US 5th Army

The US 5th Army was a large military unit of the United States Army, which was employed in the Mediterranean theater of operation during World War II. It was officially created on January 4, 1943, and it was put under the command of Lt. General Mark Clark. It was first deployed in French Morocco, northern Africa. Its men first saw combat action during the Allied landing at Salerno, mainland Italy, on September 3, 1943.

A total of 245,000 men composed the 5th Army, which included infantry, armored, artillery, and air borne units. Their men would be engaged in ferocious combat with German 10th Army troops on the Gustav Line. They would also take part in the fierce battles that ensued the Allied landings at Anzio. During Operation Avalanche, they were nearly driven to the sea by the vicious German counterattacks carried out by the 29th Panzergrenadier Division. However, with the fire support of Allied naval guns and aircraft, the managed to hold the line and secure the bridgeheads.

Elements

For Operation Avalanche (landing at Salerno), the US 5th Army consisted of two corps, reinforced by an extra infantry division; the US VI Corps, led by General John P. Lucas, was composed of the 3rd, 44th, and 45th Inf. Div, while the British X Corps, commanded by Richard L. McGreery, was composed by the 7th Armoured Div., the 46th Inf. Div., the 56th Inf. Div., and the US 82nd Airborne Div. They were reinforced by the US 36th Infantry Division, which included 3 tank battalions, led by General Fred L. Walker.

For Operation Shingle (landing at Anzio), the US 5th Army was composed of the US VI Corps, still under J.P. Lucas, and the US II Corps, led by Maj. General Geoffrey Keyes. The VI Corps consisted of four infantry divisions (3rd, 34th, 36th, and 45th Inf. Div.), reinforced by 6615 US Ranger Force and the British 2nd Special Service Brigade. Meanwhile, the II Corps was made up of the three infantry divisions (85th, 88th, and the British 3rd Inf. Div.).

Below, US soldiers of the 44th Infantry Division after landing at Salerno, heading towards the Gustav Line.