April 28, 1944 — Planning for two massive campaigns at once
Week Two of my New Devotional: “What the Bible Says About …” Speak the truth in love, Gracious words, Talk God loves, Words can harm, You are chosen
April 28, 2024
April 29, 1944 — A disaster unfolds for Phil and his men
April 29, 2024The Allied military brass at the highest levels were preparing two massive operations for the Allies. First, of course, was to have the Allies successfully break out of Anzio and join their brothers fighting up from the south of Italy and then liberate Rome. Second, was the intensive planning for a D-Day invasion of Southern France that would follow the D-Day invasion at Normandy in an attempt to complete a pincher move to defeat the Germans in France and then together invade and defeat Germany from the west (with the Russians coming into Germany from the east.
Phase I of air operations (for ‘Operation Anvil,’ later named ‘Operation Dragoon’ — the coming invasion of Southern France by the Allies) began on April 28th, 1944, when Allied heavy bombers attacked Toulon. Between then and August 10th, the Allied Air Forces dropped more than 12,500 tons of bombs on southern France. The Germans were, to say the least, surprised, then stunned, and then shell shocked.[1]
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Back at Anzio, the Germans were ramping up their attacks. During the night of April 28 about forty planes dropped high-explosives, antipersonnel and rocket bombs on our front lines and in the beach area. Nine planes were shot down. Some fifteen enemy craft bombed and strafed the area the following night, our last in the line, and four of them were brought down.[2]
[1] Turne, 34.
[2] Taggart, 147.
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