Ambrose: WWII and Getting Down to Business: The Italian Campaign

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I need my State Farm agent, their small business owners to they know how to help you vest like a good neighbor, call your local State Farm agent for quote today. I'm always upgrading my car because I need to because I want to today custom rims for my ride tomorrow, it might be a new driver side seat cushion and eBay motor's.com always has what I need. They've got over 122 million car parts all at the right price that's perfect for me because I'm a car guy garage killing the morning almost on okay I'm a car fanatic eBay let's ride soon. Millions will make Medicare coverage decisions for next year and United healthcare can help you feel confident about your choices for those eligible Medicare annual enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7.

If you're working past age 65. You might be able to delay Medicare enrollment. Depending on your employer coverage. It can seem confusing, but it doesn't have to be this@uhcmedicarehealthplans.com to learn more United healthcare helping people live healthier lives, and we continue with our American stories. Stephen Ambrose was one of America's leading biographers and historians in one of my favorites for members is phenomenal success is a simple straightforward belief that history is biography, history is about people he would tell anybody care to listen Ambrose passed in 2002 with his epic storytelling accounts can now be heard here in our American stories thanks to those who run his estate, even before the US British victory in the North African campaign in May 1943 there was disagreement among the allies on the best strategy to defeat the axis powers. Eventually the US and British political leadership, reached a compromise in which both would commit most of their forces and invasion of France early 1944, but also launch a relatively small scale telling camping near Stephen Ambrose with the store the next operation was Cecily and July 1943. This was a logical extension of the original commitment to North Africa that it needs to be planned and this was an awful long way away from the heart of Germany Germany's power and this was the big operation for the United States Army and the British Army and Air Force is in the European theater in 1943 was the taking of Sicily, which was hard to get to be a decisive act, but it did provide a stepping stone to get to Italy and then on into Italy and the campaign was to follow in the fall that was being planned already a campaign for the invasion of Italy. No equipment was now becoming available. One was the British horse, a glider rig as a product of the British making industry. In 1941, Britain had her back against the wall and they wanted everybody to be doing something for the war effort people. So what about our cabinetmakers. What can luckily put them to work on the contribute to wherever they came up with a design for this glider. The horse, a glider and they did. It's all made out of plywood and they put the carpenters in the master craftsman the cabinetmakers in Britain to work on building these gliders they built thousands of so wonderful little pieces of equipment. It's obvious simplicity very light, it can carry 18 men are can carry a Jeep. It can, it did very cheap to make. Keep plywood imaginable.

Those entities things it cracks up on contact with almost anything can be towed behind a C 47 that's the military version of the DC three DC three being the greatest airplane ever built. They were they could tell these horses gliders factors C 47 towed two of them on separate lines and you could come down silently so that you are able to put 18 men carrying automatic weapons on the one spot at one time that the enemy knowing their coming until they're actually there on top. It's a flimsy little thing when Darrell Zanuck made the longest day in the late 1950s he got the blueprints for one of these or were in the upper left anywhere in the world. They all broken up. Most of them broke up on their first landing they were one-shot deals only Zanuck got the blueprints for one of these and build and then the air Ministry and United Kingdom said that craft is inherently unfair were the you will not have a permit to fly it over to France so Zanuck had to take apart piece by piece or France put back together. Every man rode a horse and rider the central war and there were tens of thousands. I would agree with that air ministries the sake of these things are not reality, but they get a job in Sicily where they were used for the first time and they would be used much more extensively in the Normandy invasion in 1944. These are true LC VPs landing craft vehicle personnel. They were built New Orleans, Louisiana by the Andrew Higgins in five different locations in his boat yards. The design evolved out of boats at Higgins have been building for the exploration of Louisiana swamps in the late 1930s, Higgins entered a cop the Marines and held for landing craft. The Marines in the late 30s really realizing that there's gonna be a war in the Pacific order millennium off a lot of items. We'll have anything to do it can do it, which is to say World War II began United States not now. We didn't have any line Dragon you have any plans will never design for Dan's converted his oil exploration. Eureka boat into what became the LCV PR as it was known of the GIs, the Higgins boat the Higgins boat was 32 feet long was made of cheap plywood except for a steel front ramp.

It could carry a tuna men 32 fighting men drop the ramp and you would have 32 men pouring out of this landing craft ready to fire ready to go to work carried 50 Cal machine guns in the back.

