The Battle of Monte Cassino: Phase Three

WWII Footage: Commonwealth Troops at Monte Cassino (00:03:13m)

The Battle of Monte Cassino

Phase Three

 February 20 - March 25, 1944

On the night of February 20, the 1st Battalion of the 211th Grenadier Regiment crossed the Rapido on a reconnaissance mission to Monte Trocchio. Without a shot being fired, the Germans took all 60 men prisoner, seizing their new secret assault rifles, the MP44. German divisions were solidly entrenched along every point on Monte Cassino, the town Cassino on both left and right flanks, and the surrounding hills around Monastery Hill. However, the German 1st Parachute Division was considerably depleted in strength, and were spread across an area of nine miles from Cassino station to Monte Cairo.

By February 21, Operations Dickens, under the command of Lt. Gen Freyberg was geared for action, pending weather conditions.The mission was to be conducted by the New Zealand II Corps, along with two infantry divisions and a tank division. The tactic called for a frontal assault on the town of Cassino and of Monastery Hill, both involving an unprecedented barrage of military and air force power. What made this operation unique was that the assault would take place at only one designated point, roughly 1.5km in width (1 mile).

February 23. Operations Dickens had to be postponed due to incessant rain that lasted for three weeks. Meanwhile the German 3rd Parachute Regiment had transformed the ruins of the Monastery into a virtual fortress, launching heavy artillery fire from several positions.

February 28. Field Marshal Kesselring ordered renewed attacks on the Anzio-Nettuno beachhead. Because of the torrential rains, Germans tanks were stuck in the mud and infantrymen were trapped having sunk into the mud up to their knees. The US division responded immediately with intense gunfire.

February 29. The LXXVI Panzer Corps was pitched in battle at Nettuno. But with improved weather conditions, Allied naval and aircraft could be deployed. The combined Allied support made it possible for the US 3rd Division to hold off a German offensive. The next day Kesselring called off the attack and reverted to a defensive plan to block Allied advances toward Rome.

March 10. The New Zealand II corps was ready to attack the Cassino area, their mission made easier by a map of the town marked with the positions of German infantry, minefields, and anti-tank weapons. By all appearances the only approach could be through a narrow path in single file.

March 11. The construction of the Cavendish Road that began on March 1 was finally completed by March 11. Built by the New Zealand engineers, it was a tank road measuring 4 m (13 feet) across and provided the Allies with access to the rear of Monastery Hill reaching from Cairo to Massa Albaneta. The route, visible from German vantage points was securely camouflaged by columns of smoke screens.

Cavendish Road

March 15. The weather had improved over the past few days and Operation Dickens rolled into action. All the top Allied military brass assembled at the Cervaro Headquarters 5 km (3 miles) from Cassino to view the attack - the total obliteration of the town by carpet bombing. The expectation was that no one could survive an inferno of that magnitude. Logistics calculated 5 tons of explosives were used for every German soldier in the town. Had anyone been able to survive during the bombing, they would have lost their minds.

At 8:30 a.m. a fleet of B-17 bombers laid the carpet of bombs covering an area of 1,500m (1 mile) wide and 500m (530 yards) deep. Bombing continued in waves of 15 minute intervals lasting for 4 hours. An armada of 575 bombers and 200 fighter bombs were dispatched from airfields in England, Italy and North Africa, to be used against 350 German paratroopers holding out in Cassino town below. It was the strongest concentration of air force ever assembled in the Mediterranean. A German Reserve unit was actually able to survive by transferring to a cave at the base of Monastery Hill. They were the ones who later were able to drive back the Allied troops.

