Invasion of Italy
43-564: Winter Line Gothic Line 1945 Spring Offensive The Trasimene Line (so-named for Lake Trasimene , the site of a major battle of the Second Punic War in 217 BC) was a German defensive line during the Italian Campaign of World War II . It was sometimes known as the Albert Line . The German Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C), Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring , used
86-848: A U.S. armored attack near Massa Marittima was defeated by a German tank platoon under Oberfähnrich Oskar Röhrig from Heavy Tank Battalion 504. The German Tiger I 's knocked out 11 Sherman tanks , while the terrified American tank crews abandoned another 12. The Germans suffered no losses. Röhrig was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for this action. Four Shermans were knocked out by two Tigers from 508th Heavy Panzer Battalion on 12 July near Collesalvetti . Heinrich von Vietinghoff 's 10th Army had Traugott Herr 's LXXVI Panzer Corps facing XIII and X Corps and Valentin Feurstein 's LI Mountain Corps facing
129-616: A deep source of satisfaction to see how the vital part played by the French troops of the Fifth Army throughout our Italian campaign against the common enemy has been universally acknowledged. During these long months, I have had the real privilege of seeing for myself the evidence of the outstanding calibre of the French soldiers, heirs of the noblest traditions of the French Army. Nevertheless, not satisfied with this, you and all your people have added
172-713: A half of launching the assault but German operations persisted in the area for months. Some authorities define the Bernhardt Line as crossing Italy from coast to coast following not just the western defensive positions described above but incorporating also the eastern defences of the Gustav Line. Other authorities use the Winter Line name interchangeably with the Gustav Line . French Expeditionary Corps (1943%E2%80%9344) The French Expeditionary Corps (FEC) ( French : Corps Expéditionnaire Français, CEF ), also known as
215-600: A large battalion). Also known as: 1st Motorized Infantry Division . (General Diego Brosset), arrived in Italy in April 1944 (General André Dody), arrived in Italy end of November 1943 (General Joseph de Goislard de Monsabert ), arrived in Italy in December 1943 (General François Sevez), arrived in Italy in February 1944 (Brigadier general Aaron Bradshaw Jr. , U.S.A.) The first of
258-504: A line running from Pisa to Rimini (i.e. the Gothic Line ) as quickly as possible to prevent the establishment of any sort of coherent enemy defense in central Italy. On Lieutenant General Mark W. Clark 's U.S. Fifth Army front, the U.S. VI Corps , under Major General Lucian Truscott , was pushed up the coast along highway 1 and U.S. II Corps , under Major General Geoffrey Keyes , along highway 2 towards Viterbo . To their right
301-500: A new epic chapter to the history of France; you have gladdened the hearts of your compatriots, giving them comfort and hope as they languish under the heavy and humiliating yoke of a hated invader. . . . With my deepest gratitude for the tremendous contribution that you have made to our joint victories, my dear General. At the height of their reputation as the best mountain fighters in the Allied camp, soon came reports of extensive violence by
344-509: A pied-noir from Bone in Algeria who had commanded Arabs and Berbers much of his life. He was assisted by General Marcel Carpentier . Other notable officers were General Joseph de Goislard de Monsabert (3rd DIA), General François Sevez , General André-Marie-François Dody and General Diego Brosset . General Augustin Guillaume was in command of the three Moroccan tabors (similar in size to
387-466: A spring campaign code-named ‘‘Diadem’’ set for May 11. New units were added: The 1st French Motorized Division, the 4th Moroccan Mountain Division, as well as another group of Tabors, the 1st GTM. In the next two battles, much smaller affairs on a narrow front around Cassino town, the corps was not involved. For the fourth and final battle the Fifth Army's front had been compressed towards the coast to allow
430-585: The Army B that had landed in southern France after Operation Dragoon . The casualties for the campaign were approximately 6,500 killed in action, 2,000 missing and 23,000 wounded. The combatants of the C.E.F. rest in the French military cemeteries of Monte Mario ( Rome ) and Venafro . In a letter to Marechal Juin, General Mark Clark paid tribute to the Tirailleur units and Goumiers of the CEF ;: For me, it has been
473-477: The Army of Africa and led by French officers. Overall approximately 60% of the Expeditionary Corps was composed of colonial troops. The corps distinguished itself in battles, sweeping across mountain ranges with astonishing speed and efficiency, however that success was tarnished by the large numbers of rapes and murders and incidents of looting inflicted on the local Italian population. In August 1944
