The Allied invasion of Italy, a phase of the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, took place on 3 September at Reggio di Calabria (Operation Baytown), and on 9 September 1943 at Taranto and Salerno (Operation Slapstick and Operation Avalanche respectively). Allied naval forces landed American and Commonwealth troops on the beaches of southern Italy where they faced resistance from Axis forces.
Allied Forces
Allied Forces Headquarters (AFHQ), Mediterranean General Dwight D. Eisenhower
Ground forces
Allied 15th Army Group
General Harold Alexander
Naval forces
Allied Naval Forces, Mediterranean (Admiral Andrew Cunningham)
Western Task Force (Operation Avalanche) (Vice Admiral H. Kent Hewitt, USN)
Force H (Vice Admiral Sir Algernon Willis, RN)
Naval Task Force, Operation Slapstick (Vice Admiral Arthur Power, RN)
Air forces
Mediterranean Air Command (Allied) (Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder)
Operation Baytown – 3 September
Landings across Strait of Messina
British Eighth Army
General Bernard Law Montgomery
British XIII Corps
Lieutenant-General Sir Miles Dempsey
Corps troops
1st Special Reconnaissance Squadron
No. 3 Commando
No. 40 (Royal Marine) Commando
Corps artillery
6th Army Group, Royal Artillery
2nd Anti-Aircraft Brigade
Also supporting XIII Corps
5th Army Group, Royal Artillery
XXX Corps Artillery
Operation Slapstick – 9 September
Landings at Taranto
British Eighth Army
General Sir Bernard Law Montgomery
British 1st Airborne Division
Major-General George F. Hopkinson killed in action 9 Sep, then Major-General Ernest Down
1st Parachute Brigade (Brigadier G.W. Lathbury)
1st Parachute Battalion
2nd Parachute Battalion
3rd Parachute Battalion
16th (Parachute) Field Ambulance
2nd Parachute Brigade (Brigadier Ernest Down)
4th Parachute Battalion
5th Parachute Battalion
6th Parachute Battalion
127th (Parachute) Field Ambulance
4th Parachute Brigade (Brigadier J.W. Hackett)
10th Parachute Battalion
11th Parachute Battalion
156th Parachute Battalion
133rd (Parachute) Field Ambulance
1st Airlanding Brigade (Brigadier Pip Hicks)
1st Battalion Border Regiment
2nd Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment
181st (Airlanding) Field Ambulance
Glider Pilot Regiment
Operation Avalanche – 9 September
Landings at Salerno
US Fifth Army
Lieutenant General Mark W. Clark
Army Group Reserve
US 82nd Airborne ("All-American") Division
Major General Matthew B. Ridgway
504th Parachute Infantry Regiment
505th Parachute Infantry Regiment
325th Glider Infantry Regiment
US 1st Armored ("Old Ironsides") Division
Major General Ernest N. Harmon
British X Corps
Lieutenant-General Richard L. McCreery
Northern landing beaches
Corps troops
Royal Scots Greys (Sherman tanks, attached to 56th Division)
40th Royal Tank Regiment (attached to British 46th Infantry Division)
British Special Service Brigade (Brigadier Robert Laycock)
No. 2 (Army) Commando
No. 41 (Royal Marine) Commando
US Ranger Force (Lieutenant Colonel William O. Darby)
1st Ranger Battalion
3rd Ranger Battalion
4th Ranger Battalion
US VI Corps
Major General Ernest J. Dawley
Southern landing beaches
US 3rd Infantry ("Rock of the Marne") Division
Major General Lucian K. Truscott
7th Infantry Regiment
15th Infantry Regiment
30th Infantry Regiment
HHB 3rd DIVARTY
9th Field Artillery Battalion
10th Field Artillery Battalion
39th Field Artillery Battalion
41st Field Artillery Battalion
3rd Reconnaissance Troop
10th Engineer Combat Battalion
3rd Medical Battalion
Headquarters, 3rd Special Troops
HHC, 3rd Infantry Division
703rd Ordnance Light Maintenance Company
3rd Signal Company
3rd Quartermaster Company
US 34th Infantry ("Red Bull") Division
Major General Charles W. Ryder
133rd Infantry Regiment
135th Infantry Regiment
168th Infantry Regiment
US 36th Infantry ("Arrowhead") Division
Major General Fred L. Walker
141st Infantry Regiment
142nd Infantry Regiment
143rd Infantry Regiment
US 45th Infantry ("Thunderbird") Division
Major General Troy H. Middleton
157th Infantry Regiment
179th Infantry Regiment
180th Infantry Regiment
Axis Forces
Army Command South
Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring
Armeeoberkommando (AOK) 10
Generaloberst Heinrich von Vietinghoff
XIV Panzer Corps
General der Panzertruppen Hermann Balck
Deployed along coast from north to south of Naples:
Konstam, Angus (2013). Salerno 1943: The Allies invade southern Italy. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78096-249-8.
Molony, Brigadier C.J.C.; with Flynn, Captain F.C. (R.N.); Davies, Major-General H.L. & Gleave, Group Captain T.P. (2004) [1st. pub. HMSO:1973]. Butler, Sir James (ed.). The Mediterranean and Middle East. History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series. Vol. V: The Campaign in Sicily 1943 and The Campaign in Italy 3rd September 1943 to 31st March 1944. Uckfield, UK: Naval & Military Press. ISBN 1-84574-069-6.
Web
Houterman, Hans; Koppes, Jeroen. "World War II unit histories and officers". Archived from the original on 3 December 2008. Retrieved 27 July 2010.
"Orders of Battle.com". Archived from the original on 17 July 2007. Retrieved 27 July 2010.