Key Facts
- Dates
- 30 January – 2 February 1944
- Ranger battalions committed
- 3 (1st, 3rd, and 4th)
- U.S. formation
- 6615th Ranger Force (Provisional)
- Part of
- Battle of Anzio, Italian Campaign
- Result
- Clear German victory
Strategic Narrative Overview
On 30 January, the 1st and 3rd Ranger Battalions advanced through an irrigation ditch toward Cisterna under cover of darkness, while the 4th Battalion and 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion pushed along the road. The infiltrating Rangers were ambushed by the Herman Göring Division, which had detected the movement. Surrounded and overwhelmed, the two battalions suffered catastrophic losses over two days of fighting, with only a handful of men escaping capture or death.
01 / The Origins
Following the Allied amphibious landing at Anzio in January 1944, U.S. VI Corps under Major General John Lucas sought to break out of the beachhead before German forces could consolidate. Major General Lucian Truscott's 3rd Infantry Division had already failed to capture Cisterna between 25 and 27 January. A renewed push was ordered, with Colonel William O. Darby's Ranger battalions assigned to spearhead the assault on the strategically important town.
03 / The Outcome
The battle ended in a decisive German victory. The 1st and 3rd Ranger Battalions were effectively annihilated, with most survivors taken prisoner. The destruction of these elite units led U.S. commanders to withdraw Rangers from front-line assault roles in the Italian Campaign. Cisterna itself was not taken by Allied forces until late May 1944, during Operation Diadem.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Colonel William O. Darby, Major General Lucian Truscott, Major General John Lucas.
Side B
1 belligerent
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.