20 April 1945 - 5/MM-45-7276 - Fifth Army, Po Valley Area, Italy

Dead German horses, American armor and vehicles on Highway 5. (Photo by William D. McWhirter, 196th Signal Photo Company)

24 December 1944 (approx.) 5/MM-44-32286, Fifth Army, Italy

Fanning out, the patrol begins to get close to their objective. (Photo 1 of 10). Source: Historical Media 2007 Note: Stars and Stripes, Naples special instructions and censor mark. (Photo by William D. McWhirter, 196th Signal Photo Company)

Uncaptioned, Used by Stars and Stripes, Naples

 - Source: Historical Media 2007 (Photo by William D. McWhirter, 196th Signal Photo Company)

April 1945 - 5/MM-45-6783 - Fifth Army, Tole Area, Italy

Members of Company C, 86th Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, moving up to their new positions. Source: Historical Media 2007 Note: Stars and Stripes, Naples special instructions and censor mark. (Photo by William D. McWhirter, 196th Signal Photo Company)

10 January 1945 (approx.) 5/MM-45-686 - Fifth Army, Italy

Moving past the last contact with the accepted front. Two tank destroyers are used for direct fire against any positions the enemy tries to build or any movement that may be observed. Note: Stars and Stripes, Naples credit and censorship marks. Photo by HIstorical Media, 1997. (Photo by William D. McWhirter, 3131st Signal Photo Company)

23 September 1944 - 5/MM-44-3921

Fifth Army, Firenzuola, Italy - A tank dozer of a tank battalion clears rubble with the 88th Infantry Division clears rubble in Firenzuola. (Photo by William D. McWhirter, 3131st Signal Service Company)

22 April 1945 - 5/MM-45-7823 - Fifth Army, Fifth Army Forward, Italy

German dead are still lying on the ground as German prisoners are brought back to a prisoner of war cage. The advance was so fast that even soldiers and officers from artillery units were captured. (Photo by John T. Mason, 196th Signal Photo Company).

April 1945 - 5/MM-45-6748 - Fifth Army, Vergato Area, Italy

As American troops entered the town of Vergato from all sides, engineers swept mines from streets and also from the Reno River which was taped off and "tank-dozers" smoothed and filled in for the heavy traffic to enter the city. Note: Stars and Stripes, Naples credit and censorship marks. Photo by HIstorical Media, 1997. (Photo by John T. Mason, 196th Signal Photo Company).

27 December 1944 - 5/MM-44-32503 - Fifth Army

All hose is placed in the vehicle in approved Army fashion. This particular way is called the "accordion roll" and must be returned to the vehicle when hose is stored away. Note: Stars and Stripes, Naples credit and censorship marks. Photo by HIstorical Media, 1997. (Photo by John T. Mason, 196th Signal Photo Company).

27 December 1944 - 5/MM-44-32500 - Fifth Army, Italy

Fire House #7 on Highway 65 keeps all in readiness. Each day men of this platoon of fire fighters check their equipment so that any fire can be handled speedily and efficiently.Note: Stars and Stripes, Naples credit and censorship marks. Photo by HIstorical Media, 1997.  (Photo by John T. Mason, 196th Signal Photo Company)

February 1945 - “Pipeline walkers” used military jeeps to inspect for leakage whenever possible.

The pipeline made abrupt turns at nearly right angles so that its route could conform to the Italian terrain, and followed along roads, dipped into valleys and carried up over hills. Additional booster pumping stations were necessary because of rugged terrain. Photo by John T. Mason, 196^th Signal Photo Company  / 111-SC-202904 - (National Archives)

Pipeline pumping station at Livorno, (Leghorn) Italy - The Army’s 703^rd Engineers began construction of a four-inch, double pipeline carrying vital gasoline to the Fifth Army front soon after the capture of the port of Livorno. By November 23, 1944, the pipeline had reached Highway 65 just a few miles behind the winter lines. Burke and John Mason were assigned by Fifth Army Photo Officer Major Linden Rigby photograph the completion of this project two the front lines. While working on the assignment, the pair resided at the Villa Calamai outside of Florence. Photo by John T. Mason, 196^th Signal Photo Company  / 111-SC-202904 - (National Archives)

Edmund Burke O'Connell crouches in the snow by the same hand painted sign holding his Bell and Howell 35mm Eyemo camera. These two informal photos also taken by John T. Mason, 3131st Signal Service Company set the scene as Allied soldiers in the background move up towards the front.

