SECTION V_The war against Germany and Italy: Mediterranean and adjacent areas

Italy

(5 June 1944–2 May 1945)

The Allies did not halt after taking Rome, but their northward progress

was soon slowed by skillful delaying tactics of the retreating enemy

and by the fact that all the French and some of the American divisions

were being withdrawn from the U. S. Fifth Army for the operation in

southern France. The Germans speeded construction of the Gothic Line

in the north Apennines, and early in August 1944 the Allies paused for

reorganization on a line running approximately from ten miles north

of Ancona on the east through Pisa to the west coast. The Fifth Army

held the territory south of the Arno River from the sea to a few miles

east of Florence; the British Eighth Army was north of Ancona on the

Adriatic.

During August preparations were made by the Allied armies in northern

Italy to penetrate the heavily fortified Gothic Line. This defensive

system of the enemy extended in general from southeast of La Spezia

through the mountains to Rimini. After regrouping and building up

supplies, the Allied armies started their offensive on 26 August. They

succeeded in breaching the Gothic Line in the center and along the

coast, but fierce enemy resistance, bad weather, and a shortage of

ammunition and replacements halted the offensive south of the Po River

plain by the late fall of 1944. The winter of 1944–45 was spent in the

mountains overlooking the Po Valley.

The spring drive by the Allied armies started on 9 April 1945. Bologna

fell on 20 April, and armor and infantry overran the plain and divided

the German forces. On 2 May 1945 the enemy in Italy surrendered

unconditionally.

[Illustration: ITALY

SOLDIER LOADING WING GUNS OF A FIGHTER with .50-caliber

ammunition. In Italy these tough and maneuverable fighters

were used for a variety of purposes, particularly after other

fighter planes with a higher speed and longer range were

available for escorting and protecting bombers. The P-47’s

became fighter-bombers, and were also equipped to use rockets.

(4.5-inch 3-tube AC rocket launcher M15 of a P-47.)]

[Illustration: CORSICA

FRENCH COMMANDOS AND SENEGALESE TROOPS on an LCI in a Corsican

harbor prior to the attack on the island of Elba. The troops

were taken to Elba on 17 June 1944 in U. S. landing craft and in

two days the island had been secured.]

[Illustration: CORSICA

GOUMIERS BOARDING AN LST in Corsica for the attack on Elba.

The attack, though not carried out by Fifth Army troops, was

co-ordinated by Allied Force Headquarters with the advance on

the Italian mainland and was launched when the forces driving

up the mainland were nearly opposite the island. The attacking

force consisted of French, goumiers, and Senegalese.]

[Illustration: ITALY

BRAZILIAN SOLDIERS ARRIVING IN NAPLES, July 1944, to serve

with the Fifth Army during the 1944–45 winter campaign in the

northern Apennines.]

[Illustration: ITALY

GASOLINE DISTRIBUTION POINT. Oil tankers brought gasoline into

major ports. From there it was transported to storage tanks at

distribution points by pipeline, trucks, or tankers where it was

transferred to five-gallon cans for pickup.]

[Illustration: ITALY

A TIGER TANK, such as was encountered in Tunisia and Sicily, but

with a non-magnetic plastic coating. It is believed that most of

the tanks thus coated were originally destined for the Russian

front where the Germans were greatly troubled by delayed-action

magnetic mines which were stuck onto the armor of their tanks by

Russian infantry.]

[Illustration: ITALY

GERMAN ARMOR. Medium tank is the Mark IV (top). Of the four tank

types with which the Germans started the war, only this survived

in service until the end. Originally it had a short-barreled

75-mm. gun which changed its role from a close-support vehicle

to a fighting tank. Assault gun (bottom). The Germans used

this in great numbers, and it was often called a tank, but was

actually an assault gun and tank destroyer on the chassis of a

Mark III tank. (Top: Pz. Kpfw. IV tank with 7.5-cm. Kw. K. 40

(L/43) gun; bottom: Stu. G. III with 7.5-cm. Stu. K. 40 gun.)]

[Illustration]

[Illustration: ITALY

GERMAN AMPHIBIAN JEEP, a version of the light Army car,

Volkswagen. Both versions were inferior in every respect to the

U. S. jeep except in the comfort of the seating accommodations.

(Schwimmwagen, le.P.K w.K.2s.)]

[Illustration: ITALY

ENGINEERS SETTING OFF ENEMY MINES in a street in Leghorn on

19 July 1944, the day the city fell. The soldier at left is

guarding engineers against snipers. The Germans had destroyed

all the port facilities, mined the buildings in the harbor

area, and made the latter unusable by blocking the entrance

with sunken ships. The drive from Rome to the Arno River was

a pursuit action in which the Germans, by skillful delaying

tactics, slowed the Allied advance so that completion of

the Gothic Line defenses in the northern Apennines could be

expedited. The mouth of the Arno River was reached by 23 July

1944.]

[Illustration: ITALY

TROOPS IN PISA. The southern outskirts of this town on the Arno

River were entered on 23 July 1944. The enemy had destroyed all

bridges across the river and when the infantry entered the town

they were met by heavy fire from across the river. The southern

half of the city was found heavily mined and booby-trapped.

During the approach to the Arno River plans were being completed

for introduction of antiaircraft units into the lines as

infantry since enemy air activity had decreased to the extent

that many AA units could be more profitably used as infantry.]

[Illustration: ITALY

FIRING HOWITZERS across the Arno River in August. The men of

this unit were part of an American all-Negro regimental combat

team, the first to appear in Italy. They entered the line south

of the Arno on 23 August. A few weeks later an entire Negro

infantry division was at the front. (105-mm. howitzer.)]

[Illustration: ITALY

MEMBERS OF AN ARMORED FIELD ARTILLERY UNIT firing a 105-mm.

howitzer during training south of the Arno River. The howitzer

is mounted on a Priest. The Fifth Army reached the Arno at

Pontedera on 18 July and the first week in August found the

forces grouped along the southern bank on a thirty-five-mile

front reaching from the sea on the west to Florence. The month

of August was used for resupplying, resting, and training the

units. (105-mm. howitzer; M7 gun motor carriage.)]

