Allied invasion of Italy order of battle Reggio di Calabria) British XIII Corps commanded by Lieutenant-General Miles Dempsey Commanded by Field Marshal ("Generalfeldmarschall") Albert Kesselring Commanded by General ("Generaloberst") Heinrich von Vietinghoff Commanded by Major-General ("Generalleutnant") Hermann Balck (acting commander). Commanded by Lieutenant-General ("General der Panzertruppe") Traugott Herr. Allied invasion of Italy order of battle Allied Invasion of Italy Order of Battle is a listing of the significant Allied and Axis formations that were involved during the Allied invasion of Italy (the landings at Salerno, Reggio and Taranto) 3 September – 16 September 1943. Allied 15th Army Group under the command of General Sir Harold Alexander. (Operation
Allied invasion of Italy Operation Avalanche–the main invasion at Salerno by the American Fifth Army under Lieutenant General Mark Clark–began on 9 September 1943, and in order to secure surprise, it was decided to assault without preliminary naval or aerial bombardment. However, as Admiral Henry Hewitt, the amphibious force commander, had predicted, tactical surprise was not achieved. As the first wave of Major General Fred Walker's U.S. 36th Infantry Division approached the Paestum shore at 03:30 a loudspeaker from the landing area proclaimed in English: ""Come on in and give up. We have you covered."" The Allied troops attacked nonetheless. Major General Rudolf Sieckenius,