The Caves of Aprilia during the Second World War

As part of niche tourism, one of the most fascinating proposals we want to highlight is dedicated to enthusiasts of military historical tourism. Among the best-known destinations are the Abbey of Montecassino, Via Rasella, the Fosse Ardeatine, and the Piana delle Orme Museum in Borgo Faiti.

Also worth mentioning are the Allied Landing cities — Anzio and Nettuno — the Anzio War Cemetery, and many other sites that evoke and preserve the memory of the tragic events of the Second World War. Few, however, are aware of the Caves of Aprilia, which played a crucial role during the conflict, as we shall see.

The Origins of Aprilia: The City Known as the “Tobacco Factory”

A lesser-known destination, far from mass tourism, Aprilia is a town in the province of Latina, just 45 km from Rome. Counted among the so-called “new towns”, it was founded on April 25, 1936, as part of the great reclamation project of the Agro Pontino, initiated by Benito Mussolini. Earlier attempts to reclaim the marshlands had all failed, but the Pontine Marshes provided the ideal setting for the regime to showcase its image as a rising, organized, and powerful force. The project, entrusted to the Opera Nazionale Combattenti (ONC), began in 1926 and quickly grew into an impressive enterprise.

Mussolini’s vision of creating a vast agricultural belt around Rome materialized roughly a decade later when Aprilia was born as a rural village. The urban core developed along two main axes converging in Piazza Roma, where stood the most important buildings: the Town Hall, Royal Carabinieri Barracks, the Casa del Fascio, the Church of San Michele Arcangelo, a tavern, and a cinema.

Today, the town looks quite different due to the demolition of the Casa del Fascio in the 1970s, the reconstruction of the Town Hall, and various postwar restorations, including the rebuilt bell tower of San Michele Arcangelo in the 1990s.

The nickname “Tobacco Factory” was given by the Allies, who, during aerial reconnaissance, thought the rural village of Aprilia resembled the layout of a tobacco processing plant.

Aprilia During the Allied Landing of January 22, 1944

The area around Aprilia was surrounded by deep ditches, some as much as 12 meters deep, known as wadi—an Arabic term for the bed of a seasonal watercourse.

The British Army, having fought in the North African Campaign, gave these trenches their name, recalling the same terrain features found in Africa. The most famous was the Fosso della Moletta, marked on wartime maps as the Moletta River.

During Operation Shingle, the Allied landings at Anzio and Nettuno, these ditches and ravines created major obstacles for Allied troops. Aerial reconnaissance in the months before the landing failed to show their depth — they appeared merely as small, insignificant streams.

In reality, the terrain’s ruggedness made it impassable for armored units, turning the battle for Aprilia and Carroceto into a trench warfare scenario reminiscent of World War I.

The harsh climatic conditions — cold, damp, and foggy — worsened the situation. Heavy rains filled the ditches with water up to a meter deep, while fog and smoke from explosions drastically reduced visibility. Veterans recalled soldiers ending up side by side with the enemy without even realizing it.

The Caves of Aprilia

The Caves of Aprilia (Caves of Aprilia to the Allies) are located in the Carroceto area, within private land surrounded by vineyards and olive groves. Access is restricted and allowed only through the Operation Shingle 1944 Cultural Association, the sole organization authorized to lead visits.

The caves are not natural formations but rather artificial pozzolana quarries, forming a network of tunnels about 2 km long. They were excavated to extract building materials for the nearby Port of Innocenzo in Anzio, commissioned in 1697 by Pope Innocent XII. This port was built near the ancient Roman Port of Nero, the remains of which are still visible today.

Anzio, notably, was also the birthplace of emperors Caligula and Nero and a favored summer retreat of Roman nobles.

In later centuries, specifically between the 1970s and 1980s, the caves were used as mushroom farms, thanks to their naturally humid conditions.

The Battle of the Caves

During World War II, the caves served as shelters for German and Anglo-American troops, as well as for civilians.

The Battle of the Caves took place between February 16 and 22, 1944, during the German Operation Fischfang, which aimed to push Allied forces back to the sea. The 2nd Battalion of the 157th Regiment, part of the 45th Infantry Division (U.S.), was surrounded inside the caves.

Inside the tunnels, the Americans encountered about 70 civilians, mostly local women who had taken refuge from the bombings around Aprilia. Exhausted and surrounded, the American troops called for British support, but the reinforcements also became trapped in the caves.

The battle ended in massive losses: only 200 of the 1,000 soldiers survived. Among the fallen was Eric Fletcher Waters, the father of Roger Waters, the famed Pink Floyd frontman.

In the U.S., the event made headlines, and the unit became known as “The Lost Battalion of World War II.”

Today, visiting the caves allows visitors to relive this tragic yet pivotal chapter in human history, about 80 years later.

The Operation Shingle 1944 Association

The Operation Shingle 1944 Cultural Association is the only organization authorized to conduct guided tours inside the Caves of Aprilia.

Its president, Enrico Canini, a passionate military historian, has dedicated his career to the study of 1940s war events, particularly the Allied landings at Anzio and Nettuno and the Battle of the Caves.

The association’s mission is to preserve historical memory through documents, testimonies, and multimedia materials, keeping alive the legacy of those who lived through the war.

Canini, a renowned local historian, collaborates with Italian and international TV networks and film productions to create historical documentaries, sharing the cultural and human value of these events with the public.

The Caves of Aprilia remain a silent witness to courage and tragedy, a place where memory and history intertwine to tell the story of a forgotten battle that changed the fate of many.