[Illustration: ITALY

NEGRO TROOPS CROSSING THE ARNO near Pontedera on 1 September,

during the drive toward the Gothic Line. The attack on this line

was started by the Eighth Army along the east coast on the night

of 25–26 August. On 1 September the line had been breached in

that sector but by the 6th the advance had been stopped a few

miles below Rimini on the Adriatic coast. This advance by the

British caused the German High Command to shift three divisions

opposing the Americans to the British sector. The forces

directly opposite the Arno drew back into the Gothic Line, a

distance of about twenty miles.]

[Illustration: ITALY

SHERMAN TANK FORDING THE ARNO in the Cascina area on 1

September. Little opposition was met until the Gothic Line

was reached. The Germans had started to withdraw into this

line during the last days of August. Before the withdrawal,

it was estimated that the area between the Arno River and the

Gothic Line contained about 350 enemy tanks, half of which were

Panthers and Tigers. (Sherman tank M 4A 1.)]

[Illustration: ITALY

TOP OF IL GIOGO PASS IN THE GOTHIC LINE, looking toward the

north. The Fifth Army broke through this pass in the Gothic Line

defenses outflanking the heavier prepared fortifications at Futa

Pass on Highway 65. The scarcity of roads through the mountains

made it possible for the Germans to concentrate their defensive

works at a few key points such as the Futa and Il Giogo Passes.

Highway 6524 branches off Highway 65 thirteen miles north of

Florence, winds through Il Giogo Pass, and ends at Highway 9 in

Imola (Po Valley).]

[Illustration: ITALY

INFANTRY ADVANCING OVER THE HILLS in the area of Il Giogo Pass

on 18 September, the day the pass was taken. The fight for the

area started on the morning of 12 September. The mountains on

each side of Il Giogo Pass are too steep to require antitank

defenses other than road blocks, but other defenses such as

underground fortresses were numerous and well prepared. Barbed

wire and antipersonnel mine fields guarded approaches. Many of

the hills were covered with pine woods which made it difficult

to locate enemy defenses by the use of aerial photographs. Some

information was obtained from partisans who had worked on the

Gothic Line.]

[Illustration: ITALY

PACK MULE TRAIN approaching the Gothic Line in the area of Il

Giogo Pass. For the difficult task of supplying their troops

through the mountains the Allied forces had 9 Italian Army mule

pack companies, each containing 260 mules. (2½-ton U. S. truck

overturned.)]

[Illustration: ITALY

HIGHWAY 65 AT FUTA PASS. This pass, at an altitude of 2,962

feet, is one of the lowest through the northern Apennines.

Highway 65, the most direct route to Bologna and the Po Valley,

became the main supply route and a principal axis of advance in

the Fifth Army area, although the breach in the Gothic Line was

not made here. Futa Pass fell on 22 September.]

[Illustration: ITALY

INFANTRY PACK TEAMS bringing supplies to units fighting in the

Gothic Line near Futa Pass. Mule pack teams were available but

some of the paths were too steep even for pack animals.]

[Illustration: ITALY

ANTITANK DITCH AT FUTA PASS. This ditch, about three miles long,

crossed the road south of the pass. The ditch was covered with

a network of infantry positions and bunkers for antitank guns.

The area in front of the ditch was mined. Two of the bunkers in

this area were topped by Panther tank turrets with long-barreled

75-mm. tank guns.]

[Illustration: ITALY

A PANTHER TURRET CASEMATE in the Gothic Line near Futa Pass. The

turret could not be penetrated by the guns of any of our tanks,

but was vulnerable to artillery fire.]

[Illustration: ITALY

REPAIRING PONTON TREADWAY BRIDGE over the Arno at Pontedera.

The supply situation of Fifth Army troops at the Gothic Line

was made difficult by fall rains which raised the Arno River to

flood level and washed out most of the bridges between Florence

and Pontedera.]

[Illustration: ITALY

MACHINE GUNNERS FIRING AT GERMANS in the Monticelli area near Il

Giogo Pass. Note flash hider attached to front of machine gun.

The Americans occupied Firenzuola on 21 September. (.30-caliber

Browning machine gun M1917A1, a development of the M1917 which

proved its worth in World War I.)]

[Illustration: ITALY

AMERICAN ENGINEERS CONSTRUCTING A BYPASS in the Firenzuola

area during the pursuit of the Germans. The combat engineers,

prepared to bulldoze a bypass or to install temporary bridges,

followed closely behind the leading elements of the infantry and

armor. (Jeep; crawler type diesel tractor with angledozer.)]

[Illustration: ITALY

BAILEY BRIDGE in the Firenzuola area. This is the same site as

the scene of the bulldozer constructing a bypass, the picture

being taken two days later. The Bailey bridge was particularly

suitable for operations in the mountains of Italy where sudden

rains would swell the rivers and wash out ponton bridges.]

[Illustration: ITALY

AMERICAN ARTILLERYMEN firing captured German 150-mm. gun near

Lucca. Note small amount of smoke. German ammunition was charged

with smokeless, flash-less powder which in both night and day

fighting helped the enemy tremendously in concealing his fire

positions. All U. S. guns, from the rifle to the large howitzer,

left telltale puffs of smoke during daytime or showed relatively

large and brilliant muzzle flashes at night.]

[Illustration: ITALY

A GROUP OF ARMORED VEHICLES at a salvage yard of a heavy

maintenance company in Italy. (1, 2, and 3, light tanks M5; 4,

medium tank M4; 5, gun motor carriage M10; 6, medium tank M4. A

tractor and tank recovery trailer are partially visible, upper

right.)]

[Illustration: ITALY

SOLDIERS IN THE APENNINES receiving an issue of woolen

underwear, September 1944. Some of the peaks in the northern

Apennines rise to well over 5,000 feet and the weather is

unpleasantly cold in winter. Fall rains, often turning to sleet,

start in September and the higher peaks are usually snow-covered

by late October. Highway 65, the main axis of advance, runs

mostly on top of the mountain ridges. Here the cold is

particularly severe. There is nothing to break the winter winds

and part of the road is so high that it is often cloud-covered.]

