Page "Allied invasion of Italy" Paragraph 8

Operation Baytown was the preliminary step in the plan in which Eighth Army, under General Bernard Montgomery would depart from the port of Messina on Sicily, to cross the Straits of Messina and land near the tip of Calabria ( the " toe " of Italy ), on 3 September 1943.

The short distance from Sicily meant landing craft could launch from there directly, rather than be carried by ship.

V British Corps ' 5th Infantry Division would land on the north side of the " toe " while its 1st Canadian Infantry Division would land at Cape Spartivento on the south side.

General Montgomery was strongly opposed to Operation Baytown.

He predicted it would be a waste of effort since it assumed the Germans would give battle in Calabria ; if they failed to do so, the diversion would not work, and the only effect of the operation would be to place the Eighth Army south of the main landing at Salerno.

He was proved correct ; after Operation Baytown the Eighth Army marched 300 miles north to the Salerno area against no opposition other than engineer obstacles.