ANZIO, THE SUN WILL SHINE AGAIN A brief history on the fiasco at Anzio. We were in the third wave in the invasion of Anzio. We landed on the beach without any opposion and were ordered to dig in. We later found out that there were no enemy forces in front of us and if our Commanding General didn't chicken out, we could have rolled right into Rome. We were ordered to dig in until reinforcements arrived and then we would proceed northward. The German Army was caught completely off guard, but quickly regained its composure and moved their crack divisions on top of the hills overlooking our Beachhead. A case of deja vu-- a repeat of Cassino. The Germans occupied the high spots and we again dug ourselves underground on the Beachhead- another classic example of military intelligence. From January to May, we on a daily basis were subjected to air bombing and strafing as well as artillery shells raining down from the German accupied hillsides. In late April, the weather really turned ugly: constant rain, overcast skies and our planes were grounded. Our Intelligence Unit (G4) had received a report that the German Army was planning an all-out attack to push the Allied troops off the beachhead. Plans were set in motion by the Allied Forces to retreat if necessary, and evacuate the beachhead. My battalion, per instructions, was given the dubious honor of covering the infantry forces as they retreated and we would be the last troops off the beachhead. We were ordered to burn all material that would be of benefit to the enemy and to don heavy winter clothing. We were aware that the possibility of becoming a POW loomed very strong. I spent the most horrible night of my life. This little Jewish boy that night would be either killed or captured. I thought death would be preferable that to be a Jew in a German stalag. On schedule, that evening the enemy attacked the infantry of the Third Division. Our guns were on the ready to cover this Division as they retreated to the beach. Luckily for us, they succeeded in blunting the German attack and then came daybreak. Miracle of miracles, the sun burst forth in all its splendor and for the first time in days, the sky was no longer overcast, it was a beautiful shade of blue. Off in the distance, a throbbing rumble was heard and soon the sky was covered with an armada of Allied planes, too numerous to count. There were light bombers, heavy bombers, attack bombers and fighter planes. The German occcupied area in front of our gun position exploded into an inferno of flame. The bombing would cease, then the fighter planes came in and strafed and strafed. Then a new armada of planes arrived and carnage continued. We deserted our gun positions and cheered and cheered until we became hoarse. This air attack broke the back of the German offense. They retreated back to the hills, no longer a potent fighting force and hastily retreated as the Allied forces counterattacked and finally the breakout from Anzio was achieved. The road to Rome was open. return to top