Day 18 - Sept 14, 2017: Enroute to Taranto

Day 18 - Sept 14, 2017:  Enroute to Taranto

Day of travel.
We left Sicily for the mainland from Messina to San Giovanni just as the Allies had 04 September 1943. They were immediately greeted with 2000 surrendering Italian troops - soldiers who, for the most part, did not want to fight for the German's but did not have a choice. The German Army had left the coastal defence to the Italian Forces same as they had in Sicily and headed inland to establish their defences at strategic points.



We took the coastal route along the south coast of Italy to Taranto. This was the route our Grandpa and others in the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps would have taken to transport men and supplies to the east coast of Italy - not just once or twice but as many as three times.  During this time the allies had encountered the German defences in the hills in several minor squirmishes.

Taranto became a port for supplies to the East coast troops and eventually a Naval Base was established there.





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