monte-casino-wwii

Italy Overview

The invasion of Italy started with the invasion of Sicily when an ideal platform was created to make the jump to the mainland of Italy (and Europe). It ended until the surrender of German forces in Italy in May 1945. No campaign in Western Europe cost more than the Italian campaign in terms of lives lost and wounds suffered by infantry forces. It is estimated that between September 1943 and April 1945 some 60,000 Allied and 50,000 German soldiers died in Italy.

Photo’s included on the website are photo’s taken during operation Slapstick (Invasion Sicily), opration Avallanche (Salerno), operation Slapstick (Taranto).

Persano

Near Persano stood a tobacco factory which was like a revolving door: after first being attacked on the September 11 by the 157th Regiment, it changed hands twice the following day before coming under American control. On September 13 a strong German counterattack recaptured the tobacco factory, and they remained unshakable there for five more days and in so doing were able to block any American advance further inland.

Nowdays the fram houses different companies, but for a part it is still not rebuilt. It looks like ages stood still and some rebuilt buldings are collapsed again.

Persano tabac_past
Persano tabac_present

A well-described account of the fierce fighting surrounding the tobacco factory can be found here: A Journey to World War II Battlefields Part 7

Paestum

On September 9, 1943, Paestum was the location of the landing beaches of the U.S. 36th Infantry Division during the Allied invasion of Italy. German forces resisted the landings from the outset, causing heavy fighting within and around the town. Combat persisted around the town for nine days before the Germans withdrew to the north.

paestum-beach-landings-map
Paestum
Road leading from Temples to inland
Paestum
Paestum 03_past
Entrance opposite of ‘Temple of Neptune’
Paestum 03_present
Paestum 04_past
Staff of 408th battalion inside Temple of Neptune
Paestum 04_present
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