Operation Avalanche naval order of battle

Operation Avalanche was the codename for the combined US and British landings on the southwest coast of Italy on 9 September 1943 as part of the Allied effort in the Mediterranean Theater during World War II. The forces landed consisted of the US Fifth Army under Lieutenant General Mark W. Clark. The Fifth Army was made up of the British X Corps, which landed south of the town of Salerno, and the US VI Corps, which landed at the town of Paestum.

Landing Plans for Salerno and Paestum

The landings were carried out by combined forces of the US Navy and Royal Navy, detailed below.

Naval losses: 2 destroyers, 1 minesweeper, 1 tug, 1 hospital ship

Order of battle

Vice Adm. H. Kent Hewitt, USN
Vice Adm. Hewitt's flagship, USS Ancon (AGC-4)

Task Force 80: Western Naval Task Force

Vice Admiral H. Kent Hewitt, USN[1]

Embarking US Fifth Army (Lt. Gen. Mark Wayne Clark, USA)

Task Force 85: Northern Landing Force

Commodore G.N. Oliver, RN

Embarking British X Corps (Lt. Gen. Richard L. McCreery, BA)

Task Force 81: Southern Landing Force

Rear Adm. John L. Hall, Jr., USN

Rear Adm. John L. Hall, Jr., USN
World War II-era US minesweeper
World War II-era US PT boat
Embarking US VI Corps (Maj. Gen. Ernest J. Dawley, USA)
TG 81.5 – Fire Support Group (Rear Adm. Lyal A. Davidson)
TG 81.6 – Screen (Capt. Charles Wellborn)
  • 12 destroyers (1 sunk by torpedo boat 10 September)
TG 81.2 – Transport Group (Capt. C.D. Edgar)
  • 19 transports: 14 American, 5 British
  •   3 LSTs: all British
  •   6 scout boats
TG 81.3 – Landing Craft Group (Capt. F.M. Adams)
  • 27 LSTs: 18 American, 9 British
  • 32 LCIs: 26 American, 6 British
  •   6 LCTs: all American
TG 81.7 – Control Group (Cmdr. R.D. Lowther, USNR)
TG 81.8 – Minesweeper Group (Cmdr. A.H. Richards)
  •   9 minesweepers (1 sunk by submarine 25 September)
  • 12 motor minesweepers
TG 81.9 – Salvage Group (Lt. V.C. Kyllberg)
TG 80.2 – Picket Group (Lt. Cmdr. S.M. Barnes)
TG 80.3 – Diversion Group (Capt. C.L. Andrews)

Task Force 88: Support Carrier Force

Rear Adm. Sir Philip L. Vian, RN
Fairey Barracudas landing on HMS Formidable

Rear Admiral Sir Philip L. Vian, RN

Covering Forces

Notes

  1. Biplanes

References

  1. Morison, pp. 391-394

Sources

  • Morison, Samuel Eliot (1954). Sicily – Salerno – Anzio, January 1943–June 1944. History of United States Naval Operations in World War II. IX. Boston: Little, Brown and Co. ISBN 0-7858-1310-1.
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