HERO OF TWO NATIONS: CAPTAIN STEFAN P. WESOLOWSKI (1909-1987) by Prof. Zdzislaw P. Wesolowski

On the eve of World War II in the silence of the night, the ORP Blyskawica quietly sailed out of the port of Gdynia alongside her sister ships, ORP Grom and ORP Burza, with other Polish vessels to follow in the ensuing days.  It was Operation Peking, a secret and treacherous mission by the Polish Navy to reach the British Isles in a desperate attempt to avoid annihilation from the impending onslaught by German forces.

Hero of Two Nations is the epic story of one of the men on the famous ORP Blyskawica - Stefan Wesolowski.  He was born to be a great military leader.  Stefan Wesolowski was to the military as Chopin was to classical music.  A child prodigy, a genius. He was a child soldier at the age of 9 and promoted to Corporal at the age of 12.  During World War II he rose the ranks to Captain and became the only Polish officer to command an American aircraft carrier.  Never has the world seen the likes of Captain Wesolowski before or since.



Polish Greatness.com is proud to present this special feature,  Hero of Two Nations: Captain Stefan P. Wesolowski (1909-1987) written by Prof. Zdzislaw Wesolowski.

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ORP BLYSKAWICA (00:09.45m)

THE ELEVENTH HOUR ON THE ELEVENTH DAY: REMEMBRANCE OF ALLIED SOLDIERS

Remembrance Day (Veterans Day, or Armistice Day) marks the official date in which World War I came to an end. It has since been observed as a national holiday or memorial every November 11th.

We have much to be thankful for and this day gives us the opportunity to honor our veterans and the fallen soldiers who have sacrificed so much for our country and for the free world. We remember and give thanks to these brave soldiers - those who fought in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and many other battles around the world.  Their sacrifices are immeasurable, their courage, great.  Remembrance Day is not intended to glorify warfare, but to recognize these exceptional men and women of valor, and to show our respect and deepest appreciation.

Wearing a red poppy is symbolic largely as a result of the famous poem, "In Flanders' Fields",  written by a Canadian doctor, and soldier, Lt. John McCrae. But more so because red poppies bloomed throughout many of the worst battlefields in Europe. It's red color is symbolic for the blood spilled in battles.  It has the same symbolism in the Polish song "Red Poppies on Monte Cassino" - a song that is very well-known and beloved to every Polish patriot, and reminiscent of the enormous loss of life in one of the greatest battles of World War II.

President Lincoln said it best when he made his famous Gettysburg Address:

But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our power to add or detract.  The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here."

D-Day: The Invasion of Normandy: Sights and Sounds

 DAY 6/6/44

D-Day will forever be remembered by the world. It was the greatest - the largest amphibious invasion in the history of mankind. 


On Tuesday, June 6, 1944 at 6:30 British Double Summertime (GMT+2) over 160,000 Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy. They were supported by over 5,000 ships manned by more than 195,000 Allied naval and merchant navy personnel and accompanied by 13,000 aircraft. This was Operation Neptune. The first phase was an airborne assault launched shortly after midnight in which over 24,000 British, American, Canadian and Free French troops, which was followed by the amphibious landing beginning at 06:30 hours.

Troops from the United States, United Kingdom, Free France, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway and, little known to many people, the Polish troops of the 1st Armoured Division, took part in this massive Operation which ultimately freed Fortress Europe from the Nazi scourge.





D-Day Polish Army, Brutus Fortitude operation (00:03:39m)

Eisenhower statement, in case of failure

Just before the start of the invasion, General Eisenhower gave an historic speech to the Allied Expeditionary Force.

His opening words were, "You are about to embark upon the great crusade, toward which we have striven these many months......" 

Despite the enormous magnitude of this Operation, there existed a unspoken yet palpable trepidation that the invasion might not succeed.  For in his pocket, General Eisenhower had prepared a statement to be read in the event that the invasion failed. It was dated July 6 in error.

