The 337th Infantry Regiment in Italy During WWII

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WWII in Italy Resources

On-Line Resources

The history of the 85th Division is not heavily documented on the web. However there are a few links of special interest to those interested in the Italian campaign and/or the men of the 337th Regiment and 85th Division.

The National Archives in College Park, Maryland, has a large collection of records pertaining to the 85th Division and the 337th, 338th, and 339th Regiments. You can contact them at:
National Archives
8601 Adelphi Rd.
Military Branch (NWCTM)
Rm 2400
College Park, MD 20740

Italian Campaign Reading List

I have read most of these books and recommend them. One particularly interesting source for used WW II books is Stone & Stone.

5th Army and 85th Division

The above pamphlets were published by the US Army and were distributed to the soldiers. The Fifth Army History can be be found on Google Books.

  • Fifth Army History. 9 vols. (v. 1-5 by John D. Forysythe; v. 6-9 by Chester G. Starr). Florence: L'Impronta Press, 1945 (v. 1-4); Milan: Pizzi and Pizio, 1945 9v. 5-6); Washington: Government Printing Office, 1945-1947 (v. 7-9).
  • Road to Rome. n.p., Distributed to members of Fifth Army. 1945 56 p.
  • 85th Infantry Division, Minturno to the Appennines. Published by 85th Infantry Division, 1945. Distributed to members of the 85th Division.
  • Finito! Po Valley Campaign. Published by headquaters, 15th Army Group, Italy. 1945. Distributed to members of the 15th Army Group.

The following are currently available from the US Government Printing Office ((202-512-1800)).

  • Fifth Army at the Winter Line, November 15, 1943-January 15, 1944. BOOK. 1945. Discusses the Winter Line operations which continued the Allied campaign to drive the Germans out of southern Italy. 127 p.; Ill. 1990-repr. 0-16-002000-x. Stock # 008-029-00198-5. $4.50.
  • From the Volturno to the Winter Line, October 6-November 15, 1943. BOOK. 1945. Discusses the American and British troops crossing the Volturno River, and continuing the second phase of the Allied campaign in Italy. 129 p.; ill., map. 1990-repr. 0-16-001999-0. Stock # 008-029-00197-7. $4.75
  • Salerno: American Operations From the Beaches to the Volturno, September 9-October 6, 1943. BOOK. 1944. Discusses the Salerno campaign and battles in which the American and Italian troops defeated the Germans at Volturno. 106 p.; ill., 4 maps. 1990-repr. 0-16-001998-2. Stock # 008-029-00196-9. $4.00.
  • Anzio. BOOK. 1994. Discusses the military campaign in Anzio and Nettuno, Italy from January 22 to may 24, 1944. Illustrated with black and white photographs, color maps, and a reproduction of a painting. Includes suggestions for further reading. 24 p.; ill. 0-16-042084-9. Stock # 008-029-00275-2. $1.75.
  • Rome-Arno. BOOK. 1994. Discusses World War II military campaigns in Italy from January 22 to the liberation of Rome on September 9, 1994. Illustrated with black and white photographs, color maps, and a reproduction of a painting. Includes suggestions for further reading. 28 p.; ill. 0-16-042085-7. Stock # 008-029-00276-1. $1.50.
  • Cassino to the Alps. BOOK. 1977. Provides an account of operations in Italy from Operation Diadem and the capture of Rome to the negotiations for the surrender of German armies in italy. This campaign covers the Winter Line, the Gustav Line, and the Gothic Line. (Clothbound). 584 p.; ill., 16 maps. 1984-repr. 0-16-001923-0. Stock # 008-029-00095-4. $30.00.
  • Salerno to Cassino. Book. 1969. Tells the story of the first eight months of the Italian campaign, from the Allied invasion of the Italian mainland in September 1943-1944, to the eve of the Allied spring offensive launched in may 1944. (Clothbound). 509 p.; ill., plat, 8 maps, 1985-repr. 0-16-001884-6. Stock # 008-029-00026-1 $25.00
  • War Against Germany and Italy, Mediterranean, and Adjacent Area. Book. 1951. Consists chiefly of black and white photographs with explanatory text. Covers World War II in North Africa, the Middle East, Sicily, Corsica, Sardina, Italy, and Southern France. (Clothbound) 478 p.; ill. 1988-repr. Stock # 008-029-00041-5.
  • Small Unit Actions, France: 2d Ranger Battalion at Point du Hoc; Saipan: 27th Division on Tanapag Plain; Italy: 351st Infantry at Santa Maria Infante; France: 4th Armored Division at Singling. BOOK. 1946. Describes the following four battles in detail; Point de Hoc, June 6, 1944; The Fight on Tanapag Plain, July 6, 1944; Santa Maria Infante, May 11-14, 1944; and Singling, December 6, 1944. 226 p.; ill., plate. 1986-repr. 0-16-001943-5. Stock # 008-029-00141-1. $ 9.00.

The following are generally available from libraries:

  • The 85th Infantry Division in World War II. Schultz, Paul L. Washington. Infantry Journal Press.
  • U.S. Army. 337th Inf Regt. History of the Third Battalion, 337th Infantry Regiment, Eighty-Fifth Division. Nashville, TN:Battery Press, 1979. 163 p. #603-337.1945. Reprint of #603-337.1945.
  • The Forgotten Front in Northern Italy, A World War II Combat Photographer's Illustrated memoir of the Gothic Line Campaign. Schmidt, Robert H. Jefferson, North Carolina, McFarland & Company, Inc. 1994.
  • Circles of Hell. The War in Italy 1943-1945. Morris, Eric. New York, Crown Publishers, Inc. 1993.
  • The Italian Campaign, 1943-1945. Sheppard, G.A. New York, Praeger, 1968.
  • The War North of Rome, June 1944-May 1945. Brooks, Thomas R. New York, Sarpedon, 1996.

Military History Institute

The following are taken from the bibliography of the US Army Military History Institute:

  • Cates, Cecil H. "The Operations of 3rd Battalion, 337th Infantry (85th Infantry Division) at Casonia Di Romagna, North of Picancadoli, Italy 1-4 October 1944 (North Apennines Campaign): (Personal Experience of a Battalion Intelligence Officer)." Ft Benning, GA: Inf Sch Paper, 1949? 28 p. + maps. #603-337.1949a.
  • Davies, John M. "The Operations of Company I, 3rd Battalion, 337th Infantry (85th Infantry Division) at Castellonorato, Italy, 11-15 May 1944, During the Breaching of the Gustav Line(Rome-Arno Campaign): (Personal Experience of a Platoon Leader)." Ft Benning, GA: Inf Sch Paper, 1947. 17 p. + maps. #603-337.1947a.

General WWII History

There are many sources of information about WWII and the Italian Campaign. Some of my favorites include: