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{{Short description|Battle during World War II}}
{{Infobox military conflict
|conflict = Battle of Centuripe
|partof = the [[Allied invasion of Sicily]]
|image = Men of the 6th Inniskillings, 38th Irish Brigade, searching houses during mopping up operations in Centuripe, Sicily, August 1943. NA5388.jpg
|image_size = 300px
|caption =Men of the 6th Battalion, [[Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers]] during mopping up operations in Centuripe.
|date = 2–4 August 1943
|place = [[Centuripe]], [[Sicily]]
|coordinates={{coord|37|37|N|14|44|E|display=inline,title}}
|result =British victory<ref>Blaxland. p.35.</ref><ref name=autogenerated2>Blackwell. pp.173-75.</ref>
|combatant1 = {{flag|United Kingdom}}
|combatant2 = {{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} [[Nazi Germany|Germany]]
|commander1 = {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[Nelson Russell (British Army officer)|Nelson Russell]] <br />{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[John Fullerton Evetts]]
|commander2 = {{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} [[Ludwig Heilmann]]
|strength1 = {{flagicon|UK}} [[78th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)|78th Infantry Division]]
* [[38th (Irish) Brigade|38th (Irish) Infantry Brigade]]
|strength2 ={{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} [[Fallschirm-Panzer Division 1 Hermann Göring|1st Paratroop Panzer Division]]
|casualties1 =
|casualties2 =
|notes =
|campaignbox ={{Campaignbox Invasion of Sicily}}
}}

The '''Battle of Centuripe''' was fought from 2 to 4 August 1943, as part of the [[Allied invasion of Sicily]] during [[World War II]]. The [[78th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)|78th ''Battleaxe'' Division]], of the [[Eighth Army (United Kingdom)|British Eighth Army]], was engaged in fierce fighting around the town of [[Centuripe]] in the central portion of [[Sicily]] in the hill country between the Rivers [[Dittaino|Dittaìno]] and [[Salso]]. Centuripe, a hill town set on a very high rocky pinnacle and approached by only one steep and twisty road, itself was the key to the whole [[Adrano]] position, the capture of which would in turn force the Germans to withdraw to new positions.<ref name="Alex 1021">Alexander, p.1021.</ref><ref name=autogenerated>{{cite book|last=Shepperd|first=Gilbert Alan|title=The Italian Campaign, 1943–45: A Political and Military Re-assessment|year=1968|publisher=Praeger|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t4BAAAAAIAAJ&q=centuripe+ |page=62}}</ref> The British troops captured the town after heavy fighting and as a result caused the Germans to start contemplating abandoning Sicily altogether.<ref name=autogenerated5>Facaros & Pauls, p.225.</ref>

==Background==
[[File:Sicilymap2.jpg|thumb|left|Allied movements on Sicily during the month of July.]]
The key position in the German defense line across Sicily was Centuripe, a village perched on the top of a formidable line of steep hills along with its precipitous sides which gave it an almost impregnable position. The lesser hills round it were well defended by the Germans and it was necessary for them to be mastered before Centuripe could be tackled.<ref name=autogenerated/> Defending this position was the [[Fallschirm-Panzer Division 1 Hermann Göring|Hermann Göring Division]], consisting mostly of the 3rd Fallschirmjäger Regiment as part of ''Kampfgruppe von Carnap'' under [[Ludwig Heilmann]]. As well as the regiment, the kampfgruppe consisted of an artillery regiment and a number of reconnaissance units which included a number of tanks with supporting infantry units. Heilmann had replaced the commander Oberstleutenant Von Carnap after he had been killed by British artillery fire in late July.<ref name=autogenerated3>Mitchum, p.256.</ref><ref name=autogenerated4>Kurowski, p.254.</ref>

The [[78th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)|78th ''Battleaxe'' Infantry Division]], under the command of [[Major-general (United Kingdom)|Major-General]] [[Vyvyan Evelegh]], assembled for a drive towards [[Catenanuova]] and to capture Centuripe as part of Operation ''Hardgate''.<ref>Chant, pp. 77-78.</ref> The country between the two villages was wild and rough with great rocky crags, similar to those among which the 78th had fought in the [[Tunisia Campaign|campaign in Tunisia]], and this terrain covered the one mountain road between them.<ref name=autogenerated0>Ford, pp.68-70.</ref> Evelegh ordered [[Brigadier (United Kingdom)|Brigadier]] [[Nelson Russell (British Army officer)|Nelson Russell]], commander of the [[38th (Irish) Brigade|38th (Irish) Infantry Brigade]], to take Centuripe, and the plan was for a night advance to be made with heavy artillery fire available at call. The 6th Battalion, [[Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers]] and the 1st Battalion, [[Royal Irish Fusiliers]] were given the main tasks, and the 2nd Battalion, [[London Irish Rifles]] were ordered to make a dangerous [[flanking maneuver|flanking manoeuvre]].<ref name=autogenerated1>Doherty, p.116.</ref>

On the evening of August 1 the London Irish moved to a lying-up area in the [[wadi]]s below the foothills of Centuripe. No transport was able to get forward and that meant that all ammunition, food, and other supplies had to be man-handled causing a delay.<ref name=autogenerated0/>

==Battle==
At noon next day the London Irish went forward to a line behind the 6th Battalion, [[Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment]], of [[36th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)|36th Infantry Brigade]], who were fighting in the hills behind Centuripe, and in the August heat they could see the village resting on the summit of the large hill.<ref name=autogenerated2/> The job of the London Irish was to take three commanding hills, Points 704, 611, and 703 behind Centuripe but it was not known in what strength they were held by the Germans. It was hoped that most of German attention would be to the main battle and that they would concentrate on this rather than their rear.<ref name=autogenerated0/>
[[File:Centuripe Panzer III.jpg|thumb|220px|left|A [[Panzer III]] tank knocked out during the fierce street fighting in Centuripe]]

The London Irish G and F Companies crossed the start-lines after a fifteen-minute warm-up by the [[Ordnance QF 25-pounder|25-pounders]], and they were soon on Points 704 and when G Company overwhelmed the position, H Company moved on to take Point 703. On the start-line they had some casualties as they had to face machine-guns from the hill and from the sides; G Company helped in silencing the [[enfilade]] fire, and when darkness came the London Irish consolidated on the ground gained.<ref name=autogenerated4/> The third hill however still held out and the decision had to be made whether to wait until it had fallen, or to carry on without delay and rely on the preoccupation of the Germans with the left-flank attack.<ref name=autogenerated2/> The latter course was taken; the Royal Irish Fusiliers put in their assault towards the north and rear of Centuripe, and the Inniskillings, who throughout had been in close contact with the Germans on the frontal sector, obtained a foothold on the southern edge of the village after a heavy barrage, which included scaling a 100-foot cliff.<ref name=autogenerated0/>

The Royal Irish Fusiliers pushed through the northern end of the town, fighting was stubborn and hard; two German [[Panzer III|Panzer MKIII]]'s created the most problems; there were no British tanks up in support and these were knocked out eventually by [[PIAT]] weapons.<ref name=autogenerated0/> The Irish brigade then had the difficult task of house to house fighting which proved difficult against the tough paratroopers, by the evening it was thought the town was cleared but the Germans counterattacked and although it was largely repelled some units sneaked back in to snipe as the Irish cleared the streets and houses. Throughout the night more men from 38th Brigade moved into the town to reinforce those already there. Finally the Germans launched another counterattack but this time it was weak and easily repelled after which resistance began to fade.<ref name=autogenerated2/><ref name=autogenerated0/>

Just before dawn on August 3 the whole of the environs including Centuripe fell to the Irish Brigade. The operation had been a tough one, in difficult country and chief credit for the success was due to the Inniskillings, who bore the brunt of the fighting.<ref name=autogenerated/>

In August 1943, there was no respite after Centuripe had been captured and the Irish Fusiliers mastered heights beyond the village, and the London Irish, marching through Centuripe, reached rising ground overlooking the River Salso.<ref name=autogenerated1/> The transport had difficulty in getting down the winding road from Centuripe because of a large crater which took the [[sapper]]s twelve hours to fill in and also because the Germans in their retreat scattered mortar bombs and shells in the area.<ref name=autogenerated0/>

==Aftermath==
[[File:The British Army in Sicily 1943 NA5387.jpg|thumb|225px|British troops in Centuripe.]]
The successful capture of Centuripe had caused the whole German line to [[Catania]] to crack and thus had to withdraw to a new position: the Etna line.<ref name="Alex 1021"/> This however had to be abandoned and soon plans were made to abandon the island of Sicily as a whole.<ref name=autogenerated5/><ref name=autogenerated4/>

The London Irish quickly reached high ground on the far side of the [[Salso]], and at night 'E' and 'F' Companies got to the [[Simeto]]. As dusk approached, two platoons of 'G' Company moved across the river with reserve ammunition, mortars, and machine-guns for the immediate support of the two other companies. By darkness the bridgehead was secure and the Germans withdrew during the night so that in the morning a fighting patrol from the London Irish located the Germans half-way up the hills on top of which was the next objective, the much-bombed town of [[Adrano]].<ref name=autogenerated1/> That, however, was not an Irish Brigade task, for the two other brigades (11th and 36th) of the 78th Division went through. From the afternoon of August 1 to nightfall on August 5 the Irish Brigade had advanced twenty-five miles fighting battles at Centuripe, Salso, and the Simeto.<ref name=autogenerated0/>

