Operation Shingle: The Anzio landings

22nd Janaury 1944: The Allies land successfully at Anzio whilst a costly diversionary action on the Rapido River continues

A Sherman tank of 23rd Armoured Brigade coming ashore from a landing craft at Anzio, Italy, 22 January 1944.

Soldiers of the 3d Ranger Battalion board LCIs that will take them to Anzio. Two weeks later, nearly all would be killed or captured at Cistern

As the Allies found themselves increasingly confounded by successive defensive lines across the centre of Italy, they looked for a way of sidestepping around the Germans. The result was an amphibious operation that would hopefully shorten the route to Rome and to the more open country beyond.

Operation Shingle had been produced following Churchill's urgings for a more imaginative way forward on Christmas Day. There had been little time to prepare.

Don’t go diggin’ your bayonets into their chests or they’ll stick... Get their stomachs or throats, or their backsides ... And all of you beware of heinies coming out of houses waving white flags ...”

It was planned that, while the Germans were distracted by new assaults at Monte Cassino, they would not have the resources to divert to contain an amphibious landing. Once the assaults had broken through at Cassino they could surge forward and join up with the amphibious force on the beach at Anzio.

United States Army soldiers, amphibious vehicles, and equipment pouring onto beach from LSTs, Anzio, Italy. 1944

New landings by 5th Army! Men and equipment come ashore at new 5th Army beach-head near Anzio, Italy, on the west coast just south of Rome." Italy. 23 January 1944.