General Dwight D. Eisenhower's D-Day Speech

George Hicks, London Bureau Chief for the Blue Network (later to become ABC) was aboard the Allied communications ship, the U.S.S. Ancon, and gave an eye-witness radio report of the D Day invasion on the 7th of June, 1944.  Click here to listen



The Invasion was slated to begin on June 5th but bad weather postponed the Operation.  There were only a few days each month suitable to launch an attack, that is, during a full moon and high tide. The illumination of navigational landmarks were vital for the airborne landing divisions, and the latter made it possible for landing craft to maneuver safely and avoid defensive obstacles beneath. There was a full moon on June the 6th however overcast skies limited the field of vision of Allied air support.


Due to bad weather conditions, the Germans had a false sense of security believing that the Allied invasion would be delayed. They had no idea that the invasion was already underway. Though the Allied Expeditionary Force was a formidable presence indeed, its landing troops  faced horrendous fire from the German defenses.

By June 6th, 1944 the German troops were solidly entrenched - 157 divisions in the Soviet Union,  6 in Finland,  12 in Norway,  6 in Denmark, 9 in Germany, 21 in the Balkans, 26 in Italy,  and 59 in France, Belgium and the Netherlands.  However, according to German statistics, their divisions in the east were greatly depleted due to heavy fighting, and by spring 1944 the average personnel was roughly half of its original size.

What made the German defenses so invincible was their interlocking firing style, a tactic which permitted them to protect areas that were under heavy fire. Moreover, the Germans had, during the past four years, constructed impenetrable concrete bunkers, atop the cliffs and hills from which their machine gunners had clear views of the beaches.

German tobrouk manning MG-42 machine guns.

Rommel, assigned to command the Normandy coast, fortified German positions along the Atlantic Wall with tank top turrets, laid hundreds of thousands of mines along the littoral, and flooded the meadows to impede the Allied advance.  German power was indeed a force to contend with. Between Barfleur and Le Havre, the Germans had at least six coastal artillery batteries: located at Merville, Long-sur-Mer, Pointe du Hoc, Maisy, Azeville, and Crisbecq. From these positions, German gunners were able to fire at a range of 30 kilometers.

50mm German gun near Merville battery

The Atlantic Wall, as outlined in the map above, was a virtual German fortress comprising of a web of radar tracking stations, many of them defended with 88 mm anti-aircraft guns.  From the Norwegian coast all the way to Spain, the Germans not only had radar stations but also "listening" stations: between Cherbourg, Vire and Le Havre, there were 1 identification radar, 2 "Freya" type radars, 5 long-range coastal radars,  7 mid-range radars,  and 14 "Wurzburg" giant radars.

German sentinel watching the horizon

The Germans knew of the impeding invasion though not the exact time - nor place.  Nevertheless, German armoured and infantry divisions were dug in and waiting. German Command believed that the Invasion would begin at the Pas-de Calais area - the shortest route from the British mainland. This belief was due entirely to Operation Fortitude, Churchill's ingenious plan by which the Allied forces staged fake military activity in the south-east England, using inflatable tanks and wooden guns and warships as props. From the perspective of German reconnaissance aircraft, they looked quite real. In addition to this, Allied intelligence fed misinformation to the enemy that the Allied units were under the command of the feared General Patton. The Germans fell for it. 


It was vital to the success of the Allied invasion that the Germans believed that the invasion would begin at Pas-de-Calais, the consequence of which was to delay the full brunt of their military presence on the Normandy beachhead.


Under the command of Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay of the Allied Naval Expeditionary Force, the Allied armada comprised of warships from eight different navies including that of Poland. In all there were 6,939 vessels: 1,213 warships,  4,126 transport vessels, 736 ancillary craft and 864 merchant vessels.  The flotilla was divided into two task forces:  Western, under the command of Rear-Admiral Alan G. Kirk, and Eastern, under the command of Rear-Admiral Sir Philip Vian.

