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
Peastum 05_past
Nurses of the 93rd Evacuation Hospital unit within the ancient wall
Peastum 05_present

Behind the railway and station of Paestum dead soldiers were temporally buried. Today only the old station building is there just near the old crossing.

Paestum 02_past
Behind the railway dead are buried
Paestum 02_present
Paestum 06_past
German soldiers are buried at church
Paestum 06_present

At the beach between yellow and blue stood a 15 meter high medieval tower. In this tower the Germans had an observation unit, snipers and a machinegun post. Eventually D company of 531th field battalion cleared the tower.

Paestum beach
German strongpoint in medieval tower

When taking the picture of the Tower I had to climb a fence and when I wanted to take a look at tower I almost get a heart attack by a black dog which was barking and running to the outside. I had disturbed his home…luckily it was not a German shepherd dog 😉