" ANZIO BEACHHEAD " 1944 COMBAT NEWSREEL ALLIED ITALIAN CAMPAIGN OPERATION SHINGLE 42474

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This black & white film shows the early stages of the Allied forces invasion at Anzio, Italy in 1944. The film lacks credits or other information, but likely dates to 1944. The Battle of Anzio took place from January 22 to June 5, 1944, when Rome was finally captured. The operation was opposed by German forces in the area of Anzio and Nettuno. The landing operation was commanded by U.S. Army Major General John P. Lucas of VI Corps. The initial landing achieved complete surprise. However Lucas failed to capitalize, and delayed his advance, allowing German Field Marshal Albert Kesselring to create a defensive ring around the beachhead. After a month of heavy but inconclusive fighting, Lucas was relieved and sent home. His replacement, Major General Lucian Truscott, managed a breakout in May. His forces captured Rome, but at the same time allowed the majority of Kesselring's forces to withdraw to the Gothic Line. The Gothic Line wouldn't be pierced until September of 1944, but the advanced soon stalled with the arrival of winter.
Opening titles: Anzio Beachhead Feb, 12, 1944 (:06-:09). U.S. troops exit ships. Troops use amphibious craft to get to land. Planes fly in the skies. Troops walk down a dock. More amphibious crafts land at the beaches. Jeeps and trucks. The troops are landing at Anzio beach in Italy. Troops due mine sweeps of the beach and remove mines (:10-1:52). The troops lay fence for trucks to drive over. They then head for steep mountain passes. Troops fire rifles and a rocket launcher. Jeeps move forward. Going through mud (1:53-3:01). Bombed out ruins of buildings. Troops march through the rubble, meet the locals. Injured are cared for and removed by stretcher. Troops walk by damaged railcars and cranes move dirt. U.S. troops shower. They then all head for the Nazi stronghold of Rome. Bombed out buildings of churches, schools, and stores. Civilians roam (3:02-5:14). Allied troops marches on. Civilians amongst the rubble. Officers formulate plans. Troops fire cannons. A battle is seen in the distance with smoke plumes. Artillery is moved. On foot and by truck, the victors move forward. Bombed out tanks of the enemy (5:15-7:07). Troops walk on top of swastika symbols. POWs are gathered by the allies. More ships at sea move in for the second phase of the battle. Cannons are fired by the allies. Troops advance on the city of Salerno. Amphibious craft lands at the beach. Troops carry supplies (7:08-9:11). Troops move through the streets. A troop gets his shoes shined by a local. The man salutes the American. American GIs play with Italian children. They purchase food from local vendors. American GIs talk to Italian women. Women iron clothes for the soldiers. An American GI plays an accordion as an Italian woman sings. Troops head for the next city (9:12-11:33). Trucks and tanks move forward. Some soldiers ride on horses. The Allied tanks are camouflaged. Troops fire cannons at the Nazis. Lots of artillery is fired at the enemy. Nazi tanks are bombed out. Allied forces move forward down roads. Tanks move into an Italian town. Civilians walk around as Allied troops move in. A proclamation is hung that reads the Allied troops have arrived and will be there in peace (11:34-14:28). Injured are put into trucks. A line of civilians for food. General Eisenhower comes to inspect the situation. He sits in a jeep. Eisenhower meets with troops. Allies set up obstacles including barbed wire for the enemy. Trucks drive over muddy water as torrential rains came for three days. Mud is everywhere. Troops and trucks stuck in the mud. Bulldozers are used to clear mud. An injured GI is carried by his men (14:29-16:22).
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[@billjamison2877]

My Uncle Charlie lost his life in the first wave on Anzio. I have his Purple Heart and original telegram informing our family of his death. He was a Hero. He fought for our freedom!

[@petersanders5321]

My father was there. We would watch the old news reels together, with me going "Was that you right there, Dad? Was that you, Dad? He'd shake his head and say "..oh, there were so many cameramen", then his eye's would mist over.

[@palmergriffiths1952]

My Grandfather was here. He was attached to Gen Mark Clarke's 5th American Army. He was a Canadian member of The U.S./Canada First Special Service Force.

