The Battle of the Argenta Gap was an engagement which formed part of the Allied spring 1945 offensive during the Italian campaign in the final stages of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. It took place in northern Italy from 12 to 19 April 1945 between troops of

British V Corps V Corps was an army corps of the British Army that saw service in both the First and the Second World Wars. It was first organised in February 1915 and fought through the First World War on the Western front. It was recreated in June 1940, duri ...

commanded by Lieutenant-General

Charles Keightley General Sir Charles Frederic Keightley, (24 June 1901 – 17 June 1974) was a senior British Army officer who served during and following the Second World War. After serving with distinction during the Second World War – becoming, in 1944, th ...

and German units of

LXXVI Panzer Corps The LXXVI Panzer Corps (''LXXVI Panzerkorps'', 76th Armoured Corps) was a panzer corps of Nazi Germany during World War II. The headquarters were formed in France under Army Group D on 29 June 1943 as LXXVI Army Corps but renamed a month later. I ...

commanded by

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

(''

General der Panzertruppe General der Panzertruppe () was a General of the branch OF8 rank of the German Army, introduced in 1935. A ''General der Panzertruppe'' was a Lieutenant General, above Major General (Generalleutnant), commanding a Panzer corps. Rank and ran ...

'')

Gerhard von Schwerin Gerhard Helmut Detleff Graf von Schwerin (23 June 1899 – 29 October 1980) was a German General der Panzertruppe during World War II. World War I Gerhard von Schwerin was born to a Prussian aristocratic family in 1899. His father was a civil ...

Background

The Allied invasion of Italy occurred during September 1943, for a number of key reasons not least important of which was that support for the war in Italy had been declining and it was thought that an invasion would hasten the efforts of the new government that had deposed Benito Mussolini, which was seeking peace. Furthermore, the weakening of Axis control of the Mediterranean supply routes eased the pressure on Allied forces operating in the Middle and

Far East The ''Far East'' was a European term to refer to the geographical regions that includes East and Southeast Asia as well as the Russian Far East to a lesser extent. South Asia is sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons. The ter ...

, as well as on the efforts to supply to

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

Operation Husky Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Ma ...

– the

invasion of Sicily The Allied invasion of Sicily, also known as Operation Husky, was a major campaign of World War II in which the Allied forces invaded the island of Sicily in July 1943 and took it from the Axis powers ( Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany). It bega ...

in July 1943 – was successful, serving as a springboard for the invasion of the mainland. In September, the first Allied troops to land in Italy were of the

British Eighth Army The Eighth Army was an Allied field army formation of the British Army during the Second World War, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns. Units came from Australia, British India, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Free French Forces ...

under the then General Bernard Montgomery, in

Operation Baytown Operation Baytown was an Allied amphibious landing on the mainland of Italy that took place on 3 September 1943, part of the Allied invasion of Italy, itself part of the Italian Campaign, during the Second World War. Planning The attack was ...

. Further landings on 9 September 1943 saw the main attack force landing, despite the Italian surrender to the Allied forces on the previous day. After securing the beachheads, the U.S. Fifth Army began its advance northwards. By the winter of 1944–45 the Allied armies had penetrated the main defences of the Gothic Line but had failed to break out into the Po river valley. A new major offensive was planned for the spring of 1945, when improving weather would allow the Allies to take advantage of their superior airpower and armoured and motorized ground forces.

Order of battle

Formations and units involved in the battle: *

15th Army Group The 15th Army Group was an Army Group in World War II, composed of the British Eighth and the U.S. Fifth Armies, which apart from troops from the British Empire and U.S.A., also had whole units from other allied countries/regions; like two of ...

–

Mark Clark **

– Lieutenant-General

Richard McCreery General Sir Richard Loudon McCreery, (1 February 1898 – 18 October 1967) was a career soldier of the British Army, who was decorated for leading one of the last cavalry actions in the First World War. During the Second World War, he was chief ...

***

– Lieutenant-General

****

56th (London) Infantry Division The 56th (London) Infantry Division was a Territorial Army infantry division of the British Army, which served under several different titles and designations. The division served in the trenches of the Western Front during the First World Wa ...

