WW2 Supers d6: SST 11: Mission Five: Anzio Devils Birth
Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2023 4:27 pm
January 18 - January 30, 1943: Santa Maria Ceppagna, Italy
After the bitter fighting in the Mountains, the First Special Service Force was finally pulled down off the line and given time to rest and recover in the little town of Santa Maria Ceppagna. It was with some serious shock that the Brigade of about 2,000 men was down to less than 700 who were 'reporting for active duty' as they reached the little town. While some had died, many others were wounded and a significant number of troops were rendered combat-ineffective with 'trench foot'. It was a stark reminder of the cost of war.....
Over the two weeks of rest, the members of SST 11 were happy to get word that Abrianna and her German Talent lover "Carlo", were happily reunited and by all accounts doing well for themselves in Naples. They got the word from the healed up and returned Mark Battaglia, who also was happy to report that he and Camella were engaged! Even better.....maybe....was the sight of Tom Nado walking in with Mark, also recovered from his wounds! On the not-so-good side of the equation; John Porcupine had gotten into some liquor and then made the mistake of getting into a fight with a fellow 'in-his-cups' solider who had called him 'Chief'; amongst other things. The problem was, the other solider was an Officer and though John managed to avoid being sent to a stockade, he WAS quickly reassigned WELL AWAY from the Forcemen....
A few days after that, replacements and returning to duty members of the FSSF started filing in and soon the Brigade was back to a full complement, though many of the older vets weren't sure about the quality of these 'green as grass' new comers. A senior Canadian NCO, one Master Sergeant Julien Blanc reported to Nahum Chisholm as the newest member of the SST 11. Blanc was in his mid 30s, had seen action and had developed his Talent Power in the Sicily Campaign the previous Summer and then been shipped back to England to go through the Talent Training Program there and was now assigned to them as a replacement....
As January comes closer and closer to ending, the men learn that a bold Allied Offensive has been launched at a coastal town called Anzio which was North of the Winter Line (where they had been fighting) and just 30 miles South of Rome. 3 Divisions were landed there and there was a lot of talk about being able to quickly capture Rome and force the Germans in the mountain defensive line to either flee to Northern Italy or face destruction as they would be caught in a Pincer Movement.....
On the 30th, Frederick gathered the entire Force together to let them know they had a new assignment and immediately cheers broke out as everyone saw the Star on the Former Colonel's shoulder boards. He was now Brigadier General Frederick and he warmly praised all of the men and then quickly got to the point, telling them that they were to pack up all their gear as they'd be headed to the coast at Puzzuoli the following day, and from there they'd load up aboard various Landing Ships and would make the quick trip to Anzio....
January 31st - February 8th, 1943, Anzio, Italy
After just one night of sea-air, rocking ships and being crammed to the gills on various ships; the FSSF landed on the beaches of Anzio, Italy. The veterans of the raid at Dieppe, immediately noticed the 'Shingle' Beaches that were much like those of the town in France and weren't surprised to learn that the Invasion had been called Operation Shingle.
As they were unloaded on the beach, they could still smell and occasionally see the bodies still floating/lying around the area of the initial invasion on 22 January. Mostly though, the beaches were piled up with gear and crates and the occasional Freight Train sound of massive Artillery rounds that came screaming in. The first time the members of SST 11 heard it, everyone immediately went diving for cover and all were terrified as it was louder than anything they had ever heard! Men on the beach told them "That's Anzio Annie or the Anzio Express welcoming you to the 'Bitch-Head'. The Krauts have a massive Artillery Piece on train tracks some 30-40 miles away that can reach us all the way out here.....luckily their aim usually sucks. Sometimes, they get lucky though.....welcome to Anzio"....
It didn't take long for everyone to learn what the deal was. Apparently the initial invasion had worked like a charm.....the Germans were caught by surprise and 3 Allied Divisions, two U.S., one British; managed to quickly land on the beaches and secure the town and immediate surrounding area of Anzio. The problem was that the overall Commander, General Lucas, didn't press the advantage. Instead, he simply secured the area and built up supplies and a force, while the Germans responded rapidly by quickly securing the hills that surrounded the plains around the area and in essence, surrounded the VI Corps (Lucas' command, the 3 Divisions at Anzio).....
Finally, Lucas DID launch a breakout attempt at the town of Cisterna on the 28th of January. A force of 3 Ranger Battalions (1st, 3rd and 4th), a Battalion of Paratroopers and a couple of Talent Teams lead the assault against what was believed to be a Regiment of Panzergrenadiers. Instead, they ran into not only the Motorized Infantry of the 715th Panzergrenadiers but also a fully Battalion of Panzer IV tanks from the Herman Goring Division AND several Units of SS Ubermenschen were waiting for them....
Despite a valiant effort that destroyed over a dozen tanks by the armor-less U.S. troops; the Germans smashed the assault and only half of the Paratroopers and less than a dozen out of over 700 Rangers returned to Allied Lines. Over 300 Rangers and ALL of the Talents were killed in the attack and some 400 Rangers were taken prisoner. Many of the Rangers were known to Chisholm and Nado personally....
