Let's think about a military alternative to the landing at Anzio. By the fist days of October 1943 the Allies dominated Corsica, reconquered by the French colonial and Italian armies and promptly restitued to French administration.
What would happen if Shingle happend not at Anzio, but as a slightly bigger operation, with two main landings, one, American, just suth of Leghorn, to take this important port, the other British-led, between the Arno's mouth and Versilia, target Pisa and Lucca. I know the strategic perspective was dire, in the midst of winter with the daunting task to climb the snowy norther Apennine in arms, bt - the Germans would almost certainly be forced to withdraw from Rome to take care ofthis menace. As for air cover, the airfileds in Corsica were few, but could be expanded quickly, especially if the Yankees called one or two Seabees battalions from the Pacific (and maybe a Marine division to help in the landings). The airfields around Aleria would be less then 200 kms from the target area for the landings, just hald an hour flight or so, which would ensure at least a discreet air umbrella. The rest would be left to some appropriate devastating air raids against the bridges on the Po, the Ligurian coastal railway, the port of La Spezia and the town and cities of Emilia, Bologna first and foremost. And the area around Pisa would soon be suitable to host other air wings - it HAD an airport, if I don't recall the wrong way.
So, the area would be some of a cul-de-sac, maybe, but as a staging area it could be more secure than Anzio, and would even more unnerving for the Germans at Cassino to know that the enemy was not 150 km, but some 500 km behind them, ready to march on Florence and cut their main way home.
Thoughts?
What would happen if Shingle happend not at Anzio, but as a slightly bigger operation, with two main landings, one, American, just suth of Leghorn, to take this important port, the other British-led, between the Arno's mouth and Versilia, target Pisa and Lucca. I know the strategic perspective was dire, in the midst of winter with the daunting task to climb the snowy norther Apennine in arms, bt - the Germans would almost certainly be forced to withdraw from Rome to take care ofthis menace. As for air cover, the airfileds in Corsica were few, but could be expanded quickly, especially if the Yankees called one or two Seabees battalions from the Pacific (and maybe a Marine division to help in the landings). The airfields around Aleria would be less then 200 kms from the target area for the landings, just hald an hour flight or so, which would ensure at least a discreet air umbrella. The rest would be left to some appropriate devastating air raids against the bridges on the Po, the Ligurian coastal railway, the port of La Spezia and the town and cities of Emilia, Bologna first and foremost. And the area around Pisa would soon be suitable to host other air wings - it HAD an airport, if I don't recall the wrong way.
So, the area would be some of a cul-de-sac, maybe, but as a staging area it could be more secure than Anzio, and would even more unnerving for the Germans at Cassino to know that the enemy was not 150 km, but some 500 km behind them, ready to march on Florence and cut their main way home.
Thoughts?