An Army ambulance evacuates wounded from the front lines near Highway 65, between Loiano and Livergnano in this photo dated January 5, 1945.  The flow of wounded from the battlefield was carefully controlled. Evacuation hospitals were kept as free of patients as possible, thereby affording immediate facilities for the most urgent cases. Photos by John T. Mason, 3131^st Signal Service Company. Army Signal Corps Photo, 111-SC-255741

Mayer, 3131st Signal Service Company

12 September 1944 – MM-5-44-10921, Fifth Army, Italy

A detachment of the 16^th Engineers, 1^st Armored Division, clears a road with a tankdozer where a bridge was blown to make way for a column of tanks. Photo by Mayer, 3131^st Signal Service Company.

IN REMEMBRANCE - JACK (John) MULCAHY, an award-winning Chicago Tribune and Army combat photographer who was known for taking risks in pursuit of a photograph died in 2006.

Mulcahy, a native of the South Side of Chicago, joined the Chicago Tribune in 1933 as a copy boy and became photo lab technician.

Mulcahy held that job until going to Europe as an Army combat photographer during World War II, earning a Bronze Star for risking his life in Italy to photograph a German artillery shell exploding a few feet away from him.

Photo by APS: Behind the Familiar Photo Credit Line is Untold Story of GIs Recording Your War

Donald Wiedenmayer provided his copy of a February 1945 Sunday Stars and Stripes Magazine which described the role of the U.S. Army Signal Corps still and motion picture photographers in recording the Italian Campaign of World War II and features both the dramatic photo taken by 196th Signal Photo Company photographer John Mulcahy above and the ground terrain photo taken by Daniel P. Philips below. Burke O'Connell is quoted in the last paragraph of the news article. 

6 January 1945 – 5/MM-45-520, Fifth Army, Italy

Cpl. Vincent Tellarico, AMG, Corps, from 35 E. Parmenter Street, Newburgh, N.Y., picks up washing after heavy snow. Photo by John L. Mulcahy, 196th Signal Photo Company

Photo by APS: Behind the Familiar Photo Credit Line is Untold Story of GIs Recording Your War

Daniel P. Phillips, 196^th Signal Photo Company, takes ground terrain pictures. To get a complete view of enemy held territory, two or more combat photographers were often used. Army Signal Corps Photo, 111-SC-380276

27 April 1944 - MM-5-44-4329 - Fifth Army, Anzio Area, Italy

1st Armored Division, 13th Armored Regiment, Combat Command "B" tanks and equipment of the CCB moving along the road toward their bivouac area. (Photo by Chester G. Rusbar, 196th Signal Photo Company).

27 April 1944 - MM-5-44-4338 - Fifth Army, Anzio Area, Italy

1st Armored Division, 13th Armored Regiment, Combat Command "B" tank moves into its prepared position. (Photo by Chester G. Rusbar, 196th Signal Photo Company).

23 September 1944 - 5/MM-44-3883 - Fifth Army, Futa Pass Area, Italy

75mm German gun knocked out by our artillery with a direct hit in the area south of Futa Pass. (Photo by Chester G. Rusbar, 196th Signal Photo Company).

21 January 1944 - MM-5-44-1007 - Mount Porchia Area, Italy

"A" Battery, 194th Field Artillery Battalion, inserting a new shell into the breach of an 8-inch howitzer. (Photo by Chester G. Rusbar, 196th Signal Photo Company).

17 February 1944 - MM-5-44-1679 - Cassino Area, Italy

132nd Field Artillery Battalion, Battery A, 105mm Howitzer, M-1 loading during rapid fire. (Photo by Chester G. Rusbar, 196th Signal Photo Company).

9 April 1944 - MM-5-44-3480 - Lot 11623 - Fifth Army, Anzio Area, Italy

216th Anti-Aircraft (AA) Battery. 90mm AA gun dug in and in operating condition. (Photo by Chester G. Rusbar, 196th Signal Photo Company).

25 June 1944 - Pgio Fortuno Area, Elba Fortifications

40mm ant-aircraft gun used to protect a battery of three coastal defense guns overlooking the town and harbor of Portoferraio. (Photo by Chester G. Rusbar, 196th Signal Photo Company).

Earl D. Peters - 196th Signal Photo Company

1945 – 5/MM-45-1157 - Fifth Army, Italy

With their rifles on a nearby limb, men are repairing their supply trail, high in the Apennine Mountains. Source: Historical Media 2007. Note: Stars and Stripes censor marks. ((Photo by Earl D. Peters, 196^th Signal Photo Company).