Leo Pikulski was part of the Polish contingent which fought on the Normandy Beaches, together with the First Canadian Corps and at the Battle of Falaise.

HMS X-24

In Operation Gambit, British X class submarines (midget submarines) HMS X20 and HMS X23 were already in position on June 4th, 1944.  Their mission was to provide navigational aids to incoming Allied troops: an 18-foot telescopic mast with a light shining to seaward, a radio beacon and echo sounder tapping out a message for the minelayers approaching 'Sword' and 'Juno' beaches.

The main thrust of Operation Neptune was to ensure the isolation of invasion routes and beaches from any intervention by the Kriegsmarine, the Germany Navy. According to the Royal Navy Home Fleet, the threat was two-fold: a surface attack by German vessels coming from Scandinavian ports and the Baltic Sea and that of U-boats transferred from the Atlantic. However, German warships were seriously damaged and fuel supplies cut by a third. As for the latter, few U-boats were spotted by the RAF air surveillance. In any event, the Royal Navy was fully capable of repelling any enemy attack, and had mined the Kiel Canal area while the RAF maintained a cordon well west of Land's end.

The HMS Ramillies and Warspite and the monitor HMS Roberts were old battleships used to suppress shore batteries located east of the Orne; cruisers targeted shore batteries at Ver-sur-Mer and Moulineaux; eleven destroyers provided local fire support.  In addition, there were modified landing-craft: 8 "Landing Craft Gun", each having two 4.7-inch guns; 4 "Landing Craft Support" with automatic cannon; 8 Landing Craft Tank, each with a single salvo of 1,100 5-inch rockets; 8 Landing Craft Assault (Hedgerow), each with twenty-four bombs intended to detonate beach mines prematurely. Twenty-four Landing Craft Tank carried "Priest" self-propelled howitzers which also fired while they were on the run-in to the beach.  The Allies had similar arrangements at other beaches.

During D Day there was minimal naval contact - four German torpedo boats launching eighteen torpedoes sank the Norwegian destroyer Svenner off the coast of Sword beach but missed the battleships HMS Warspite and HMS Ramillies. Immediately after having fired, the enemy vessels veered away and escaped into a smoke screen. A great debt of gratitude goes to ULTRA, whose intelligence work discovered the location of German channels through their own minefields, and thus the Allies were able to limit their losses. Unfortunately,the USS Corry sank off the coast of Utah, as well as the USS PC-1261, a 173-foot patrol craft; three LCTs and two LCIs.)

The mission of Naval operations was to provide cover for transport vessels from the threat of enemy ships, submarines and aircraft. More importantly, their purpose was to support Allied landings by launching continuous bombardment of enemy positions ashore, to suppress shore defenses as well as to break up enemy concentrations as the troops began to move inland.

Veterans speak about D-Day.

D-Day Memories of Allied Veterans

Complete Radio Broadcast D-Day from CBS World News

Normandy veteran remembers D-Day invasion (00:06:45m)

The amphibious landings were particularly vulnerable to very strong German counterattacks and depended on the establishment of a secure lodgement in order to expand the beachhead and build up a sufficient force capable of breaking out.  During this most critical period, Allied bombers were the key to slowing down the German's ability to prepare and launch counterattacks. Their main targets were bridges, roads and the eastern and western flanks of landing areas. The U.S. 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions were assigned to objectives west of Utah Beach while the British 6th Airborne Division were assigned to similar objectives on the eastern flank; and 530 Free French paratroopers from the British Special Air Service Brigade were assigned to objectives in Brittany (from 5 June to August.)

East of the landing area, the open, flat, floodplain between the Orne and Dives Rivers was an ideal position from which the Germans could launch counterattacks.  However, the landing area and floodplain were separated by the Orne River, which flowed northeast from Caen into the bay of the Seine and the only crossing of the Orne River north of Caen was 7 kilometres (4.5 mi) from the coast, near Bénouville and Ranville. The crossing was vital to the Germans as well as to the Allies:  to the Germans, it provided the only route for a flanking attack on the beaches from the east, and to the Allies, the crossing was vital for any attack on Caen from the east.