[Illustration: ITALY

LOADING MULES WITH AMMUNITION for 155-mm. howitzers in the

Castel del Rio area on Highway 6524, between Firenzuola and the

town of Imola in the Po Valley. After breaching the Gothic Line

at Il Giogo Pass an attempt to reach the Po Valley at Imola

was made along the route above. Because of the exposed salient

and stiff enemy resistance, the axis of attack was changed to

Highway 65. On 1 October, the day the picture was made, bloody

fighting for possession of the controlling height of Monte

Battaglia, east of Castel del Rio, was in progress.]

[Illustration: ITALY

A TANK BATTALION PREPARING TO ATTACK along Highway 65 toward

the village of Monghidoro. The attack started on the morning of

1 October and by evening of the 2d the village was securely in

Allied hands. The Sherman tanks pictured here are all armed with

76-mm. guns.]

[Illustration: ITALY

TRUCK TOWING HOWITZER along Highway 65 during the beginning of

the 1 October drive. Smoke is from M2 smoke generators. (6-ton

truck; 155-mm. howitzer.)]

[Illustration: ITALY

TERRAIN OF THE WINTER STALEMATE in the northern Apennines,

looking toward the southeast. The high mountain peak in distance

is Monte Vigese. This mountain was taken by the South Africans

of the Fifth Army on 6 October 1944 after a three-day fight.

The territory in the foreground was in enemy hands until the

beginning of March 1945 when it was taken by American and

Brazilian troops in a limited offensive to obtain better jumping

off places for the main attack toward the Po Valley.]

[Illustration: ITALY

NEGRO TROOPS ADVANCING ON HIGHWAY 12 along the Torrente

Lima. Jeeps with trailers were used and in danger areas the

windshields were folded forward and covered with canvas to

prevent light reflection. The sort of road demolition shown was

common during the fighting in the northern Apennines. Valley

roads were subject to natural landslides, and large-scale

destruction was easy to accomplish.]

[Illustration: ITALY

ROAD IN THE APENNINES during the October drive. After the first

week, weather was a contributing factor to the slow pace of the

offensive. Rainy and foggy days worked almost entirely to the

benefit of the enemy. Artillery observation planes were grounded

and few of the planned air missions could be flown. Finally,

with each mile that the troops advanced over the rain-soaked

trails and dirt roads, the problem of keeping supplies moving

forward increased. Engineers kept working night and day pouring

gravel and crushed rock on the roads. They managed to keep

highways open for all types of vehicles and side roads passable

for the four-wheel-drive jeep and the powerful 2½-ton truck.

(Jeep; 2½-ton truck.)]

[Illustration: ITALY

THE WEASEL, officially cargo carrier M29, came into its own

during the campaign in the northern Apennines. It operated

satisfactorily off the roads under mud or snow conditions and

helped to provide lateral communications. Most roads in the

Fifth Army sector of the Apennines ran more or less parallel

in a northerly direction; the area of the winter fighting

was almost completely devoid of east-west roads. The Weasel,

originally designed for use over snow and ice, had low ground

pressure and proved suitable for operation across fields or poor

trails. It had a crew of two and a pay load of approximately

1,000 pounds.]

[Illustration: ITALY

JEEPS ALONG THE SUPPLY ROADS in the northern Apennines. This

vehicle was capable of operating over unimproved roads and

trails and could be shifted into four-wheel drive for steep

grades and muddy or sandy terrain. It could climb a 60 percent

grade and attain a speed of 65 miles per hour over level

highways. The jeep could also ford a stream 18 inches deep while

fully loaded and a deeper stream when especially equipped with

exhaust and air-intake extensions. The jeep, truck, and pack

mule were always important in the advances made.]

[Illustration]

[Illustration: ITALY

APPROACH TO LIVERGNANO ON HIGHWAY 65, looking from the south

along the highway. The village is the small cluster of ruined

houses below cliff on left. The Germans occupied the houses

as well as the tops and sides of the two hills. The latter

were honeycombed with caves which the enemy had enlarged and

strengthened. The fighting lasted from 9 to 14 October. On the

14th the enemy was still in possession of most of the village

and the two hills but retreated because he had been outflanked

from the west.]

[Illustration: ITALY

THE RUINS OF LIVERGNANO. The main highway through the village

runs to Florence (upper right), and to Bologna (center left).

Livergnano, taken in a five-day fight, became known as “Liver

and Onions.” During the final attack of this fall offensive

toward Bologna, which started on 16 October and bogged down in

mud toward the end of the month, the enemy concentrated his

artillery fire on this village in an attempt to demolish the

houses along the road and thus block the highway, the supply

road for the area. The enemy managed to knock down some of the

houses but did not succeed in stopping traffic. Bulldozers

filled the craters in the road and pushed aside the rubble.]

[Illustration: ITALY

MONTE BELLA FORMICHE, taken after a three-day fight starting on

10 October. This mountain, located east of Highway 65, is 2,092

feet high, the highest of the terrain features in the chain

of enemy defenses stretching east and west across Highway 65

through the village of Livergnano.]

[Illustration: ITALY

LIGHTNING FIGHTERS. This twin-engined fighter was the first

successful long-range bomber escort developed by the United

States. Most Allied fighter planes in Italy gradually came to

be used as fighter-bombers as the need for protecting bomber

formations from hostile aircraft diminished. In August 1943

the Germans had only about six hundred combat aircraft, mostly

fighters, in Italy. About a third of these were of limited use.

Demands for fighters on the Russian front and the need for

protecting production centers in Germany from Allied bombings

caused some withdrawal of enemy fighters based in Italy. (P-38.)]

[Illustration: ITALY

THUNDERBOLT FIGHTER-BOMBERS over the northern Apennines. Note

belly tank to increase range, and bombs under wings. Beginning

in October 1944, extensive use of the 110-gallon fuel tank

incendiary bombs containing a jelly-like mixture called napalm

was made for the first time on the Italian front. The bombs

proved particularly effective against enemy bivouacs and troop

installations in wooded areas where the highly inflammable

fuel, scattered over a wide area, could start numerous fires.

Fighter-bombers co-operated closely with the ground forces.

(P-47.)]