Bombing of Cassino town

Cassino in Ruins after the Bombing

In the aftermath of the bombing, houses and streets no longer existed. In their place were deep craters and mountains of rubble. After the last bomb was dropped, the Allied artillery moved in using 740 guns, some of which were 24cm calibre. The New Zealand and Indian infantry advanced with a combined force of 400 tanks from the north of the ruins toward Pt. 193 (Rocca Janula). Unaware of any survivors, the Allies moved in confidently, but were hit with intensive fire from the 100 Germans who had escaped the carpet bombing. Tank movement came to a halt in front of enormous craters and mountains of debris. Casualties were severe as Allies fought desperately. They could do nothing without the support of the New Zealand 4th Armored Brigade. The New Zealand 25th Battalion, after hours of relentless battle finally reached the town centre and captured Rocca Janula, Pt. 193. Rocca Janula, or Castle Hill, was strategically important - it was joined to Monastery Hill by a rocky configuration. Whoever controlled Pt. 193 also controlled Monastery Hill.

Gurkha Battalion Monte Cassino

The first day of battle in this phase lasted from 12:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Allied artillery unleashed a total of 195,960 shells, or 1,200 tons directly on Monastery Hill.  By midnight the Rajputana Rifles of the Essex Battalion relieved the New Zealanders and advanced to Pt. 165, took the Monastery and pushed on to Pt. 236. There,under fierce German resistance, they lost all their officers and had to retreat to Rocca Janula. Meanwhile,the 1st Battalion of the 9th Gurkha Regiment advanced past Pt. 236,and ascended Hangman Hill (Pt. 435). After the cessation of bombing on Monastery Hill, the Allies were astonished to spot the Gurkha Battalion positioned within 400m (440 yards) from the ruins. But enemy fire had them pinned. They could not go forward or back and were completely exposed on the bare rock.

B company, 24th Battalion, 6th New Zeland Brigade
advance during battle for Cassino

March 16. The New Zealand 26th Battalion initiated an attack on the western part of Cassino, at which the Via Casilina intersects less than 30m (35 yards) away. The New Zealanders could not advance further due to fierce German counter-attacks. Overnight German reinforcements poured in to defend Cassino. Since the bombing, the New Zealand engineers took 36 hours to clear a tank path using bulldozers.

The 26th Battalion was then able to move in. After vicious street-fighting they captured the station. The Gurkhas were only 1,200m (1,330 yards) away.

The two units converged on Cassino like a pincer - working together to break the German resistance.

Next:  The Battle of Monte Cassino: Phase Four - Polish Army (A race against death)

The Battle of Monte Cassino: Phase Two

Polacy na Monte Cassino, Maj 1944 (in Polish only) (00:04:11m)

The Battle of Monte Cassino

Phase Two

February 12 - February 19, 1944

Weather conditions were severe as it snowed heavily in the mountains and rained continuously in the lower areas turning the valley below into a vast swampland. Thick fog hampered visibility but made it possible for both sides to launch surprise attacks. The French troops were a persistent threat to the Germans, who were in danger of being encircled by them. To counter this, the German Panzer Grenadier Division recaptured Monte Castellone, as well as bringing up reinforcements from the Adriatic front.

Liri Valley, Monte Cassino

German paratroopers, Monte Cassino

The Americans positioned at Cairo hurled phosphorous hand-grenades on the enemy. Its effects were devastating - the Germans burned like torches. The 7th Indian Brigade, near Cairo, assisted the Allies in driving the Germans back. The enemy had recaptured Monte Castellone but had lost it once again to the Allies, in the space of a few hours. Heavy casualties were suffered on both sides. American units, exhausted and cold were replaced with a fresh contingent from the New Zealand Division under the command of Lt. General Freyberg but the Americans were driven back in their attempt to capture Monte Cassino.

Freyberg's plan was to build a bridgehead south of Cassino town using the men of the New Zealand Division, and to capture Monte Cassino with the men of the 4th Indian Division, whose expertise at close combat was legendary. But because of heavy blizzards attacks had to be suspended. Freyberg was convinced that the American failure to capture Cassino was due to German firing positions from the Abbey itself. The Americans thought otherwise - that German fire came from the surrounding slopes. Nevertheless, the next day, Freyberg carried out the planned attack, backed by military Command and obtained American air support to destroy the Abbey.

