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IV Corps (United States)
Encyclopedia
The IV Corps replaced the VI Corps in the Fifth United States Army's order of battle in Italy
after Allied forces liberated Rome in the summer of 1944 when VI Corps was withdrawn to take part in Operation Dragoon
, the Allied invasion of southern France. Initially the Corps had two divisions, U.S. 1st Armored
and 6th South African Armoured but was reinforced with 1st Brazilian Division in November 1944, U.S. 10th Mountain Division in February 1945 and U.S. 85th Infantry Division in April 1945.
Under command of Gen.Willis D. Crittenberger
it took part in the fighting through the summer of 1944 as the 5th Army and the British 8th Army advanced north to the River Arno. In the autumn and winter of 1944 IV Corps formed the left wing of the 5th Army, taking a relative minor role in the 5th Army's assault on the Gothic Line
in the central Apennine Mountains
and attempt to break through to the Lombardy plains beyond.
In the spring of 1945 the Corps, still the 5th Army's left side, took part in the successful Italian spring offensive
breaking out of the Apennines to outflank the units of the German Tenth
and Fourteenth Armies
defending Bologna
forming a pincer with 8th Army on the right to surround them, and then driving on to the River Po and finally Verona
and Brescia
.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
after Allied forces liberated Rome in the summer of 1944 when VI Corps was withdrawn to take part in Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
, the Allied invasion of southern France. Initially the Corps had two divisions, U.S. 1st Armored
1st Armored Division (United States)
The 1st Armored Division—nicknamed "Old Ironsides"—is a standing armored division of the United States Army with base of operations in Fort Bliss, Texas. It was the first armored division of the U.S...
and 6th South African Armoured but was reinforced with 1st Brazilian Division in November 1944, U.S. 10th Mountain Division in February 1945 and U.S. 85th Infantry Division in April 1945.
Under command of Gen.Willis D. Crittenberger
Willis D. Crittenberger
Willis Dale Crittenberger was a United States Army officer whose career served as a World War II combat commander of IV Corps during the later part of Italian campaign from 1944 to the end of the war....
it took part in the fighting through the summer of 1944 as the 5th Army and the British 8th Army advanced north to the River Arno. In the autumn and winter of 1944 IV Corps formed the left wing of the 5th Army, taking a relative minor role in the 5th Army's assault on the Gothic Line
Gothic Line
The Gothic Line formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last major line of defence in the final stages of World War II along the summits of the Apennines during the fighting retreat of German forces in Italy against the Allied Armies in Italy commanded by General Sir Harold Alexander.Adolf Hitler...
in the central Apennine Mountains
Apennine mountains
The Apennines or Apennine Mountains or Greek oros but just as often used alone as a noun. The ancient Greeks and Romans typically but not always used "mountain" in the singular to mean one or a range; thus, "the Apennine mountain" refers to the entire chain and is translated "the Apennine...
and attempt to break through to the Lombardy plains beyond.
In the spring of 1945 the Corps, still the 5th Army's left side, took part in the successful Italian spring offensive
Spring 1945 offensive in Italy
The Spring 1945 offensive in Italy, codenamed Operation Grapeshot, was the Allied attack by Fifth United States Army and British 8th Army into the Lombardy Plain which started on 6 April 1945 and ended on 2 May with the surrender of German forces in Italy....
breaking out of the Apennines to outflank the units of the German Tenth
German Tenth Army
The 10th Army was a World War I and World War II field army. During World War I the 10th army was stationed at the Eastern Front against Russia, and occupied Poland and Belorussia at the end of 1918 when the war ended....
and Fourteenth Armies
German Fourteenth Army
The 14th Army was a World War II field army.The 14th Army was activated on August 1, 1939 with General Wilhelm List in command and saw service in Poland until the end of the campaign in Poland October 13, 1939...
defending Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
forming a pincer with 8th Army on the right to surround them, and then driving on to the River Po and finally Verona
Verona
Verona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
and Brescia
Brescia
Brescia is a city and comune in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, between the Mella and the Naviglio, with a population of around 197,000. It is the second largest city in Lombardy, after the capital, Milan...
.