ARLY IN SEPTEMBER 1943 THE LONG-AWAITED E ITALIAN CAMPAIGN BEGAN WITH BRITISH TROOPS LANDING ON THE SOUTHERN TIP OF THE MAINLAND FROM THE ALREADY CAPTURED ISLAND OF SICILY.
LOOK, PARATROOP AIRCRAFT. I WONDER WHERE THEY'RE GOING?
STORY ALAN HEBDEN ART OLIVERA COVER JANEK MATYSIAK
4 THE ANSWER TO THAT HAD BEEN OUTLINED AT A TOP-LEVEL BRIEFING A FEW DAYS EARLIER. REPORTS HAD CONFIRMED THAT THE GERMANS PLANNED A SWIFT WITHDRAWAL UP THE COAST TO NAPLES. THAT WAS THE GOOD NEWS. THE BAD NEWS WAS THAT AS THE COASTAL ROAD AND THE COASTAL RAILWAY WERE THE ONLY WAYS NORTH, THE GERMANS WOULD DEMOLISH ALL THE BRIDGES AND TUNNELS ALONG THE WAY TO DELAY THE ADVANCE.
THE ACTUAL DEMOLITIONS ARE CARRIED OUT BY MINIMUM PERSONNEL AFTER THEIR MAIN FORCES HAVE PULLED OUT. THAT MOMENT IS OUR WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY.
THE PLAN WAS FOR SMALL HARD-HITTING PARATROOPS TO DROP AHEAD OF THE ADVANCE AND STOP THE GERMAN DEMOLITION UNITS’ DESTRUCTIVE WORK. THE PARAS COULDN’T LAND TOO FAR AHEAD OF THE ADVANCE, THOUGH. IF THEY DROP TOO FAR NORTH THEY’LL RUN INTO THE ENEMY’S MAIN FORCE PULLING OUT. FOR NOW WE’VE DECIDED ON A FORTYMILE LIMIT.
THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO STOP ALL DEMOLITIONS, BUT EVERY BRIDGE OR TUNNEL CAPTURED INTACT WOULD ASSIST THE BRITISH ADVANCE.
A FEW DAYS LATER THE PLAN WAS SET IN ACTION. AMONG THE PARATROOP UNITS INVOLVED WAS ONE COMMANDED BY CAPTAIN REX MILBURN. HIS SECOND-IN COMMAND, LIEUTENANT OWEN FRENCH, WAS FROM THE ROYAL ENGINEERS, WHOSE JOB WAS TO DISARM EXPLOSIVES THAT MIGHT BE FOUND ON ANY BRIDGE OR TUNNEL THEY SEIZED. OUR DROP ZONE'S RIGHT ON THE EDGE OF THE FORTY-MILE LIMIT IMPOSED BY H.Q.
LET'S HOPE THE PLANE'S NAVIGATOR KNOWS HIS JOB.
5 AS IT HAPPENED THE PLANE'S NAVIGATOR WAS ON HIS FIRST MISSION. HAVING COME TOP OF HIS NAVIGATOR'S COURSE HE WAS SUPREMELY CONFIDENT. THIS CONFIDENCE WASN'T SHARED BY THE PILOT WHO WAS BEGINNING TO HAVE A FEW DOUBTS ABOUT THEIR POSITION. ARE YOU SURE WE HAVEN'T COME TOO FAR NORTH?
ACCORDING TO THE MET REPORT THERE'S A STRONG WIND FROM THE NORTH, SKIPPER, WHICH WILL SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASE OUR SPEED. CAN YOU SEE THAT HEADLAND WHICH IS JUST SOUTH OF OUR DROP ZONE?
THERE WAS INDEED A PROMINENT HEADLAND BELOW WHICH THE CO-PILOT CONFIRMED BY CHECKING THE MAP, LEAVING THE PILOT RATHER CHASTENED. THAT'S RIGHT. IT'S THE ONE. DROP ZONE A FEW MILES FURTHER ON.
I'D BETTER WARN OUR PASSENGERS.
A MINUTE LATER THE PARATROOPS WERE JUMPING INTO SPACE.
GO, GO, GO!
