View source for Operation Avalanche naval order of battle

[[File:SalernoDDayPlans1943.jpg|440px|right|Landing Plans for Salerno and Paestum]]
'''[[Operation Avalanche]]''' was the codename for the combined US and British landings on the southwest coast of Italy on 9 September 1943 as part of the [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] effort in the [[Mediterranean Theatre of World War II|Mediterranean Theater]] during [[World War II]]. The forces landed consisted of the [[US Fifth Army]] under Lieutenant General [[Mark W. Clark]]. The Fifth Army was made up of the [[X Corps (United Kingdom)|British X Corps]], which landed south of the town of '''[[Salerno]]''', and the [[VI Corps (United States)|US VI Corps]], which landed at the town of '''[[Paestum]]'''.

The landings were carried out by combined forces of the [[US Navy]] and [[Royal Navy]], detailed below.

''Naval losses:'' 2 destroyers, 1 minesweeper, 1 tug, 1 hospital ship

== Order of battle ==
[[File:H._Kent_Hewitt_Adm_USN.svg|170px|thumb|right|Vice Adm. H. Kent Hewitt, USN]]
[[File:USS_Ancon_(AGC-4)_in_June_1943.jpg|260px|thumb|right|Vice Adm. Hewitt's flagship, USS ''Ancon'' (AGC-4)]]

=== Task Force 80: Western Naval Task Force ===
Vice Admiral '''[[H. Kent Hewitt]]''', USN<ref>Morison, pp. 391-394</ref>
: Embarking [[Image:United_States_Army_North_CSIB.svg|18px]] '''[[US Fifth Army]]''' (Lt. Gen. [[Mark Wayne Clark]], USA)
::* &nbsp;&nbsp;1 [[amphibious force flagship]]: [[USS Ancon (AGC-4)|USS ''Ancon'']]
::* &nbsp;&nbsp;2 anti-aircraft/fighter director ships: [[HMS Ulster Queen|HMS ''Ulster Queen'']], [[HMS Palomares|HMS ''Palomares'']]
::* &nbsp;&nbsp;1 [[submarine]]: [[HMS Shakespeare (P221)|HMS ''Shakespeare'']]

==== Task Force 85: Northern Landing Force ====
Commodore '''G.N. Oliver''', RN
: Embarking [[Image:X_Corps.png|12px]] '''[[X Corps (United Kingdom)|British X Corps]]''' (Lt. Gen. [[Richard McCreery|Richard L. McCreery]], BA)
::* &nbsp;&nbsp;2 [[amphibious force flagship]]s: [[HMS Hilary (1931)|HMS ''Hilary'']], [[USS Biscayne|USS ''Biscayne'']]
::* &nbsp;&nbsp;4 [[light cruiser]]s: [[HMS Mauritius (80)|HMS ''Mauritius'']], [[HMS Uganda|HMS ''Uganda]], [[HMS Orion (85)|HMS ''Orion'']], [[HMS Delhi (D47)|HMS ''Delhi'']]
::* &nbsp;&nbsp;1 [[monitor (warship)|monitor]]: [[HMS Roberts (F40)|HMS ''Roberts'']]
::* 18 [[destroyer]]s: 17 British, 1 Greek
::* &nbsp;&nbsp;7 [[minesweeper]]s 
::* &nbsp;&nbsp;4 [[tugboat|tug]]s (1 sunk by air attack 13 September)
::* 13 [[troopship|transport]]s and [[Landing_ship,_infantry|LSI]]s
::* 90 [[Landing Ship, Tank|LST]]s: 45 American, 45 British
::* 84 [[Landing Craft Tank|LCT]]s: 24 American, 60 British (5 sunk)
::* 96 [[Landing Ship Infantry|LCI(L)]]s: 48 American, 48 British
::* 23 [[submarine chaser|subchasers/wooden hull]]
::* 27 minecraft
::* 32 [[Motor Launch]]es
::* 13 [[naval trawler|trawler]]s

