Abbiamo assistito nella liberazione di Italia
Alors nous avons aidé dans la libération de France

 U.S. 4th NAVAL BEACH BATTALION
UNITED STATES AMPHIBIOUS FORCE

NORTHWEST AFRICAN WATERS

WW II SALERNO, ITALY INVASION
Click on the image above for accounts told by Paul Deese,  Harry Stephens, Robert V. Autry and Francis A. Boland - members of the 4th Beach Battalion.  This page includes a copy of the report on Operation Avalanche - The Invasion of Salerno, and an account of the Salerno Invasion contributed by David Benevelli.

"Although enemy fire had forced some of the vessels out to sea, and many radios had been lost in the landing, ship-to-shore communications were established under the direction of the 4th Naval Beach Battalion, led by Lt. Comdr. James E. Walsh.  Shore fire control parties landed and began to direct effective naval gun fire. 
At daybreak, naval support against tanks on the southwest slopes of Hill 140 was twice requested by the 3d Battalion of the 142d. Fire from the Philadelphia destroyed or routed the tanks. Offshore, a scout boat, commanded by Lt. (j.g.) Grady R. Calloway, U.S.C.G., supported the 142d by launching rockets at Green Beach, where enemy machine gunners and snipers were concealed in the grove and behind the dunes. Shortly before dawn army units ashore and support boats laid down a smoke screen which proved effective in protecting landing craft against shell and machine-gun fire."

http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/books/wwii/salerno/Sal-DDay.htm 

The excerpt above was taken from the linked website ..."Salerno -  American Operations From the Beaches to the Volturno 9 September - 6 October 1943" (from the) Center of Military History, United States Army, Washington, D.C.  1990

   This New York Times Magazine photograph shows Naval Beach Battalion 
sailors, as well as Army soldiers advancing onto the beach at Sicily during the invasion.  
Photo provided by George Fredericks of the 4th Beach Battalion.  Scanned & posted by his nephew 
Pat O'Keefe  http://www.cse.sc.edu/~okeefe/

A Beach Battalion unit has four distinct functions; reconnaissance, communications, evacuation of wounded, and unloading of supplies on the beach. The communications consist of ship-to-shore communications including signalmen for visual communication , radiomen for voice and cw, or Morse code. 

The wounded were treated and evacuated by medical personnel. The LSM's and LCVP landing boats were repaired and kept off the beach by machinist mates. Then the seamen unloaded the boats and furnished help where it was needed. The 4th Beach Battalion were the first ashore to set up communications and support the landing of Army troops in the Sicilian, (July 10, 1943), Salerno (September 09, 1943) and Southern France ( August 15, 1944 ) invasions. 

This occurred while under heavy enemy fire and often strafing by German planes. The USS Arkansas BB-41 CTF 66 USF 7 made three runs to Morocco, North Africa. On the first run she covered the troop convoy that made the invasion of North Africa. On her second trip from New York to Casablanca, French Morocco she escorted another large convoy which included The ACADIA and ALEXANDER. The 4th BB was aboard the ACADIA, and the 2nd BB was aboard the ALEXANDER. 

We arrived at Oran, North Africa on April 13, 1943. We were attached to Army units for training and made the initial assault at Gela, Sicily on July 10, 1943 with the 1st Infantry, the 2nd Armored Division, and the 540th Engineers. After the invasion, the Beach Battalion units returned to Arzew, North Africa for a little rest and relaxation.  Then began training for the Salerno Invasion.

This site is dedicated to the 4th Beach Battalion.  It should be noted that we celebrate memories with the 2nd Beach Battalion, 7th Beach Battalion as well as the USS Karnes APA175 at the annual reunion.  Any other members of U.S. Naval Beach Battalions are welcome to communicate by e-mail to this site to be recognized.

THE SAND-WITCH is the 4th Beach Battalion newsletter, and can be viewed online.  Wir haben geholfen, Italien freizumachen.  Nous avons aidé aussi à libérer la France.

U.S. NAVAL BEACH BATTALIONS - WW II

1st NAVAL BEACH BATTALION.  Formed February 1943.  Employed in the invasion of Casablanca, Sicily, Salerno, Anzio and Southern France.

2nd NAVAL BEACH BATTALION.  Formed February 1943.  Employed in the invasion of Sicily and Normandy.

3rd NAVAL BEACH BATTALION.  Formed February 1943.  Used in loading troops and supplies on transports.

4th NAVAL BEACH BATTALION.  Formed March 1943.  Employed in Sicily, Salerno and Southern France.

5th NAVAL BEACH BATTALION.  Formed August 1943.  Trained in England and employed at Normandy.

6th NAVAL BEACH BATTALION.  Formed October 1943.  Trained in Florida and employed at Normandy.

7th NAVAL BEACH BATTALION.  Formed November 1943.  Trained in England and employed at Normandy.

8th NAVAL BEACH BATTALION.  Formed October 1943.  Trained in Florida and employed at Southern France.

9th NAVAL BEACH BATTALION.  Formed April 1944.  Used in loading troops and supplies on transports.

10th NAVAL BEACH BATTALION.  Formed April 1944.  Used in loading troops and supplies on transports.

11th NAVAL BEACH BATTALION.  Formed June 1944.  Used in loading troops and supplies on transports.

12th NAVAL BEACH BATTALION.  Formed December 1944.  Used in loading troops and supplies on transports.

LINKS

Militaria.com

Navy On Line

U.S. Naval Institute

Armed Forces News

Naval Historical Center

American Veteran Search

The American War Library

Military.com Reunion Page

Naval Oceanographic Office

Veterans and Military Web Sites

Marine Tribute to the Corpsman

36th Infantry Division Association

US Naval Observatory Master Clock

36th Inf Div Assoc.-Heroics of Beach Battalion