Office of Strategic Services Operational Groups

Background:
ALPHA was to provide Operational Group support to the Fifth Army mission (Shingle) during the Anzio invasion January 1944.

Mission:
To assist the 504th Parachute Regiment in support of its long-range reconnaissance by collecting intelligence; and do special demolition work.

Summary:
The section of five officers and thirteen enlisted men were divided into five groups. One group for placement with Regimental Headquarters, one group with the engineer company and one group with each of the three battalions. Radio operators Lt. James Russell and Lt Quayle Smith were assigned to Regimental Headquarters and the Second Battalion.

The section departed Naples in Navy LCI's (Infantry Landing Craft) afternoon of 21 January 1944, landing at "Red Beach", six miles south of Nettuno at 0900 hours 22 January. Making contact with the 504th Regiment about 1200 yards inland, they met with the 504th Regimental Operations Officer and were informed that assignment would be given the next morning; and were ordered to dig in. At 0900 hours the next morning the 504th was assigned to the defense sector on the Mussolini Canal. Before the Regiment moved out it was decided that there would be no need for OG operations in the Regiments defense assignment.

Radio contact with Headquarters was not established until next morning, 24 January when a request for further orders was made. Their response received 25 January was to await the arrival of a Captain Cruze. When Cruze arrived later that day the section was put under the command of a Colonel Vanderblue who ordered evacuation. On 4 February the section arrived in Naples by PT boat.

Summary written from EOM Report prepared by Lt Motola