Knocked out Mk VI Tiger tank at Belpasso, Sicily, 1943.
A German Tiger tank in Sicily, 1943.
German troops of the Hermann Göring Division. Sicily 1943.
Although Allied planners opted to concentrate their ground forces in the anticipation of tough Axis resistance, the actual combat capability of Axis troops deployed in Sicily was questionable. Axis forces consisted of between 200,000 and 300,000 Italian and about 30,000 German troops under the overall command of General Alfredo Guzzoni’s Italian VI Army. The Italians were organized into six coastal divisions, four infantry divisions, and a variety of local defense forces. Many of these units were woefully deficient in equipment, training, and morale and would prove incapable of putting up serious resistance. In fact, many Italian soldiers were tired of Mussolini’s disastrous war and would surrender at the first opportunity. The German troops were divided into two divisions, the 15th Panzer Grenadier and the Hermann Goering Panzer. They formed the hard core of Sicily’s defenses. The 15th Panzer Grenadier Division was essentially combat ready, but the Hermann Goering Division was significantly understrength and contained some inexperienced personnel.
Axis strategists recognized that they did not have sufficient strength to hold Sicily should the Allies gain a firm foothold on the island. Their only hope of success lay in crushing the Allies on the shore before they had time to consolidate their beachhead. This was easier said than done, however, for most Axis units on the island lacked the mobility to launch a quick counterstrike. The Axis command was therefore forced to station its reserves as close as possible to the most likely landing places.
General Guzzoni attempted to do just that. After spreading his coastal units in a thin line around the island’s perimeter, he placed two Italian infantry divisions in each of the two most likely invasion sites, the island’s western and south-eastern corners. He considered the southeast to be the more probable landing site, however, and for this reason he wanted to concentrate both German divisions there. Fortunately for the Allies, Field Marshal Albert Kesselring, Hitler’s representative in Italy, thwarted Guzzoni’s plan by transferring the bulk of the 15th Panzer Grenadier Division to western Sicily shortly before the invasion. Kesselring believed that the only way the Axis could repel the Allies was by having German forces ready to launch a quick counteroffensive at each of the potential landing sites. Since the Axis could not rule out the possibility of a western landing, Kesselring insisted on moving a significant portion of the 15th to cover that potentiality. Consequently, of the two German units, only the Hermann Goering Division was positioned to launch a counterattack against the Seventh Army’s beachheads during the initial hours of the invasion.
#
Armed Forces Command
Commanded by Generale d’Armata Alfredo Guzzoni
German
- 15th Panzergrenadier Division
Commanded by Generalmajor Eberhard Rodtfrom June 5. One third of the division (a reinforced infantry group) was attached to Italian XVI Corps and the rest to Italian XII Corps until the activation of XIV Panzer Corps on 18 July.- 215th Panzer Battalion-17 Tiger I tanks
- 104th Panzergrenadier Regiment
- 115th Panzergrenadier Regiment
- 129th Panzergrenadier Regiment
- 33rd Artillery Regiment
- 315th Antiaircraft Battalion
- 33rd Pioneer Battalion
- Luftwaffe Panzer Division Hermann Göring
Commanded by Generalleutnant Paul Conrath. Attached to Italian XVI Corps until the activation of XIV Panzer Corps on 18 July.- 1st Panzergrenadier Regiment “Hermann Göring”
- Panzer Regiment “Hermann Göring”
- 1 Panzer Battalion “Hermann Göring”
- 2 Panzer Battalion “Hermann Göring”
- Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion “Hermann Göring”
- Panzer Artillery Regiment “Hermann Göring”
- Panzer Pioneer Battalion “Hermann Göring”
- Antiaircraft Regiment “Hermann Göring”
- 382nd Panzergrenadier Regiment
- 926th Fortress Battalion
Italian 6th Army
Under the command of Generale d’Armata Alfredo Guzzoni.
German Army Liaison Officer: Generalleutnant Fridolin von Senger und Etterlin
XIV Panzer Corps
Activated 18 July[30] to take command of 15th Panzergrenadier Division, the Hermann Göring Division, the newly arrived 1st Parachute Division and the 29th Panzergrenadier Division which started to arrive in Sicily 18 July.
Commanded by General der Panzertruppe Hans-Valentin Hube.