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#1732852839439516-569: The British Eighth Army 's XIII Corps and II Polish Corps to join the line. During this battle, launched 11 May 1944, the Corps attacked into the inhospitable Aurunci Mountains which the Germans had considered impassable by modern infantry. The progress made by the corps and in particular the lightly loaded goumiers , capturing Monte Maio and pushing deep into the Aurunci, threatened the flanks of
559-583: The French Expeditionary Corps in Italy (FECI) ( French : Corps Expéditionaire Français en Italie, CEFI ), was an expeditionary force of the French Liberation Army . Created in 1943, the corps fought in the Italian Campaign of World War II , under the command of General Alphonse Juin . Consisting of 112,000 men divided into four divisions, all but one of the divisions were colonial units , mostly Moroccans and Algerians drawn from
602-919: The Garigliano River flows into the Tyrrhenian Sea in the west, through the Apennine Mountains to the mouth of the Sangro River on the Adriatic coast in the east. The two subsidiary lines, the Bernhardt Line and the Hitler Line , ran much shorter distances from the Tyrrehnian Sea to just northeast of Cassino where they would merge into the Gustav Line. Relative to the Gustav Line, the Hitler Line stood to
645-629: The XIII Corps , under Lieutenant General Sidney Kirkman , part of the British Eighth Army under Lieutenant General Sir Oliver Leese , headed up highway 3 towards Terni and Perugia whilst V Corps , under Lieutenant General Charles Walter Allfrey , advanced up the Adriatic coast. Between 4 June and 16 June, whilst maintaining contact with the advancing Allies, Kesselring executed a remarkable and unorthodox maneuver with his depleted divisions, resulting in his two armies aligning and uniting their wings on
688-529: The 14th along the Tyrrhenian front and the 10th through central Italy and the Adriatic coast. The 10th escaped because General Mark W. Clark ordered Lucian Truscott to choose Operation Turtle towards Rome rather than Operation Buffalo as ordered by Sir Harold R. L. G. Alexander , which would have cut Route 6 at Valmonte. There was a huge gap between the armies and with the Allies advancing some 10 km per day,
731-710: The 2nd Company of the German 508th Heavy Panzer Battalion knocked out four British Shermans near Tavarnelle Val di Pesa southwest of Florence. The U.S. IV Corps also found progress slow but by 1 July had crossed the river Cecina and were within 20 miles (32 km) of Livorno . Meanwhile, the French Corps had been held up on the river Orcia west of Lake Trasimene until the parachutist defenders withdrew on 27 June allowing them to enter Siena on 3 July. Winter Line Invasion of Italy Winter Line Gothic Line 1945 Spring Offensive The Winter Line
774-405: The 8th Army to capture Orsogna however put an end to the Allied plans of a strong drive up the eastern coast. Rain, flooded rivers, and high casualties, as well as the departure of General Montgomery, all put a halt to Allied plans until the spring of 1944. The Gustav Line thus fulfilled the wishes of Field Marshal Kesselring , the commander of German forces in Italy, of keeping the Allies south of
817-571: The Arabic qaum ) whose soldiers came from the Riff mountains and were grouped in units called "tabor" with tribal or direct family ties, there were 7,833 Moroccan Goumiers in total. French North African units consisted of indigenous, volunteer or conscripted soldiers ( tirailleurs ) recruited by tribe, ethnicity, or region, as well as some non-French mercenary soldiers from the Foreign Legion . The CEF
860-754: The CEF (Corp Expeditionnaire Français). The CEF was made up of two-thirds native Africans ( Moroccans , Algerians and Senegalese ) and one-third French settlers for a total of 112,000 men divided into four divisions. Most of the African troops of the French Expeditionary Corps had grown up in the Atlas Mountains of North Africa, they were the Allies’ only units skilled and equipped for mountain warfare . There were some exclusively Moroccan units of goumiers (from
903-685: The FEC troops at the front was the 2nd Moroccan Division with the 4th GTM attached, in January the 3rd Algerian Division joined the Moroccans. It was positioned in the high mountains at the extreme right of the U.S. Fifth Army . Used to mountain fighting, the FEC pushed back the German 5th Mountain Division taking Monte Belvedere and Colle Abate but stopped before being able to take Monte Cifalco after suffering heavy casualties and lacking reinforcements. The Allied command decided to settle down to reinforce and reorganise for
