NETTUNO, Italy – One of the fiercest and bloodiest campaigns experienced by the United States Army during World War II: The Battle of Anzio-Nettuno would forever live in infamy in the annuals of military history. Known as Combat Command Bravo in 1944, the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, owes its proud and battle honored lineage to the soldiers who fought gallantly on this beachhead.
Through the rigors of combat in North Africa, Combat Command Bravo [2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team], transformed into a veteran force to help defeat the infamous Afrika Corps was reorganized and called upon to help defeat the Axis forces of Italy and Germany on the beachhead of Anzio-Nettuno.
Bradd Craver, of Thomasville, North Carolina, traveled to Nettuno, Italy to attend the 80th Anniversary of the Allied landing in honor of his late father Staff Sgt. Joe D. Craver, an infantryman who served with the 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, and fought in the Battle of Anzio.
Describing his father’s account of the war, “He spoke of incidences of men [soldiers] who were killed only a few steps away from him,” said Craver. Firsthand accounts such as Craver’s father encapsulates the indelible impact of the American forces' heroic efforts during the Battle of Aznio-Nettuno.
During the early morning hours on January 22, 1944, Combat Command Bravo, landed on X-Ray Beach in Nettuno, Italy as part of Operation Shingle. The operation was the Allied plan to move in swiftly and capture Rome, however, German reinforcements stalled the advance and a stalemate persisted until mid-May.
On May 23, the 1st Armored Division led the Allied breakout from the beachhead and were part of the liberation force which entered Rome on June 4, 1944, that defeated the German forces.
“The echoes of their (soldiers) resonate through time, reminding us of the price paid for freedom and the enduring legacy of Allied forces,” emphasized Col. Dwight D. Domengeaux, commander of the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division. “Today we remember those who served and sacrificed during those challenging days.”
The infamous Allied Normandy landings (Operation Overlord) often overshadows the Battle of Anzio in history; however, its impact cannot be underestimated. On June 5, 1944, the Allies had captured Rome which effectively ended the Battle of Anzio and further liberated the Italian peninsula from Axis oppression. The details of the bloody fighting in the Italian countryside during these months are some of the most brutal experienced in World War II.
The 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team maintains many combat-capable forces in Europe. It exists to deter aggression; if deterrence fails, stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our Allies and partners against that aggression. The 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, is forward deployed to Europe in support of the 3rd Infantry Division, V Corps at Drawsko Combat Training Center, Poland.
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