Operation Avalanche naval order of battle
Open-knowledge reference entry
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 Allied effort in the 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 British X Corps, which landed south of the town of Salerno, and the 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.
Naval losses: 2 destroyers, 1 minesweeper, 1 tug, 1 hospital ship
Order of battle
Western Naval Task Force (Task Force 80)
Vice Admiral H. Kent Hewitt, USN
Embarking US Fifth Army (Lt. Gen. Mark W. Clark, USA)
1 amphibious force flagship: USS Ancon
2 anti-aircraft/fighter director ships: HMS Ulster Queen, HMS Palomares
1 submarine: HMS Shakespeare
Northern Landing Force (Task Force 85)
Commodore G.N. Oliver, RN
Embarking British X Corps (Lt. Gen. Richard McCreery, BA)
Combat vessels
4 light cruisers: HMS Mauritius, HMS Uganda, HMS Orion, HMS Delhi
1 monitor: HMS Roberts
18 destroyers: 17 British, 1 Greek
Amphibious assault vessels
2 amphibious force flagships: HMS Hilary, USS Biscayne
13 transports and LSIs
90 LSTs: 45 American, 45 British
84 LCTs: 24 American, 60 British (5 sunk)
96 LCI(L)s: 48 American, 48 British
Auxiliaries
7 minesweepers
4 tugs (1 sunk by air attack 13 September)
23 subchasers/wooden hull
27 minecraft
32 motor launches
13 trawlers
Southern Landing Force (Task Force 81)
Rear Adm. John L. Hall, Jr., USN
Embarking US VI Corps (Maj. Gen.
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