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#1732852839439946-626: The French forces had crossed the Garigliano (River) and moved forward into the mountainous terrain lying south of the Liri River . It was not easy. As always, the German veterans reacted strongly and there was bitter fighting. The French surprised the enemy and quickly seized key terrain including Mounts Faito Cerasola and high ground near Castelforte . The 1st Motorized Division helped the 2nd Moroccan division take key Mount Girofano and then advanced rapidly north to S. Apollinare and S. Ambrogio In spite of
989-554: The French forces, most notably during the advance on Rome, when the Moroccan Goumiers went on a rampage of rape and looting. When reports reached the Fifth Army headquarters about women and children being violated, goods looted, money stolen and even murder, General Clark was appalled. He contacted Juin who immediately ordered that the offenders be caught and summarily punished. Analysis of French military archives suggests that some 360 Expeditionary Corps soldiers were brought before
1032-677: The German forces on their right in the Liri valley fighting against XIII Corps. The Germans were consequently forced to withdraw allowing XIII Corps to advance up the Liri valley and the Polish Corps on the right to occupy on 18 May the heights of Monte Cassino and the abbey reduced to rubble on top of it. In his autobiography, Mark W. Clark describes how the FEC broke through the Gustav Line in May 1944. Meantime,
1075-432: The Gustav Line crossed the main route north to Rome at strategically crucial Highway 6. It followed the Liri valley and was anchored around the mountains behind the town of Cassino . Above it stood the ancient Benedictine sanctuary of Monte Cassino , which dominated the valley entrance, and Monte Cassino, which gave the defenders clear observation of potential attackers advancing towards the valley mouth. The U.S. 5th Army
1118-621: The Italian Peninsula and barred the way to Rome for the two Allied armies in Italy: the U.S. Fifth Army in the west and the British Eighth Army in the east. The Allies' grand strategy in the autumn of 1943 was for the Eighth Army to advance through the Sangro River defences, then hook south at Avezzano and enter Rome from the rear while the Fifth Army approached from the south. The center of
1161-481: The Polish II Corps on the Adriatic. The toughest defenses were around the lake itself with XIII Corps' British 78th Infantry Division experiencing fierce fighting on 17 June at Città della Pieve and 21 June at San Fatucchio . By 24 June they had worked their way round to the north shore and linked with X Corps' 4th and 10th Indian Infantry Divisions as the German defenders withdrew towards Arezzo . On 8 July,
1204-691: The attention of the Vatican, Pope Pius XII personally objecting to the further use of the tribesmen in Europe. In an audience granted to General de Gaulle, the pope complained about the rape and pillage. As a result of the discussion, the proposed participation of the Moroccan Goums in Operation Dragoon was canceled before being reinstated under pressure from General de Lattre. According to Italian sources, more than 7,000 people were raped by Goumiers. A monument
1247-659: The corps was withdrawn and absorbed into the French First Army under General de Lattre de Tassigny for the invasion of Southern France. After the Americans landed in Algiers in 1942 during Operation Torch , the colonial troops of the French Army of Africa, until then under the orders of the pro-Nazi republic of Vichy . General Charles De Gaulle , head of the French government in exile , drew on this military personnel to create
1290-457: The defence. It took the Allies from mid-November 1943 to June 1944 to fight through all the various elements of the Winter Line, including the well-known battles at Monte Cassino and Anzio . The offensive on the Bernhardt Line was launched on December 1, 1943, as part of Operation Raincoat . British and American troops took the terrain around Monte Camino and the Mignano Gap within a week and
1333-488: The defensive positions on the Trasimene Line. Remarkable though this was, he was probably helped by the confusion caused in the Allied advance by the relieving of the U.S. II and VI Corps (substituted by Major General Willis D. Crittenberger 's U.S. IV Corps and Lieutenant General Alphonse Juin 's French Expeditionary Corps ). The British X Corps , under Lieutenant General Richard McCreery , had also been brought into
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1376-596: The flanks of both armies were exposed and encirclement was threatened. Two days after Rome fell, General Alexander, Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) of the Allied Armies in Italy (AAI), received orders from his superior, General Sir Henry Maitland Wilson , the Allied Supreme Commander in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO), to push the retreating German Army 170 miles (270 km) north to
