Gelsomino Rossi
Jan 17 1944
On the night of January 17,
1944, the 2nd Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers (2 RSF) took part in a daring
amphibious assault on Monte d'Argento (Scauri, Italy). The operation was part
of a larger amphibious assault during the crossing of the Garigliano River,
aimed at breaking through German defensive lines during the Italian Campaign.
The attack, launched as an outflanking maneuver, saw the 2 RSF land from the
sea near Monte d'Argento to capture the high ground. The objective was to clear
the way for the Seaforth Highlanders' inland advance. However, the operation
encountered serious difficulties and navigational errors; most of the landing
craft failed to reach the correct beaches, and many misjudged their landing
sites and ran aground too far south. Those who landed at Monte d'Argento found
themselves immediately trapped.
2 Royal Scots Fusiliers War Diary
The battalion's landing plan
failed completely, and the unit was brutally disorganized from the start. Many
of the drivers strayed too far from shore, making it impossible to use the
guide lights placed at intervals along the beach or to see the mouth of the
river, which would have been the safest guide.
"Not one of the boats carrying the Royal Engineer assault companies
found the right beach."
Major Sandilands, second in
command of the 2 Royal Scots Fusiliers, reported:
"Before the bombardment
began at 9:00 PM, we had no idea where we were. It was already clear that the
third wave was lost in any case. They found themselves trapped inside an
unmarked German minefield, which caused significant losses and disorganized the
battalion. Many of the landed riflemen were blocked, and several men were
wounded or captured; unfortunately, there were also deaths. The infantry
troops, such as the Royal Scots Fusiliers, found themselves under incessant
fire close to the beaches. The German soldiers, barricaded on the heights and
protected by vast minefields, machine-gunned the Allied positions and, on
several occasions, the enemy units exchanged shouts and taunts during the
violent clash. I was able to understand and empathize with the horror and
brutality of war when I read the diary of Captain Anthony Courtney, who was
part of the 2 Royal Scots Fusiliers:
“From the shoreline under fire
from the 88s and the German MGs, they could hear in the distance the megaphones
of the PK units. German propaganda, literally shouting at them:
"Come forward, you
bastards, we're waiting for you!"
The minefield trap and the landing of Company B at
Marina di Minturno. The beach and slopes of Monte d'Argento had been heavily
mined by the German defenders. Captain Courtney and Private Chamberlain found
themselves trapped under enemy fire right inside one of these dense minefields
and were separated from the rest of the company.