It had a protected router that there was a extension that the router up into this V shape in the stern of the boat so that the writer was completely protected flat bottom boat so they could go right on into the shore and then drop the rent barely rushes out and then you wait for the tide to come and lift and take off again and again. Simplicity of design. Necessity is the mother of invention.

These were used for the first time in large numbers and invasion of Sicily, which began on 8 July 1943. This campaign was a success. In the end for the Americans and the British, but boy it was a long time coming and it left a lot of bad feelings.

The Germans had only two divisions in Sicily. We were attacking with three American five British divisions. The Americans coming in on the South Shore Sicily under Gen. Patton, the British coming in on the Eastern shore socially just short of the city of Messina the strategic game was for the British to drive right on up in the Messina and close off the escape route over to the toe of Italy for the Germans in Sicily. While Patton provide flight protection. The initial attack on a July didn't go very well.

A lot of these gliders were cut loose too far out to sea by pilots who were inexperienced in the sort of thing in the gliders came down in the water, the 82nd airborne.

This is the first big airdrop of the war for these new American airborne divisions. The 82nd Airborne Division flew over the invasion fleet and trigger-happy sailors on their antiaircraft gun shot about the truck very bad losses is as much as 30% with the 82nd airborne to our own fire. Once a star though things started going better idea for one thing, most of the garrison on Sicily was Italian. There were two German divisions and five-county division Italians to say the least of it and have a heartless thing Mussolini had dragged him into a war that clearly was in Hitler's interest-only, the Italians were very badly officer very shoddily equipped and had no morale at all. Ronald was once his situation would one of those general said something to to the effective guys to have Italians as allies.

Coco had said the was only fair that Germans got the Italians were allies in the second world war. We were stuck with in the first world war and you all know all kind of jokes about the Italians as warriors, the shortest book in the world's Italian war heroes and etc. Ramos rude comment on on this sort of thing was, but isn't well that there's some people left in Europe. The don't like to fight the real truth is Italians like as much as anybody else but not the Italian Army led by Mussolini with such a rotten health and plus wake. There wasn't a platoon there probably wasn't a squad of the American army that didn't have native speaking Italian.

So when the Americans started coming ashore in Sicily was a family reunion time and you're listening to Stephen Ambrose tell stories the week only leaving Ambrose in when we come back more Stephen Ambrose's story of the Italian campaign in World War II when our American store.

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If you're working past age 65. You might be able to delay Medicare enrollment.

Depending on your employer coverage. It can seem confusing, but it doesn't have to be this@uhcmedicarehealthplans.com to learn more United healthcare helping people live healthier lives, what it's dramas you may know me from the recap on LA TV now got my own podcast life as a gringo, to every Tuesday and Thursday will be talking real and unapologetic about all things, the light Latin culture and everything in between. From someone who's never quite been listening to life as a gringo on the iHeartRadio app or web, you get podcast brought to you by State Farm like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. We continue with our American stories.

We last heard Stephen Ambrose discuss how the Italian Army was not very invested in muscle. He needs more. Also shared how most American squads living in Italy and at least one native speaking Italian in its ranks. Let's return to Stephen Amber so when the Americans started coming ashore in Sicily was a family reunion time everybody as far as Ira failed to make out as related everybody else in Sicily and they just any Italian Army in Sicily. They were gone in the first half hour they took off their uniforms through greater weapons and embrace the American Italians coming ashore. The Germans fought advancing today had a paratrooper vision and they had the Herman Goering Sicily crack troops and they fought and Marty stalled. As always, his attack toward Messina was on again off again didn't get started and he promised the next day I get going in the next day it was another excuse not to get going and so Monty sat while Patton decided to take off on his own and to go for the headlines. Instead of the German army. So Patton drove in the exact wrong direction instead of driving toward Messina then went up to Palermo Doherty German troops up here just surrendering Italian Germans while defending Messina in their escape route that took Palermo and got deadlines. This was the first big city in Europe to be liberated, but he hadn't contributed to the winning of the war. He then began a series of attacks straight east.

It was summer hot things were going well.

The Germans were exiting. This is a mountainous country. The Germans were the world's experts and laying mines and digging antitank ditches and setting up their artillery just around the corner where the raw exams could be created by blowing the wheels off the tank ureter just anybody else's and the progress was excruciatingly slow. It was hot as hell and Pat was starting to get criticism not so much in the past but from his fellow generals about this – the Palermo so he was in a foul mood. When one day in the end, toward the end of July. He walked into a field hospital and was a good old blood and guts was his nickname. He is the young American males who testosterone runs a little bit stronger than it ought to disregard your patent.

