631. LYMAN LEMNITZER (1899 - 1988) American general assigned to Eisenhower's staff, helped form the plans for the invasions of North Africa and Sicily and negotiated the Italian and German surrenders, served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1960 to 1962. A historic pairing of relics belonging to Gen. Lyman Lemnitzer, directly related to the desperate and determined American and British landings on the Italian mainland at Salerno, Italy on Sept. 9, 1953. Included are Lemnitzer's notes, made on Sept. 13th and in the midst of the battle, for messages to be sent to British Gen. Harold Alexander whose army group contained the American forces led by Mark Clark and British forces led by Bernard Montgomery which were both under siege by German defenders. The notes, 3+pp. 8vo., in pencil, are contained within a British "S.O. Book 136a". The first page is headed "For General Alexander" and reads, in part: "...Clark notified 82d [Airborne] RCT reinforcement will be dropped south Sele River tonight. Avellino drop tomorrow. Wellingtons bombing Avellino area heavily tonight. Clark informed...take AA precautions...Navy being informed here - Clark will notify his people there. [Air] Route - Airfields Milazzo [Sicily] straight north to Sele [River] - NAAF is suggesting closer inshore but doubt if they can do so...Sent personal message to Patton stating sit[uation]. Not too favorable and grateful for anything he can do to expedite loading and dispatch convoys...Patton notified loading 3rd Div. can begin AM 16th...concentrate 3d Div. in embarkation area...General Eisenhower notified of A[ir] B[orne] operations tonight...LCI's from Licata were loaded this AM with 1600 AB troops...tell him location bomb line...". Sold with Lemnitzer's silk topographical map of the Naples-Salerno coast, 18" x 13", folds, in fine condition and likely used in some aspects of the planning. At the time Lemnitzer wrote these notes, the Allied forces were under tremendous pressure by Kesselring's panzer divisions. Contingency plans were drawn up by Clark for the evacuation of VI Corps and its redeployment in the British X Corps perimeter, but the arrival of the immense firepower of the British battleships Warspite and Valiant made the difference with their massive 15 inch guns. Attrition was decimating all German units, and on Sep. 17th, Kesselring called off the German attacks. The Allied beachhead was saved, and the Wehrmacht began withdrawing north to the Volturno River line. Obtained at an auction of the effects of the estate of Gen. Lemnitzer. $2,000 - 3,000