大象传媒

Operation Shingle continued

Chapter 3 of 6

We were all assembled on the lower deck ready to disembark. The great doors at the front of the ship swung open and the ramp lowered to the end of the floating roadway to reveal a close-up view of the beach on which, Bren guns at the ready in case of air attack, we were to come ashore. No vehicle did slip off the edge as I feared might happen. I was in the lead-vehicle and we turned sharply left to the only permissible access inland. I do not think there was a minefield but the way had been swept and was without risk. A short trip through pinewoods and scrub to open land where a halt was called to check all was in order and that no one was missing. My task on landing was not difficult if all went without accidents or eventualities. Firstly, to see that everyone got ashore safely, make across country to what appeared on an aerial photograph to be a white tower, then make for the cover of a nearby wood. The White Tower was clearly seen so we set off for the lateral road thence by a zig zag route to the tower and gained the safety of the woods. Once there the first essential was to establish wireless (as we called it in those days) communication with Advance Division HQ and then the sapper Field Companies under command of their respective Infantry Brigades. This was done by a process known as "Netting" whereby out-stations tuned-in to an oscillation broadcast by the HQ station on an allotted frequency, the network then being netted and able to intercommunicate by voice or key.

This done we received orders to move forward and re-locate at a given map reference. Our first night on the beachhead was more than a little noisy - we were not that far in front of a battery of our 25pound field guns!

The next day we were ordered to move location again and my Colonel arrived from the Headquarters Ship. I sprang up and gave him one of my salutes I reserve for special people. I was pleased to see him and I think he me. I expect he then went to give a situation report to Divisional Headquarters which would be landing about now

I witnessed what to me was an amazing sight but which became all too common. I was standing on a slight rise and had a good field of view over the beaches and out to sea where HMS Jervis, a destroyer, was in gunnery support of the forward positions. A German 'plane appeared in the sky but this was nothing new. To my astonishment another "'plane", a small one, detached itself and set off on a course of its own losing height all the time. It glided around in the direction of HMS Jervis, as if stalking its foe, then made a sudden direct approach towards the stern of the ship and then a steep dive onto the vessel itself. In my astonishment I could only gaze transfixed as there was an explosion. What I had witnessed was a glider bomb.

The Germans were adept at the invention of new weapons of war. The glider bomb was controlled by a radio beam from the mother plane which was able to stand aside from the usual fountain of flak whilst destruction was steered to the target. These glider bombs were used with great effect, principally in Anzio Bay. Later, a means was devised to "bend" the radio controlling beam which threw it off course and it then became a duel between the enemy in an aeroplane and the operator aboard a ship as they each sought to steer the glider bomb for their own purpose. At a later stage the glider bomb was modified with a rocket motor with a sped of 375 mph and a range of 10 miles. This was a much different guided missile and I think was the precursor of the V1 flying bomb - the "Doodlebug" - from which London and SE of England suffered so grievously during the closing stages of the war.

Fortunately the strike on HMS Jervis was not fatal although the damage must have been severe. That same day a cruiser, HMS Janus, was bombed and sank in 20 minutes with the loss of her Commander and 150 men. The sacrifices of the Royal and US Navies never seem to have been given the credit, which I believe they deserve, in landing the initial assaults, supporting the land operations with naval gunfire and making the subsequent supply of ammunition, fuel and necessities of war possible. They were very open to all kinds of hostility in Anzio Bay - from sea-mines, aerial attack, coastal defence gunfire and even U boats. Losses were considerable with ships sunk, damaged and disabled. During the first month only of the battle and in terms of capital ships, the number damaged or sunk for the two navies was 13 of which 6 were for the Royal Navy the most grievous being the sinking of the cruisers HMS Janus, Spartan and Penelope. In the category of landing ships and assault craft there was a combined tally of 6 whilst for cargo ships unloading ammunition and other necessities the count was three Liberty ships. The most atrocious acts were attacks on three hospital ships moored off-shore, painted white in accordance with the Geneva Convention and flood lit at night. The most serious of these was the attack on the St David which was bombed and sunk with the loss of 60 lives. Two other hospital ships, St Andrews and Leinster, were hit by bombs and sustained damage but by good fortune did not sink. These figures are for the first month only. I have no knowledge of what happened later. The sailors of both navies had a hard time which all should recognise.

The Guards Brigade, with 23 Field Company under command, were the floating divisional reserve and were brought ashore once the tactical picture could be seen. 23 Field Company passed us on the way to their concentration area and we exchanged cheery waves and the usual soldierly banter. They had just moved out of sight along the track when we were alarmed by the frightening roar of a German fighter in low level attack. We heard the machine gun fire: the worst happened to our cheery friends of not a moment ago. The column was raked from end to end. It was all over in but a few seconds but 23 Fd. Coy. had a rough reception to the Beachhead. There were some number of dead and wounded.

The next set-back was a storm on D+3 The wind blew up and the waves pounded our beaches destroying the pontoon roadway so no further shipping could be received for the British Sector except through the small port of Anzio itself. This further increased the shipping congestion and made easy pickings for attacking planes despite an array of many barrage balloons and anti-aircraft fire.

Air activity increased and was growing more intense each day, and continued at night time with high level bombing, the enemy airfields being only a few minutes flying-time away, as compared to our own air forces way back somewhere behind Cassino. Low level attack happens so quickly and there always seemed to be aircraft somewhere in the sky but not that many of ours although I did see two US Lightning aircraft doing their best for us shot down into the sea. The Luftwaffe main action appeared to be directed against shipping crowded into the small bay at Anzio although they were not averse to amusing themselves with anything which moved on the ground!

A small digression and a coincidence...... Many years ahead, 1953 to be exact, I was taken off the General Reserve to raise, part time, a Squadron of sappers for specialist duties. I received a bundle of Training Manuals from MOD and noticed one on Combined Operations. This I opened casually, as one does, somewhere in the middle, to be confronted by a picture of myself landing at Anzio! Quite amazing. I eventually resigned as I found it intruded on the advancement of my career. A few months later "my" chaps were in foreign climes as part of the Suez invasion force. I do regret not being with them.

Despite the attentions of the Luftwaffe the build up on the beach head was going extremely well and better than expected. I can speak now only of the British Sector but doubtless the US on X-Ray beaches were equally satisfied. My Colonel returned with the tale that he had stood at the front surveying the terrain; all was quiet and the Alban Hills beckoned and it seemed he could have taken his walking stick and strolled towards them. It seemed that nothing in the world could stop a quick advance to seize the Alban Hills at a small price and that our objective would be achieved and consolidated. Everyone was geared up for the big race.

For reasons, some understandable, some incomprehensible, some political and some plainly self-seeking individualism nothing happened. We were waiting on the leash for two days; days when all the advantages of complete surprise were frittered away and time given for German forces to be improvised with the usual German effeciency. It is not my purpose to comment here on reasons or personalities or on the conduct of the coming battle but to mention briefly some aspects as far as my own Division was concerned. These were not necessarily gleaned first hand but I was close to the course of the battle and in a position to know. A student or researcher of the 1st Division's day-by-day action could do no better than to consult the "History of the First Division: Anzio Campaign".

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