Battle of the Argenta Gap
This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (July 2011) |
Battle of the Argenta Gap | |||||||||
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Part of the British 56th Infantry Division north-east of Argenta. | |||||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||||
United Kingdom | Germany | ||||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
Charles Keightley | Gerhard von Schwerin | ||||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||||
625 dead | Over 3,000 prisoners taken |
The Battle of the Argenta Gap was an engagement which formed part of the Allied spring 1945 offensive during the Italian campaign in the final stages of the Second World War. It took place in northern Italy from 12 to 19 April 1945 between troops of British V Corps commanded by Lieutenant-General Charles Keightley and German units of LXXVI Panzer Corps commanded by Lieutenant General (General der Panzertruppe) Gerhard von Schwerin.
Background
The Allied invasion of Italy occurred during September 1943, for a number of key reasons not least important of which was that support for the war in Italy had been declining and it was thought that an invasion would hasten the efforts of the new government that had deposed Benito Mussolini, which was seeking peace. Furthermore, the weakening of Axis control of the Mediterranean supply routes eased the pressure on Allied forces operating in the Middle and Far East, as well as on the efforts to supply to Soviet Union.
By the winter of 1944–45 the Allied armies had penetrated the main defences of the Gothic Line but had failed to break out into the Po river valley. A new major offensive was planned for the spring of 1945, when improving weather would allow the Allies to take advantage of their superior airpower and armoured and motorized ground forces.
Order of battle
Formations and units involved in the battle:
- 15th Army Group – Lieutenant General Mark Clark
- British Eighth Army – Lieutenant-General Richard McCreery
- British V Corps – Lieutenant-General Charles Keightley
- Major-General John Y. Whitfield
- 24th Guards Brigade
- 167th (London) Infantry Brigade
- 169th (London) Infantry Brigade
- 2nd Commando Brigade (under command)
- 9th Armoured Brigade(under command)
- 78th Infantry Division – Major-General Keith Arbuthnott
- 11th Infantry Brigade
- 36th Infantry Brigade
- 38th (Irish) Infantry Brigade
- 2nd Armoured Brigade (under command)
- British V Corps – Lieutenant-General Charles Keightley
- British Eighth Army – Lieutenant-General Richard McCreery
- German Army Group C – General (Generaloberst) Heinrich von Vietinghoff
- German Tenth Army – Lieutenant-General (General der Panzertruppe) Traugott Herr
- LXXVI Panzer Corps – Lieutenant-General (General der Panzertruppe) Gerhard von Schwerin
- 162nd (Turkestan) Infantry Division – Major-General (Generalleutnant) Ralph von Heygendorff
- 42nd Jäger Division – Major-General (Generalleutnant) Walter Jost
- Alois Weber
- In Army reserve
- 29th Panzergrenadier Division – Major-General (Generalleutnant) Fritz Polack
- LXXVI Panzer Corps – Lieutenant-General (General der Panzertruppe) Gerhard von Schwerin
- German Tenth Army – Lieutenant-General (General der Panzertruppe) Traugott Herr
Prelude
As a preliminary to the main operation, a
The 56th Infantry Division also made a preliminary attack on 5/6 April to secure its starting line for the Argenta gap operation. By 8 April, after meeting stiff resistance, it had completed its task in clearing "the Wedge", an area from the southern tip of Lake Comacchio where it meets the Reno river to the Fossa di Navigazione.[3]
The main Eighth Army offensive across the Senio river commenced on 9 April and by 12 April the assault units had advanced to consolidate across the Santerno river and allow 78th Infantry Division to pass through towards the Reno river and the Argenta gap. The Argenta Gap was a well defended strip of land some 2 miles (3.2 km) wide and 8 miles (13 km) deep between
The battle
On the night of 10/11 April,
Reacting to the Allied attack, von Vietinghof ordered
Early on 13 April the
In the morning of 14 April forward elements of 38th Brigade had crossed the bridge over the Reno at Bastia but had been forced back by an armoured counterattack. It was decided to confine immediate activity to mopping up south of the Reno and await the approach of 167th Brigade which,
