Chapter 24

Anzio

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Anzio

The Allies were still at a standstill at that part of the winter line, so they pulled
us out—not for a rest but to be sent to the Anzio Beachhead.
We pulled into an area and replaced equipment and drew replacements. They
built dummy guns with logs and gun tarps. They took truck tarps and spread
over trees and etc. so it looked like a truck and gun park from the air. Then we
pulled out for Naples area to load on boats for Anzio (I don’t know who they
though they were fooling?). Anyway, we loaded on LST’s (Landing Ship Tanks).
All our guns and big trucks were in the hold and they chained down small
vehicles on the deck. Most of the guys tried to sleep below deck but I thought
it was too hot so I bedded down n a jeep on deck.
The Mediterranean was very rough at night, very choppy with swells and waves.
I woke up sometime in the night. We were really rocking from side to side and
water was running about one foot deep across the deck. I stuck it out, as I
didn’t want to get washed overboard. As it was a short distance we made the
trip in one night. I didn’t try that deal anymore.
Anzio was another stalemate. The original troops there landed on a small plain,
completely surrounded by mountains. They didn’t have enough troops or supplies
to keep going (another foul up). When we got there the original troops had been
there about three months, completely penned down. Those boys were a mad,
beat-up bunch when we got there. They were sitting out in the open, dug in with
the Germans on the high ground looking down their throats. Any move they
made was observed. I probably had told you that the 34th, 36th and 45th
divisions were all National Guard Divisions. The 3rd Regular Army Division was
with us. This bunch did all the early fighting in Italy. Other regular army
divisions were brought in later. The 3rd Division was one of the original bunch at
Anzio and they had really taken a beating for those three months.
We went in ahead of our Infantry and were put in to support the 3rd Division
until our infantry was brought in. Our assignment was to break out of the
beachhead. Our Division did that and got quite a bit of glory for the job. We
landed without too much trouble and went into position. I was in a rock house.
There was an extra bomb shelter dug under it by troops ahead of us so it was
fairly safe but the whole area was a complete shambles. This doesn’t read too
good but the area was the most unsanitary place I have ever seen. For instance,
you couldn’t go outside in the daytime without getting shot at. So during the
day we used ration boxes when we had to relieve ourselves. Then we just threw

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it out the windows. That kind of conditions would kill us all now. We had just
built up a tolerance for those conditions.
It wasn’t all bad. When the enemy didn’t figure we were going to attack, they
didn’t fire on the troops too much. But when we moved in, they knew something
was up so it got rough. When our Infantry landed, they didn’t stop but headed
for the hills and broke through towards Rome.

I don’t mean to mislead you. Mostly I have been writing about the rough times.
Often, even in the combat zone we would go for days and only hear firing in the
distance. You soon learned to relax at such times and catch up on rest and
sleep. At such times you would just be going through a routine of rest, checking
on equipment, and etc. This was especially true after we got the Germans on

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the run. We would be doing only a little harassing fire at road intersections,
towns, and etc.
I am sending more pictures I found. On the one of the two Battery “C” boys,
you will see a hole in the building behind them which was probably made by the
170mm that I am sending a picture of.

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The 170mm

If we figured we would be in an area for a few days we would dig a hole like the
picture (above). You laid empty shell casings across the top and piled dirt on top of
that. That made a fairly safe and dry place.

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After finally getting through the winter line, we moved on up in Italy. One of the
things I recall was a big gun from around the Anzio Beachhead. It took three
railroad cars to handle it and the ammo for it. It was so big they kept it in a
railroad tunnel and only rolled it out to fire. Our planes and artillery couldn’t get to
it. They even tried to bomb both ends of the tunnel to stop it but they would just
dig it out and use it again. I have a picture here of it. The big gun’s range was 32
miles. We nicknamed it “Anzio Annie” and also “ the Anzio Express”. The shell
fired by it weighed 1100 pounds. It was like a small bomb. Once, it was firing at
another artillery unit close to us. We were at least 400 yards from it. We were
still catching fragments, dirt, rocks, and etc. Luckily, that was as close as it ever
came to us.

Finally after we broke out of the Anzio Beachhead they captured it. I saw it up
close and it was awesome. The concussion from one of its shells would jerk a man
clear out of a foxhole. They told us that, but I couldn’t verify it, as it never got
too close to us. Also it was so big they couldn’t move it from side to side so it could
only shoot the way the railroad car was pointed. That saved a lot of lives.

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“Part of tube of the Anzio Express Equipment”

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“It took 3 RR. cars to carry this baby and its equipment”

Another thing I remember is a German plane that circled us each night. We had
early on learned to distinguish the sound of ours from theirs. This was a slow-
flying plane used for reconnaissance. As it came each night we called it “Bed
Check Charlie”. He flew around hoping someone would panic and fire at it. Then
he could locate our position and call in the bombers. He flew so low that on a
moonlit night you could see him. I was always concerned that his wheels would
drag on the high equipment.

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