[Illustration: ITALY

MUSTANG FIGHTERS. This plane, the P-51, was originally made

for the British and was used by the Royal Air Force as early

as November 1941. The Army Air Forces started to use it in

July 1942. The A-36 version of the P-51 was a fighter-bomber,

and except for diving brakes and differences in armament, the

two ships were alike. With the addition of wing tanks the P-51

became a long-range fighter used to escort bombers.]

[Illustration: ITALY

LIBERATOR BOMBERS from Italian bases bombing the Munich area

in southern Germany. Smoke-making generators in operation to

blanket vital areas. Note black bursts of antiaircraft fare.

Heavy bombers from Foggia could easily strike at the passes

in the Alps and attack enemy installations and factories in

southern Germany and Austria as these targets were closer to

Allied bases in Italy than they were to those in England.]

[Illustration: ITALY

LIBERATOR BEING SHOT DOWN by flak over the Po Valley in northern

Italy. As the war in the Mediterranean progressed the size

and effectiveness of the enemy air forces decreased, while

the antiaircraft defenses increased and became more and more

concentrated around the remaining enemy targets. As various

enemy targets were damaged beyond usefulness, antiaircraft

units defending them were sent to strengthen defenses around

industrial plants still in production.]

[Illustration: ITALY

FLAK-DAMAGED FUSELAGE OF A FLYING FORTRESS. This plane received

a direct antiaircraft shell hit while on a mission over Hungary

but managed to fly back to Italy where it collapsed on landing.

In spite of damage to the bomber none of the crew was hurt.]

[Illustration: ITALY

COREGLIA ANTELMINELLI in the mountains west of the Serchio

River. This region was being held by an American Negro infantry

division. On the morning of 26 December 1944 a mixed enemy force

of Germans and Italians started an attack in this vicinity and

pushed the division back several miles. An Indian brigade was

rushed up to halt the advance of the enemy. Since it was feared

that the enemy might break through and threaten the Allied

supply base at Leghorn, reinforcements were rushed to the area

to protect the vital base. On the night of the 27th the Indians

made contact with the enemy who started to retreat. By 31

December almost all the lost territory had been regained and the

line was again stabilized.]

[Illustration: ITALY

A SOUTH AFRICAN ARMORED UNIT in the Reno River valley firing at

German positions across the river, November 1944. Combat action

in the Fifth Army sector during November and the first half of

December was largely confined to patrol activities and artillery

duels. The South African armored division had been transferred

from the Eighth Army to the Fifth Army in late August 1944.]

[Illustration: ITALY

TANK MAINTENANCE POST in abandoned Italian farmhouse. During the

long winter stalemate time was utilized to make major repairs

on armored vehicles. Minor repairs, such as thrown tracks, were

made at forward maintenance posts such as the above which was

located only about 400 yards behind the front lines. (1, medium

tank M4A1; 2 and 3, 76-mm. gun motor carriage M18; 4, medium

tank M4A1; 5, medium tank M4, with 76-mm. gun (note different

gun mount); 6, tank recovery vehicle M31.)]

[Illustration: ITALY

MOBILE FIELD ARTILLERY MAINTENANCE UNIT near the front. These

units were used a great deal during the winter. Artillery off

the main roads could be moved only with difficulty after the

rains started and repairs that were normally made in shops

behind the front had to be done in the field. The first two

vehicles shown above are tank recovery vehicles M32, and are

modifications of the M4 designed primarily for recovery of tanks

from battlefields. The fixed turret replaces the customary tank

turret. Third vehicle is weapons carrier, ¾-ton 4 x 4 truck.]

[Illustration: ITALY

BRITISH ANTIAIRCRAFT GUNNERS protecting U. S. engineers

constructing a Bailey bridge on Highway 64 crossing the Reno

River. This was in preparation for an attack on Monte Belvedere

west of the highway. The 3,600-foot mountain was taken on 24

November 1944 by elements of a U. S. Negro infantry regiment

and members of British and U. S. antiaircraft units serving as

infantry. The enemy counterattacked for five days and the Allies

had to give up the position. During the fall and winter of 1944

most U. S. and British antiaircraft units were being trained

for infantry duty as rapidly as training and the issuance of

appropriate weapons would permit. (The gun shown is the 40-mm.

automatic antiaircraft type, originally made in Sweden and used

by the Allies and the enemy. The gun could be towed at 50 miles

per hour and transferred from traveling to firing position in 25

seconds.)]

[Illustration: ITALY

PATROL ACTIVITY, December 1944. During the relatively quiet

period of the first half of December, both sides sent patrols

to probe the front lines and bring back prisoners. When the

cold weather set in, winter clothing was issued, including the

reversible, hooded coat known as the parka shown above. One

side was the conventional olive drab, the other side white for

camouflage in snow. New type shoepacs, combination wool sweaters

and cotton field jackets, and sleeping bags left the troops

better prepared for inclement weather than they were during the

previous winter, but there would be no possibility of keeping

dry at the front during an attack when the rain lasted for days

on end.]

[Illustration: ITALY

INSPECTING FRONT-LINE TROOPS FOR TRENCH FOOT. The second winter

of fighting in Italy found the Allies better equipped to handle

the trench foot problem which in November 1943 accounted for

20 percent of the casualties at its peak incidence. Units were

gradually being equipped with shoepacs, an important item

in the prevention of trench foot. The shoepac consisted of

a moccasin-shaped foot of rubber, and a laced, waterproofed

leather top, which extended well up the calf of the leg. It was

worn with felt inner soles or woolen ski socks.]

[Illustration: ITALY

PIPELINE PUMPING STATION AT LEGHORN. Construction of this line

started soon after the capture of the port. By 23 November 1944

the pipeline had reached Highway 65 just a few miles behind the

front, eliminating the trucking of gasoline over this already

overcrowded road.]

[Illustration: ITALY

DOUBLE PIPELINE which carried gasoline from the port of

Leghorn to the army front in the Apennines. “Pipeline walking”

to inspect for leakage was done by jeep whenever possible.

Because of hilly terrain several booster pumping stations were

necessary. (4-inch double pipeline.)]

