Day-by-Day Timeline of Events
Friday, January 21st, 1944
In the afternoon hours, an Allied convoy of 243 ships sets sail from the Bay of Naples for the beaches at Anzio and nearby Nettuno.
Saturday, January 22nd, 1944
Operation Shingle, the amphibious landings at Anzio, is enacted by the Allied. In lead is the US VI Corps under Major-General John Lucas.
Saturday, January 22nd, 1944
By 12AM midnight, some 45,000 Allied troops and 3,000 vehicles are on the beaches.
Saturday, January 22nd, 1944
British forces hold the line at River Moletta.
Sunday, January 23rd, 1944
The Anzio beachhead is consolidated into a concentrated pocket on the orders of Lucas.
Saturday, January 22nd, 1944
American forces hold the line at Mussolini Canal.
Sunday, January 23rd, 1944
German Colonel-General von Mackensen takes control of the new 14th Army headquartered 30 miles west of Rome.
Sunday, January 23rd, 1944
The German Luftwaffe begins heavy strafing attacks and bombardment of Allied forces.
Tuesday, January 25th, 1944
The Anzio beachhead continues to grow with Allied troops and equipment, making it a prime target for the regrouping Germans.
Friday, January 28th, 1944
By this date, some 70,000 men, 27,000 tons of goods, 508 artillery guns and 237 tanks are ashore on the beachhead.
Friday, January 28th, 1944
Von Mackensen moves six divisions to Anzio, some ten miles of the Allied beachhead.
Friday, January 28th, 1944
The US 1st Armored Division captures the town of Aprilia.
Friday, January 28th, 1944
The Germans are driven back at Cisterna.
Friday, January 28th, 1944
Hitler delivers an ultimatum to supreme commander-in-chief over Italy operations, Field Marshall Kesselring, to fight to the death and drive the invading Allied forces into the sea.
Sunday, January 30th, 1944
The Allies suffer some 5,000 casualties in the Anzio action by this date.
Monday, January 31st, 1944
Von Mackensen's forces now number some eight divisions in strength.
Saturday, February 12th, 1944
Winston Churchill pens a critical letter to supreme commander-in-chief of Allied operations in Italy. In his writings he claims he expected to see "a wild cat roaring" and has seen nothing but a "whale wallowing on the beaches".
Wednesday, February 16th, 1944
Kesselring launches a large counterattack against the invading Allied forces.
Thursday, February 17th, 1944
The Allies lose some four miles of territory but stand fast outside of Anzio.
Sunday, February 20th, 1944
The German attack is more or less repelled, at the cost of 5,500 German casualties.
Tuesday, February 22nd, 1944
The Allies replace the ineffective Major-General Lucas with Major-General Lucius Truscott.
Tuesday, February 29th, 1944
Von Mackensen cancels the German offensive amidst mounting casualties and little gain.
Wednesday, March 1st - May 22nd, 1944
The Anzio engagement is limited to minor activity for the time being, with the Allies dug in and the Germans trying to dislodge the invaders by limited means.
Tuesday, May 23rd, 1944
The US VI Corps breaks out of the Anzio perimeter and takes ground well into the Alban Hills.
Thursday, May 25th, 1944
The US VI Corps continues its gains and eventually combines with the arriving UU Corps. The road to Rome is now in the hands of the US Army and steps are taken for the final assault on the capital.