- German 1st Parachute Division
Commanded by Generalleutnant Richard Heidrich. The 1st Parachute Regiment was held in reserve at Naples. Commenced arrival by air on 12 July- 3rd Parachute Regiment
- 4th Parachute Regiment
- 1st Parachute Machine-Gun Battalion
- I/1st Parachute Field Artillery Regiment
- 1st Parachute Pioneer Battalion
- German 29th Panzergrenadier Division
Commanded by Generalmajor Walter Fries. Commenced arrival in Sicily 18 July- 129th Panzer Battalion
- 15th Panzergrenadier Regiment
- 71st Panzergrenadier Regiment
- 29th Artillery Regiment
- 313th Antiaircraft Battalion
Italian XII Corps
Commanded by Generale di Corpo d’Armata Mario Arisio, then Generale di Corpo d’Armata Francesco Zingales on 12 July
- 26 Mountain Infantry Division Assietta
Commanded by General Francesco Scotti, then General Ottorino Schreiber on July 26.- 29th Infantry Regiment
- 30th Infantry Regiment
- 17th “Blackshirts” Legion
- 25th Artillery Regiment
- CXXVI Mortar Battalion
- Engineer Battaion
- 28 Infantry Division Aosta
Commanded by General Giacomo Romano.- 5th Infantry Regiment
- 6th Infantry Regiment
- 171st “Blackshirts” Legion
- 22nd Artillery Regiment
- XXVIII Mortar Battalion
- Engineer Battalion
- 202 Coastal Division
- 124th Coastal Infantry Regiment
- 142nd Coastal Infantry Regiment
- 43rd Artillery Group (26 batteries, ad hoc regiment)
- 207 Coastal Division
- 138th Coastal Infantry Regiment
- 139th Coastal Infantry Regiment
- 51st Artillery Group (12 batteries, ad hoc regiment)
- 208 Coastal Division
- 133rd Coastal Infantry Regiment
- 147th Coastal Infantry Regiment
- 28th Artillery Group (6 batteries, ad hoc regiment)
- 136th Coastal Infantry Regiment
- Palemo Harbour Garrison
- 10th Bersaglieri Regiment
- 177th Bersaglieri Regiment
- Corps Artillery
- 30 batteries
- Battlegroups
small battlegroups build up from corps units for tactical action.- A
- Light Tank Battalion HQ
- Coy Renault R-35 Tanks (R-35)
- Coy Semoventi L-40
- Coy Coastal Infantry (motorized)
- Btry 75/27
- Sect AA 20/65
- B
- Semoventi Battalion HQ
- Coy R-35 Tanks
- Coy Semoventi L-40
- 2 Coy Coastal Infantry (motorized)
- Plt Bersaglieri (motorcycle)
- Btry 75/27
- Sect AA 20/65
- C
- Tank Battalion HQ
- Coy R-35 Tanks
- Coy Coastal Infantry (motorized)
- Coy AT 47/32
- A
Italian XVI Corps
Commanded by Generale di Corpo d’Armata Carlo Rossi.
- 4 Infantry Division Livorno (Initially held as Army Reserve)
Commanded by General Domenico Chirieleison.- 33rd Infantry Regiment
- 34th Infantry Regiment
- 28th Artillery Regiment (with 3 AA batteries, the standard was 2)
- Semoventi L40 Battalion
- Engineer Battalion
- Assault Battalion
- 54 Infantry Division Napoli
Commanded by General Giulio Cesare Gotti Porcinari.- 75th Infantry Regiment
- 76th Infantry Regiment
- 173rd “Blackshirts” Legion
- 54th Artillery Regiment
- Engineer Battalion
- 206 Coastal Division
- 122nd Coastal Infantry Regiment
- 123rd Coastal Infantry Regiment
- 146th Coastal Infantry Regiment
- 44th Artillery Group (14 batteries, ad hoc regiment)
- 213 Coastal Division
- 135th Coastal Infantry Regiment
- Catania Harbour Garrison
- 22nd Artillery Group (12 batteries, ad hoc regiment)
- XVIII Coastal Brigade
- 134th Coastal Infantry Regiment
- 178th Coastal Infantry Regiment
- 9 artillery batteries
- XIX Coastal Brigade
- 140th Coastal Infantry Regiment
- 179th Coastal Infantry Regiment
- 4 artillery batteries
- Corps Artillery
- 19 batteries
- Battlegroups
- D
- Tanks Battalion HQ
- Coy Renault R-35 (R-35)
- Coy MG on motorcycles
- Coy AT 47/32
- Coy Infantry
- Btry 75/18
- Sect AA 20/65
- E
- Coy R-35
- Coy MG on motorcycles
- Coy AT 47/32
- Coy Coastal Infantry
- Btry 75/18
- Sect AA 20/65
- F
- Coy R-35
- Coy MG on motorcycles
- Coy AT 47/32
- Coy Coastal Infantry
- Btry 75/27
- G
- Blackshirt Battalion HQ
- Plt R-35
- Coy AT 47/32
- Btry 75/18
- H
- Coy Fiat 3000
- Coy AT 47/32
- Plt mortars
- Btry 75/18
- D
The major harbors garrisons were under the Italian Navy. Hence, they were not part of the Italian 6th Army, but under the command of General Guzzoni, who was also the Chief of Joint Command.
- Augusta-Siracusa Harbours
- 121st Coastal Infantry Regiment
- Navy Battalion
- Air Force Battalion
- 24 artillery batteries (coastal and AA batteries included)
- Trapani Harbour
- 137th Coastal Infantry Regiment
- 12 artillery batteries (coastal and AA batteries included)
- Messina-Reggio Calabria Harbours
- 116th Coastal Infantry Regiment
- 119th Coastal Infantry Regiment
- Blackshirt Legion
- Cavalry Battalion (on foot)
- 55 artillery batteries (coastal and AA batteries included)