[Illustration: ITALY

FILLING CANS WITH GASOLINE at the Raticosa Pass on Highway 65,

terminal of the pipeline from Leghorn. These cans were picked

up by truck and distributed to individual units. As the front

moved, the pipeline was extended to keep up with the troops.

(Five-gallon gasoline cans.)]

[Illustration: ITALY

MEMBERS OF A SOUTH AFRICAN UNIT firing a Long Tom. This unit was

stationed along Highway 64. During the winter of 1944–45 the

U. S. Fifth Army roster included Brazilians, South Africans,

British, and Italians as well as U. S. white and Negro troops,

while the British Eighth Army along the east side of the

peninsula contained New Zealanders, Canadians, Poles, Indians,

Italians, and Jewish troops from Palestine in addition to United

Kingdom units.]

[Illustration: ITALY

TRUCK WITH ROTARY SNOWPLOW clearing Highway 64 near Collina.

The first snow fell in the mountains on 11 November. Snow,

rain, sleet, and ice-coated curves on the roads leading to the

front made the supply situation a difficult one. The constant

work by snowplows and the hand labor of thousands of soldiers

and Italian civilians kept the main roads open throughout the

winter.]

[Illustration: ITALY

AMBULANCE EVACUATING WOUNDED from the front lines near Highway

65, between Loiano and Livergnano. 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. It was found

desirable in daylight hours to direct the main stream of

casualties to hospitals located farther in the rear, while

during the night most of the patients were brought to the

forward hospital units in order to reduce the delay caused

by blackout ambulance driving over icy roads. (¾-ton 4 x 4

ambulance.)]

[Illustration: ITALY

TRUCK ON HIGHWAY 65 near Loiano receives near miss, January

1945. This highway had been the main axis of advance during the

October offensive in the U. S. sector and was the only good road

in this area. During the winter stalemate and build-up for the

spring offensive, a period of about five months, this road was

under observed enemy artillery fire directed from Monte Adone, a

commanding position between Highways 64 and 65.]

[Illustration: ITALY

MEN RESTING IN THEIR QUARTERS in an old barn after a day in

foxholes at the front. During cold weather, winterization of

living quarters was carried out on a large scale, although men

in the extreme forward positions usually had to improvise with a

raincoat and a blanket in a foxhole.]

[Illustration: ITALY

TROOPS IN A DEFENSE POSITION near Highway 65. This area was

thinly populated and houses were few and far between. Those

still standing drew fire, and troops in support or reserve

positions would dig in on the reverse slope of hills and make

their foxholes as comfortable as possible. Roofs and walls were

constructed from empty shell cases, food containers, and the

like and reinforced with sand bags. Keeping warm was a problem:

the area is almost bare of trees; most of the heating of the

foxholes was done by gasoline stoves, sometimes issued, often

improvised.]

[Illustration: ITALY

SOLDIERS AT THE ROMAN FORUM during a rest and recreation period

away from the front. The rest-center idea, which had proved

highly successful during the winter fighting of 1943–44, was

carried out on a much larger scale in Rome and in the cities

of the Arno Valley in the fall and winter of 1944–45. Hundreds

of thousands of troops were rotated through the rest and leave

centers set up under military supervision to provide a place

of relaxation where men could forget the rigors and dangers

of the front line, sleep in beds, take baths, visit places of

historic interest, and generally indulge in the pleasures and

entertainment of civilization, if only for a brief period.]

[Illustration: ITALY

FIRING ROCKET PROJECTILES from a tank mount. Experiments were

carried out in January 1945 in the Arno Valley. Of the several

different mounts tested, one had 54 tubes placed on top of a

medium tank turret, another had 18 tubes mounted on the same

carriage as a towed 37-mm. gun. Because of the great variation

in deflection and range the weapon was not practical against

a point target and the smoke and flame given off when fired

tended to disclose its position. It proved effective for a heavy

concentration over a wide area for a short period. The short

range of the rocket, slightly less than 4,000 yards, was a

limiting factor. (Each cluster of 3 magnesium tubes is a rocket

launcher, aircraft M15, mounted on M17 (T40) modified rocket

launcher frame. 4.5-inch rockets were used.)]

[Illustration: ITALY

AN INFANTRY COMPANY moves into the line under a smoke screen to

relieve another company. During the five-month static period

starting at the beginning of November 1944, rotation of units

for rest and recreation was a regular procedure.]

[Illustration: ITALY

JEEP PASSING A TRAFFIC CONTROL POINT in the northern Apennines.

Rigid supervision of transportation over the crowded mountain

roads was necessary if proper supply was to be made, tactical

movements carried out, and vehicles conserved. To accomplish

this, traffic control points were set up. Road movement

approval was required for all convoys of ten or more vehicles.

The traffic posts also served as a check on unnecessary or

unauthorized use of military vehicles. Military police operated

“chain points” where vehicles going into the mountains were

stopped and beyond which the use of chains was mandatory.]

[Illustration: ITALY

RESTACKING HOWITZER AMMUNITION. German air activity by this time

was so slight that dumps a few miles behind the front were not

camouflaged. (Ammunition for 155-mm. howitzer.)]

[Illustration: ITALY

SIGNAL CORPS MEN checking wires outside the telephone exchange

in a cave at Livergnano.]

[Illustration: ITALY

MAN CARRYING HOWITZER AMMUNITION to a battery high in the hills.

These men were members of a division especially trained for

mountain fighting. On 18 February 1945 this division, together

with the Brazilian division under Fifth Army command, started an

assault on German positions in the Monte Belvedere area west of

Highway 64. The Monte Belvedere area dominated about ten miles

of this highway. After severe fighting that lasted until 5 March

1945, the mountain mass was in Allied hands. (Ammunition for

75-mm. howitzer.)]

[Illustration: ITALY

REINFORCEMENTS MOVE UP toward the fighting in the Monte

Belvedere area. The men are equipped with M1 rifles and

carbines, special shoes, and rucksack type pack.]

[Illustration: ITALY

EVACUATING WOUNDED FROM MONTE BELVEDERE. As vehicles could not

negotiate the mountain trails, stretcher bearers had to carry

the wounded. Casualties from mines were numerous as the enemy

had been in position on this dominating hill for several months

and had mined and booby-trapped every likely avenue of approach

as well as many of the farmhouses on the mountain slopes.]