The battalion spent five days resting in the cool waters of the Simeto, by which time the rest of the division had captured Aderno and [[Bronte, Sicily|Bronte]], and were holding the hills on the far side of the latter town. The crossing of the Salso and Simeto Rivers and the fall of Aderno had cut all the German lateral communications west and south of [[Mount Etna]], and caused the fall of [[Paternò|Paterno]], Santa Maria, and [[Biancavilla]].<ref name=autogenerated/> The 1st Royal Irish Fusiliers, in the meantime, had captured Capella and [[Monte Maletto]] and cleared the village. The fall of [[Maletto]] and the subsequent rapid approach to [[Randazzo]] forced the Germans on their last hurried withdrawal to the sea.<ref name=autogenerated/>

News of the capture of Centuripe was met with great enthusiasm, [[General (United Kingdom)|General]] [[Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein|Bernard Montgomery]], the [[Eighth Army (United Kingdom)|British Eighth Army]] commander, when shown the cliffs of the town after its capture shouted ''impossible!''. The [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|British Prime Minister]], [[Winston Churchill]] mentioned the news of the capture in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] only a few days later, citing the capture as one of the greatest achievements in storming.<ref name=autogenerated2/>

==Noted participants==
* Sir [[Jake Saunders|John Anthony Holt Saunders]] chairman of [[The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation]] in a supporting role with the [[East Surrey Regiment]]<ref>Squire & Hill, p.19.</ref>

==References==
;Citations
{{Reflist|2}}
;Bibliography
* {{cite book|last=Alexander|first=Harold|title=The Conquest of Sicily from 10 July 1943 to 17 August 1943|series=Alexander's Despatches|date=12 February 1948}} published in {{London Gazette |issue=38205 |date=10 February 1948 |pages=1009–1025 |supp=2}}
* {{cite book|last=Blackwell|first=Ian|title=The battle for Sicily: stepping stone to victory|year=2010|publisher=Pen & Sword Military|isbn=9781844157594|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C7UMAQAAMAAJ&q=centuripe+irish+brigade}}
* {{cite book|last=Blaxland|first=Gregory|title=The Buffs|year=2012|publisher=Osprey Publishing|isbn=9781780967691|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WguytULRhAkC&q=centuripe+1943}}
* {{cite book|last=Chant|first=Christopher|title=The Encyclopedia of Codenames of World War II|year=2013|publisher=Routledge Revivals|isbn=9781134647873|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eTaMAQAAQBAJ&q=Operation+Hardgate}}
* {{cite book|last=Doherty|first=Richard|title=Irish generals: Irish generals in the British Army in the Second World War|year=1993|publisher=Appletree press|isbn=9780862813956|url=https://archive.org/details/irishgeneralsiri00dohe|url-access=registration|quote=centuripe irish brigade.}}
* {{cite book|last1=Facaros |first1=Dana |last2=Pauls |first2=Michael|title=Cadogan Guide, Sicily|year=2008|publisher=New Holland Publishers|isbn=9781860113970|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xsgPxL4b8GsC&q=centuripe+irish+brigade&pg=PA225 |name-list-style=amp}}
* {{cite book|last=Ford|first=Ken|title=Battle-axe Division: From Africa to Italy with the 78 Division 1942–45|year=1999|publisher=Sutton Publishing Ltd|isbn=978-0750918930|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z3qwAAAAIAAJ&q=Battle-axe+Division:+From+Africa+to+Italy+with+the+78+Division+1942-45}}
* {{cite book|last=Kurowski|first=Franz|authorlink = Franz Kurowski|title=Jump Into Hell: German Paratroopers in World War II|year=2010|publisher=Stackpole Books|isbn=9780811705820|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X9T7Og2zOXwC&q=hermann+goering+von+carnap}}
* {{cite book|last=Mitcham|first=Samuel W.|title=The Battle of Sicily: How the Allies Lost Their Chance for Total Victory|year=2007|publisher=Stackpole Military History Series|isbn=9780811734035|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-pfHDCuYzfIC&q=hermann+goering+von+carnap}}
* {{cite book |last1=Squire |first1=G.L.A. |last2=Hill |first2=P.G.E. |year=1992 |title=The Surreys in Italy |location=Clandon, Surrey |publisher=The Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment Museum |name-list-style=amp}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140222232023/http://www.londonirishrifles.com/history-2/significant-events/57-mt-etna London Irish Rifles Association]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Centuripe 1943}}
[[Category:Allied invasion of Sicily]]
[[Category:Battles of World War II involving Germany]]
[[Category:Battles of World War II involving the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:August 1943 in Europe]]
[[Category:Urban warfare in World War II]]
[[Category:Province of Enna]]

Battle of Centuripe - Revision history

Teena29I554 at 15:39, 13 March 2025