italy > The Po Valley, © 2024 by Robert A. Christiansen, updated by RAC 25 Jun 2024.
INCOMPLETE
Operation Grapeshot, known in the US Army as the Po Valley Campaign, was the final WWII Allied campaign in Italy. It officially began on 5 Apr 1945 and combat ended with the German surrender in Italy on 2 May 1945.
bigpigeon.us webpage WWII Germany > The MTO > Italy > The Po Valley, © 2024 by Robert A. Christiansen, updated by RAC 25 Jun 2024.
INCOMPLETE
Operation Grapeshot, known in the US Army as the Po Valley Campaign, was the final WWII Allied campaign in Italy. It officially began on 5 Apr 1945 and combat ended with the German surrender in Italy on 2 May 1945.
Background - Northern Italy
The core of northern Italy is a large plains area, which lives between the Northern Apennine Mountains to the south and the ranges of the Italian Alps to the north and west.
Most of this plains area lies within the Po River drainage. The Po, by far the largest river in Italy, flows in a generally eastward direction into the Adriatic Sea between Venice and Ravenna. |
Axis forces had prepared defense lines along the Po and Adige Rivers. Neither line held up the Allied advance during Operation Grapeshot.
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The Military Context
As shown on the accompanying map, Allied forces had advanced through the Gothic Line during the fall of 1944.
Allied operations stalled, in October for the US Fifth Army and in December for the British Eighth Army. Operations were shut down due to stiff German resistance, mud, and general exhaustion. Little combat occurred during the following winter and in early April 1945 the Allied front lines had remained nearly unchanged for three months for the Eighth Army and five months for the Fifth Army.
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At the beginning of April 1945:
- Allied forces were now rested and had robust logistical support. However, some Allied combat units had been withdrawn to the ETO and to Greece.
- Axis logistical support was failing, due to demands on other fronts and the impact of Allied air power on lines of communication.
Operation Grapeshot - The Allied Plan
Operation Grapeshot called for a series of coordinated attacks. (See the preceding map.)
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Unlike most military operations of such a large scope, Operation Grapeshot was generally implemented according to plan.
Operation Grapeshot - Preliminaries
- 1–7 Apr 1945 - In the far east, near the Adriatic Coast, British commmandos establish positions along the Commachio Lagoon's southern shore north of the Reno River.
- 5 Apr 1945 - In the far west, near the Ligurian Coast, the 92nd Infantry Division, now under direct Fifth Army control and reinforced with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, began advancing northwards.
Operation Grapeshot in the East - The Advance past the Senio River
The British Eighth Army began its offensive on 9 April 1945. Once the initial German defenses were breached, the Polish II Corps advanced northwest towards the Bologna area while the British V Corps advanced north towards the Po River at Ferrara.
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Operation Grapeshot in the Middle - The Advance to the Bologna Area
At the beginning of Operation Grapeshot, the US Fifth Army contained seven divisions plus the Italian Legnano Combat Group, all still in the Apennines south and southwest of Bologna. From left to right:
IV Corps: Brazilian Expeditionary Force, 10th Mountain Division, First Armored Division.
II Corps: 85th Infantry Division, 6th South African Armored Division, 88th Infantry Division, 91st Infantry Division 34th Infantry Division, Legnano Combat Group.
IV Corps: Brazilian Expeditionary Force, 10th Mountain Division, First Armored Division.
II Corps: 85th Infantry Division, 6th South African Armored Division, 88th Infantry Division, 91st Infantry Division 34th Infantry Division, Legnano Combat Group.
The US Fifth Army's offensive was held up for two days, waiting for weather to improve to allow for air support.
The US Fifth Army began its offensive on 14 April 1945 advancing northwards, with most units heading for highway 9 west of Bologna.
By 21 April, forward elements of most divisions lay to the west of Bologna. |
Operation Grapeshot Phase 2
Having broken through the Axis defensive line in numerous locations, the 15th Army Group executed phase 2 of the Po Valley Campaign. This involved:
- Joining Fifth Army and Eighth Army units to trap Axis front-line personnel between Bologna and the Adriatic Sea.
- Advancing northwest from Bologna along Highway 9 to isolate Axis forces in the western Apennine Mountains.