==== Task Force 81: Southern Landing Force ====
Rear Adm. '''[[John_L._Hall_Jr.|John L. Hall, Jr.]]''', USN
[[File:John L Hall Jr during_Normandy.jpg|thumb|upright|Rear Adm. John L. Hall, Jr., USN]]
[[File:USSRevengeAM110.jpg|thumb|World War II-era US minesweeper]]
[[File:PT boat underway_c1945.jpg|thumb|World War II-era US PT boat]]
: Embarking [[File:US VI Corps SSI.png|12px]] '''[[VI Corps (United States)|US VI Corps]]''' (Maj. Gen. [[Ernest J. Dawley]], USA)
: TG 81.5 – Fire Support Group (Rear Adm. [[Lyal A. Davidson]])
::* &nbsp;&nbsp;4 [[light cruiser]]s: [[USS Philadelphia (CL-41)|USS ''Philadelphia'']], [[USS Savannah (CL-42)|USS ''Savannah'']], [[USS Boise (CL-47)|USS ''Boise'']], [[USS Brooklyn (CL-40)|USS ''Brooklyn'']]
::* &nbsp;&nbsp;1 [[monitor (warship)|monitor]]: [[HMS Abercrombie (F109)|HMS ''Abercrombie'']]
::* &nbsp;&nbsp;4 [[destroyer]]s (1 sunk by submarine 12 October)
: TG 81.6 – Screen (Capt. Charles Wellborn)
::* 12 destroyers (1 sunk by torpedo boat 10 September)
: TG 81.2 – Transport Group (Capt. C.D. Edgar)
::* 19 [[troopship|transport]]s: 14 American, 5 British
::* &nbsp;&nbsp;3 [[landing_ship,_tank|LST]]s: all British
::* &nbsp;&nbsp;6 scout boats
: TG 81.3 – Landing Craft Group (Capt. F.M. Adams)
::* 27 [[Landing Ship, Tank|LST]]s: 18 American, 9 British
::* 32 [[Landing Craft Infantry|LCI]]s: 26 American, 6 British
::* &nbsp;&nbsp;6 [[Landing Craft Tank|LCT]]s: all American
: TG 81.7 – Control Group (Cmdr. R.D. Lowther, USNR)
::* &nbsp;&nbsp;8 [[submarine chaser|subchasers/steel hull]], 4 [[Landing_Craft_Support|LCS]]s
: TG 81.8 – Minesweeper Group (Cmdr. A.H. Richards)
::* &nbsp;&nbsp;9 [[minesweeper]]s (1 sunk by submarine 25 September) 
::* 12 motor minesweepers
: TG 81.9 – Salvage Group (Lt. V.C. Kyllberg)
::* &nbsp;&nbsp;2 [[tugboat|tugs]]
: TG 80.2 – Picket Group (Lt. Cmdr. S.M. Barnes)
::* 16 [[PT boat|PT]]s
: TG 80.3 – Diversion Group (Capt. C.L. Andrews)
::* &nbsp;&nbsp;1 destroyer: [[USS Knight|USS ''Knight'']]
::* &nbsp;&nbsp;7 [[torpedo boat]]s: 7 British [[Motor Torpedo Boat|MTBs]], 1 American [[PT boat|PT]]
::* &nbsp;&nbsp;4 [[submarine chaser|subchasers/wooden hull]]
::* &nbsp;&nbsp;6 [[Motor Launch]]es
::* 10 air/sea rescue craft

{{-}}
==== Task Force 88: Support Carrier Force ====
[[File:Philip Louis Vian.png|thumb|upright|Rear Adm. Sir Philip L. Vian, RN]]
[[File:Fairey Barracudas landing on HMS Formidable after attacking Tirpitz and other enemy ships off Norway.jpg|thumb|Fairey Barracudas landing on HMS ''Formidable'']]
Rear Admiral '''[[Philip Vian|Sir Philip L. Vian]]''', RN
:* &nbsp;&nbsp;1 [[light carrier]]: [[HMS_Unicorn_(I72)|HMS ''Unicorn'']]
:* &nbsp;&nbsp;4 [[escort carrier]]s: [[HMS_Battler|HMS ''Battler'']], [[HMS_Attacker_(D02)|HMS ''Attacker'']], [[HMS_Hunter_(D80)|HMS ''Hunter'']], [[HMS_Stalker_(D91)|HMS ''Stalker'']]
:* &nbsp;&nbsp;3 [[light cruiser]]s: [[HMS_Euryalus_(42)|HMS ''Euryalus'']], [[HMS_Scylla_(98)|HMS ''Scylla'']], [[HMS_Charybdis_(88)|HMS ''Charybdis'']]
:* &nbsp;&nbsp;9 [[destroyer]]s: 7 British, 2 Polish

'''Covering Forces'''
:* 2 [[fleet carrier]]s (Rear Admiral [[Clement Moody|C. Moody]], RN)
:** [[HMS Illustrious_(R87)|HMS ''Illustrious'']] 
:*** 28 [[Grumman_F4F_Wildcat#Royal_Navy_Martlets|Grumman Martlet]] fighters
:*** 10 [[Supermarine Seafire]] fighters 
:*** 12 [[Fairey Barracuda]] torpedo bombers
:** [[HMS_Formidable_(67)|HMS ''Formidable'']] 
:*** 28 [[Grumman_F4F_Wildcat#Royal_Navy_Martlets|Grumman Martlet]] fighters
:*** &nbsp;&nbsp;5 [[Supermarine Seafire]] fighters
:*** 12 [[Fairey Albacore]] torpedo bombers{{efn|Biplanes}}
:* Force "H" (Vice Admiral [[Algernon Willis|Sir A.V. Willis]], RN)
:** &nbsp;&nbsp;4 [[battleship]]s: [[HMS_Nelson_(28)|HMS ''Nelson'']], [[HMS_Rodney_(29)|HMS ''Rodney'']], [[HMS_Warspite_(03)|HMS ''Warspite'']], [[HMS_Valiant_(1914)|HMS ''Valiant'']]
:* Screen
:** 20 destroyers: 16 British, 1 Polish, 2 Dutch, 1 French 
:* Auxiliaries
:** &nbsp;&nbsp;3 [[hospital ship]]s: [[HMHS Newfoundland|HMHS ''Newfoundland'']] (sunk by air attack 13 September), [[HMHS Leinster|HMHS ''Leinster'']], [[HMHS Somersetshire|HMHS ''Somersetshire'']]

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Sources ==
* {{cite book
  | last      = Morison
  | first     = Samuel Eliot
  | title     = Sicily – Salerno – Anzio, January 1943–June 1944
  | series    = History of United States Naval Operations in World War II
  | volume    = IX
  | year      = 1954
  | publisher = Little, Brown and Co.
  | location  = Boston
  | isbn      = 0-7858-1310-1}}



[[Category:1943]]
[[Category:World War II operations and battles of the Italian Campaign]]
[[Category:Italy in World War II]]