Allied Armies in Italy
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Allied Armies in Italy, commanded by Field Marshal Sir Harold Alexander, was the title of the highest Allied field headquarters in Italy, during the middle part of that campaign. Both earlier and later in the campaign, the headquarters was known as 15th Army Group it reported to the Joint Allied command AFHQ the theatre command for the Mediterranean Theatre.
15th Army Group was renamed Allied Central Mediterranean Force on 17 January 1944. ACMF was commanded by Field Marshal Sir Harold Alexander, and was in turn renamed Allied Armies in Italy on 1 March of the same year. The final change of title of the headquarters, back to 15th Army Group, came when Alexander handed over command to General Mark W. Clark on 11 December 1944.
Allied Armies in Italy had thus controlled the land forces for some of the hardest fighting of the entire war. Operations carried out included: the long stalemate on the Gustav Line with the hardfought Battle of Monte Cassino; the Anzio landings; the capture of Rome; and ending with the Allied forces stuck again just south of the Po valley.
For most of its life the Allied Central Mediterranean Force and Allied Armies in Italy consisted of the US Fifth Army and the British Eighth Army.