In a response to message from British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, General Sir Harold Alexander, the commander of all Allied forces in Italy stated, "[Major General John P.] Lucas was highly recommended by General [Mark] Clark and had been specially selected by Eisenhower... Amongst the American Corps Commanders he is probably their best but all the American higher commanders lack the years of practical battle experience we have had and this is an undoubted weakness when it comes to fighting difficult battles against veterans." As time would show, Alexander was dead wrong about Lucas being the most capable at leading a corps.
In the meantime, at the Anzio beachhead, GIs of the 1st Battalion, 179th Regiment, 45th Division, supported by elements of the 191st Tank Battalion, launched a counterattack against the Germans holding the Factory. Suffice it to say it was repulsed.
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