1419-560: The line on XIII Corps' right whilst V Corps had been relieved by the Polish II Corps , under Lieutenant General Władysław Anders . By the last week of June the Allies were facing the Trasimene positions. Joachim Lemelsen 's 14th Army had Frido von Senger und Etterlin 's XIV Panzer Corps facing the U.S. IV Corps on the west coast and Alfred von Schlemm 's 1st Parachute Corps facing the French Expeditionary Corps beside them. On 22 June,
1462-500: The line to delay the Allied northward advance in Italy in mid June 1944 to buy time to withdraw troops to the Gothic Line and finalise the preparation of its defenses. After the Allied capture of the Italian capital of Rome on 4 June 1944 following the successful breakthrough at Monte Cassino and Anzio during Operation Diadem in May 1944, the German 14th and 10th Armies fell back:
1505-450: The military courts for violent crimes committed against thousands of civilians during the Italian campaign; some were executed, the rest imprisoned. These crimes tarnished the honour of the French army in Italy and horrified Juin and the rest of the French command. The French officers punished with equal brutality, shooting and sometimes hanging the offenders. 207 more soldiers were found guilty of sexual violence. The horrors even came to
1548-557: The most brilliant and daring advances of the war in Italy, and by May 16 the French Expeditionary Corps had thrust forward some ten miles on their left flank to Mount Revole, with the remainder of their front slanting back somewhat to keep contact with the British 8th Army. For this performance, which was to be a key to the success of the entire drive on Rome, I shall always be a grateful admirer of General Juin and his magnificent FEC... The 8th Army’s delay made Juin’s task more difficult because he
1591-405: The northwest and the Bernhardt Line to the southeast of the primary defenses. Before being ultimately broken, the Gustav Line effectively slowed the Allied advance for months between December 1943 and June 1944. Major battles in the assault on the Winter Line at Monte Cassino and Anzio alone resulted in 98,000 Allied casualties and 60,000 Axis casualties. The Gustav Line stretched across
1634-553: The so-called Winter Line. On the western side of the Apennines were two subsidiary lines, the Bernhardt Line in front of the main Gustav positions, and the Hitler Line some 8 kilometres (5 mi) to the rear. The Winter Line was fortified with gun pits, concrete bunkers, turreted machine-gun emplacements, barbed wire and minefields. It was the strongest of the German defensive lines south of Rome. About 15 German divisions were employed in
1677-441: The stiffening enemy resistance, the 2nd Moroccan Division penetrated the Gustav Line in less than two days' fighting. The next 48 hours on the French front were decisive. The knife-wielding Goumiers swarmed over the hills, particularly at night, and General Juin’s entire force showed an aggressiveness hour after hour that the Germans could not withstand. Cerasola, San Giogrio, Mt. D’Oro, Ausonia and Esperia were seized in one of
1720-486: Was a series of German and Italian military fortifications in Italy , constructed during World War II by Organisation Todt and commanded by Albert Kesselring . The series of three lines was designed to defend a western section of Italy, focused around the town of Monte Cassino , through which ran the important Highway 6 which led uninterrupted to Rome . The primary Gustav Line ran across Italy from just north of where
1763-401: Was equipped with allied weapons ( Thompson submachine gun cal. 45 mm and Browning machine gun 12.7 mm) as well as, for the Moroccans, a traditional curved dagger called a koumia . The campaign was under the command of Lieutenant General Mark W. Clark of the U.S. Fifth Army . The commander of the corps was General Alphonse Juin , future Maréchal de France , Juin was himself
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1806-522: Was held up in front of these positions through the winter of 1943-44. They attempted to flank the position by the landings at Anzio but bogged down quickly there. A bloody and protracted battle was waged over the monastery, known as the Battle of Monte Cassino . The eastern end of the line was held by the coastal town of Ortona , captured by Canadian forces in the fierce Battle of Ortona in December 1943 which became known as "the little Stalingrad." Failure by
1849-491: Was moving forward so rapidly that his right flank---adjacent to the British---constantly was exposed to counter-attacks. The battle for the Gustav Line had been difficult for the FEC. It had been involved in violent combat in the mountains. Then, while Clark entered Rome , the FEC attacked the east of the city securing the road to Siena and capturing it. After the campaign, the soldiers were withdrawn to Africa to join
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