The Allied strategic
intent in Italy was to capture Rome, which they wanted to capture before the Normandy Landings in planned in June 1944.
Their plan was to advance the British
Eighth Army along the Adriatic Coast then move along Route 5 through the
Apennines Mountains to Rome. The US Fifth Army in the West would advance
towards Rome along Route 6, which passed through the Liri Valley, and along Route 7 on the west coast through the Pontine Marshes.
German intent was
block the Allied advance in order to deny their access to the German Southern
Border as well as protect vital industrial and agricultural areas in Northern
Italy and the Balkans critical to the German war effort. To achieve their aim a series of defensive lines were constructed to slow the allied advance, the Voluturno, Barbara and Benhardt Lines, to allow time for the preparation of the main defensive line, the Guustav Line.
By Mid-December 1943
the Eighth Army had penetrated the German defences and reached Ortana which was
captured by the 1st Canadian Infantry Division. The US Fifth Army had broken
through the Voluturno, Barbara and Benhardt Lines and now faced the Gustav Line.
The wintry
conditions brought the advance in the east to a halt as the use of Route 5 through the
Appennine Mountains to Rome was no longer viable. The route along the west
coast, route 7, was rendered unusable as the Germans had flooded the Pontine
Marshes.
This left only Route
6 through the Liri Valley and the need to break the Gustav Line and secure the
mountains around Cassino that protected the route. To support the operation the
Allies would land an amphibious force at Anzio behind the Gustav Line.
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| Strategic Situation |
The town of Cassino lay on Route 6 where in crossed the Rapido River and ran along Monte Cassino into the Liri Valley. Dominating the route to Rome were mountains which included Monte Cassino on which was located a Benedictine monastery.
The Rapido River rose in the Apennines and flowed westward into the Liri River. The Germans had flooded the Rapido north of Cassino.
A tributary, the Garigliano River flowed into the Rapido to the west of Cassino .
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| Monte Cassino Terrain |
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| Monte Cassino Terrain |
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| Monte Cassino Terrain |
Defending Monte Cassino were the XIV Panzer Corps
consisting two Panzer Grenadier Divisions,
three Infantry Divisions and a Mountain Division. Attached were three battalions of Fallschirmjäger, elite German Paratroopers.
The First Battle of Cassino began on 17th January 1943. The main attack would be conducted by the US Fifth Army's 36th Division who would cross Rapido then assault Monte Caira, Monte Castellone and Monte Cassino. The French Expeditionary Corps would to secure the mountain areas around Mount Belvedere on the right flank, and the British X Corps would force a crossing across the Garigliano River on the left flank and break into the Liri Valley.
The first action of the battle took place on the 17th January when the British X Corps forced a crossing over the Garigliano River and established a small bridgehead. They were unable to exploit the crossing due to immediate German Panzergrenadier counterattacks, preventing a break out into the Liri Valley.
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| British troops cross the Garigliano River |
On the 20th January the US 36th Division launched the main attack. They had to contend with making their way through a flooded area carrying their boats before reaching the Rapido River in full flow from torrential rain.
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| Rapido River |
Struggling through the swamp the flooding created, under heavy fire in the open terrain, casualties mounted. Eventually some units reached the river banks, but enemy fire and the fast flowing river capsizing boats added to the casualties. Only a few boats reached the other side. Attempts were to reinforce them, but eventually all troops were forced to withdraw. The assault failed.
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| US 36th Division Crossing the Rapido |
To bypass the Gustav Line completely, as well as draw forces from it's defence, the Allies launched Operation Shingle—the amphibious landing at Anzio, between the the Gustav Line and Rome. The American forces initially achieved complete surprise, established a beachhead, but did not breakout, choosing instead to consolidate and wait until forces had been built up. The Germans reinforced the area establishing a defensive ring around the beachhead, and subject the area to intensive artillery fire. The offence stalled and also failed in drawing troops from Cassino.
The attack at Cassino resumed on 24th January. The French Expeditionary Corps on the right flank fighting in sub-zero conditions captured Mount Belvedere and Mount Cairo. The US 34th Division took on the assault across the Rapido. They established a foothold across the river then began to fight up Monte Cassino through the mountainous terrain and snow.
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| Across the Rapido Monte Cassino Monastery distant |
They reached within a few hundred yards of the monastery, however the wintry conditions and heavy casualties made reduced the combat effectiveness and orders were given to withdraw, the battle coming to an end on 11th February 1944.
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