Allied Armies in Italy

The Allied Armies in Italy (AAI) was the title of the highest Allied field headquarters in Italy, during the middle part of the Italian campaign of World War II. In the early and later stages of the campaign the headquarters was known as the 15th Army Group; it reported to the Joint Allied command Allied Forces Headquarters (AFHQ), the theatre command for the Mediterranean theatre.

The 15th Army Group was renamed the Allied forces in Italy on 11 January 1944, then Allied Central Mediterranean Force on 18 January 1944 and finally the Allied Armies in Italy on 9 March 1944.^[1] The 15th Army Group was commanded by General Sir Harold R. L. G. Alexander until 11 December 1944.^[2] Lieutenant General Mark W. Clark, formerly the commander of the U.S. Fifth Army, then took command and the headquarters title was changed back to the 15th Army Group.

The AAI thus controlled the Allied land forces for some of the hardest fighting of the entire war. Operations carried out included: the long stalemate on the Gustav Line with the hard-fought battles of Monte Cassino; the Anzio landings; the liberation of Rome; the assault on the Gothic Line, Operation OLIVE; and ending with Operation GRAPESHOT, in which the 15th Army Group struck again just south of the Po valley.

For all of its life the command consisted of the American Fifth Army, under Lieutenant General Clark and, from December 1944, Lieutenant General Lucian Truscott, and the British Eighth Army, under Lieutenant General Sir Oliver W. H. Leese and, from October 1944, Lieutenant General Sir Richard L. McCreery.

Footnotes

^ Molony 1973, p. 861.
^ Jackson 1987, p. 73.

References

Jackson, General W.G.F. & Gleave, Group Captain T.P. (2004) [1st. pub. HMSO 1987]. Butler, J.R.M (ed.). The Mediterranean and Middle East, Volume VI: Part II - June to October 1944. History of the Second World War United Kingdom Military Series. Uckfield, UK: Naval & Military Press. ISBN 1-84574-071-8.
Molony, Brigadier C.J.C.; R.N., Captain F.C.; Davies, Major-General H.L. & Gleave, Group Captain T.P. (2004) [1st. pub. HMSO 1973]. Butler, J.R.M (ed.). The Mediterranean and Middle East, Volume V: The Campaign in Sicily 1943 and The Campaign in Italy 3rd September 1943 to 31st March 1944. History of the Second World War United Kingdom Military Series. Uckfield, UK: Naval & Military Press. ISBN 1-84574-069-6.

[FOOTNOTEMolony1973861-1] Molony 1973, p. 861.

[FOOTNOTEJackson198773-2] Jackson 1987, p. 73.

[1]

[2]

v t e British army groups, armies, commands, and corps during the Second World War
Army Groups (list)	11th 15th 18th 21st Allied Armies in Italy
Armies (list)	British Expeditionary Force First Second Eighth Ninth Tenth Twelfth Fourteenth
Corps (list)	I I Airborne II III IV V VII VIII IX X XI XII XIII XXX 1st Anti-Aircraft 2nd Anti-Aircraft 3rd Anti-Aircraft Commonwealth Western Desert Force
Commands (list)	Aden Aldershot Allied Land Forces South East Asia Anti-Aircraft British Army of the Rhine Burma Cyrenaica East Africa Eastern Egypt Far East GHQ India London Malaya Malta Middle East Northern Northern Ireland Palestine Persia and Iraq Scottish South East Asia South Eastern Southern West Africa Western
Other	ABDA Allied Force Headquarters Deception First Allied Airborne Army Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force