- Seizing crossing points on the Po River to trap Axis personnel south of the Po.
In three days beginning on 22 April, both Eighth Army and Fifth Army advance elements reached the Po River, and began crossing in force as soon as bridging materials were brought up and installed.
Timeline:
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Operation Grapeshot Phase 3
By the end of 25 April, most Allied divisions had crossed the Po River, except for the US IV Corps units who were near Highway 9 to the west blocking Axis units attempting to withdraw to the north.
- Eighth Army's primary goal was the Trieste area in northeastern Italy.
- Fifth Army's remaining divisions headed north and northwest, to block Axis exits through the Alps and to provide flank protection to Eighth Army.
The War in Italy Ends
- 28 Apr 1945 - Benito Mussolini, head of the German-supported Italian Social Republic, captured and executed in northern Italy while attempting to flee to Switzerland.
- 29 Apr 1945 - German forces in Italy sign capitulation document. Surrendering units included the German 10th and 14th Armies and the First Ligurian Army Group, composed of German troops and Italians loyal to the Italian Social Republlic.
- 2 May 1945 - Capitulation document takes effect.
- 4 May 1945 - Fifth Army and Seventh Army patrols meet at Brenner Pass on the Austrian border.
- 8 May 1945 - World War II in Europe ends.
Reference Map
██ Pottawattamie Area WWII Dead - WWII Germany > The MTO > Italy > The Po Valley ██
- Taken from the bigpigeon.us WWII Roster module.
† Dryer, Arthur L., SN 37-112-204, US Army, Page Co. & Howell Co., MO (WWII-DryerArthurL)
- 755th Tank Bn., Fifth Army; KIA 13 Apr 1945 near Argenta, Provincia di Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna; The MTO > Italy > The Po Valley.
- Note: I haven't found any record of of US troops in the Argenta area.
- Co. E, 87th Mtn. Inf. Regt., 10th Mtn. Div., IV Corps, Fifth Army; KIA 20 Apr 1945 Mt. Avezzano, Italy W of Bologna; hit by machine gun fire while crossing from the west to north slope of Mt. Avezzano; The MTO > Italy > The Po Valley.
- Troop E, 81st Cavalry Recon. Sqdn., 1st Armored Div., IV Corps, Fifth Army; KIA 25 Apr 1945, Colorno, NE of Parma, Emilia-Romagna, Italy; The MTO > Italy > The Po Valley.
- Co. E, 85th Mountain Inf. Regt., 10th Inf. Div., IV Corps, Fifth Army; KIA 15 Apr 1945 near Castel d’Aiano, 25 miles SW of Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy; The MTO > Italy > The Po Valley.
- Notes: Killed during the Fifth Army breakout from the northern Apennine Mountains into the Po River Valley; Bob Dole, later senator from Kansas and also from the 85th Inf. Regt., was seriously wounded the previous day.
- Co. B, 473rd Inf. Regt., 92nd Inf. Div., IV Corps, Fifth Army; KIA 13 Apr 1945 Hill 366, near Carrara, Tuscany, Italy; Operation Second Wind - The MTO > Italy > The Po Valley.
- Co. A, 14th Armored Inf. Bn., 1st Armored Div., IV Corps, Fifth Army; WIA & DOW 25 Apr 1945 near Parma, Emilia-Romagna, Italy, shrapnel; The MTO > Italy > The Po Valley.
- Co. E, 363rd Inf. Regt., 91st Inf. Div., II Corps, Fifth Army; KIA 17 Apr 1945 S of Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy; The MTO > Italy > The Po Valley.
██ Allied Order of Battle - The Po Valley ██
██ In progress July 2024 ██
I am attempting to show both the Allied order of battle at the beginning of the campaign, and major changes as the campaign progressed.
