HomeMy WebLinkAbout2nd Lt. Thomas W. Fowler '43 Medal of Honor
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The struggle for Italy was one of the longest, toughest and most
controversial campaigns of World War II. This campaign was
distinguished by a German defense of notable economy, skill and
tenacity. In overcoming these defenders, two Aggies show us the true
meaning of guts, determination, heroism and supreme sacrifice.
2nd Lt. Thomas W. Fowler '43
The Breakthrough
The invasion on mainland Italy bean on 3 September 1943 at the
"toe" of Italy by the British Eighth Army. The highly successful a
invasion of Sicily, code named Operation Husky, in July 1943 t
allowed Allies to cross the Straits of Messina and land at Calabria. On
9 September, the U.S. Fifth Army, which were comprised of the U.S.
VI Corps, British X Corps, and U.S. 82nd Airborne Division in reserve
landed at Salerno, Italy on the western coast.
During this time, the Italian government publicly announced an armistice rrr+~
with the allied forces. Opposition came from German forces busy
disarming the Italian army. The hope was that there would be littlef-
opposition, therefore, allowing the U.S. and British forces to make a push.
up the Italian peninsula.
The Allies encountered difficult and sometimes virtually impassable
terrain. The rocky and treacherous Apennine Mountain Range has peaks
that are over 3,000 feet, which made great defensive positions for thefr
German Army. Heavy rain made rivers subject to sudden and unexpected.
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flooding which constantly thwarted the Allied commanders' plans.
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In October 1943, German Field Marshal Kesselring persuaded Adolf
Hitler that the defense of Italy should be conducted as far away from
Germany as possible. Thus, the Winter Line was established which was made up of the Gustav, Bernhardt and Hitler lines in the southern part of
Italy. This line provided a formidable defense for the German Army due
to the mountainous region and the extreme weather. The Allied advance
ground to a halt and an alternative plan to take Rome had to be devised.
2nd Lt. Thomas Weldon Fowler '43 was bom on 31 October
The amphibious landing at Anzio was called Operation Shingle. Anzio 1921 in Wichita Falls, Texas. While in the Corps of Cadets,
is a port town just south of Rome. The operation was designed to reach assigned Troop 13, Cavalry.
was behind the German lines and get the Allies out of the bloody stalemate
at the Cassino front. On 22 January 1944, Major General John P. Lucas,
Commander of the U. S. VI Corps, along with British Allies made a surprise More than 200 Germans were captured. The next few months, however,
landing at Anzio. proved to be disastrous for the Allies. At the end of the first month of the
operation, over 2,000 Allied troops were killed and 8,500 wounded. On
Within the first week after the landing, the Allies brought 69,000 men and 16 February, the Allies were driven back one and a half miles, but they had
approximately 27,250 tons of supplies on shore along with tanks and guns. enough strength to beat off the attack and the beachhead was saved.
101 the Guidon TEXAS AGGIE CORPS OF CADETS ASSOCIATION
The end of this stalemate occurred on 23 May when the troops at Anzio, THE BREAKTHROUGH
numbering seven divisions, would breakout of the beachhead. The Anzio ROME % 25 - 26 May 1944
force was to thrust north to the town ofValmontOnC and cut the German's _ - F- Route of Allied Advance
Tenth Army escape route on Highway 6. rr"m Front Line. Date
ELEVATION IN METERS
At 0545 on the morning of the 23rd, approximately 500 allied artillery 0, zooAb-o
o a
guns fired a 45 minute barrage on the small town of Cisterna followed
by armor and infantry attacks from Carano to the Mussolini Canal. This Frascati Miles
coincided with 60 light bombers striking the town of Cisterna. Cisterna
was located on Highway 7 south of Valmontone. Both highways lead to a y, vatmont-e
Rome, the ultimate prize for the Allies. During these armored -infantry
attacks, 22 year old Second Lieutenant Thomas W. Fowler '43 would make
his mark in history. \ Albano
On that morning, "cen:ano
near the farm veumri~
village of Carano,
south of Cisterna, ( ~Campoleone
Cori
Fowler came upon
two disorganized
infantry platoons Ardeat d Aprilia CC.B /
34th lnf
i
held up in their Ra"oF°a°n; ~It 45th in[ oCA _ Cisterna
' arano ~i
advance by an p sdt t_
enemy minefield. tisa _ .~Fadiglrone tsl SSF
P sthla~ y _
Fowler was 1st mf Br o
assigned to the 191st Tank
Cones '
Battalion, and 11 1
was serving as a ~Littoria
liaison officer to an rvett„no Fo
c7
infantry regiment. \ TFBrett Lq 0;
ANZIO \ 1
- enntact with
After he reorganized the platoons, Fowler then made a personal
11 25 Mr May
~ stay
reconnaissance through the minefield. As he went along the path, he Gra;ppa °
cleared a 75-yard belt by removing antipersonnel mines out of the ground ~1-7)
with his hands. The German S-mine was an anti-personnel mine that was
A9ctp cuurte+_r o/de Perrr-Cu.cranedu Lihrurr Mcrp CuNecrinn. itibrlef iGirr 11 Maps.
the most feared device encountered by Allied troops during World War
11. It was also known as the Bouncing Betty and was produced in large
numbers. The German Tenth Army deployed over 23,000 of them as Above is a map of the Allied breakthrough from the Anzio
defense during the Allied invasion of Italy. beachhead. On 23 May, B and Companies the
Battalion Tank the 45th Infantry t
As the platoons deployed, Fowler, despite the constant danger of worked there way through heavy minefields. Fowlers heroic actions in the small antipersonnel mines and enemy fire, made a reconnaissance into enemy village Carano, seen in ' helped '
45th its to Rome.
Infantry m ' '
territory in search of a route to continue the advance. After he returned
through the minefield still on foot, he led the tanks through the mines into
a position from which they could best support the infantry. When one of the tanks was set afire, with disrcuard for his ms n life and
shells bursting all around him, he ran directly into the enemy tank fire to
Fowler led the platoons forward until he had gained the objective. He reach the burning vehicle. Under intense fire from the advancing tanks he
then took several dug-in German infantrymen by surprise, where he remained in his forward position. For over half an hour, he made every
dragged them out of their foxholes and sent them to the rear. Twice, he attempt to save the lives of the wounded tank crew. Only when he was
threw hand grenades into German dugouts after they resisted. Realizing almost overrun by enemy tanks, did he withdraw a short distance away
that a gap existed between his company and the unit to his right, Fowler where he rendered first aid to nine wounded infantrymen in the midst of
decided to continue his advance until the gap was filled. the relentless incoming fire. Eleven days later, Fowler was killed in action
during the allied push to capture Rome.
He brought the supporting tanks forward while under heavy mortar
and small arms fire. Within minutes, the enemy began an armored 2nd Lt. Thomas W. Fowler's bravery and courage did not go unnoticed.
counterattack. Several German Panzer MK VI Tiger tanks fired their He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on 28 October 1944
high velocity 88mm cannons directly on Fowler's position. The heavily for his actions on 23 May 1944. Lt. Fowler was buried in Crestview
armored Panzer was a formidable tank of which the Allies had no match. Memorial Park in his hometown of Wichita Falls, Texas.
WWW.CORPSOFCADETS.ORG the Guidon 111