Fight for Troina

Battle of Troina
Part of the Allied invasion of Sicily, World War II
Troina during World War II
Date July 31, 1943 – August 6, 1943 Location Troina, Sicily Result Allied victory
Belligerents
United States Free French	Germany  Italy
Commanders and leaders
Omar N. Bradley, George S. Patton	Hans-Valentin Hube, Eberhard Rodt, Giacomo Romano

The Battle of Troina was an important battle that took place between 31 July and 6 August 1943, as part of the Allied invasion of Sicily during World War II. Forces of the U.S. II Corps, part of the U.S. Seventh Army, under George S. Patton, engaged in fierce fighting around the town of Troina in the central portion of Sicily along the Caronie Mountains. The battle focused around the numerous hills and mountains surrounding Troina which the Germans had heavily fortified and used as bases for direct and indirect fire.

On 29 July 1943, after 20 days of combat, it was clear to both the Allied and German high commands that Sicily was lost and 80,000-100,000 American and British troops would break through the German and Italian Etna Line. The US 7th Army commander, Lieutenant General George S. Patton Jr, had ordered the US 1st and 9th Infantry Divisions to be moved into the valley to attack the city of Troina. Generals Omar Bradley (the commander of US II Corps) and Patton ordered the two divisions be pulled out of the line once Troina fell. Troina was considered one of the main anchors of the Etna Line. It was defended by the 15th Panzer Grenadier Division commanded by Generalleutnant Eberhard Rodt and four battalions of General di Divisione Giacomo Romano's 28 Infantry Division Aosta. The Axis forces, in deep trenches, had a clear view of the oncoming Allied soldiers, who had little cover.

The Battle of Troina began on 31 July, when the Germans repelled an advance by the 39th Infantry, a 9th Infantry Division formation temporarily attached to the 1st Division, commanded by Major General Terry Allen. This setback forced Bradley and Allen to orchestrate a massive assault. Early on the first day of fighting, Sergeant Gerry H. Kisters of the 91st Cavalry was awarded the Medal of Honor for silencing two machine gun positions. Over the next six days the men of the 1st Infantry Division, together with elements of the 9th Division, a French Moroccan infantry battalion, 165 artillery pieces (divided among 9 battalions of 105-mm howitzers, 6 battalions of 155-mm howitzers, and 1 battalion of 155-mm "Long Tom" guns), and numerous Allied aircraft, were locked in combat with Troina's tenacious defenders. Control of key hilltop positions changed hands often, with the Germans and Italians launching more than two dozen counterattacks during the week-long battle. During one Italian counterattack, Lieutenant-Colonel Giuseppe Gianquinto's 1st Battalion, 5th Regiment of the 'Aosta' managed to take 40 American prisoners.

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Wikipedia