The decisive influence on the shaping of the organization and tactics of the German infantry before the outbreak of World War II was, on the one hand, the experience of the previous World War, but also theoretical works created in the 1920s and 1930s, which often emphasized the need to perceive the German infantry as a tool waging an offensive war. This affected both the equipment and the organization of the German infantry division, which during the September campaign of 1939 consisted of 3 infantry regiments, each of which was divided into 3 infantry battalions, an artillery company and an anti-tank company. In addition, there were numerous support units, including: an artillery regiment with 4 artillery squadrons (including one heavy), an anti-tank battalion, a sapper battalion and a communications battalion. In total, the so-called infantry division In the first mobilization wave, there were approximately 17,700 people and had a significant artillery component, but also was abundantly equipped with machine guns. It also had modern and efficient - for those times - means of communication and command. In the course of the war, infantry divisions underwent transformation - in 1943 some of them were transformed into armored grenadier divisions. However, from 1943, the standard division of the "traditional" infantry consisted of approx. 12,500 men (and not approx. 17,700 as in 1939), and its artillery component - especially heavy artillery - was also reduced in it, while its anti-tank defense was significantly improved. It is assumed that during the entire Second World War, about 350 infantry divisions served in the Wehrmacht.
Battle of Anzio (the initial stage of the battle is Operation Shingle) was conducted from January 22 to June 5, 1944. At the beginning of June 1944, about 150,000 soldiers, supported by 1,500 guns, were involved in the operation on the Allied side. About 135,000 soldiers fought on the German side (in the same period). On the Allied side, the commander-in-chief of this operation was exercised by field marshal Harald Alexander, and on the German side - field marshal Albert Kesserling. The plan of the operation was born at the end of 1943 and assumed the landing of the Allied troops behind the German forces defending themselves in southern Italy and relatively close to Rome. The entire operation was to lead to the fastest possible completion of the operations on the Apennine and the liberation of Rome. Interestingly, the operation began for the Allies under very good auspices. The landing force in the Anzio area, launched on January 22, 1944, surprised the German troops and was successful, with relatively low losses of the Allies. On the first day of the invasion, much more field progress was made than had been envisaged in the original operation plan. Unfortunately, the commander of the Allied forces under Anzio, American General John Porter Lucas, was unable to take advantage of the initial success and got stuck on the bridgehead, giving the German troops time to consolidate the defense lines and launch counterattacks. As a result of a poor assessment of the situation, the operation at Anzio did not give the Allies the expected benefits, and very quickly turned into a battle of exhaustion. As a result, the Allied forces lost about 43,000 killed and wounded, and the German army - about 40,000 killed, wounded and captured.
