Celebrations took place today to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the landing of the Allied Forces in Anzio and Nettuno, as part of the "Shingle" operation.
In the grounds ofTerritorial Technical Office for Land Armaments (UTTAT) of Nettuno, a documentary film on the Allied landing was screened, followed by the unveiling of a marble stele in honor of the soldiers who fell for "freedom and democracy". The ceremony took place at the "Cortese" observatory, located near the beach called "X-Ray Beach", recognized as the exact point of the landing of the Allied troops of the 22 January 1944.
The monument was inaugurated to commemorate one of the most significant moments of the Second World War on Italian soil and to remind future generations of the values of democracy, peace, equality and social justice.
“Shingle” was a major military operation involving mainly American and British troops. The objective of the landing was to outflank the German forces that had entrenched themselves on the Gustav Line and to accelerate the advance towards Rome. However, the Allied troops quickly found themselves pinned down and surrounded by heavy German counterattacks. Despite a promising start, the operation turned into a bloody battle of position (over 40.000 dead and wounded) that lasted several months. Ultimately, the landing contributed to the liberation of Rome, which occurred in June 1944.
Images: Online Defense
