473rd Infantry Regiment Liberation Plaque
Details:
In the town main square at mounted to a wall at door top level just in front of the church.
A series of painted colored ceramic plaque making an 18” x 2 ft plaque mounted to a building wall.
The plaque remembers the 161 soldiers of the 473rd Infantry Regiment (Regimental Combat Team) who fell taking the Terre di Luni – a series of towns - the "Bloody Hills" around Nicola which were part of the German Gothic Line defenses as part of the 92nd Infantry Division attack up the Ligurian coast to Genoa as part of Operation Craftsman.
The 473rd Regiment was a regiment created during the war and assigned to the 92nd “Buffalo Soldiers” Infantry Division.
The 473rd Regimental Combat Team was organized from existing anti-aircraft units that were no longer needed to defend against enemy aircraft. The units that formed the new 473 RCT included: 2nd Armored Group HQ, 434th, 435th, 532nd and 900 Anti-Aircraft Weapons Battalions. Colonel Willis D. Cronk of 2nd Armored Group HQ was placed in command during the reorganization and was soon replaced by Col. William P. Yarborough.
Monument Text:
The text is written in Italian and reads:
(Symbols American and Italian Flags)
IN MEMORIA
dei 161 soldati del
473 RGT FANTERIA U.S.A.
Caduti in battaglia
Per la liberazione delle
TERRE DI LUNI
5-25 Aprile 1945
Nicola, 15 Aprile 2007
The translation in English:
(Symbols American and Italian Flags)
IN MEMORY
Of the 161 soldiers of the
473rd US Infantry Regiment
Who fell in the battle
For the liberation of the
TERRE DI LUNI
5-25 April 1945
Nicola, 15 April 2007
Commemorates:
People:
Units:
473rd Infantry Regiment
473rd Infantry Regiment, 92nd Infantry Division
5th Army
92nd Infantry Division
Wars:
WWII
Battles:
Gothic Line
Italian Campaign
Operation Craftsman
Other images :