Practically God Mr. tough of World War II. In fact, Pat was a man who couldn't stand the sight of blood. Very squeamish. They would force himself to going to the field hospital and you certainly have to admire him for that and he would go and talk to them in their beds as hard to do.

You know you're talking to a kid who just lost his Arctic tundra farmer was just lost his leg above the knee. You're talking to young men who know that there never to see and learn lots worse than that, it's awful hard to do will make himself do it when he went through award of entities and he came out and there was a young man sitting on a stool, kinda shaking and kinda crying and Pat went up to it since I was in and the private said it's my nerves serves my nerves. I can't take that shelling anymore why you yellow little son of a setting right across the face and set the kids helmet rolling down the aisle of the in the ward and then came back and hit him again. On the other side kicked Adam turned to the Doris and you get this yellow liberal little son here.

I don't want him contaminating these brave men. Well, it was a big mistake on Penn's part.

Generals are not to go around hitting privates.

For one thing, if I was not allowed back there was a even bigger mistake than that. It turned out that this young man had a very bad case of malaria is running a temperature of 105. The doctors were appalled Patton's outburst, they sent a report to Eisenhower. He jerked Pat, not very strong set of us.

Letter of reprimand told that you gargle back at hospital apologize those doctors and nurses is kind of humiliating for Patton, but he did it, but in the end I covered it up. He said this report. My letter of reprimand you is not going in your official file. Well, that was a mistake on Ike's part because when a general sense of privates Becky again was famous. Patton already was the words getting it out and it did three reporters found out what happened and they came dying canal gear. This is a nice example of the difference between the relationship between the press and the government and the military in World War II, and later wars they came died with this story was going. When anyone of them every bass of the Saturday evening Post was one of them of the reporters when anyone of a Pulitzer Prize and they said general. We got the story we talk to people that were there.

We want to release Alexa boys please don't don't let it out. He beat he said to them, if you ever let this out. He said they'll be hollering for Georgie scale and that'll be the end of Georgie service in this war and I simply can't let that happen. Patton is indispensable to the war effort is one of the guarantors of our victory. Well, the reporters that they do it that Pat is not a guarantee victory for us. It's all on their shoulders and they said all I will tell the story. Nevertheless, I did get out some three months later a Drew Pearson a Goss policy states got hold and Pearson made a big thing out of the story and Pat had to be put on the shelf for the next six months and was almost called back to going friend all disgrace back in the states. As a result of the slapping incident the buyer by the end of the August Sicily had finally been cleared of German troops take a long time.

It had taken a 4 to 1. Manpower advantage to do it eight divisions versus two divisions and overwhelming air superiority the Germans. It finally been not captured but driven off. Essentially, the Germans made good their escape over the Straits of Messina back in Italy. Montgomery followed them and began a pursuit up the toe of Italy. While the Americans prepared for the event. Next invasion in Italy to take place in the part of Salerno just south of Naples so I Montgomery is coming up. The Italian told the Americans are preparing to invade at Salerno and then proceed on the drive to Rome's talk a little bit about the high teak of the strategy of the year 1943 and concentrating so much of the resources on the Mediterranean neck like teak is very simply put, the problem with the campaign the Mediterranean is deleted and you're listening to Stephen Ambrose told the story of the Italian campaign in World War II, the Allied campaign and read the story of Montgomery and Penton Montgomery more hesitant Patton more aggressive and we get the full picture of that slapping incident.

If you've ever seen Patton the movie they get it right and Georgie Scott goodness it gets it right. By the way, that screenplay Patton was written by a very young Francis Ford Coppola won an Oscar for that and it never served in the Army remarkable achievement by Francis Ford Coppola when we come back more of this remarkable story.

Stephen Ambrose telling the story of the Italian campaign in World War II.

Here on our American stories you guys, this is Tori, and Jenny with 90210 MG podcasts we have such a special episode brought to you by near attack ODT we recorded at at iHeartRadio type event windows handout. Did you know that near attack ODT romantic pants 75 mg can help migraine sufferers still set an exciting event like windows, handout I had one night I took minor attack ODT and I was present and had an amazing time. Here is a little glimpse of our conversation with some of our closest friends & was brought to you by near attack ODT romantic pants 75 mg life with migraine attacks can be missing out on big moments with friends and family, but thankfully near attack ODT romantic pants 75 mg is the only medication that is proven between a migraine attack and prevent episodic migraines and adults sound lively events like windows handout don't have to be next to millions will make Medicare coverage decisions for next year and United healthcare can help you feel confident about your choices for those eligible Medicare annual enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7.

