Italian Campaign - Winnable for the Germans?
So for the history buffs out there, do you feel that the German/Italian troops could have potentially won the Italian campaign? I'll give a brief description of a number of events and i'll let you guys formulate your opinions.
1. Operation Husky
http://en.wikivisual.com/images/e/ed...ky_landing.jpg
The Allies invaded Sicily on 10 July 1943 with the American forces landing around the Gela area with the British landing further to the east around Syracuse, south from Catania. Although the landings occurred without a hitch (Italian troops actually surrendered extremely quickly and offered to actually assist them in unloading their cargoes), the Herman-G?ring Panzer Division reacted quickly. Rapidly dealing with the atrociously executed airborne landing which had left scattered American troops dotted around the countryside, they proceeded to rush down to the coast and destroy the actual landing at sea. Both tanks and infantry descend upon the landing zone supported by the German and Italian airforces, causing chaosand inflicting heavy casualties. They are only stopped by hastily mustered groups of soldiers who would be a mixture of regular infantrymen and men in the support branches along with naval gunfire which inflicted a number of losses on the German forces causing them to withdraw. By 12 July the offensive had ended.
2. Operation Avalanche
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...fitaly1943.jpg
On 9 September 1943, the combined British and American forces landed around Salerno at night. There was scarce resistance that was easily dealt with, and the Wehrmacht was too busy disarming the Italian troops who had signed an armistice with the Allies to react quicker, however when they did they retaliated in force. A spread out, fairly inexperienced Panzer-Division (24th if I recall correctly) launched attacks on the landings, having a surprising level of success, and the Germans continued to funnel troops in to the landing area, sending them in faster than the Allies could land more of theirs.
Their beachhead is rapidly pushed back, with American troops desperately launching unsuccessful counterattacks. Soon enough the German troops were literally on top of the US 36th Infantry Division's headquarters, and were only pushed back after hastily raised troops were able to hold them back. Soon enough the Allies were bringing in more troops, and once more the destructive power of naval artillery was utilised which inflicted severe losses on the German armour, and eventually resulted in stalemate around the perimeter with the Germans ceasing on their attacks while the Allies attempted to build up strength to expand their perimeter. Montgomery was slowly moving forward from the South with his X Corps, along with the 1st Airborne Division from the direction of Taranto.
3. Operation Shingle
http://www.history.army.mil/brochures/anzio/map1.JPG
On 22 January 1944, the Allies launched their landing at Anzio-Nettuno. Why? To break the deadlock created by the stalwart German defense of the Gustav Line (anchored at Monte Cassino) by attempting to encircle the German 10. Armee, or at least make it's position so untenable so as to force a withdrawal. Once more the landing was a cakewalk, however little did they know what they were in for. Having the lower ground, Truscott's forces were subject to accurate bombardment from the German artillery, and with the amount of forces used to contain the bridgehead, fierce attacks. The morale of the soldiers in the beachhead was sapping away, and there was no respite from the hell that they had been forced in to. After amassing enough forces, the Germans would launch Operation Fischfang to finally extinguish the beachhead, attempting to reduce the forces around the Padiglione Forest (upon which after surpassing would be a clear path to Anzio) in February 1944 and elsewhere on the front. Massive casualties are inflicted on both sides, however the Germans being the attackers suffered even heavier losses with a number of their lead attacking units being obliterated by artillery fire and air support, and with the main attacking battalions towards the end of the Operation being reduced to company strength.
Towards the end of May, four months after the battle had began, Operation Diadem was launched so as to finally push the Germans and force their withdrawal, with a successful attack launched on the Gustav Line forcing them to abandon it, and the Allied troops linking up with the battered remnants of the Anzio troops (who would have had soldiers that had been with their units for months without respite, which goes completely against their system of rotating troops out every two weeks for recuperation, and of which was crucial for the psychological stability of the soldiers on the front due to the nature of the warfare). General Mark Clark however, deciding against the logical choice of attempting an encirclement of the withdrawing 10. Armee, chooses the more politically viable option and simply secures Rome. On 5 June the city is captured, and Mark Clark is given a day of glory to satisfy his desire for publicity, which is soon shadowed by the Overlord landings.
This isn't exactly a complete portrayal of the Italian Campaign, but bearing these events in mind, do you feel that if things had gone slightly better for the Germans that they could have perhaps inflicted crushing defeats upon the Allies which would perhaps have caused a halt to the whole effort in the Italian peninsula? Feel free to ask for more information if you're unclear about something, I just want to hear you guys' opinions.
