ANZIO!

In September of 1943, the Allies invaded Sicily and made successful landings on the Italian mainland at Calabria, Taranto, and Salerno. During the same month the Italians unconditionally surrendered. This infuriated Hitler and caused him to resolve that an advance up the Italian Peninsula would cost the Allies dearly. German defenses were consolidated into a series of fortified positions that formed belts across the peninsula. The final iteration of this strategy was a series of interlocking positions on points of high ground stretching across the narrowest part of Italy – Gustav Line. Furthermore, Hitler appointed a formidable strategist, Luftwaffe Field Marshall Albert Kesselring, commander of all German forces on 6 November 1943. He was a man fully capable of carrying out Hitler’s plan and of preventing further Allied advances up the peninsula to the key city of Rome.

Under such circumstances, it became clear to Allied planners that the German defenses along the Gustav Line must be outflanked by an amphibious assault north of the Gustav, and clearly, as close to Rome as possible. If such an operation were successful, the massive German defenses further south would be cut off from their supply line, causing a rout of the remaining German forces. After the British succeeded with an outflanking amphibious assault on the Adriatic side of the peninsula at Termoli on 2 October 1943, the Allies focused on a large-scale amphibious assault at the urging of Winston Churchill.

The old Roman resort towns of Anzio and Nettuno were the closest sites to Rome that would still be under the umbrella of Allied aircraft operating from Naples. The German planners had taken this fact into account, but had misread the possible landing dates by several months. When Allied landings did take place there on 22 January 1944, the German defenses were taken by complete surprise. This allowed U.S. Army Major General John P. Lucas IV Corps (5th Army) to literally walk ashore on a bright, sunny morning unopposed except for light contention from Luftwaffe units over the beachhead.

This scene is the background for the painting Anzio! With the commanding officer of the 31st Fighter Group, Charles “Sandy” McCoorkle (64th Fighter Wing/12th Air Support Command/12th USAAF) in “CMM” closest to the viewer elements of the 307th Fighter Squadron in the immediate background flying a CAP (combat air patrol) above the landings. Below, a few Fw.190 fighter-bombers have slipped in under the CAP and have set an LCI (landing craft infantry) afire, and are retreating to the north. The 31st Fighter Group was privileged to be flying Spitfires of various marks at the time, but shortly thereafter, transitioned to P-51Bs, a move made reluctantly by many of the 31st pilots. This painting was executed for and at the direction of the late Jeff Ethell, who was tragically killed in a P-38 crash on 6 June 1997.