–

Major-General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

John Y. Whitfield *****

24th Guards Brigade The 24th Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army from the First World War. It was reraised during the Second World War, as the 24th Infantry Brigade (Guards). During various designations, the brigade was active throughout the C ...

***** 167th (London) Infantry Brigade ***** 169th (London) Infantry Brigade *****

2nd Commando Brigade The 2nd Special Service Brigade was formed in late 1943 in the Middle East and saw service in Italy, the Adriatic, the landings at Anzio and took part in operations in Yugoslavia.Army Commandos 1940–45 By Mike Chappell, p 31 On 6 December 1944 th ...

(under command) ***** 9th Armoured Brigade(under command) **** 78th Infantry Division – Major-General Keith Arbuthnott ***** 11th Infantry Brigade ***** 36th Infantry Brigade *****

38th (Irish) Infantry Brigade The 38th (Irish) Brigade, is a brigade formation of the British Army that served in the Second World War. It was composed of North Irish line infantry regiments and served with distinction in the Tunisian and Italian Campaigns. Following the ...

***** 2nd Armoured Brigade (under command) * German Army Group C – General (''

Generaloberst A ("colonel general") was the second-highest general officer rank in the German ''Reichswehr'' and ''Wehrmacht'', the Austro-Hungarian Common Army, the East German National People's Army and in their respective police services. The rank was ...

'')

Heinrich von Vietinghoff Heinrich Gottfried Otto Richard von Vietinghoff genannt Scheel (6 December 1887 – 23 February 1952) was a German general (''Generaloberst'') of the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oa ...

** German Tenth Army – Lieutenant-General (''

'')

Traugott Herr Traugott Herr (16 September 1890 – 13 April 1976) was a German general during World War II who commanded the 14th Army and the 10th Army of the Wehrmacht. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. ...

*** LXXVI Panzer Corps – Lieutenant-General (''General der Panzertruppe'')

**** 162nd (Turkestan) Infantry Division – Major-General (''

Generalleutnant is the Germanic variant of lieutenant general, used in some German speaking countries. Austria Generalleutnant is the second highest general officer rank in the Austrian Armed Forces (''Bundesheer''), roughly equivalent to the NATO rank of ...

'') Ralph von Heygendorff **** 42nd Jäger Division – Major-General (''Generalleutnant'')

Walter Jost Walter Jost (25 July 1896 – 24 April 1945) was a German general during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. Jost was killed in action on 24 April 1945 in Villadose. Troops under his command ...

**** 362nd Infantry Division – Brigadier-General ('' Generalmajor'') Alois Weber *** In Army reserve ****

29th Panzergrenadier Division The 29th Infantry Division was a unit of the German army created in the fall of 1936. It was based on the old Reichswehr 15th Infantry Regiment and drew its initial recruits from Thuringia. It was upgraded to 29th Motorized Infantry Division in ...

– Major-General (''Generalleutnant'') Fritz Polack

Prelude

As a preliminary to the main operation, a

commando Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin">40_Commando.html" ;"title="Royal Marines from 40 Commando">Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin area of Afghanistan are pictured A commando is a combatant, or operativ ...

assault (

Operation Roast Operation Roast was a military operation undertaken by British Commandos, at Comacchio lagoon in north-east Italy, during the Spring 1945 offensive in Italy, part of the Italian Campaign, during the final stages of Second World War. Background T ...

) was launched across Lake Comacchio on 1 April to secure the right flank of the Eighth Army for the coming battle to seize "the Spit", the narrow isthmus between the eastern shore of Lake Comacchio and the

Adriatic Sea The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to t ...

. This would secure the eastern flank of the Eighth Army and also allow trials to be carried out in secret of the suitability of using newly arrived LVT tracked landing craft for subsequent larger operations in the muddy and difficult conditions of Lake Comacchio. The operation was successful, although the LVTs failed dismally, becoming hopelessly bogged down.Jackson, p. 258. It was in this raid that

Corporal Corporal is a military rank in use in some form by many militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. The word is derived from the medieval Italian phrase ("head of a body"). The rank is usually the lowest ranking non- ...

Thomas Peck Hunter Thomas Peck Hunter VC (6 October 1923 – 3 April 1945) was a British recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Backg ...

of 43 Commando posthumously received the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

for his actions. Two nights later further actions by the

Special Boat Service The Special Boat Service (SBS) is the special forces unit of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy. The SBS can trace its origins back to the Second World War when the Army Special Boat Section was formed in 1940. After the Second World War, the Roya ...