The tactical objectives of the British 6th Airborne Division were to capture intact the bridges of the Bénouville-Ranville crossing, defend the crossing against the inevitable armoured counter-attacks,  destroy German artillery at the Merville battery which threatened Sword Beach, and destroy five bridges over the Dives River to further restrict movement of ground forces from the east.

Shortly after midnight on June 6, 1944,  paratroopers of the 3rd and 5th Parachute Brigades, including the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, began landing and immediately encountered elements of the German 716th Infantry Division.  At dawn the Battle Group von Luck of the 21st Panzer Division counterattacked from the south on both sides of the Orne River. By this time the paratroopers had established a defensive perimeter surrounding the bridgehead. Casualties were heavy on both sides but the airborne troops held. By afternoon, they were received reinforcements of commandos of the 1st Special Service Brigade.


By the end of D-Day, 6th Airborne had accomplished each of its objectives. For several days, both British and German forces took heavy casualties as they struggled for positions around the Orne bridgehead.  On June 10th, the German 346th Infantry Division succeeded in breaking through the eastern edge of the defensive line but finally, British paratroopers were able to overwhelm the panzergrenadiers (Battle of Bréville on 12 June). The Germans did not post a threat to the bridgehead again and the 6th Airborne remained on the line until it was evacuated in early September.

Over 13,000 American paratroopers of the U.S. 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions landed from 12 troop carrier groups of the IX Troop Carrier Command.  These courageous men were less fortunate in completing their mission.  In order to maintain the element of surprise, the drops were planned to approach Normandy from the west however various factors affected their plans. That the drop was to commence under the cover of night, was itself a serious impediment, and a tactic not used again during the war.  The result was that about 45 % of the units were scattered over a wide area and unable to rally.  Moreover, landing zones were not effectively marked by the early pathfinder teams, and the most serious impediment was the unreliability of the Rebecca/Eureka transponding radar beacons to guide in the C-47 Skytrains.

America the Story of the US:  D-Day Invasion (00:03:07)

Between the hours of 00:48 and 01:40 three regiments of 101st Airborne paratroopers were the first to be air dropped, quickly followed by the 82nd Airborne's drops between 01:51 and 02:42.  Each operation was a massive undertaking requiring about 400 C-47 aircraft.  Just before dawn, two glider landings brought in anti-tank guns and support troops for each division. By the evening on D-Day, two additional glider landings brought in two battalions of artillery and 24 howitzers to the 82nd Airborne. Additional glider operations on 7 June delivered the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment to the 82nd Airborne, and two large supply parachute drops that date were ineffective. After 24 hours, only 2,500 troops (a third)of the 101st and 2,000 of the 82nd were under the control of their divisions. The dispersal of the American airborne troops, however, had the effect of confusing the Germans and fragmenting their response. Moreover, the defensive flooding created by German units, at least in the early stages, posed an advantage to American troops, protecting their southern flank. For the next several days paratroopers continued to roam and fight behind enemy lines, many of them consolidated into small groups. Many of them rallied with NCOs or junior officers, and comprised a mix of soldiers from different companies, battalions, regiments, and even divisions. 

The first town to be liberated during the invasion was Sainte-Mère-Église in the early morning hours of June 6th, 1944, by the troops of the 82nd Division. The Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy at  Sword -  Juno - Gold -  Omaha - Utah.   Of 73,000 Americans who landed, 23,250 were on Utah beach; 34,250 on Omaha; and 15,500 were airborne units. British (61,715) and Canadian (21,400) troops landed - more precisely, 24,970 on Gold beach, 21,400 on Juno, 28,845 on Sword, and 7,900 airborne troops.  On D Day, Allied aircraft flew 14,674 sorties, and lost 127 planes. 