6 SATISFIED WITH A JOB WELL DONE THE PILOT TURNED BACK SOUTH. ABOUT TEN MINUTES LATER THE DAKOTA FLEW OVER ANOTHER, STRIKINGLY SIMILAR HEADLAND. THAT LOOKS LIKE THE ONE NORTH OF HERE. CHECK THE MAP AGAIN, AND DO IT CAREFULLY!
THIS TIME THE CO-PILOT COMPARED THE HEADLAND BELOW TO THE ONE SHOWN ON THE MAP AND CAME TO AN AWFUL CONCLUSION. ER…I THINK WE MIGHT HAVE DROPPED THEM NORTH OF THE WRONG HEADLAND, SKIPPER. TEN MINUTES FLYING MEANS WE'VE DROPPED THEM THIRTY MILES BEYOND THE FORTY-MILE LIMIT! BRILLIANT WORK, NAVIGATOR!
7 MEANWHILE REX AND HIS MEN LANDED SAFELY A FEW MILES INLAND FROM THE RUGGED COASTLINE. ANY SIGN OF OTHER UNITS, SERGEANT?
NONE AT ALL, SIR.
MAYBE THEY CAME DOWN FURTHER INLAND. AT LEAST WE'RE IN SIGHT OF THE COAST, SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET FIRST BITE OF THE CHERRY.
IT SEEMED A REASONABLE ASSUMPTION AND REX WAS MORE THAN HAPPY TO BE FIRST INTO ACTION. THEY MADE THEIR WAY DOWN TO THE COASTLINE AND WERE SOON REWARDED AS THEY APPROACHED A BRIDGE CARRYING THE RAILWAY OVER A RAVINE. DEFINITELY ENGINEERS LAYING CHARGES.
LET'S MAKE 'EM SEE THE ERROR OF THEIR WAYS.
8 THE TOP OF THE RAVINE OFFERED AN OBVIOUS LINE OF ATTACK AND REX DULY MADE FULL USE OF IT.
ACHTUNG ENGLANDERS... UURGH!
IN JUST A FEW MINUTES THE BRIDGE WAS THEIRS, THE GERMAN SURVIVORS FLEEING. IT SEEMED TO BE A JOB WELL DONE UNTIL OWEN GAZED SOUTH ALONG THE RAILWAY LINE WITH A PUZZLED FROWN.
WELL, THAT WAS A PIECE OF CAKE. THEY CERTAINLY HADN'T BEEN EXPECTING ANY TROUBLE. I'M NOT SURE, BUT I THINK I HEAR A TRAIN COMING!
9 MOMENTS LATER A CROWDED GERMAN TROOP TRAIN APPEARED ROUND THE BEND. SEEING WHAT LAY AHEAD THE DRIVER SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES. GOTT IN HIMMEL, ENGLANDERS!
GREAT SCOT! LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!
THINGS WENT FROM BAD TO WORSE AS A POWERFUL GERMAN COLUMN APPEARED ON THE ROAD BELOW, ALSO HEADING NORTH. AFTER THEM! SCHNELL!
YE GODS, ANOTHER LOT! RUN FOR IT!
10 BEFORE LONG SCORES OF GERMANS WERE HARD ON THEIR HEELS AS THEY WERE FORCED INTO AN UPHILL FIGHTING RETREAT. AARGH!
THIS DEFINITELY ISN'T HOW IT WAS SUPPOSED TO PAN OUT!
ONLY WHEN THEY WERE WELL INTO THE MOUNTAINS BEHIND THE COAST DID THE GERMANS GIVE UP THE PURSUIT. REX, IN PARTICULAR, WAS FEELING THOROUGHLY ANNOYED ABOUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED, ESPECIALLY AS THE PLATOON'S RADIO HAD BEEN DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR DURING THE EXCHANGE OF FIRE. RADIO'S HAD IT, SIR.
SO MUCH FOR ROYAL ENGINEER ADVICE ABOUT DEMOLITIONS BEING CARRIED OUT BY SMALL UNITS. EXCEPT THEY WERE STILL LAYING CHARGES BACK THERE. HMM, THAT SIGNPOST? SAN PIETRO?