Allied Armies in Italy

The Allied Armies in Italy, commanded by British General Sir Harold Alexander, was the title of the highest Allied field headquarters in Italy, during the middle part of the Italian Campaign of World War II. In the early and later stages of the campaign the headquarters was known as 15th Army Group; it reported to the Joint Allied command Allied Force Headquarters (AFH) the theatre command for the Mediterranean theatre.

The 15th Army Group was renamed Allied forces in Italy on 11 January 1944, then Allied Central Mediterranean Force on 18 January 1944 and finally Allied Armies in Italy on 9 March 1944)[1] The Army group was commanded by General Sir Harold Alexander until 11 December 1944.[2] General Mark Wayne Clark then took command and the headquarters title was changed to 15th Army Group.

The Allied Armies in Italy thus controlled the land forces for some of the hardest fighting of the entire war. Operations carried out included: the long stalemate on the Gustav Line with the hardfought battles of Monte Cassino; the Anzio landings; the liberation of Rome; the assault on the Gothic Line, Operation OLIVE; and ending with Operation GRAPESHOT, in which 15th Army Group stuck again just south of the Po valley.

For all of its life the command consisted of U.S. Fifth Army and British Eighth Army.

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Molony (1973), p. 861
  2. ↑ Jackson (1987), p. 73

References

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