On 15/16 April 56th Division renewed their attack on the Fossa Marina but failed again. However, the cumulative effect of heavy air attacks since 13 April took their toll and on the night of 16 April the 24th Guards Brigade were able to cross the canal with relatively little trouble although their advance was once again halted by resistance about 0.5 miles (800 m) north of the canal. On the west side of the Argenta gap 11th Brigade was able to get across the Fossa Marina east of Argenta. The 2nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers were able to hold on to a small bridgehead under heavy fire and counterattack while engineers positioned ARK armoured mobile bridges to allow supporting tanks to cross the canal.[note 1][14]
On 17 April 38th (Irish) Brigade arrived from newly cleared Bastia and passed through 11th Brigade's bridgehead, tasked with widening the bridgehead to provide space to allow an armoured breakout. By dark the brigade had advanced 1,000 yards (910 m) against determined resistance, working around the rear of Argenta. Meanwhile, 11th Brigade advanced into the town to clear it with the support of Crocodile armoured flame-throwers. An armoured counterattack early on 18 April was forced back towards 38th (Irish) Brigade. Meanwhile, on the west outskirts of the town the bridges over the Reno had been attacked and captured by 2nd Commando Brigade which had been advancing up the line of the river from Bastia. Attempted counterattacks on the bridges were broken up by supporting artillery.[15] Also on 17 April 56th Division's 169th (Queen's) Brigade was passed through 11th Brigade's bridgehead across the Fossa Marina in order to drive eastwards to clear the north bank of the canal and link with the Guards Brigade.[16]
On 18 April 78th Division brought forward 36th Infantry Brigade from reserve to pass through 38th (Irish) Brigade and conduct a series of right hooks north of Argenta. By dawn the brigade had reached Consandolo some 4 miles (6.4 km) northwest of Argenta, where German resistance stubbornly held until well into the afternoon. Meanwhile, a mobile force under the command of 2nd Armoured Brigade Headquarters comprising one infantry battalion, a tank regiment, a regiment of armoured personnel carriers and supporting self-propelled guns and assault engineers (the "Kangaroo Army") was brought forward and, bypassing Consonaldo, secured a bridgehead over the Fossa Benvignante 1 mile (1.6 km)north of the town. Advanced elements then pushed forward and before dark overran the artillery gun lines of 42nd Jaeger Division.[16]
The 78th Division's advance created flank pressure on the German units facing 56th Division so that at midday on 18 April 169th (Queen's) Brigade detected a lessening resistance in front of them. Pushing forward, the brigade advanced to the Fossa Benvignante and captured a bridge intact. To their right the 24th Guards Brigade were finally able to clear Chiesa del Bando and advance towards the Fossa Benvignante as well.[17]
Aftermath
With 56th and 78th Division now clear of the northern end of the Argenta gap, British 6th Armoured Division, from Eighth Army reserve, was released through the left wing of the advancing 78th Division to swing left to race north west along the line of the river Reno to Bondeno and link up with the U.S. Fifth Army units advancing north from west of Bologna and to complete the encirclement of the German armies defending Bologna. Effective Allied bombing of the crossings of the Po and shortage of fuel left much of the German Army Group's strength and almost all its heavy equipment and armament stranded south of the river, sealing its fate. On 29 April an instrument of surrender was signed by German emissaries at Allied Army HQ and hostilities formally ceased on 2 May.
War Cemetery
An Allied war cemetery is now located at Argenta.
Notable burials
Notes
Citations
- ^ Jackson, p.200.
- ^ a b Jackson, p. 258.
- ^ Jackson, pp.259-260.
- ^ Jackson, p. 199.
- ^ a b Jackson, p.267.
- ^ Jackson, p. 268.
- ^ Jackson, p. 269.
- ^ Jackson, p. 272.
- ^ Jackson, p. 271.
- ^ Jackson, p.272.
- ^ Jackson, p. 273.
- ^ Jackson, p. 281.
- ^ Jackson, p. 284(footnote).
- ^ Jackson, p. 282.
- ^ Jackson, pp. 282-283
- ^ a b Jackson, p. 283.
- ^ Jackson, p.284.
References
- Jackson, General Sir William & Gleave, Group Captain T. P. (2004) [1988]. ISBN 1-84574-072-6.
- http://www.warlinks.com/pages/8thdeeds.html
- http://www.britishsoldier.com/argenta2.htm (Kindly providing the images)
Bibliography
- Dictionary of Battles
External links
- The Irish Brigade Contains accounts of the 38th (Irish) Brigade in the Battle Argenta Gap including The Official Histories of the 1st and 2nd Battalion of the London Irish Rifles and their role in the battle.