August 1943

Sicily

The American landing force hits the beach west of the tiny town of Brolo between 2:30am and 4:00am. To meet Truscott's land-based assault, Fries has positioned his 71st Regiment astride the coastal road and along Naso Ridge. Ulich's 15th Regiment holds positions south of Malo, covering the eastern side of the Zappulla River. East of the town of Brolo was the divisional reserve. The Americans moved inland toward Monte Cipolla when they run into Fritz Polack's Headquarters (29th Motorized Artillery). The Battle of Monte Cipolla has begun. Col Bernard occpies the high ground at 5:30am and Col Polack is ordered to counterattack with everything he has. The German attack begins at 8:00am by the 6th Company of the 2nd Battalion, 15th Regiment. Bernard meets it with mortars and infantry and just about wipes out the German company. Meanwhile the land attack has begun at dawn and was making little progress. Fries tries to break out of the attack by weakening his front at Naso Ridge and attacks Monte Cipolla from the west, using elements of Krueger's 71st Regiment. This attack is broken up by gunfire from the cruiser Philadelphia, friendly aircraft requsted by Truscott and Bernard's own artillery. Fries sends the grenadiers forward again, this time supported by panzers, but again driven back by the Americans. The battle wages back and forth all day. Col Polack launches another major attack at 2:00pm but is blasted by the big naval guns ot Task Force 88, a battleship, 2 cruisers and 2 destroyers. The enemy is also hit by an air raid and the 155mm guns of the 3rd Division artillery which is within range of Monte Cipolla. At 2:20pm, under cover of a smoke screen, Truscott's men break acrosss the Zappulla River and slowly push Krueger and Ulich back towar Brolo, although delayed by numerous German land mines. Because ship-to-shore communications are lost, Adm Davidson withdraws toward Palermo not wanting to fire without target data for fear of hitting US troops. Col Polack attacks Bernard's beaches in an attempt to isolate the 2nd Battalion. They are successful, since there are no US heavy weapons. The US troops escape in their DUKWs. At 3:10pm Polack resumes his attack on Monte Cipolla, supported by Krueger's artillery, 2 20mm AA guns and 3 panzers. Battery B of 58th Armored Field Artillery Battalion and armored half-tracks are destroyed by tanks. Battery A is quickly committed to the battle by Bernard and destroys one of the tanks. Bernard has held his position just barely.

At 4:00pm 7th Army signals Adm Davidson to return to Brolo which he does. They are attacked by 8 FW-190 fighter-bombers and withstand several near misses. Naval anti-aircraft shoots down most of the attaackers, but can not help in the land battle because contact with land battle was not re-established. Meanwhile 7 A-36s from Ponte Olivo Airfield unable to communicate with the ground finish Col Polack's job for him hitting Col Bernard's command post, inflicting 19 casualties. Then they destroy all 4 guns of Battery A mistaking it for German artillery. Orders are given to Bernards troops to escape in twos and threes at daylight. They need not worry, because at 10:00pm vehicles of Col Kruegers' regiment speed down the coastal road past Monte Cipolla and Col Ulich's command withdraws to the east of the hill to the next delaying line.

The advance by the US 9th resumes, but only goes about 3-1/2 miles mainly because of thick German minefields.

The Axis evacuation of Sicily begins on this night. There are traffic jams and an air raid by British bombers slows the advance to the embarkation ports. As a result, some of the ferries operate at less than full capacity.