For now, the lines had stabilized and a dangerous 'knife fight' was going on with the Germans pressing on all sides as the Allies attempted to hold onto what they had seized. In addition to the losses the Rangers and Paratroopers had suffered, the 45th Division, the 'Thunderbirds' had taken quite a few casualties as they held the Eastern Flank. They were being relieved by the FSSF and a fresh Paratrooper Regiment. The Forcemen were taking up position over a dozen Kilometers in length along the Mussolini Canal. Across the Canal were 5 bridges and just past them were the German lines. Lines holding approximately an entire German Division....
Those first few days in February, the FSSF spread out and dug in. Artillery duels ranged through the day and night, but the veterans could just 'FEEL' that the Germans were massing their strength......soon, they'd launch a major Counter Attack. General Frederick could feel it too and late in the afternoon of February 8th, he summoned many of his officers AND the men of SST 11...
"Okay men....we can all tell that Jerry is getting ready for a big push to try and overrun us. I don't intend to let that happen. Looking here you can see your assignments-", here he points to a map with different units being outlined to utilize the different bridges to cross the Canal; "-where you will cross the Canal tonight after nightfall. The purpose of each patrol will be to capture a few prisoners, kill some of the enemy and if we can, destroy his artillery and vehicles. We need to make OUR PRESENCE FELT. They will learn to FEAR being on the line against Forcemen!"
As some of the men cheer and all get excited for the mission, he motions for the men of SST 11 to come forward. "Okay....I'd like for all of you to keep your Talents 'off' as it were, in case Jerry has any Ubers out there who might sense you; unless it's an Emergency of course. It is IMPERATIVE that we keep our full strength and capabilities hidden from the enemy for as long as we can. Now, HERE is your patrol's objective", he says as he points to a position about a mile across the Borgo Santa Maria Bridge. "The Germans have a pair of 88s here, protected by probably a couple squads of troops. Your mission is to ELIMINATE those guns. To do so, you're team will be given several kits of Comp. B explosive (each team member has one kit) to put in the barrels of the guns and then light the fuse. Whatever you do, be careful and don't get caught. Best of luck gentlemen and Happy Hunting!"
Last few minutes of February 8th, 1943; Borgo Santa Maria Bridge, Anzio, Italy
LT Nahum Chisholm quietly led his men to the edge of the bridge crossing the wide Canal. Occasional artillery rounds and flares lit up the night sky around them, but nothing particularly close and the veteran soldier didn't detect anything on or right on the other side of the bridge. He glanced back and saw the other 5 men of SST 11 looking back at him, waiting for the order to start the mission....
After the bitter fighting in the Mountains, the First Special Service Force was finally pulled down off the line and given time to rest and recover in the little town of Santa Maria Ceppagna. It was with some serious shock that the Brigade of about 2,000 men was down to less than 700 who were 'reporting for active duty' as they reached the little town. While some had died, many others were wounded and a significant number of troops were rendered combat-ineffective with 'trench foot'. It was a stark reminder of the cost of war.....
Over the two weeks of rest, the members of SST 11 were happy to get word that Abrianna and her German Talent lover "Carlo", were happily reunited and by all accounts doing well for themselves in Naples. They got the word from the healed up and returned Mark Battaglia, who also was happy to report that he and Camella were engaged! Even better.....maybe....was the sight of Tom Nado walking in with Mark, also recovered from his wounds! On the not-so-good side of the equation; John Porcupine had gotten into some liquor and then made the mistake of getting into a fight with a fellow 'in-his-cups' solider who had called him 'Chief'; amongst other things. The problem was, the other solider was an Officer and though John managed to avoid being sent to a stockade, he WAS quickly reassigned WELL AWAY from the Forcemen....
A few days after that, replacements and returning to duty members of the FSSF started filing in and soon the Brigade was back to a full complement, though many of the older vets weren't sure about the quality of these 'green as grass' new comers. A senior Canadian NCO, one Master Sergeant Julien Blanc reported to Nahum Chisholm as the newest member of the SST 11. Blanc was in his mid 30s, had seen action and had developed his Talent Power in the Sicily Campaign the previous Summer and then been shipped back to England to go through the Talent Training Program there and was now assigned to them as a replacement....
As January comes closer and closer to ending, the men learn that a bold Allied Offensive has been launched at a coastal town called Anzio which was North of the Winter Line (where they had been fighting) and just 30 miles South of Rome. 3 Divisions were landed there and there was a lot of talk about being able to quickly capture Rome and force the Germans in the mountain defensive line to either flee to Northern Italy or face destruction as they would be caught in a Pincer Movement.....
On the 30th, Frederick gathered the entire Force together to let them know they had a new assignment and immediately cheers broke out as everyone saw the Star on the Former Colonel's shoulder boards. He was now Brigadier General Frederick and he warmly praised all of the men and then quickly got to the point, telling them that they were to pack up all their gear as they'd be headed to the coast at Puzzuoli the following day, and from there they'd load up aboard various Landing Ships and would make the quick trip to Anzio....