Meanwhile at the Anzio-Nettuno beachhead the German troops had multiplied their units, indicating an imminent counter-attack. But despite their huge numbers they unwittingly placed themselves at a disadvantage, being hemmed into a confined area without air defense. They were at the mercy of the Allies, who possessed air superiority.The key to capturing Monte Cassino was to attack from the adjacent Pt. 593. The Sussex Battalion, already posted on Pt. 593. (Mt. Calvario) believed that it was held by the Americans, when the fact was the Mt. Calvario and Rocca Janula had been recaptured by the Germans three days earlier. The Americans were holding out on the mountain slope.

American paratroopers holding out, Monte Cassino

 

February 13. A French soldier had escaped from German captivity and found his way to the Allied front, giving valuable information of the position and logistics of German lines north and west of Monastery Hill.

February 16 was the day originally planned for an attack on the monastery but because of expected rainfall the day was brought forward to February 15. However, no one told the 4th Indian Division, who were already positioned on the slopes of Monte Calvario (Pt. 593). Meanwhile, the US 5th Army launched shells towards Monastery Hill releasing hundreds of leaflets to alert the occupants to evacuate.

On February 15, at 9:30 a.m., the American bombers were approaching Monastery Hill. Colonel Glennie, the Commander of the Royal Sussex Division remarked sharply, "They told the monks, and they told the enemy but they didn't tell us!" A total of 576 tons of explosives and incendiary bombs were dropped on the Abbey of Monte Cassino. The Royal Sussex Division suffered heavy casualties as did hundreds of villagers who were in the town chapel for morning services when the bombs hit.

The bombs could not destroy the monastery as the thick outer walls remained intact and standing, but the area was strewn with rubble offering the Germans countless defensive positions. General Fruller criticized the American attack on the abbey as tactical stupidity. It gave the Germans a defensive advantage making the Allied job that much harder.

On Feb 16 in response to a direct order from Hitler, three German divisions converged on both sides of the road at Anzio-Nettuno. Their attack, backed by 452 guns and 270 tanks was the heaviest yet during the campaign, but the Germans could not destroy the Allied beachhead and they became instead easy targets under Allied bombs and artillery - their tanks and guns were stuck in the mud and could only advance along a few narrow roads.

Germans tending to Panzer damaged by Allied bombing

February 16. With only one battalion, the 7th Indian Brigade crossed the Rapido and began its advance towards Monte Cassino. They suffered heavy casualties upon crossing a minefield and received heavy gunfire. One hundred and thirty men and 12 officers were killed or wounded - the remainder escaped and were able to regain control of the Rapido. Reinforced by 6 more battalions, the 7th Indian Brigade made another attempt to storm Monastery Hill, Monte Calvario, and Point 404, but were caught in a crossfire and had to retreat.

Maori Battalion, Monte Cassino, Feb 1944

The Maori Battalioncaptured the Cassino railway station and advanced to the southwest over the Rapido. They waited there for the Allied tanks which unfortunately had become stuck on the river banks. An engineering team preceded the Maori Battalion, clearing mines and roadblocks, and building bridgeways over the Rapido. Under cover of night, the Gurka Battalions posted on Point 450, launched an attack in the direction of Monastery Hill, but were snagged in thorn hedges laden with barbed wire and mines.

Gurkas, Monte Cassino

Within a few minutes, 243 men were killed by enemy fire. One battalion succeeded in reaching within 220 years northwest of the Abbey but found itself in danger of being trapped and hastily retreated. The Maoris, positioned at the train station realized that at daybreak they would be clearly visible by German positions on Monastery Hill just 550 yards away. The Allies set up a smokescreen shielding the entire area. It allowed the engineers and Maoris to dig themselves into secure positions while they waited until nightfall to commence the attack. The Germans also took advantage of the smokescreen to attack the station.

The Maoris were ill-equipped to retaliate against heavy artillery and were pursued by the Germans, pushing them back across the Rapido River to Monte Trocchio. At Anzio-Nettuno, German troops were still unable to deter Allied positions and all Allied attempts to capture Monte Cassino failed yet again.

Next: The Battle of Monte Cassino Phase Three