Anzio Nettuno 1944

First English translation of the best German account of the defence against the Allied Operation Shingle, the landing at Anzio, Italy. The Allied amphibious operation codenamed Shingle was launched in late January 1944. It was opposed by German forces in the area of Anzio and Nettuno. Success depended on the element of surprise, and the speed with which the invaders could build up strength and move inland. This was understood by General Mark Clark, commander of the US Fifth Army, but not fully understood by his subordinate commanders. This German account focuses on the landing at Anzio as it was the only one that failed to achieve its objective of smashing the German defense and achieving operational freedom of movement. The battle lasted over six weeks, with mistakes made by leadership on both sides, and consequently also great sacrifice by solders on both sides. But the operation was not a German success either, and attempts to prevent the creation of a strong bridgehead failed. Ultimately the Allies would reach Rome, and the Allies applied lessons from this battle to facilitate the success of Overlord, launched five months later. While not complete, as the author did not have access to some of the war diaries of higher levels of German command, this is still one of the best German accounts of Operation Shingle and is here translated into English for the first time.

Table of Contents:
The assault from the sea and the German countermeasures Amphibious operation “Shingle” The planning for “Shingle” The assault The Defence of Army Group “C” Terrain study of the battle ground of Anzio/Nettuno Build up of German Defence Expansion of the Allied beachhead German countermeasures The first German general offensive The second German general offensive Final remarks

About the Author :
Major Joerg Staiger is the author of Retreat through the Rhone Valley in the Die Wehrmacht im Kampf series (Casemate, 2023). Linden Lyons holds a master's degree in history from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. He studied German at the University of Freiburg and librarianship at the University of Canberra. He is the translator of several titles in the Die Wehrmacht im Kampf series, most recently Counter-Strike Operations, Normandy, and Rome to the Po River. Matthias Strohn, MSt (Oxon), DPhil (Oxon), FRHistS, is head of historical analysis at the Centre for Historical Analysis and Conflict Research and the British Army's strategic think tank, visiting professor of military studies at the University of Buckingham, and a member of the academic faculty at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Matthias was educated at the universities of Munster (Germany) and Oxford. He holds a commission in the German Army and is a member of the military attache reserve. He deployed to Iraq (with the British Army) and Afghanistan (with both the British Army and the German Bundeswehr). Matthias was awarded the highest German military decoration, the 'Ehrenkreuz der Bundeswehr in Gold,' and has published widely on 20th-century German and European military history; he has authored and edited over 20 books and numerous articles.

Review :
"...an excellent primer about the operations in and around the Anzio beachhead. Students of operational art, multinational operations, and amphibious warfare will find Staiger's narrative interesting and thought-provoking."-- "Military Review" "...a detailed account of the German reaction to the Allied landings on the Anzio beaches."-- "ARGunners.com" "...an invaluable and unreservedly recommended contribution to personal, professional, community, and college/university library World War II European Theatre collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists."-- "Midwest Book Review"