Commando Bridge

The arbitrage was to prove bloody

The previous page was: "Amphibious Operations"

The intelligence services informed Durnford-Slater Commander of 3 Commando, that the beach provisionally chosen for the forthcoming landing, was lightly held by half-hearted Italians and that it might well be that no German troops would be encountered.

The task of 3 Commando was to land several miles behind the enemy's lines in the Bay of Agnone. Thence it was to push inland about five miles to the Ponte dei Malati, the road bridge that goes over the river Leonardo, preventing its destruction by the enemy.

The 50th Division needed this important bridge to be kept intact; soon after it had been captured the advance parties would arrive and relieve the Commandos.

The intelligence the Commandos had come to rely on a little too much; had deserted them. German troops of the 1st Parachute Division were holding the high ground between the landing point and Lentini. They were made of the sternest stuff and the arbitrage was to prove bloody.

Amphibious Operations

It was decided that the landing

should be made in two flights, No's 1 and 3 troops under Peter Young were to push forward, seize and hold the bridge, and No. 4 Troop was to send out two patrols, one to the north to make contact with the airborne troops attacking the bridge at Primosole, and the other to the south to make contact with the 50th Division.

For this operation all wore the special composite sole, Soulier Vibrum boots issued to Commando troops, but discarded their steel helmets for cap comforters. Each man carried a pullover or sweater and iron rations.

Only superb seamanship and watchfulness on the part of the Captain, Commander Peate, prevented the loss of the ship on the way, for a passing E-boat fired two torpedoes which he avoided by swift alteration of the helm.

The bombardment of the coastal

Defences continued when the assault craft entered the water where they formed up. At various moments during the run-in, Catania could be seen under bombardment to the north, Very lights and tracer bullets to the west and south, an anti-aircraft barrage over Syracuse, star shells somewhere on the north-eastern horizon and, as the Commando neared the shore, two aircraft falling into the sea in flames.

The air was full of the sound of engines, for the Dakotas and gliders bearing the airborne troops who were passing overhead on the way to Primosole. The Italian General commanding the coastal defences in the area had surrendered. Unfortunately, he had no authority over the battle hardened 1st German Parachute Division, some of the finest in the German Army, which now awaited 3 Commando.

Through the smoke screen Durnford-slater was the first ashore; he waited a full minute because a Bangalore torpedo had jammed the bow exit of the landing craft. He immediately became the main target for the fire coming from four pill boxes. Fortunately despite the light from the moon the German's aim was not accurate, they too were being fired at from the Flak Ships.

Enemy opened fire on the assault

Craft when they were 200-yards from the shore. The Commandos returned the fire with every weapon they had in their possession. The fire was so intense those in the landing craft had the impression that their crafts were going slower than they should be, but that was not the case.

On the beach through the smoke screen the men could see a gap in the wire caused by the bombardment the commandos surged through the gap amidst the confusion of landing under heavy fire and 'Red Devil' grenades.

A commando was blowing a hunting horn others were giving shrill blasts with infantry whistles, some were shouting; anything to make a noise that might help to un-nerve the enemy.

Once inland, a confused battle ensued over about a mile of country in which trees and a bank by the side of the road offored some cover. "I was lying with Captain Lash, amongst the trees on the left of the road," records Peter Young. "Trooper Knill was standing up clinging to the tree after being shot in the knee. Trooper Hough, also shot was lying nearby."

"Lieutenant Herbert, whose sight

Was remarkable, spotted for me while I engaged the enemy along the railway bank with a Bren gun. I was able to fire five magazines with great effect."

The leading troops of the Commando under Young had overcome or passed through the defenders, and were making hot foot towards the railway line running in the direction of their objective. When they reached the railway station a battle ended with a number of Italians being taken prisoner. Captain Leese was badly wounded and Troop Sergeant Major Wareing was killed.

By now the Commando had recovered from the confusion of the landing and the first rush of the advance; they had suffered casualties among their officers, but were moving steadily and speedily in the direction of the bridge.

They reached the pill boxes

At its north-east end. Lieutenant Butler stalked the first of the pill boxes and an unpleasant moment occurred when he reached the loophole, the split-pin in his hand-grenade had jammed. He could hear the Italians inside the pill box chatting excitedly to themselves as he wrestled with it. Eventually he pulled it out, flung the grenade through the slit, there was a loud explosion, and a wretched Italian, his clothes on fire, staggered out screaming, there he collapsed and died.

Meanwhile further elements of the Commando were coming up; they were on a second class road which ran down to the bridge. Young put some men in an orange grove and himself attacked a pillbox, firing a rifle through the slit, because he had used up all of his hand grenades.

They assaulted all of the pill boxes on the north-east end until the defences of this end of the bridge was overrun. Young was ordered by Durnford-Slater to consolidate the defence of the bridge and to send men to remove the explosives from under the bridge.

Some two-hundred Commandos were astride the main road and defending the North-east end of the bridge that had once been an essential supply route for all of the German and Italian forces.

The 50th Division did not arrive

As planned, 3 Commando held the defence of the bridge for twenty-four hours, against fire from a tiger tank, machine guns and mortar bomb attacks. The Germans were fully roused and were determined to remove the threat of the Commandos, they began to shell them with 88mm guns and more mortars were brought to bear.

3 Commando had been compelled by the greatly superior forces of the enemy to relinquish their hold on the bridge. With numbers of the Commandos getting killed or wounded the order was given to withdraw. They split up into smaller groups and headed for the hills or where ever they could find a safe place.

The Commandos continued small encounters, attacking soft top vehicles; German or Italian patrols and enemy held farm houses. At one farm house they took eleven prisoners and threw their weapons and grenades down a well, locked the prisoners in a secure barn.

They took the mortar and the bombs which they could put to use. When out of the direct area they gave the key to a farm labourer and told him to release the prisoners.

Two days later when the 50th Division finally advanced to their positions, they were surprised at how many Commandos were wearing bandages. The Germans had been thrown into confusion, they weren't sure what was happening, but they knew that a whole Division of fully armed soldiers had arrived. In their haste to get away they forgot to blow up the bridge.

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The Commando paid dearly for this exploit

With heavy casualties. Five officers and twenty-three ranks killed. Four officers and sixty-two ranks wounded. Eight Officers and fifty-one other ranks missing or taken prisoner.

Despite these losses the Commando spirit was no way impaired, and was raised even higher when Ponte dei Malati was re-named Commando Bridge, by order of Field Marshal Montgomery.

The next Link below will be: "Commando's Camera"

Commando Bridge Commando's Camera

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