During the airborne landings on D Day, 2,395 aircraft and 867 gliders were used by the RAF and USAAF.  Of the thousands of Allied Vessels in operation on June 6th, included 1,213 naval combat ships, 4,126 landing ships and craft, 736 ancillary craft and 864 merchant vessels.  Of the 195,700 personnel assigned to Operation Neptune, 52,889 were American, 112,824 were British and the remaining 4,988 from other Allied countries (including Poland). By the end of June 11th (that is D + 5), about 326,547 troops, 54,186 vehicles and 104,428 tons of supplies had landed on the beaches of Normandy. Casualties were very heavy except for Sword where in comparison, British infantry suffered light casualties and at Utah where 197 men were killed of a total of 23,000 troops that landed there.  By a twist of fate, the 4th Infantry Division had landed at the wrong place at Victor Sector instead of Tare Green and Uncle Red Sectors. Those soldiers met with minimal German opposition and by afternoon they were able to rendezvous with the 101st Airborne and advance inland quickly.  

By the days end about 10,000 Allied troops were killed or wounded in action.  Total German casualties on D-Day are not known but have been estimated between 4,000 and 9,000 men. During the Battle of Normandy,  the Allies suffered 209,000 casualties with about 37,000 ground forces killed, and another 16,714 killed from Allied air forces. Of these casualties, 83,045 were from the 21st Army Group comprising British, Canadian and Polish ground forces) and 125,847 from US ground forces.  The Allies captured 200,000 prisoners of war.  Allied naval losses for June 1944 included 24 warships and 35 merchantmen or auxiliaries sunk and an additional 120 vessels damaged. German casualties on D-Day are not known but have been estimated between 4,000 and 9,000 men.  Roughly 200,000 German troops were killed or wounded during the Battle of Normandy.  The fighting around the Falaise Pocket in August 1944, resulted in German casualties of approximately 90,000 including prisoners. There are 27 war cemeteries which hold the remains of over 110,000 remains of soldiers who fought during the Battle of Normandy:  77,866 German,  9,386 American, 17,769 British, 5,002 Canadians and 650 Poles.

 Winston S.Churchill - We Shall Fight on the Beaches (00:02:25m)

VISIT ALSO
 REMEMBRANCE: D DAY

 

Sources:  Wikipedia The Memory Project: Stories of the Second World War (Leo Pikulski) BBC History - Voices of D Day The US National Archives and Records Administration (Eisenhower Statement) Radio News The D-Day and Normandy Fellowship (D Day Memories) Preparations of the Normandy Landing - Operation Fortitude D-Day Museum Atlantic Wall in Normandy Internet Archive - Old Time Radio  


Suggested Links: The Battle of Normandy: Minute by Minute X Class Submarine Eye-witness memories of World War II (D Day Normandy and beyond) Polish hero honoured 66 years later Invasion of Normandy A Civilian's View Naval History and Heritage Command(USA)  Rundstedt report on Allied Invasion of Normandy


 Special Mention: The National D Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia

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

(9/11) Battlefield II The Battle for Monte Cassino Ep13 World War II (00:10:00m)






Bitwa o Monte Cassino (HQ) Battle for Monte Cassino (English w/Polish subtitles) (00:003:30m)

The Battle of Monte Cassino

Phase Four

March 26 - May 18, 1944

Since the Battle began, the German defenses at Cassino and Monastery Hill could not be penetrated. Despite heavy bombing, the enemy held fast and continued to block the road to Rome. Now, along a 30 km (18 mile) stretch from Cassino to the Gulf of Gaeta, 17 Allied Divisions were positioned ready for the next phase of battle.

The US had 8 divisions: the US II Corps (Major Gen.Keyes), the 85th Infantry Division (Maj.Gen. Coulter), the US 5th Army, the French Expeditionary Corps (Maj.Gen.Brosset), 2nd Moroccan Division (Brig.Gen.Dody), the 4th Moroccan Mountain Division (Maj.Gen. Sevez), and the 3rd Algerian Division (Maj-Gen. de Monsabert).

