These losses were not enough to hold up the 15th Army Group’s advance. Also, in North Africa the 9th Colonial Infantry Division and the 1st and 5th French Armoured Divisions were now ready for combat. It is clear that a bold
Aciion dlong' the Rome Terni-Ancona axis could have brought to an end all enemy resistance south of the Apennines.
Churchill wrote to Alexander on May 31: "I willsupportyouinobtainingthefirst priority in everything you need to achieve this glorious victory. I am sure the American Chiefs-of-StaflF would now feel this was a bad moment to pull out of the battle or in any way weaken its force for the sake of other operations of an amphibious character, which may very soon
Take their place in the van of our ideas.”
In other words the Prime Minister was flattering himself that he could get General Marshall to abandon Operation "Anvil” and exploit the victories of the 15th Army Group across the Apennines.
On June 7, three days after the fall of Rome, Alexander reported that not even the Alps could daunt his army. He struck a chord in Churchill’s mind for the Prime Minister now saw a chance of reaching Yugoslavia or even Vienna (across the
V A tank brigade of the U. S. 5th Army lined up and ready to strike.
A Lieutenant Rex Metcalfe of Flint, Michigan, inspects his men before setting off to do guard duty.
Overleaf: Rome was the first Axis capital to fall to the Allies and in a special ceremony in July, the American flag that had been flying over the White House on December 7, 1941 was raised in front of the Victor Emmanuel II monument. The troops taking part in the retreat ceremony were from the 85th Division.
So-called Ljubljana gap) before the Russians, whose political ambitions he beginning to fear. Additionally
Was
Churchill had always favoured an invasion of German-occupied Europe from the Mediterranean.
World History
