![]() The south entrance to this valley was Cassino. Going to Rome from the east was not possible. The original plans that Rome would be captured by October 1943 did not occur.Īlthough in the east the Ortona was captured, the advance stopped in December because of snow. ![]() The Fifth Army made slow progress because of difficult land and German defences. In the east General Sir Bernard Montgomery's British Eighth Army moved up the Adriatic coast. An advance was made on each side of the mountain range in the middle of Italy. The Allied landings in Italy in September 1943 were followed by an advance north in two parts. The German defenders were finally driven from their positions, but with many losses for the Allies. Between 17 January and 18 May, Monte Cassino and the Gustav defences were attacked four times by Allied troops. German paratroopers went into the abbey's ruins. The Germans had set up defence positions in the slopes.Īmerican bombers dropped 1,400 tons of bombs onto the Cassino Abbey. Monte Cassino, a church, was not occupied by the German defenders. The goal of the Battle of Monte Cassino was to break through this line to Rome. Together, these valleys and mountains were called the Gustav Line. They held the Rapido, Liri, and Garigliano valleys and some of the mountains. It was a series of four attacks by the Allies against the Winter Line in Italy held by the Germans and Italians.Īt the beginning of 1944, the western half of the Winter Line was held by Germans. The Battle of Monte Cassino (also called the Battle for Rome and the Battle for Cassino) was a battle during the Italian Campaign of World War II. Class=notpageimage| Location within Italy
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