The British Army had the task of capturing the Liri Valley and advance towards Rome. The mission was given to the British 8th Army consisting of the British XIII Corps (Lt. Gen.Kirkman), the British 4th Division, the British 78th Division, the 8th Indian Division, and the British 6th Armored Division.

Reserves consisted of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division, the 5th Canadian Division, and the 6th South African Armored Division. Also part of the British contingent was the II Polish Corps, under the command of Lt.General Wladyslaw Anders. The Polish forces consisted of the 3rd Carpathian Rifle Division (Maj.Gen.Duch), the 5th Kresowa Infantry Division (Maj-Gen.Sulik) and the 2nd Armored Brigade (Maj.Gen Rakowski).

To the II Polish Corps was given the most difficult task
of the mission - the capture of Cassino and Monastery Hill.

The Cassino sector was controlled by the German 1st Parachute Division and the 44th Infantry Division. The Liri Valley was defended by the Panzer Grenadier Division and a few units from the 305th Infantry Division. The coast was held by the 71st Infantry Division, 3 battalions of the 44th Infantry Division, the 15th Panzer Grenadier Division, and the 90th (Reserve) Panzer Grenadier Division. The Arunci Mountains were controlled by the 44th Infantry Division.

On April 11 discussions were under way between Allied top brass and President Roosevelt for a massive offensive in the area. The plan called for large-scale deception targeted at Field-Marshal Kesselring -to convince him that the Allies had finally abandoned further attacks on the Gustav Line, and that their mission was now to land at Civitaveccia, north of Rome. In order to remain convincing, the Allies resorted to several diversionary tactics: code messages were sent which were intercepted by German Intelligence indicating that the Allies were planning a landing at Civitavecchia by the US 26th Division and the Canadian 1st Corps. A few Allied troops were dispatched to Salerno and Naples to be seen "practicing" amphibious landings - in broad daylight! Meanwhile, Allied air forces were conspicuously making reconnaissance flights all over the beaches at Civitavecchia. False information was spoon-fed to German spies while Italian partisans were put into action. The 78th Division transferred its unit to within 80 km (50 miles) behind the front line, and openly "practiced' crossing the river.

As these diversions were being carried out, the Allied positions at Monte Cassino and Rapido were being heavily reinforced under camouflage. The II Polish Corps, already positioned at Monte Cassino was ordered to maintain strict radio silence. Its location was cleverly concealed by miles of camouflage - the French Expeditionary Corps, consisting of 99,000 men was completely hidden from view!

Camouflage was so successful that it not only hid an entire army but permitted the construction of six bridges. The Germans did not suspect a thing. All troop movements were done secretly and under the cover of darkness. The ruse succeeded. Kesselring sent 2 armored divisions to Civitavecchia with additional reserves on standby.

May 11. 23:00 h The Allies opened intense bombardment from 1,600 guns aimed at German positions all along the 30 km (18 mile) length coast to the Rapido Valley. The Germans were taken by complete surprise.

May 12. Within an hour the 2nd Moroccan Division, the Moroccan 4th Mountain Division, and the US II Corps, attacked Monte Faito (Arunci Mountains) capturing it at 3:00 a.m. The Moroccan 8th Rifle Division captured Monte Feuci, and soon afterwards Monte Majo. At 11:50 p.m. The 8th Indian and British 4th Divisions followed the French Expeditionary Corps in an attack across the Rapido. Despite intense German fire, they were able to extend their bridgeheads.

WWII Footage: Commonwealth Troops at Monte Cassino (00:03:14m)


May 13 01:00 a.m. The II Polish Corps went into battle. The 13th and 15th Battalions of the 5th Kresowa Infantry Division reached Point 517 (Widno) under heavy fire but lost 20% of their men. The 13th Battalion (Col. Kaminski) was the first to reach Phantom Ridge, but were caught in a barrage of gunfire (in front and both flanks), mines and traps. Casualties were very heavy and the units were almost completely wiped out.

