Cassino to the Alps - US Army Center Of Military History

THE FALL OF ROME
338th Infantry reached the city by
0830. 35 On corps' order, General Coulter
sent the 337th Infantry, on the
division's right flank, southwest toward
Highway 7 with the intention of cutting
off those enemy opposing the neighboring
VI Corps. The regiment reached
the highway at 1700 only to find the 1st
Armored Division blocking its way. The
resulting traHic jam delayed both units
for at least an hour. Meanwhile, a small
task force from the 338th Infantry,
after brushing aside an enemy rear
guard on the outskirts of Rome, had
entered the city to occupy the Ponte
Cavour, the next bridge downstream
from the Ponte Margherita. On the
corps' right flank the 3d Division's 30th
Infantry sent patrols through the northeastern
quarters of the city to seize the
railway bridge over the Aniene. By
2300, 4 June, all bridges in the II
Corps zone had been secured.: w
In contrast with the helter-skelter
entry of the II Corps' ad hoc task fixces
into Rome, the VI Corps' approach and
entry was more systematic, less confused,
but somew hat slower. This methodical
approach can most likely be
attributed to a widespread caution and
weariness throughout Truscott's corps,
fostered by the bitter combat since 26
May along the Caesar Line south of the
Alban Hills. To dispel this mood and to
spur a sense of competition within the
corps, General Carleton, Truscott's
chief of staff, sped the spearheads on
their way with a challenging report that
Keyes' corps, advancing in three separate
columns, had already moved to
35 85th Div G-3 Jnl, 4-5 Jun 44; FSSF G-3 Jnl, 4
Jun 44.
"" 85th Div (;-3 Jnl. 4 Jun 44; FSSF (;-3 Jnl. 4
Jun 44.
219
within three to five miles of Rome.
"The II Corps' left flank has just
crossed around us and will be in there
befixe daylight undoubtedly," he announced.:17
Nevertheless, a weary GlUtion
prevailed on the VI Corps sector as
an advance party of the 1st Armored
Division's CCA, which had spent the
night on the outskirts of Albano, moved
slowly into the town at dawn. As the
rest of the command followed two
hours later, Carleton again called Harmon's
command post, saying: "This is
an all-out pursuit, the enemy is running
away from us-put on all steam." :18
This Harmon proceeded to do. The
resulting pell-mell dash by the entire
armored division so crowded the roads
in its zone of operations that by late
afternoon a series of traffic jams had
caused more delays than the scattered
enemy resistance. By 1800 CCA's point
moving along the Via Appia Nuova, the
extension of Highway 7, had passed
through the Porta San Giovanni, hard
by St. John Lateran, into the inner city.
Echeloned to the left, CCB met more
resistance as it advanced five miles
beyond Albano. During the morning
the command's spearhead encountered
strong enemy rear guards whose tactics
of fire and run repeatedly forced the
tanks and armored infantry to deploy
and fight. But by 1330 Company A,
13th Armored Regiment, finally managed
to break free and, accompanied
by a platoon of tank destroyers, advanced
rapidly to the outskirts of
Rome. The 6th Armored Infantry's 2d
Battalion followed in half-tracks. Enter­
Ing Rome from Highway 7 late th::>.t
37 VI Corps G-3 Jnl. 040045B Jun 44, Tel.
Carleton to Harmon.
38 Ibid., 040700B Jun 44.