◼ US Fifth Army (Truscott)
Under direct US Fifth Army control:
- US 92nd Infantry Division (Almond); from US IV Corps 3 April 1945; advanced up the Italian west coast; east of Turin in northwest Italy 2 May 1945
- US 85th Infantry Division (Coulter); to US IV Corps 17 April 1945
- US 10th Mountain Division (Hays); from US IV Corps 28 April 1945; near Lake Garda are in north Italy 2 May 1945
- Brazilian Expeditionary Force (de Morais/Mascarenhas); at Susa west of Turin in northwest Italy 2 May 1945
- US 10th Mountain Division (Hays); to US Fifth Army 28 April 1945
- US First Armored Division (Prichard); north and east of Milan 2 May 1945
- US 85th Infantry Division (Coulter); from US Fifth Army to IV Corps right flank 17 April 1945; to US II Corps 30 April 1945
- US 34th Infantry Division (Bolte); from US IV Corps near Modena 23 April 1945; near Brescia 2 May 1945
- South African 6th Armoured Division (Poole); near Treviso and transferred to US Fifth Army 30 April 1945; en route to garrison duties in Milan 2 May 1945
- US 88th Infantry Division (Kendall); in the Dolomite Mountains in northeast Italy 2 May 1945
- US 91st Infantry Division (Livesay); attached to British Eighth Army 1 May 1945; near Treviso north of Venice 2 May 1945
- US 34th Infantry Division (Bolte); to US IV Corps 23 April 1945
- US 85th Infantry Division (Coulter); from US IV Corps 30 April 1945; near the Piave River in northeast Italy 2 May 1945.
Under direct British Eighth Army control:
- British 6th Armoured Division (Murray), served with British V Corps
- British 46th Infantry Division (Weir); returned to Italy from Greece 11 April 1945; to British V Corps 5 May 1945
- 10th Indian Infantry Division (Reid)
- 10th Indian Infantry Division (Reid); squeezed out ? April; in Minerbio area northeast of Bologna 2 May 1945
- British 6th Armoured Division (Murray); from British V Corps 23 April 1945; in Dolomite foothills 2 May 1945
- 2nd New Zealand Division (Freyberg); from British V Corps 14 April 1945, reached Trieste 2 May 1945
- initially no division-sized components
- 10th Indian Infantry Division (Reid); advanced 17 April 1945; squeezed out; from British XIII Corps late April 1945;in Minerbio 2 May 1945
- 3rd Carpathian Rifle Division (Duch)
- 5th Kresowa Infantry Division (Kulik)
- 2nd New Zealand Division (Freyberg); to British XIII Corps 14 April 1945
- British 78th Infantry Division (Arbuthnott); reserve until 12 April 1945
- 8th Indian Infantry Division (Russell); near the Adige 2 May 1945
- Italian Cremona Battle Group
- British 56th Infantry Division (Whitfield); in Venice area 2 May 1945
V Corps additions after the Po Valley Campaign began:
- British 6th Armoured Division (Murray); on left wing of British 78th Infantry Division 19 April 1945; to British XIII Corps 23 April 1945
- British 46th Infantry Division (Weir); from direct British Eighth Army control 5 May 1945
██ Sources for Big Pigeon's WWII Germany > The MTO > Italy > The Po Valley webpage ██
- https://collection.nam.ac.uk/detail.php?acc=1999-03-88-128
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rivers_of_Italy#/media/File:Italy_main_rivers_location.jpg
- https://mikesresearch.com/2020/03/29/bologna-1945/
- https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-MTO-Cassino/maps/USA-MTO-Cassino-XV.jpg
- https://inflab.medium.com/southern-front-maps-of-world-war-ii-ffbd40467bc3
General Sources (CMH = US Army Center for Military History, these sources generally contain good maps):
- Po Valley: 5 April-8 May 1945, by Thomas Popa, 26 pp. [CMH #72-33]
- Cassino to the Alps, by Ernest F. Fisher Jr., 1989, 584 pp. [CMH #6-4] (RAC: There appear to be several errors in the latter chapters.)
- Northern Italy map - C/O Free Maps Library.
- Northern Italy - The Po Valley scalable map, https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-MTO-Cassino/maps/USA-MTO-Cassino-XVI.jpg - Map XVI from Cassino to the Alps, cited above.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Grapeshot_order_of_battle
Additional Photos
- Former page header photo, Italy-Austria Border, 4 May '45, by Irving Leibowitz, https://www.argunners.com/liberation-war-destruction-unseen-photographs/ - C/O the personal collection of General Charles D. Palmer. Advance units of the MTO's US Fifth Army and the ETO's US Seventh Army met at Brenner Pass on the border between Italy and Austria.