Polish soldiers charging up Phantom Hill

Another division of the Polish 13th Battalion reached Phantom Ridge from its southern slope but they too also came under heavy fire. The 5th Battalion (Col.Stoczkowski) made it up Phantom Ridge in complete darkness and battled the Germans seeking cover behind bushes and boulders. Two companies succeeded in reaching Point 517 passing German bunkers and coming under heavy fire.The 3rd Carpathian Rifle Division was to capture Monte Calvario (Pt. 593) in what was aptly described as a race against death. Under the protection of Allied artillery fire, the 2nd Battalion scrambled up the footpath, at intervals of barely 100 paces, to get as close as possible to the summit, and wait. During artillery fire, the Germans had to withdraw into their shell-proof shelters, but came running out as soon as firing had stopped. The Poles knew that they had precious seconds with which to reach those vacant positions before the enemy could return to them and f ire on the Poles at point-blank range.Two platoons of the 1st Company succeeded in reaching those vacant posts and after close combat, took ten prisoners. The 3rd Company on the western slope of Point 593 took 17 prisoners.While these tactics succeeded on Point 593, they ended disastrously on Point 569. Artillery fire had halted much too early so that Germans had returned to their positions in time to greet the Poles with a barrage of gunfire.

Polish Soldiers- Monte Cassino

Polish Soldiers transporting Artillery Uphill

At 6:30 a.m. The Polish Battalion on Phantom Ridge was reinforced by additional Polish troops. By all appearances the area seemed to be devoid of Germans, but as soon as Polish troops were concentrated in one area, they were surprised by intense enemy fire.

The attack on Massa Albaneta was initiated by the 3rd Carpathian Rifle Division supported by the Polish 2nd Armored Brigade. But before they could achieve their objective, their tanks were hit  by enemy fire and burst into flames. The remaining tanks were destroyed by mines, killing or wounding 18 of the 20 engineers.

At 7:15 a.m. Allied bombers reached the front line and circled constantly over enemy positions. They attacked specific targets at the command of Polish ground troops who hailed them in like a taxi cab. The bombers knocked out the headquarters of the German 10th Army and the command post of the XIV Panzer Corps. A Polish garrison held onto Monte Calvario with only 29 men and 1 officer, reinforced by a reserve unit. But they were overtaken by the German 14th Company and 22 men of the reserve regiment. The enemy recaptured Mont Calvario. The Poles ( 7 soldiers and 1 officer ) retreated.

The Polish men of the 15th Battalion who remained on Phantom Ridge endured the most ferocious enemy fire. They suffered considerable casualties and were at the point of total exhaustion, their men lying wounded and in shock.  But their sacrifice was not in vain - they had relieved the British units in the Liri Valley from heavier artillery fire. At days end, the II Polish Corps had to withdraw its troops.

However, the British XIII Corps did not achieve half of its objectives and the US II Corps still could not penetrate German positions.

May 12-13. Violent fighting continued in the Liri Valley. More bridges were built over the Rapido. The II Polish Corps was ordered to wait and not attack Cassino town until the 8th Indian and British 4th Divisions had achieved their mission in the Liri Valley. Gen. Juin assembled a mountain assault division comprising of 12,000 men of the Moroccan Rifle Division. The French 1st Motorized Divison captured Santa Andrea, while the 1st Moroccan Infantry Division made its way to the Liri Valley.

May 14. The 1st Moroccan Infantry Division pushed its way towards San Giorgio (on the right bank of the Liri River). The 3rd Algerian Infantry Division captured Castelforte, clearing the way for a mountain assault. The goumiers of the Moroccan supply battalion were able to climb the Arunci mountains with barely any German resistance. (The Germans had assumed that no one could scale its rugged slopes. They were sorely mistaken.) The goumiers captured Monte Rotondo and reached the Ausente Valley. This opened the southern section of Cassino.