[Illustration: ITALY

RED CROSS GIRL writing letter for wounded soldier. In addition

to performing duties such as this, the American Red Cross

operated clubs and motion picture theaters for the soldiers. The

clubs served coffee, doughnuts, and ice cream, and sponsored

musical programs, vaudeville shows, and dances. All was free of

charge. The estimated attendance at the Red Cross clubs in the

Arno Valley during February 1945 was 896,000.]

[Illustration: ITALY

SOLDIERS DURING A LULL IN THE FIGHTING on Monte Grande which was

taken on 20 October 1944 after a tough two-day fight. The city

of Bologna was only about nine miles away and could be plainly

seen from the summit. Because of its commanding position,

the Germans made several local attacks during the winter to

recapture the mountain but were repulsed each time.]

[Illustration: ITALY

INFANTRY COLUMN passing a supply-transfer point in the Monte

Grande area east of Highway 65, February 1945. Supplies were

transferred from trucks to the tracked Weasels at this point.

Higher in the mountains the mule pack train took over from the

tracked vehicles.]

[Illustration: ITALY

Members of an American Engineer Company working on a trail in

the vicinity of Monte Grande. An Indian pack mule convoy is

returning after taking supplies to the front line.]

[Illustration: ITALY

BRIDGING EQUIPMENT. “Ark” with end sections of treadway in

raised position (top). Medium tank M4, crossing canal on Ark

(bottom). With a total span of 54 feet, the treadway would

span a canal about 45 feet wide. After November 1944, when

the offensive in the mountains bogged down, most of the armor

with the Fifth Army was gradually withdrawn to the Arno Valley

where training for the spring offensive took place. New methods

and techniques were developed and tried. The Ark above was

constructed by an ordnance company for use in crossing canals in

the Po Valley.]

[Illustration]

[Illustration: ITALY

SIGNAL CORPS LINEMEN stringing communication wire in preparation

for the coming spring offensive. During the winter stalemate

many new lines were strung and hookups were made to the Italian

state underground cable system. Circuits linked all units of the

Fifth Army and an eight-mile line containing eight open-wire

circuits was started in February 1945 from Filigare on Highway

65 near Monghidoro to the village of Lagaro Highway 6620.]

[Illustration: ITALY

SOLDIERS IN LIVERGNANO watch the shelling of the village by the

enemy, March 1945. Livergnano was taken on 14 October 1944 after

a five-day fight along Highway 65 in an attempt to break through

into the Po Valley. The advance was halted a few miles beyond

this village. (Garand M1, .30-caliber rifle.)]

[Illustration: ITALY

INFANTRY ACTION during the attack toward Monte della Spe. The

soldier in the foreground is covering the house with his rifle

while the other members of his squad approach it. A few minutes

after this picture was made the house and the knoll behind it

were taken, netting 57 German prisoners. Monte della Spe, west

of Highway 64, was taken on 5 March 1945.]

[Illustration: ITALY

MONTE DELLA SPE AREA, looking toward the east. Highway 64

parallels the Reno River (in distance). The village of Vergato

is shown on the west bank of the river. Monte della Spe is the

rounded hill in foreground. It was taken on 5 March 1945 during

an attack to secure a suitable jumping off place for the spring

offensive. Vergato, which was an enemy strong point, and most

of the surrounding territory remained in enemy hands after the

capture of Monte della Spe. The main offensive, the attack

toward the Po Valley, started from here on 14 April 1945 and by

the 20th Allied troops had broken into the valley.]

[Illustration: ITALY

EASTER SERVICE 1 APRIL 1945.]

[Illustration: ITALY

RETURNING PATROL. As the spring offensive became imminent,

patrol activities increased.]

[Illustration: ITALY

SOLDIERS MOVING UP into the line a few days before the start of

the attack toward the Po Valley.]

[Illustration: ITALY

SELF-PROPELLED GUNS of a South African armored unit firing

a mission a few days before the attack to break into the Po

Valley. These vehicles are American Sherman tanks modified by

the British as self-propelled guns. Prior to the jump-off, the

units along the Fifth Army front had been engaged in a series of

deceptive artillery fires.]

[Illustration: ITALY

NEGRO SOLDIERS FIRING HOWITZERS in support of the Nisei who were

making an attack northward along the mountain ridges toward the

towns of Massa and Carrara. The attack started on 5 April 1945.

The Nisei were American soldiers of Japanese ancestry. (75-mm.

howitzers.)]

[Illustration: ITALY

BODIES OF AMERICAN INFANTRYMEN killed during the opening of the

spring offensive. Note stretcher bearer in background looking

for casualties. The infantry was making an attack across the

mountains toward Massa and Carrara on the west coast.]

[Illustration: ITALY

TANK DESTROYER speeding along Highway 1 through the town of

Querceta during the spring offensive. The main effort of the

army was along Highways 64 and 65.]

[Illustration: ITALY

BRINGING IN THE FIRST PRISONERS taken at the start of the main

drive to reach the Po Valley. On 14 April at 0945 the offensive

was started by U. S. mountain troops in the hills west of

Vergato on Highway 64.]

[Illustration: ITALY

PIANORO ON HIGHWAY 65, looking south toward the hills occupied

by the Allies for almost six months. Pianoro, at lower left, was

one of the keys of the German defense systems barring entrance

to Bologna and the Po Valley. The fight for Pianoro started on

16 April. Entering what was left of the town on the evening of

the 18th, the infantry found it booby-trapped.]

[Illustration: ITALY

SOUTH AFRICAN ARMOR waiting along Highway 64 for a U. S.

infantry division to pass on its way to the Po Valley, 20

April. On this date the troops in the U. S. zone broke through

the mountains into the Po Valley just west of Bologna. The two

highways in this area, 64 and 65, became congested with troops

and vehicles in pursuit of the fleeing enemy. (Sherman medium

tanks.)]

[Illustration: ITALY

U. S. ARMY MOTION-PICTURE CAMERAMAN photographing the first

tank of the South African armored force to cross the Reno River

southwest of Bologna, 20 April. The practice of infantrymen

riding on tanks while advancing was included in training for

armored units in the United States early in 1944. (Sherman M4A3

tank with British 17-pounder; camera: PH-330 (Sig C), Eyemo,

Bell, and Howell, 35-mm., three lenses mounted in turret.)]