(SBS) supported by Italian Partisans of the 28th Garibaldi Brigade captured islands in the middle of the lake. Danish national, Major Anders Lassen a patrol commander of the

(SBS) was killed in a subsequent fighting reconnaissance and was awarded a

posthumously. The 56th Infantry Division also made a preliminary attack on 5/6 April to secure its starting line for the Argenta gap operation. By 8 April, after meeting stiff resistance, it had completed its task in clearing "the Wedge", an area from the southern tip of Lake Comacchio where it meets the Reno river to the Fossa di Navigazione. The main Eighth Army offensive across the Senio river commenced on 9 April and by 12 April the assault units had advanced to consolidate across the Santerno river and allow 78th Infantry Division to pass through towards the Reno river and the Argenta gap. The Argenta Gap was a well defended strip of land some wide and deep between Lake Comacchio and the Lombardy marshes, south of the town of Ferrara.

The battle

On the night of 10/11 April,

launched Operation ''Impact Plain'' to widen and deepen its bridgehead in the Wedge: 40th (Royal Marine) Commando advanced along the raised causeway bordering the lake while, from

56th (London) Division The 56th (London) Infantry Division was a Territorial Army infantry division of the British Army, which served under several different titles and designations. The division served in the trenches of the Western Front during the First World War. ...

, 169th (Queen's) Brigade advanced on the commando's left across the flooded margins of the lake with two battalions in LVTs. The 56th Division's 167th Brigade advanced from the Wedge along the Reno flood banks.Jackson, p.267. The commando column met stiff resistance at the bridge north east of Menate and took heavy casualties but were able to take the objective with the assistance of air support. 42nd ''Jaeger'' Division seems to have been taken by surprise by their opponents' amphibious capacity and seemed somewhat unnerved by the LVTs emerging from the water so that by daylight on 12 April all three columns had made some headway, linking up in the Menate-Longastrino area. 169th Brigade then pushed forward on the road towards Filo and 167th Brigade continued up the Reno, rolling up the German defences as far as the confluence with the Santerno river to link with the Italian Cremona Combat Group which had advanced from the south. Reacting to the Allied attack, von Vietinghof ordered 29th ''Panzergrenadier'' Division south to reinforce the Argenta gap. Its 15th ''Panzergrenadier'' Regiment arrived to reinforce 42nd ''Jaeger'' Division on 12 April but the rest of the division had been north of the Po and, delayed by air damage and fuel shortages was not in position until 14 April. Early on 13 April the 38th (Irish) Brigade, of 78th ''Battleaxe'' Division, attacked northward from Indian 8th Division's bridgehead across the Santerno river with the objective of seizing a bridgehead across the Reno at Bastia, in the mouth of the Argenta gap. Meanwhile, to their right, 56th Infantry Division launched the second phase of its operation, ''Impact Royal''. This involved No. 9 Commando of

and

advancing up the flooded margins of Lake Comacchio in LVTs to concentrate near Chiesa del Bando, north west of Menate and develop a threat to Argenta which lay some to the south west of this objective. A foothold was established on the Fossa Marina, a canal running roughly east to west from Argenta to the lake and a short of their objective but then the newly arrived 15th Panzer Grenadier Regiment blocked further progress and an attempt to take the bridge across the Fossa on 14 April was beaten back. In the morning of 14 April forward elements of 38th Brigade had crossed the bridge over the Reno at Bastia but had been forced back by an armoured counterattack. It was decided to confine immediate activity to mopping up south of the Reno and await the approach of 167th Brigade which, advancing on both banks of the Reno, would shortly threaten the flank of the defenders north of the river in Bastia and oblige them to retire. Rather than wait for the bridge at Bastia to be cleared, V Corps commander, Lieutenant-General

ordered 78th Division's 11th Infantry Brigade to use 56th Division's bridges over the Reno in order to get forward towards Argenta without delay. The British Army in Italy 1945 NA24311