[@luiscalcano4359]

Also, my grandpa was a medic, with capt.s rank , in the USAs Eighty Second Airborne Division. Medics in paratroop units were permitted to carry a weapon. He jumped in DDay(Normandy) 6/6/1944, jumped in Holland in Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery's over ambitious plan to end WW2 via Holland over the Rhine River, but went "A Bridge To Far". The Brits got the worse of it; out of 8,000 troops of a British paratroop division, only 3,000 had fought they're way back to Allied lines. The operation was a flop. Then my grandpa got wounded in the Ardennes fighting , "The Battle of The Bulge" which went on btwn: mid-12/1944 to early 2/1945. He didn't say too much about his experience in WW2 , for it brought back bad memories!

[@luiscalcano4359]

My mother's uncle was aLuftwaffe fighter pilot of a Focke Wolfe 190 , and shot down (kia) over Anzio.

[@ultraniusmaximus1536]

This is like time travel, remembering my father's youth. There's a beauty to it.

[@Brian-vk6tz]

Bittersweet...for sure...can't remember the name of the KZbin channel, but they show footage from NY, Ca, Chicago, etc, from early,1900s,and PUT COLOR TO IT, WHICH ACTUALLY LOOKS REALLY GOOD ,personally...hope ya check it out..

[@oliversmith9200]

Mine served in France and Germany, but, yes. It's a very interesting way to remember, commune as much as we might, with the story of our dear fathers. It's probably the main reason I enjoy these films, a kind of meditation.

[@ultraniusmaximus1536]

@@Brian-vk6tz Thanks for the tip!

[@robertbarlow6715]

My daddy was there 504th PIR 82nd Airborne.

[@americanrebel413]

It's really cool to see these movies from the war.

[@MZ-bl6wg]

To think every one of these guys have ancestors today that have no idea there’s video of their grandpa. Great grandpa, uncle , etc. wish some face recognition ap could identify these jsut for the sake of documenting this amazing footage!

[@thalastianjorus]

It sounds so very cheerful - and yet the Battle(s) of Anzio were absolutely horrific for everyone involved.

[@johnceglick8714]

The Italian campaign was a blood filled slugfest. My mother's uncle was a fighter pilot of a FW190 Nazi fighter plane and was kia over Anzio. God bless that brave knight! My mother lived in East Prussia , and was taped by USA soldiers while she hid in fear from the fierce st fighting in Leipzig btwn; Nazi , and American troops

[@fredytexis1]

I know it's a random comment on this, but I remember watching King of the Hill and Cotton Hill using the battle of Anzio as a word on scrabble. And when they challenged him he described the day haha. This is really neat and very informative. Thanks for the history

[@kennethjohnson9370]

I watched this episode about the landing on Anizo showing actual footage of the battle and showing how they cleared the mimes

[@stefanschutz5166]

Thank you so much for this. Stefan, Amsterdam

[@georgefaulk2528]

My Father was part of the Anzio Invasion. I did 21 years in the Air Force, mostly in the Far East. Listening to Amed Forces Radio over there they have a bit about how the soldiers during the invasion was pinned down below the cliffs and one solder says "God come save Us, don't send Jesus come yourself. Must of been Hell for them.

[@loginavoidence12]

people don't seem to grasp what a terrible idea operations avalanche and husky were. it is literally an uphill battle as entrenched north positions always looked down on the attackers. Churchill's idea of "the soft underbelly" was incredibly myopic and cost way too many lives

[@pdxrailtransit]

Superb, thanks.

[@PeriscopeFilm]

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[@kenhernacki3317]

My Dad was there it was bad!

[@JiveDadson]

My dad was there too. He would talk and talk about before and after Anzio, but all I can remember him saying about it was mud is more comfortable to sleep in than sand. Before the landing, he had been a secretary for Ike in North Africa. (My dad was one of the few men who could type back then.) He was ordered to rejoin the 5th Army for the invasion, carrying an M1 Garand. No cushy office job, that.

[@cosmiccolonel]

My father was there too……. Salerno too then all the way to Berlin.

[@techman2471]

I had an uncle that was a medic there. He was never the same after that experience.

[@anthonywilson7304]

My old man served with the British Airborne at Anzio. He was with a Scottish regiment and only 20 at the time. He saw some heavy fighting.

[@6h471]

My high school biology teacher was wounded there. He had some chilling stories to tell about it.

