In early 1944, the Allies were up againsttheGustav line running across Italy, south of Rome. The actions around Monte Cassino are a well-known part of that campaign- To force the issue, the Allies landed a force at Anzio, north of the Gustav line. However, the invasion force was contained in its beachhead for months. Among the German forces containing it was Eisenbahnbatterie 712 (railway battery). It had been meant for the North African campaign but the Afrikakorps was defeated before its arrival. Subsequently stationed near Milan in the north of Italy, they were nicely at hand. The two guns of the battery, named 'Leopold' and 'Robert' by their crews, bombarded the beachhead from the safety of railway tunnels. They became known collectively as 'Anzio Annie1 by the Allies...