[Illustration: ITALY

WEARY U. S. TROOPS IN BOLOGNA on the morning of 21 April. The

city, entered from the south by U. S. forces and from the east

by Poles of the Eighth Army, fell that day. Pressing forward the

troops pursued the fleeing Germans.]

[Illustration: ITALY

ITALIAN PARTISANS WATCHING FOR SNIPERS. During the winter of

1944–45 Allied officers, arms, and ammunition were dropped

behind the enemy lines to assist partisans in the Po Valley.

Although partisans, armed with equipment obtained from Italian

arsenals or seized from the Germans, first appeared north of

Rome, it was not until the Allies reached Bologna that they met

the efficiently organized groups from the Po Valley. As troops

entered the city, where the Germans were numerous, the partisans

struck, seizing government agencies and public utilities.]

[Illustration: ITALY

THE PANARO RIVER BRIDGES near Bomporto. After the breakout into

the Po Valley, the next objective was the Po River. The area

south of this river is broken by small streams and numerous

canals. Most of the bridges had been destroyed by the Allied air

forces during the winter. Later air reconnaissance found these

undamaged bridges at Bomporto. A task force, sent to secure

them, passed through the fleeing and disorganized enemy. So

sudden was its appearance that, by 1600 on 21 April, it captured

the bridges before the Germans could detonate previously laid

demolition charges.]

[Illustration: ITALY

TREADWAY BRIDGE ACROSS THE PO RIVER at San Benedetto. Opened on

the afternoon of 25 April, it was the first bridge across the

river. The infantry had started to cross in this area on the

morning of the 23d in assault boats under heavy machine gun,

mortar, and rifle fire as well as fire from enemy antiaircraft

guns lowered to fire airbursts on a flat trajectory. Casualties

were high, but by 1745 a bridgehead of 2,000 square yards had

been established on the north bank of the Po. The bridge above

is 915 feet long. (Floating treadway bridge M2, class 18.)]

[Illustration: ITALY

ACTION DURING THE PO RIVER CROSSING at Ostiglia, 24 April. A

57-mm. antitank gun firing in support of an infantry assault

across the railroad bridge to the north bank of the river. (The

British 6-pounder was the forerunner of the 57-mm. gun. It was

adapted for U. S. use and also manufactured for other United

Nations under the lend-lease agreement as the 57-mm. antitank

gun.)]

[Illustration: ITALY

INFANTRY CROSSING PO RIVER UNDER FIRE, Ostiglia railroad bridge,

24 April. The crossing in this zone was opposed by enemy machine

guns and 20-mm automatic weapons. The patrol above worked its

way to the other side and knocked out enemy guns and crews. The

railroad bridge was partially demolished and unfit for vehicles.]

[Illustration: ITALY

“ALLIGATORS” ABOUT TO CROSS PO RIVER near Ostiglia. Developed by

the U. S. Navy, the first shipment of these amphibian tracked

vehicles arrived in December 1944 and training was begun.

Great secrecy surrounded them and they were kept thoroughly

camouflaged before the dash to the Po. They were armored and

each had socket mounts at four locations for either .30-or

.50-caliber machine guns. A stern ramp could be lowered to take

on a vehicle. Maximum capacity was 8,000 pounds and a crew of

three. (LVT(4).)]

[Illustration: ITALY

FERRYING EQUIPMENT ACROSS THE PO in support of the infantry

assault, Ostiglia, 25 April. The large vehicle is a 76-mm.

gun motor carriage M18, designed for tank destroyer use. It

was a full track-laying type, using a torsion bar independent

suspension, and was front-sprocket driven. The vehicle was

lightly armored, had a low silhouette, and was highly mobile.]

[Illustration: ITALY

PONTON BRIDGE under construction across the Po River near

Ostiglia. This bridge was opened on 25 April. (M2 treadway

bridge.)]

[Illustration: ITALY

INFANTRY ACTION AT VICENZA, in the foothills of the Alps. The

advance of the Allies across the plain was too fast for the

Germans to halt, reorganize, and make a determined stand behind

either the Po or the other rivers in the Po plain. Speedy

thrusts by infantry-armor columns split the enemy forces and

severed communications. After the crossing of the Po, the action

on both sides developed into a race to the Alps, the enemy

hoping to escape into Germany, the Allies determined to prevent

them. Many isolated pockets of resistance developed behind the

advancing columns and special task forces were organized on 23

April to deal with them.]

[Illustration: ITALY

TANK DESTROYER on the shore of Lake Garda blocking one of the

escape routes to Brenner Pass. Heavy fighting took place in the

demolished tunnels on the road along the east shore of this

lake, but on 30 April the area was under Allied control.]

[Illustration: ITALY

GERMAN PRISONERS and their equipment captured on the Po plain.

For the first time in the Italian campaign, the enemy was

retreating over terrain suitable for swift pursuit. Since the

Germans lacked vehicles and gasoline, they had to rely to a

great extent on horse-drawn transportation. They retreated

across an open valley having a fine network of roads for

mechanized forces and were forced to cross wide rivers by

ferries and ponton bridges under constant attack by Allied air

forces. The retreat became a rout.]

[Illustration: ITALY

PRISONERS WERE CAPTURED by the tens of thousands in the Po

Valley and marched to the rear, often unguarded, or guarded only

by one or two men. On 2 May 1945, the Germans signed the terms

of the unconditional surrender of their forces in Italy. One

week later the war in Europe was concluded with complete victory

for the Allies. The Italian campaign had been a bitter one,

lasting 607 days (3 September 1943 to 2 May 1945). Casualties of

the Fifth Army, including all nationalities serving with that

army, totaled 188,546. United States losses were 19,475 killed,

80,530 wounded, and 9,637 missing.]