On 15/16 April 56th Division renewed their attack on the Fossa Marina but failed again. However, the cumulative effect of heavy air attacks since 13 April took their toll and on the night of 16 April the 24th Guards Brigade were able to cross the canal with relatively little trouble although their advance was once again halted by resistance about north of the canal. On the west side of the Argenta gap 11th Brigade was able to get across the Fossa Marina east of Argenta. The 2nd Battalion,

Lancashire Fusiliers The Lancashire Fusiliers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that saw distinguished service through many years and wars, including the Second Boer War, the First and Second World Wars, and had many different titles throughout its 28 ...

were able to hold on to a small bridgehead under heavy fire and counterattack while engineers positioned ARK armoured mobile bridges to allow supporting tanks to cross the canal.Jackson, p. 282. On 17 April 38th (Irish) Brigade arrived from newly cleared Bastia and passed through 11th Brigade's bridgehead, tasked with widening the bridgehead to provide space to allow an armoured breakout. By dark the brigade had advanced against determined resistance, working around the rear of Argenta. Meanwhile, 11th Brigade advanced into the town to clear it with the support of Crocodile armoured flame-throwers. An armoured counterattack early on 18 April was forced back towards 38th (Irish) Brigade. Meanwhile, on the west outskirts of the town the bridges over the Reno had been attacked and captured by 2nd Commando Brigade which had been advancing up the line of the river from Bastia. Attempted counterattacks on the bridges were broken up by supporting artillery. Also on 17 April 56th Division's 169th (Queen's) Brigade was passed through 11th Brigade's bridgehead across the Fossa Marina in order to drive eastwards to clear the north bank of the canal and link with the Guards Brigade.Jackson, p. 283. On 18 April 78th Division brought forward 36th Infantry Brigade from reserve to pass through 38th (Irish) Brigade and conduct a series of right hooks north of Argenta. By dawn the brigade had reached Consandolo some northwest of Argenta, where German resistance stubbornly held until well into the afternoon. Meanwhile, a mobile force under the command of 2nd Armoured Brigade Headquarters comprising one infantry battalion, a tank regiment, a regiment of armoured personnel carriers and supporting self-propelled guns and assault engineers (the "Kangaroo Army") was brought forward and, bypassing Consonaldo, secured a bridgehead over the Fossa Benvignante north of the town. Advanced elements then pushed forward and before dark overran the artillery gun lines of 42nd ''Jaeger'' Division. The 78th Division's advance created flank pressure on the German units facing 56th Division so that at midday on 18 April 169th (Queen's) Brigade detected a lessening resistance in front of them. Pushing forward, the brigade advanced to the Fossa Benvignante and captured a bridge intact. To their right the 24th Guards Brigade were finally able to clear Chiesa del Bando and advance towards the Fossa Benvignante as well.Jackson, p.284.

Aftermath

With 56th and 78th Division now clear of the northern end of the Argenta gap, British 6th Armoured Division, from Eighth Army reserve, was released through the left wing of the advancing 78th Division to swing left to race north west along the line of the river Reno to Bondeno and link up with the U.S. Fifth Army units advancing north from west of Bologna and to complete the encirclement of the German armies defending Bologna. Effective Allied bombing of the crossings of the Po and shortage of fuel left much of the German Army Group's strength and almost all its heavy equipment and armament stranded south of the river, so sealing its fate. On 29 April an instrument of surrender was signed by German emissaries at Allied Army HQ and hostilities formally ceased on 2 May.

War Cemetery

An Allied war cemetery is now located at Argenta.

Notable burials

* Arthur Banks GC *

Tom Hunter (VC) Thomas Peck Hunter VC (6 October 1923 – 3 April 1945) was a British recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Backgr ...

* Anders Lassen VC, MC

Notes

Citations

References

* * http://www.warlinks.com/pages/8thdeeds.html * http://www.britishsoldier.com/argenta2.htm (Kindly providing the images)

Bibliography

* ''Dictionary of Battles''

External links

The Irish Brigade
Contains accounts of the 38th (Irish) Brigade in the Battle Argenta Gap including The Official Histories of the 1st and 2nd Battalion of the London Irish Rifles and their role in the battle. {{DEFAULTSORT:Argenta Gap Argenta Argenta 1945 in Italy Argenta Gap Argenta Gap Battle honours of the Rifle Brigade Battle honours of the King's Royal Rifle Corps April 1945 events in Europe Argenta