This week in the war, heavy fighting continued around Salerno, the more northerly prong of the Allied force that had invaded the Italian mainland

Using large numbers of tanks and powerful artillery, the Germans launched a series of counter-attacks aimed at throwing the Allies back into the sea. However, additional British and American reinforcements arrived and the landing force held on. By 16 September, the battle was going in favour of the Allies and the Germans started to pull back.

Given the Salerno bridgehead had survived and the British Eighth Army was advancing from the south, the Germans began a general withdrawal northward-west towards Naples.