# Operation Avalanche naval order of battle

Operation Avalanche was the codename for the combined US and British landings on the southwest coast of Italy on 9 September 1943 as part of the Allied effort in the Mediterranean Theater during World War II. The forces landed consisted of the US Fifth Army under Lieutenant General Mark W. Clark. The Fifth Army was made up of the British X Corps, which landed south of the town of Salerno, and the US VI Corps, which landed at the town of Paestum.
The landings were carried out by combined forces of the US Navy and Royal Navy.
Naval losses: 2 destroyers, 1 minesweeper, 1 tug, 1 hospital ship

## Order of battle
### Western Naval Task Force (Task Force 80)

Vice Admiral H. Kent Hewitt, USN
    Embarking US Fifth Army (Lt. Gen. Mark W. Clark, USA)
       1 amphibious force flagship: USS Ancon
       2 anti-aircraft/fighter director ships: HMS Ulster Queen, HMS Palomares
       1 submarine: HMS Shakespeare

#### Northern Landing Force (Task Force 85)

Commodore G.N. Oliver, RN
    Embarking British X Corps (Lt. Gen. Richard McCreery, BA)
       Combat vessels
          4 light cruisers: HMS Mauritius, HMS Uganda, HMS Orion, HMS Delhi
          1 monitor: HMS Roberts
          18 destroyers: 17 British, 1 Greek
       Amphibious assault vessels
          2 amphibious force flagships: HMS Hilary, USS Biscayne
          13 transports and LSIs
          90 LSTs: 45 American, 45 British
          84 LCTs: 24 American, 60 British (5 sunk)
          96 LCI(L)s: 48 American, 48 British
       Auxiliaries
          7 minesweepers
          4 tugs (1 sunk by air attack 13 September)
          23 subchasers/wooden hull
          27 minecraft
          32 motor launches
          13 trawlers

#### Southern Landing Force (Task Force 81)

Rear Adm. John L. Hall, Jr., USN
    Embarking US VI Corps (Maj. Gen. Ernest J. Dawley, USA)
       Fire Support Group (TG 81.5)
       Rear Admiral Lyal A. Davidson
          4 light cruisers: USS Philadelphia, USS Savannah, USS Boise, USS Brooklyn
          1 monitor: HMS Abercrombie
          4 destroyers (1 sunk by submarine 12 October)
       Screen (TG 81.6)
       Capt. Charles Wellborn
          12 destroyers (1 sunk by torpedo boat 10 September)
    Transport Group (TG 81.2)
    Capt. C.D. Edgar
          19 transports: 14 American, 5 British
          3 LSTs: all British
          6 scout boats
    Landing Craft Group (TG 81.3)
    Capt. F.M. Adams
          27 LSTs: 18 American, 9 British
          32 LCIs: 26 American, 6 British
          6 LCTs: all American
    Control Group (TG 81.7)
    Cmdr. R.D. Lowther, USNR
          8 subchasers (steel hull), 4 LCSs
    TG 81.8 – Minesweeper Group
    Cmdr. A.H. Richards
          9 minesweepers (1 sunk by submarine 25 September)
          12 motor minesweepers
    TG 81.9 – Salvage Group
    Lt. V.C. Kyllberg
          2 tugs
    TG 80.2 – Picket Group
    Lt. Cmdr. S.M. Barnes
          16 PTs
    TG 80.3 – Diversion Group
    Capt. C.L. Andrews
          1 destroyer: USS Knight
          7 torpedo boats: 7 British MTBs, 1 American PT
          4 subchasers (wooden hull)
          6 Motor Launches
          10 air/sea rescue craft

#### Support Carrier Force (Task Force 88)

Rear Admiral Sir Philip L. Vian, RN
       1 light carrier: HMS Unicorn
       4 escort carriers: HMS Battler, HMS Attacker, HMS Hunter, HMS Stalker
       3 light cruisers: HMS Euryalus, HMS Scylla, HMS Charybdis
       9 destroyers: 7 British, 2 Polish
Covering forces
       2 fleet carriers (Rear Admiral Clement Moody, RN)
          HMS Illustrious
             28 Grumman Martlet fighters
             10 Supermarine Seafire fighters
             12 Fairey Barracuda torpedo bombers
          HMS Formidable
             28 Grumman Martlet fighters
             5 Supermarine Seafire fighters
             12 Fairey Albacore torpedo bombers
       Force "H" (Vice Admiral Sir Algernon Willis, RN)
          4 battleships: HMS Nelson, HMS Rodney, HMS Warspite, HMS Valiant
       Screen
          20 destroyers: 16 British, 1 Polish, 2 Dutch, 1 French
       Auxiliaries
          3 hospital ships: HMHS Newfoundland (sunk by air attack 13 September), HMHS Leinster, HMHS Somersetshire