<p>Operation Avalanche was the codename for the Allied landings near the port of Salerno, executed on 9 September 1943, as a part of the Allied invasion of Italy during World War II. The Italians withdrew from the war the day before the invasion, but the Allies landed in an area defended by German troops. The landings were carried out by the U.S. Fifth Army, under Lieutenant General Mark W. Clark. Its primary objectives were to seize the port of ...