If you're working past age 65. You might be able to delay Medicare enrollment.

Depending on your employer coverage.

It can seem confusing, but it doesn't have to be this@uhcmedicarehealthplans.com to learn more United healthcare helping people live healthier lives. It's dramas you may know me from the recap on LA TB abdominal podcast life as a going to come at you every Tuesday and Thursday will be talking real and unapologetic about all things, the light Latin culture and everything in between. From someone who's never quite been listening to life as a gringo on the iHeartRadio app or web you get podcasts brought to you by State Farm like a good neighbor, State Farm is there and we continue with our American stories end with Stephen Ambrose who your hearing thanks to the estate of Stephen Ambrose and if you are interested in sharing these great stories with your family search for Stephen Ambrose's great books and read them to your family, the kind of books you can read aloud your kids they have that quality.

Let's return the story and to Stephen Ambrose. No matter how successful you are in Italy when you get done. You got the else between you and the objective.

Italy was not critical to Germany's ability to make war.

The Germans were not relying on the Italians for foodstuffs or for raw materials are for finished products or for their army. They were willing enough to put an investment in Italy to hold up the Allied advance, but there was no way that Germany was going to lose the war in Italy. There was no way the allies were to get out of Italy into the parts of Germany that had to be overrun before Germany could be forced to accept those unconditional surrender terms the attack at Salerno came on the eighth day of September 19 43 and have been preceded by a major diplomatic and political event for a long time. The allies wanted a bomb will visits the great Railway center of Italy and the Germans were beginning to rush troops into Italy for the defense of Roman for the wear of the allies are going to come after Sicilian landing always. Eisenhower refused to get permission any bombing in Rome because of fear that a stray bomb right at the back, but the marshaling yards are a long way away the Vatican, I finally made an agreement agreed in July that if they would make a circle of the greatest 12 miles around the Vatican and agree that no planes would fly over that area. They could go ahead and bombing.

They hit the marshaling yards in other parts of Rome and the immediate reaction on the part of the Italians was for their factions grant counsel to have a unauthorized meeting and depose Mussolini loosely out of power. He eventually was able to escape and get to get to the Germans in the northern part of Italy to successor as head of government member Italy was a monarchy good King Victor Emmanuel was the sovereign Mussolini successor is the head of the Italian government was a general marshal but dad, Leo old man from the first world war and Eisenhower immediately saw an opportunity to cut a deal, despite Roosevelt's implied promise to Stalin with the unconditional surrender formula. But I have a more deal factors. I was immediately willing and ready and eventually did cut a deal with the Dagley over who was to Italy rather like what dialogue had been to France and as he was a leading collaborator.

He was a fascist, but he was in power, the Army abated and I knew the Italian army to fight the Italian government was desperate to surrender it.

I knew that if they sent secret emissaries out and they got an met in Spain with the ideals emissaries and was immediately obvious and really didn't just want out of this war really wanted to doublecross the Germans and come into the war as a co-obligor on the Allied side. I was happy enough to do that. In fact, eager, and he did make a deal with the dead, you know, that said that the Italians would take control of the airport. Roman when the invasion came the 82nd airborne Woodland of Rome's airport and take control of the city is the fifth Army under Mark Clark went into Salerno. At the very last minute on the ego.

In fact, while 82nd airborne planes were already in the air and beginning to circle to form up for the flight to the wrong airfield.

The Dagley will lost his nerve told Eisenhower in order. The Italian Army laid on its arms. The Germans were pouring divisions in the wrong Dagley always fleeing wrong along with Victor Emmanuel in the whole deal fell through craft.

Luckily on the political front, Stalin would've done most upset to see another dialogue deal going down on the other hand, it wasn't until nine months later that we got in a lot of lives.

