Battle of Ancona

Battle of Ancona
Part of the Italian Campaign of World War II

German defensive positions in Northern Italy 1944. Polish II Corps advance and taking on Ancona showed on the map.
Date16 June–18 July 1944
Location
Ancona, Italy
43°36′43″N 13°30′52″E / 43.61194°N 13.51444°E / 43.61194; 13.51444
Result Allied victory
Belligerents
Poland
 United Kingdom
Kingdom of Italy Italy
Italian Resistance		  Germany
Commanders and leaders
Władysław Anders
Klemens Rudnicki		 Nazi Germany Harry Hoppe
Strength
~50,000 Unknown
Casualties and losses
496 killed
1,789 wounded
139 missing[1]		 800 killed[2]
2,500 captured[3]

The Battle of Ancona was fought between forces from Poland serving as part of the British Army and German forces that took place from 16 June–18 July 1944 during the Italian campaign in World War II. The battle was the result of an Allied plan to capture the city of Ancona in Italy in order to gain possession of a seaport closer to the fighting so that they could shorten their lines of communication. The Polish 2nd Corps, tasked with capture of the city on 16 June 1944, accomplishing the objective a month later on 18 July 1944. The Battle of Ancona was the only battle of the Western Front that was carried out entirely by the Polish military.[3]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Wawer4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Olgierd Terlecki, Beryl Arct, Poles in the Italian campaign, 1943-1945, Interpress for the Council for Protection of Monuments of Struggle and Martyrdom, 1972, p. 101
  3. ^ a b Marino, James I (8 September 2021). "The Polish II Corps in Italy". Warfare History Network.