[Illustration]

Appendix A

List of Abbreviations

AA Antiaircraft

AC Air Corps

AT Antitank

cm. Centimeter

DD Duplex drive

DDT Dichloro-Dithenyl-Trichloroethane

Flak Fliegerabwehrkanone (antiaircraft artillery gun)

JU. Junkers (designation of airplane built by company

of that name)

K. Kanone (gun)

Kw. Kraftwagen (motor vehicle)

Kw.K. Kampfwagenkanone (tank gun)

LCI Landing craft, infantry

LCI (L) Landing craft, infantry (large)

LCM Landing craft, mechanized

LCP Landing craft, personnel

LCP (R) Landing craft, personnel (ramp)

LCT Landing craft, tank

LCV Landing craft, vehicle

LCVP Landing craft, vehicle-personnel

le.P.Kw.K.2s Leichter Personen Kraftwagen, K.2, Schwimmend

(light personnel vehicle, K.2, amphibian)

LST Landing ship, tank

LVT Landing vehicle, tracked

mm. Millimeter

Pak. Panzerabwehrkanone (antitank gun)

Pz. Kpfw. Panzerkampfwagen (tank)

SCR Signal Corps Radio

S.F.H. Schwere Feld Haubitze (medium field howitzer)

Sig C Signal Corps

SOC Scout Observation Curtis

SP Self-propelled

Stu. G. Sturmgeschuetz (self-propelled assault gun)

Stu. H. Sturmhaubitze (self-propelled assault howitzer)

Stu. K. Sturmkanone (self-propelled assault gun)

TD Tank destroyer

TNT Trinitrotoluene; trinitrotoluol (high explosive)

WAC Women’s Army Corps

USAFIME U. S. Army Forces in the Middle East

USSR Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

Appendix B

Acknowledgments

The photographs in this volume came from the Department of Defense. All

are from the U. S. Army files except the following:

U. S. Navy: pp. 13, 14, 15, 19, 20b, 21, 22, 23, 24, 28, 30, 77,

107, 116, 122b, 125b, 139, 190, 258, 316, 339, 354.

U. S. Air Forces: pp. 10, 12, 18, 42, 43, 45, 46, 47, 64, 71,

73, 80, 90, 91, 92, 94, 97a, 101, 109, 111, 157, 162, 164, 165,

166, 167, 168, 173, 182, 185, 191, 192, 193, 194, 195, 224, 225,

239, 240, 257, 285, 305, 306, 307, 308, 317, 318, 323, 324–25,

326, 327, 328–29, 351, 390, 391, 392, 393, 394, 395.

U. S. Coast Guard: pp. 117, 118, 126, 181, 183a, 315, 333, 334,

336.

Index

Acquafondata, Italy, 216

Acquedolci, Sicily, 140–41

Air attacks. See also Bombardment, aerial.

Allied, 12, 71, 94, 157, 164, 173, 239, 240, 282, 305, 306, 307,

393

German, 37, 118, 181, 185

Airbases. See Airfields.

Aircraft, Allied

bombers, heavy, 12, 47, 91, 92, 93, 100, 109, 157, 193, 195, 210,

393

bombers, light, 46, 168, 240

bombers, medium, 10, 44, 71, 225, 239

cub planes, 22, 238

damaged, 110, 182

fighter-bomber, 209

fighters, P-38, 45, 85, 390

fighters, P-40, 224, 285

fighters, P-47, 351, 391

fighters, P-51, 392

gliders, 82, 83, 162, 318

naval, 14, 21, 22

transport planes, 5, 73, 82, 100, 111, 162, 317

Aircraft carriers, 14, 15, 22

converted LST, 238

Aircraft, German

dive bomber, 42

fighter planes, 43

transports, 71

Aircraft, Italian

seaplanes, 165

Airfields

Bari, Italy, 192

Cagliari, Sardinia, 165

Capodichino, Italy, 191

Comiso, Sicily, 162

Foggia, Italy, 210

Foggia area, Italy, 194

Italy, 193

Pomigliano, Italy, 191

Port-Lyautey, North Africa, 19

Qualeh Morgeh, Tehran, 100

Youks-Les-Bains, Algeria, 39

Airports. See Airfields.

Algiers, Algeria, 36, 37, 88

Ammunition

Allied, 86, 351

loading of, 379

salvage of, 267

Ammunition dumps

on fire, 232

Italy, 416

Sicily, 161

Ammunition ship on fire, 118

Amphibian craft

“Alligators,” 447

Amphibian tanks, duplex-drive, 330, 335

Amphibian trucks, DUKW, 123, 178, 180, 237, 242

Amphibious landings. See Landing operations.

Antiaircraft guns

37-mm., 58

90-mm., 253

British, 400

German, 371

German, 88-mm., 62, 131

Italian, 75-mm., 8

Self-propelled, 244

Antiaircraft tracer fire, 37

Antiaircraft unit, mobile, 220

Antitank ditch, 370

Antitank grenade, 269

Antitank guns

37-mm., 57

57-mm., 287, 445

German, 357

German, 50-mm., 63

German, 75-mm., 63

German, 88-mm., 62, 131

German, self-propelled, 54

Antisubmarine net, 164

“Anzio Annie,” 257. See also Railway guns.

Anzio, Italy, 235, 241

Armored vehicles. See Vehicles.

Army nurse, 190

Army post office, Algeria, 78

Arno River, Italy, 363, 364, 372

Artillery

fire, directing, 135

German, 50, 62, 222, 299

guns, 155-mm., 58, 134, 250, 406

howitzers, 75-mm., 128, 132, 434

howitzers, 105-mm., 11, 52, 133, 207, 361, 362

howitzer, 155-mm., 60

howitzers, 240-mm., 221, 284

Italian, gun, 90-mm., 131

mortars. See Mortars.

observation planes, 22, 238

pack howitzers, 75-mm., 83, 266

positions, camouflaged, 248

Assault guns, German, 54, 278, 357

Bailey bridges, 286, 375

construction of, 400

“Bald Hill,” Tunisia, 68

Barbershop, Anzio, Italy, 273

Bari airbase, Italy, 192

Barracks bag, 107

Barrage balloons, 160, 243, 320, 322

Bathing facilities, Italy, 264, 265

Battleship, French, damaged, 23, 340

Bay of Cavalaire, southern France, 323

Bay of Pampelonne, southern France, 324–25

Bazookas, 296, 314.