Later that we got a girl, maybe we could have gotten Rome on the first day it would change the whole course of the war in the Italian peninsula had that happen, but it didn't. And of the attack on the Salerno that took place. It was awfully close was the closest that the allies came in the European theater. And indeed this include the lands Pacific theater to an unsuccessful amphibious attack that German tanks got got in between the two American divisions coming ashore at one point there was a duel between American destroyers in the Bay at Salerno and German tanks on the shore, Mark Clark came very close to ordering his troops to withdraw digestive hold on because Eisenhower was able to find was able to persuade the combined piece of staff to quickly rush some be 24 hours from London down to Sicily where they were gassed up and loaded up with bombs and when in a low-level mission to have those German tanks and just barely. We managed to hold on Salerno that became almost the story the Italian campaign to fall. It was a case of just barely all the time. Linkup was made between monies forces coming up from the tall and Mark Clark's forces at Salerno line was extended across the Italian peninsula. The troops did begin to move north, but very slowly. The Germans use the terrain in their usual exemplary fashion imposing very high losses in the allies were very small gain in a very small cost. German. It was frustrating and expensive and was to continue that way right on through the end Italy right on through into May 1945 now.

Meanwhile coming to the end of 1943 the second front business can be put off anymore. There was going to have to be a second front 1944 for one reason, if there wasn't one. I was going to be the red Army was going to liberate all this is a very important consideration, especially Eisenhower's mind if week there was a temptation to say let the red Army do it.

Let them take the khakis let them fight the war will fight the air war in the seawall. Let them fight the groundwater on the surface it made a lot of sense. The problem is that it would have meant that at the end of the war, the allies would have Italy and Sicily while the red Army would overrun central Europe and then Germany and then France right after. Then we can so this would all be a part of the what became the Soviet satellite system. If we stayed out of the ground war there is a sense in which the invasion of Normandy in 1944 was directed not only against the Germans was also directed against the red Army occupation of Western Europe. The allies all three of the big three is a recalled Stalin, curcumin, Roosevelt met at Tehran in Iran in December 1943 the plan operations were 1944 the first. Thanks. All I know is is are going to be a set of right yes Roosevelt rapidly agreed on your building forces, but now there's going to be a second front 1944 in northern France great sent Stalin, whose document N decided yet. Roosevelt responded… Honorably the command of this you're not serious about your just stringing me along. Roosevelt left Tehran and went back to Cairo Egypt where the conference with Churchill continued, and there he made his most important military decision of the war. The selecting the commander for operation overlord. The man that Roosevelt wanted to put in command was George Marshall. He felt that Marshall deserved the opportunity to lead the Army that he Marshall would create two put into action the strategy.

The strategy that he Marshall had developed on the other hand, Roosevelt was torn he wanted to give Marshall this opportunity arose. Marshall services of Washington as he was, to put it later. I just couldn't sleep at night with George Marshall. A lot of what yes Marshall what you prefer.

And Marshall rightly said, it's not my decision to make here the commander-in-chief.

You gotta make that decision officer wherever you think I can serve you best. So Roosevelt was unable to weed about making the sick had to make himself and he finally decided that he just couldn't afford to lose Marshall service Chief of Staff and so I selected Eisenhower in a way that Eisenhower's select into this most coveted command in the history of warfare came about by default that I got a lot of positive that it's going form of which the most important was his ability to get British and American officers to work together as a team and a terrific job as always my gray tingling on the storytelling and what a piece of American history were listening to them by nobody better telling the story of World War II old strategies. The tactics the point of view from the generals to the grunts and by the way, if you get a chance go to New Orleans.

Visit the National World War II Museum. It may be the greatest museum in this country have been there a dozen times will not regret it can also visit the National World War II Museum online, go to their website. There's so much great material. Teacher families about this war and bring it into the schools. Stephen Ambrose fear on our American story T-Mobile for business news companies want more than a one-size-fits-all approach, so we provide 360 support customized for business from discovery proposed appointment, you'll get a dedicated accounting expertise and solutions engineer and industry advisor already. Right now 360 might think you're think that unconventional thinking T-Mobile for business suit. Millions will make Medicare coverage decisions for next year and United healthcare can help you feel confident about your choices for those eligible Medicare annual enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7. If you're working past age 65. You might be able to delay Medicare enrollment. Depending on your employer coverage. It can seem confusing, but it doesn't have to be this at UHC Medicare health plan's.com to learn more United healthcare helping people live healthier lives. It's dramas you may know me from the recap on LA TV now got my own podcast life as a going to come at you every Tuesday and Thursday will be talking real and unapologetic about all things light and culture and everything in between. From someone who's never quite been listening to life as a gringo on the iHeartRadio app or web you get a podcast brought to you by State Farm like a good neighbor, State Farm is there