509th PIB Fourth Combat Jump

Date:              14 September 1943

Unit:               2nd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment

                        1st Platoon, C Company, 307th Airborne Engineers Battalion (AEB)

Operation:    AVALANCHE (GIANT III)

Troopers:     640 (599 from the 509th PIR, 41 from 1st Plt C Co 307th AEB)

Country:       Italy

Dropzone:    Avellino

13 Sep 43 - 82nd Airborne Division recieves orders from General Mark Clark who was struggling to maintain a foothold on the Salerno Beachhead to have the 504th RCT to perform a drop mission on the Salerno Beachhead within friendly lines south of the Sele River on the night of 13 Sep 43, 505th RCT would perform a drop mission on the same location on the night of 14 Sep 43 to shore up the beachhead defenses. 

The 2nd Bn 509th PIR with 1st Platoon, C Company, 307th Airborne Engineers is directed to conduct a drop mission 20 miles behind enemy lines on the mountain villiage of Avellino, Italy on the night of 14 Sep 43, Operation GIANT III.

14 Sep 1943 - 509th PIR Conducted the first American Pathfinder operation behind enemy lines at Avellino, Italy

14 Sep 43 - 509th PIR Air-Assualted Avellino, Italy (Sorrento Mountains), Operation GIANT III to disrupt enemy communications and to delay a German Infantry Regiment from reinforcing the enemy counterattack against the 5th Armys landing at Salerno.  German Commanders miscalculated the size of the Parachute force that landed around Avellino believing that a Parachute Regiment had landed in the area.  As a result an entire German Infantry Regiment held in reserve that was planned to go into the fight against the beachhead was diverted to conduct Anti-Parachute Operations around Avellino.  The mission was considered a Suicide Mission and the 2nd Bn 509th PIR with 1st Platoon, C Company, 307th Airborne Engineers spent about three weeks behind enemy lines.  Forty planes with 640 paratroopers conducted the drop mission.  Suprisingly three weeks later about 510 paratroopers had returned to friendly lines.

30 Sep 43 - Paratroopers of the 509th PIR begin to return to friendly lines after the 34th Infantry Division captures Avellino, Italy

The list of names below is only of the 599 Paratroopers of the 2nd Bn, 509th PIR that made the jump.  Names of the 41 Paratroopers from the 1st Plt C CO 307th AEB will be added if an accurate list of names can be located.  There were other Paratroopers assigned to the 509th at the time that did not make the jump due to being assigned on other missions or in the hospital.

1st Platoon, C Company, 307th Airborne Engineer Battalion

MURPHY, JOHN F

(ALL IMAGES AND INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE IS PROPERTY OF THE OWNER AND MAY NOT BE USED WITHOUT PERMISSION. PLEASE CONTACT THE WEBMASTER AT THE E-MAIL BELOW)

webmaster@509thgeronimo.org

©2006 509thgeronimo.org. All Rights Reserved.