January 31st - February 8th, 1943, Anzio, Italy
After just one night of sea-air, rocking ships and being crammed to the gills on various ships; the FSSF landed on the beaches of Anzio, Italy. The veterans of the raid at Dieppe, immediately noticed the 'Shingle' Beaches that were much like those of the town in France and weren't surprised to learn that the Invasion had been called Operation Shingle.
As they were unloaded on the beach, they could still smell and occasionally see the bodies still floating/lying around the area of the initial invasion on 22 January. Mostly though, the beaches were piled up with gear and crates and the occasional Freight Train sound of massive Artillery rounds that came screaming in. The first time the members of SST 11 heard it, everyone immediately went diving for cover and all were terrified as it was louder than anything they had ever heard! Men on the beach told them "That's Anzio Annie or the Anzio Express welcoming you to the 'Bitch-Head'. The Krauts have a massive Artillery Piece on train tracks some 30-40 miles away that can reach us all the way out here.....luckily their aim usually sucks. Sometimes, they get lucky though.....welcome to Anzio"....
It didn't take long for everyone to learn what the deal was. Apparently the initial invasion had worked like a charm.....the Germans were caught by surprise and 3 Allied Divisions, two U.S., one British; managed to quickly land on the beaches and secure the town and immediate surrounding area of Anzio. The problem was that the overall Commander, General Lucas, didn't press the advantage. Instead, he simply secured the area and built up supplies and a force, while the Germans responded rapidly by quickly securing the hills that surrounded the plains around the area and in essence, surrounded the VI Corps (Lucas' command, the 3 Divisions at Anzio).....
Finally, Lucas DID launch a breakout attempt at the town of Cisterna on the 28th of January. A force of 3 Ranger Battalions (1st, 3rd and 4th), a Battalion of Paratroopers and a couple of Talent Teams lead the assault against what was believed to be a Regiment of Panzergrenadiers. Instead, they ran into not only the Motorized Infantry of the 715th Panzergrenadiers but also a fully Battalion of Panzer IV tanks from the Herman Goring Division AND several Units of SS Ubermenschen were waiting for them....
Despite a valiant effort that destroyed over a dozen tanks by the armor-less U.S. troops; the Germans smashed the assault and only half of the Paratroopers and less than a dozen out of over 700 Rangers returned to Allied Lines. Over 300 Rangers and ALL of the Talents were killed in the attack and some 400 Rangers were taken prisoner. Many of the Rangers were known to Chisholm and Nado personally....
For now, the lines had stabilized and a dangerous 'knife fight' was going on with the Germans pressing on all sides as the Allies attempted to hold onto what they had seized. In addition to the losses the Rangers and Paratroopers had suffered, the 45th Division, the 'Thunderbirds' had taken quite a few casualties as they held the Eastern Flank. They were being relieved by the FSSF and a fresh Paratrooper Regiment. The Forcemen were taking up position over a dozen Kilometers in length along the Mussolini Canal. Across the Canal were 5 bridges and just past them were the German lines. Lines holding approximately an entire German Division....
Those first few days in February, the FSSF spread out and dug in. Artillery duels ranged through the day and night, but the veterans could just 'FEEL' that the Germans were massing their strength......soon, they'd launch a major Counter Attack. General Frederick could feel it too and late in the afternoon of February 8th, he summoned many of his officers AND the men of SST 11...
"Okay men....we can all tell that Jerry is getting ready for a big push to try and overrun us. I don't intend to let that happen. Looking here you can see your assignments-", here he points to a map with different units being outlined to utilize the different bridges to cross the Canal; "-where you will cross the Canal tonight after nightfall. The purpose of each patrol will be to capture a few prisoners, kill some of the enemy and if we can, destroy his artillery and vehicles. We need to make OUR PRESENCE FELT. They will learn to FEAR being on the line against Forcemen!"
As some of the men cheer and all get excited for the mission, he motions for the men of SST 11 to come forward. "Okay....I'd like for all of you to keep your Talents 'off' as it were, in case Jerry has any Ubers out there who might sense you; unless it's an Emergency of course. It is IMPERATIVE that we keep our full strength and capabilities hidden from the enemy for as long as we can. Now, HERE is your patrol's objective", he says as he points to a position about a mile across the Borgo Santa Maria Bridge. "The Germans have a pair of 88s here, protected by probably a couple squads of troops. Your mission is to ELIMINATE those guns. To do so, you're team will be given several kits of Comp. B explosive (each team member has one kit) to put in the barrels of the guns and then light the fuse. Whatever you do, be careful and don't get caught. Best of luck gentlemen and Happy Hunting!"
Last few minutes of February 8th, 1943; Borgo Santa Maria Bridge, Anzio, Italy
LT Nahum Chisholm quietly led his men to the edge of the bridge crossing the wide Canal. Occasional artillery rounds and flares lit up the night sky around them, but nothing particularly close and the veteran soldier didn't detect anything on or right on the other side of the bridge. He glanced back and saw the other 5 men of SST 11 looking back at him, waiting for the order to start the mission....