[@johnceglick8714]

The Nazi- Germans were tough , especially those German Paratroopers , finatical to the fatherland! My mother's uncle was a FW190 fighter pilot kia over Anzio , a decorated colonel , and her father a Waffen SS kia at Kursk in Russia mid-7/1943, biggest bloodiest tank battle ever , and a major!

[@ChrisBeez-k1i]

My uncle Jimmy was KIA May10th, 1944 due to incompetent leadership and failure to take the high ground. He was in the 34th Infantry Division - 133rd Infantry Regiment - Red Bull

[@Frank-dv3st]

This pair of railroad guns ''Anzio Annie'' really did a lot of harm to our troops on the beachhead

[@kenhernacki3317]

They failed to tell you General Lucas was relieved of command. The Allies were there first and he failed to act. The Germans surrounded the Allies they were under constant seige for 30 days.

[@oliversmith9200]

Yeah in war time we're going to gloss over the life costing major malfunctions... All wars are edited for national enthusiasm. That's true to this day.

[@mastro4886]

@@oliversmith9200 lol, it’s well documented in history what happened, you’re right, but in the end all we can do is appreciate the film itself.

[@mrjockt]

Militarily Lucas thought he was doing the right thing, building up his forces on the beachhead before pushing inland, the problem was nobody on the Allied side realised just how fast the Germans could move troops from other parts of Italy to face them, the intelligence the Allies had made them assume it would take the Germans up to a full week to get sufficient forces into the Anzio area to oppose them, in fact the Germans were reinforcing the area within 48 hours.

[@michaelplanchunas3693]

Before the invasion Patton on his way to England, paid a visit to John Lucas and told him to watch his back with Clark because he was in a no win situation. Post war analysis of the battle showed Lucas did the right thing by building up supplies, because his naval logistics were to be redeployed for the upcoming Normandy invasion and daily resupply tonnage was to be reduced. Had Lucas cut the highways, which were his primary goal, his troops would have been exposed and German artillery would have cut them off from the beach. The Anzio beachhead was supposed to link up with Clark's army, which couldn't get past the Rapido River for weeks. Lucas was made the goat for Clark's numerous blunders. And Clark's staff expected him to be relieved.

[@secdetau]

Denis Healey the labour mp was the beachmaster there

[@luiscalcano4359]

This is Hug Bug typing about my mother's Luftwaffe fighter pilot uncle, and my father's father, and I had to use my buddy's cell phone , for mine broke.

[@F15_C]

Oh that's where crosses grow, no soldier sleeps and he'lls 6 ft deep.

[@MrSebfrench76]

2.27 German MP 40 in US hands.

[@bertmacdonald337]

Hampered by the weather? Hampered by abysmal leadership more like according to my father and several of his friends who survived this clusterflop with him. Wynford Vaughan Thomas drove into Rome on D-Day. This video is a joke. Best watched with the sound turned off.

[@mcdonaldsburntchickennugge8231]

They were all left behind Most of them dead The rest of them dying And that's how the High Command Took my daddy from me

[@Torgo1001]

It was just before dawn One miserable morning in black 'forty four When the forward commander Was told to sit tight When he asked that his men be withdrawn And the Generals gave thanks As the other ranks held back The enemy tanks for a while And the Anzio bridgehead Was held for the price Of a few hundred ordinary lives...

[@scottfuller1711]

Always love these historically inaccurate propaganda films from the era, it explains why the US Army is still allowed to stay in business. The fact is Anzio was a disaster thanks to massive US Army officer corp incompetence. Winston Churchill stated of the US Army in this one " I thought we were unleashing a raging lion, but instead we got a beached whale."

[@thunderbird1921]

Thank so-called "General" Mark Clark and his buddies for that. That man is still cussed at to this day by countless Americans who had to fight under him AND their descendants. So huge egoed that he led the Allies to a slaughter out of greed for the glory of Rome's liberation. Patton may have also had a huge ego, but NEVER was he this stupid or arrogant from everything I've yet read. Clark should have never been given command of troops EVER again.

[@DeuceDropper]

Major General John P. Lucas did not take the high ground, instead digs in. After a month of heavy but inconclusive fighting, Lucas was relieved and sent home. Fired. Even Winston Churchill asked Gen. Lucas WTF?