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"Anzio Harbor Under German Bombardment" by Edward A. Reep. (Army Art Collection)
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FSSF - The Devil's Brigade: Missions
Anzio
22 January-24 May 1944
The Anzio operations were designed to move around the Liri Valley, an area that was proving difficult for the Allies to take, and to threaten Rome. When the FSSF first arrived at Anzio on February 2, 1944, it took over the right flank along the Mussolini Canal.
The FSSF's commanding officer, Brigadier General Robert Frederick, employed a series of aggressive patrols against the German forces in an attempt to push them back. The tactic worked and within a week the Germans had fallen back roughly 1500 yards. This resulted in a No Man's Land between the Axis and Allied troops. This area was dominated by the FSSF as soon as the sun gave way to nightfall. Painting their faces and weapons black, the men would move across the canal to wreak havoc on the German troops, taking prisoners and destroying enemy gun positions and communications equipment. They would take notes on positions and bring back highly accurate intelligence to form their next series of raids or for artillery targeting.
The men would often need to dispose of the enemy silently, which led to the use of their training in knife fighting. The FSSF excelled at this type of combat, and soldiers developed the tactic of creeping up to an outpost and using the combat knife to kill one of the enemy, leaving the body for his comrades to find. This type of psychological warfare had a devastating effect. Even more devastating was the red arrowhead insignia often left on the body of the dead German soldier by the FSSF member, with the warning "Das Dicke Ende Kommt Noch!" Translated to English, the warning reads: "The worst is yet to come!"
During the defense of the Mussolini Canal, the FSSF repelled many German counter attacks and mounted a number of large raids on the villages of Sessuno, Borgo Piave and Littoria.
Training
Training was arduous -- parachuting, skiing, and mountain climbing. Everything was done "at the double" and their physical conditioning was aided by calisthenics, obstacle courses, and long marches with hundred-pound packs. Each man learned how to handle explosives and to use every weapon in the Force's extensive arsenal. Hand-to-hand combat, night fighting, and use of captured weapons rounded out the training program. These specialized skills were necessary, for the Force members were to become shock troops, frequently raiding strategic positions and often parachuting behind enemy lines. Their effectiveness would earn them the nickname, "the Devil's Brigade".
Numbers
- At Anzio Casualties were 384 men, killed, wounded, or missing, 117 were Canadian.
- Sixty-two of them lie among the 2,313 war dead at Beach Head War Cemetery in Anzio on Italy's west coast.
- By the time the Devil's Brigade reached Rome, Canadian casualties alone totalled 185.
http://www.canadaatwar.ca/index.php?page=Page&action=showpage&id=77
http://www.history.army.mil/brochures/anzio/72-19.htm
