The History of WWII Podcast · Ray Harris Jr

Episode 603-One Bloody Advance After Another

February 17, 2026·30 min·1 clip

Only one man got through from a trapped American group near Mont Basilio.

1. History of the Second World War podcast episode 603, "One Bloody Advance After Another," follows the Allied drive across Sicily after Adrano and Mount Etna. 2. Wesley Levesay is the host and narrator, and he uses the episode to track the U.S., British, Canadian, and German movements from San Stefano to Troina. 3. The episode asks how the Allied advance kept grinding forward when German ridges, caves, and hilltop defenses kept slowing it down. 4. West of San Stefano, the 45th U.S. Division stalls until a U.S. naval destroyer shells the German positions and forces a retreat toward Reitano. 5. San Stefano finally falls to the U.S. Army by the end of July 31st, and the 45th Division's losses are listed as 275 dead, 573 wounded, and 141 missing. 6. General Trescott's 3rd U.S. Division then takes over the coastal push while the 1st U.S. Division moves on Highway 120 toward Nicosia and Troina. 7. Hube orders a pullback on July 27th, and Guzzoni objects when he says the German priority is to preserve forces for later use. 8. Troina is defended by the 15th Panzergrenadier Division, the 29th Panzergrenadier Division, the Aostant Division, and elements of the Hermann-Gering Division. 9. General Rott splits his force into Group Full Reed in and north of Troina and Group Enns on the southern routes. 10. The Americans try hills like Mont del Annunziata, Hill 1209, and Hill 1034 before intense artillery and German counterattacks stall the assault. 11. At Mont Basilio, one trapped American group is nearly cut off from supplies, and airdrops reach only part of the position. 12. The narrator says that after 48 hours only one man got through and one company could muster 17 fit men. 13. The main attack on Troina brings in 8 battalions of artillery support and 72 A-36 fighter-bombers carrying 500-pound bombs. 14. Private James Reese of a 60mm Mortar Squad is singled out for breaking up a German charge, then fighting on after his mortar runs out. 15. Reese is later awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously after he is killed during the fight north of town. 16. By August 6th, the Axis troops quietly pull out of Troina, and an American patrol enters to find bodies, civilians, an unexploded 500-pound bomb, and a triage station in the mayor's office. 17. The episode's tone is operational and matter-of-fact, with long battlefield descriptions, casualty counts, and unit movements. 18. The format is a solo historical narrative with occasional sponsor reads and a closing membership thank-you from Chris Stewart. 19. Listeners who like Sicilian campaign logistics and unit-by-unit combat reports will get the most from this episode. 20. Listeners wanting brief commentary without detailed battlefield geography may skip it.

As heard by us

A tight, ground-level battle account where roads, hills, and artillery set the pace.

Troina comes through as a hard, close-range fight where roads, hills, artillery, and counterattacks set the tempo. The episode follows the Americans as they move toward the town, get checked by accurate German fire, and reach Mont Basilio only to see that gain come under…

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Why you'd press play

If you want a hill-by-hill fight where timing, artillery, and supply pressure decide the pace, this is the one.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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