During this time the II Polish Corps were suffering heavy casualties on Monte Cassino. Meanwhile, the British XIII Corps was slowly expanding the Rapido bridgeheads.The French posed a significant threat to the Germans. Gen. Juins' troops had begun their attack on Via Casilina, but not from the Cassino gap as originally intended. His troops made its way instead through the Arunci Mountains, and by so doing breached the once-impregnable Gustav Line. The way was now clear for the Moroccan 4th Mountain Division to launch a surprise attack and cut into the Gustav Line even further. The US II Corps captured Santa Maria Infante. After repeated efforts the British XIII Corps was finally able to throw a pontoon bridge across the Rapido. The Goumiers Mountain Assault team climbed Monte Fammera, near Spigno.

Polish Soldiers  - Monte Cassino

May 15. British 78th Division crossed the Rapido followed by the XIII Corp but neither were able to break through to Cassino. The 8th Indian Division captured Pignataro after a short fight. The French captured key enemy positions over Ausonia, and Monte Petrella and Monte Revole.

May 16. A company from the 16th Battalion of the 5th Kresowa Infantry Division reached Phantom Ridge for a reconnaissance mission. They were able to capture and hold enemy positions. By nightfall the entire northern section of Phantom Ridge lay in Polish control. By sunrise the 15th Polish Battalion captured the southern slope of Phantom Ridge. The 5th Kresowa Infantry Division succeeded in penetrating enemy positions on Phantom Ridge, and Colle Sant'Angelo but were met with heavy fire and were driven back.

Meanwhile, the British 4th Division in the Liri Valley failed to capture Cassino town.May 17. The goumiers had traversed the Arunci Mountains and reached the Itro-Pico Road 40 km (25 miles) behind the German Cassino front. Within minutes they were on the Via Casilina. They were soon joined by the British 78th Division and began their advance towards Rome. After months of fierce fighting the German defenses, now depleted, began to crumble. Sections of the German defenses were wiped out entirely. The 1st Company of the 1st Battalion of the 3rd Parachute Regiment had just 1 soldier, 1 NCO and 1 officer remaining. The US II Corps made steady progress on the coast and was able to capture Formia.



Monte Casino 1944 (00:56:05m)


At 18:05 H. The commander of the 3rd Carpathian Rifle Division received word from the Commanding General that the enemy was on the verge of retreating. (This information was obtained by Intelligence interception of Enigma messages.) At 23:30 H. Enemy aircraft circled over their corps sector dropping flares - a clear signal which ordered retreat.

Polish Soldiers - Monte Cassino

May 17-18 The Germans had abandoned Monte Cassino and Monastery Hill. The 4th Battalion captured Point 493. There appeared to be no fire from Monastery Hill. A patrol was sent to survey the area. No one was found except for sixteen wounded German soldiers, an ensign and two medical orderlies.

German Paratroopers surrendering at Monte Cassino

May 18 9:05 a.m. Lieutenant Gurbiel ascended to the height of Monastery Hill and hoisted the red and white banner of Poland. Czech, the section leader played the Hejnal on the bugle. The Battle of Monte Cassino had finally come to an end after months of desperate attempts to destroy German strongholds. The Polish soldiers numbering 51,000 strong fought with the assurance that their material superiority and steely courage would pave the way to victory. But tragically, the Polish soldiers knew that their beloved homeland had been sacrificed to the Soviets, still continued to fight just the same. Over 4,100 men of the II Polish Corps lost their lives on Monte Cassino.

Polish Flag atop Monte Cassino

Master Corporal Emil Czech plays Hej Mariacki

 Victory came at a very high price. 

For Your Freedom and Ours.

 

Polish Cemetery Monte Cassino

Next:  The Battle of Monte Cassino: The Aftermath

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)