Anzio conclusion!
Intelligence!
First this from "The Ultra Secret" by Winterbotham:
"There was no sign of any troop concentration in the direction of Anzio . . . right up to the moment of landing, Mark Clark was assured of complete strategic surprise and the probability that no new opposition could be brought to bear before forty-eight hours."
Winterbotham is of course referring to intelligence appreciations as gleaned from Ultra intelligence. The MOST SECRET source of the Second World War [WW2]. Intercepts of encrypted, supposedly secure German radio traffic, "secured" by the Enigma cipher machine, "read" with impunity by the English throughout the length of the war!
Almost absolutely perfect and reliable intelligence regard the enemy [German]!
Locations [dispositions] and strength of enemy units in totality at a minimum. Operational plans and valuable insights most of the time in addition. Precise and accurate intelligence without guess work for the most part.
Mark Clark had been briefed on Ultra and was privy to the secret for a good portion of the war. It would have been apparent to him AND MUST HAVE BEEN APPARENT TO HIM that Anzio was more or less totally undefended. Proceeding inland as quick as possible was the plan - - with a good chance of success. At Anzio THE GERMAN WAS CAUGHT TOTALLY UNAWARE AND LACKING and the allies would have understood this to be the case from the beginning!
[the German had anticipated a possible amphibious assault to alleviate the impasse at Cassino - - but further up the coast, probably north of Rome!]
NOW this:
"One specific area of Intelligence baffled the Allied Command [at Anzio] under General Lucas."
"The US command was almost completely in the dark about the numbers of enemy troops they were facing or what units they represented. In fact; intelligence reports and prisoners represented almost every unit known to be in that part of Italy; as the Germans only had a hodge podge of newly assigned and attached units."
"Lucas and his staff could only assume they were facing all the elements of each unit represented; which was not the case at all. Instead of an aggressive offensive. Lucas built up a ten mile beach-head; and opted for a defensive posture expecting a German Counter-Attack at any moment."
"The US command was almost completely in the dark about the numbers of enemy troops they were facing or what units they represented. In fact; intelligence reports and prisoners represented almost every unit known to be in that part of Italy; as the Germans only had a hodge podge of newly assigned and attached units."
"Lucas and his staff could only assume they were facing all the elements of each unit represented; which was not the case at all. Instead of an aggressive offensive. Lucas built up a ten mile beach-head; and opted for a defensive posture expecting a German Counter-Attack at any moment."
Lucas was NOT privy to Ultra? Perhaps NOT! But should have been given very accurate intelligence appreciations based upon SANITIZED versions of Ultra!
This whole thing about being "almost completely in the dark" sounds very strange to me. INCOMPREHENSIBLE is a better word. Lucas and his staff thought they had the WHOLE GERMAN ARMY IN FRONT OF THEM WHEN THE ACTUAL FORCES CONFRONTING THE ANZIO LANDING FORCE WAS ALMOST NIL!
NOT acceptable.
In the aftermath of German and Japanese surrender, there were only two Congressional investigations regarding the conduct of the war. One of course dealt with the debacle at Pearl Harbor. The second dealt with the Italian Campaign, the apparent inadequacy or even outright incompetency of command!
Such an investigation was indeed warranted? Obviously so!
coolbert.
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