Winter Line

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German prepared defensive lines south of Rome
German prepared defensive lines south of Rome
Battle for the Bernhardt Line
Part of World War II, Italian Campaign

The Liri valley with Mt. Sambùcaro overlooking the modern town of San Pietro Infine (left) and ruins of the original town (center).
Date Dec 1, 1943 – Jan 15, 1944
Location Mignano Gap, Italy
Result Allied victory
Combatants
United Kingdom
United States
New Zealand
Canada
Free France
India
and others		 Germany
Commanders
Harold Alexander
Mark Clark
Bernard Montgomery
Oliver Leese		 Albert Kesselring
Heinrich von Vietinghoff

The Winter Line was a series of German military fortifications in Italy, constructed during World War II by Organisation Todt. The main line of fortification, called the Gustav Line, ran across Italy from just north of where the Garigliano River flows into the Tyrrhenian Sea in the west, through the Apennine Mountains to the mouth of the Sangro River on the Adriatic Sea in the east. The center of the line, where it crossed the main route north to Rome (Highway 6) which followed the Liri valley, was anchored around the mountains behind the town of Cassino including Monte Cassino, which had an old abbey sitting atop it and which dominated the entrance to the Liri valley, and Monte Cairo which gave the defenders clear observation of any potential attackers. On the western side of the Apennines there were two subsidiary lines: the Bernhardt Line in front of the main Gustav positions and the Adolf Hitler Line some 5 miles to the rear. The Winter line was fortified with gun pits, concrete bunkers, turreted machine-gun emplacements, barbed-wire and minefields. It was the strongest of the German defensive lines south of Rome. About 15 German divisions were employed in the defence.

Contents

[edit] Background

Following the Allied invasion of Italy in September 1943, the Italian government had surrendered, but the German Army continued to fight. The Allied armies succeeded in conquering the southern part of Italy but by early October had come up against the Volturno Line, the first of two lines (the next being the Barbara Line) used to delay the Allied advance to buy time to prepare the most formidable defensive positions which formed the Winter Line. By mid-November the US Fifth Army had fought its way to the Bernhardt Line but was exhausted. Fifth Army therefore paused for two weeks to re-group whilst the focus of attack switched to the British Eighth Army on the Adriatic front. Whilst the Gustav Line was penetrated by the Eighth Army, capturing Ortona, blizzards, drifting snow and zero visibility at the end of December in jagged terrain caused the advance to grind to a halt and any prospect of reaching Route 5 and forcing a 'right hook' to Rome evaporated. The rest of the winter on the Adriatic front was spent in bitterly uncomfortable conditions with the opposing sides often in close proximity and engaged in night-time patrolling and vicious skirmishing.

The Allies' focus once turned to the U.S. Fifth Army front in the west where an attack through the Liri valley was considered to have the best chance of a breakthrough towards Rome, the Allies' immediate objective.

The German forces in Italy were commanded by Field Marshal Albert Kesselring. The defence of the line itself was the task of the German Tenth Army commanded by General Heinrich von Vietinghoff .

The new Allied Supreme Commander, Mediterranean Theatre was the British General Sir Henry Maitland Wilson, replacing American General Dwight Eisenhower who had moved to command the forces preparing for Operation Overlord, the Normandy landings. The US Fifth Army was commanded by General Mark W. Clark and consisted of US, French and British units. The British Eighth Army, with British, Indian, New Zealand, Canadian and Polish units, was from early January commanded by General Oliver Leese when General Bernard Montgomery had also been recalled to Britain to prepare for Operation Overlord.

[edit] Breaking the Bernhardt Line

Italian Campaign
Invasion of Sicily – Invasion of Italy – Armistice with Italy – Winter Line – San Pietro – Anzio – Monte Cassino – Gothic Line

It had taken U.S. 5th Army, in deteriorating weather as the torrential autumn rains broke, from the middle of October to early November to fight their way across difficult terrain and through skillful and determined rearguard defenses from the Volturno Line positions to the Bernhardt Line. In the centre of the 5th Army front lay the Mignano Gap, which because of the marshy conditions on the coastal plain represented the only realistic path to the mouth of the Liri valley.

Flanking and overlooking Route 6 through the Mignano Gap and its villages (San Pietro Infine, San Vittore Del Lazio and Cervaro) are, successively Monte Camino, Monte Lungo, Monte Porchia and Monte Trocchio on the left and Monte San Croce, Monte Corno, Monte Sambúcaro[1] and Monte Maiao on the right. Monte Sambúcaro normally appears as Monte Sammucro on Allied maps of the time. On reaching the Bernhardt positions an immediate attack was launched by British X Corps on Monte Camino on November 6 which was beaten back by German 15th Panzergrenadier Division. By mid-November it was now clear that after having sustained 10,000 combat casualties since the Volturno Line offensive, 5th Army needed to pause, reorganise and re-gather its strength[2].

Area of U.S. 5th Army offensive in the autumn of 1943
Area of U.S. 5th Army offensive in the autumn of 1943

U.S. 5th Army resumed its attack on December 1/2. The first attack, Operation Raincoat, was delivered, after an intensive artillery and air bombardment, by British X Corps (British 46th and 56th Infantry Divisions) on the left and elements of U.S. II Corps, including 1st Special Service Force, on the right against the formidable Camino hill mass. The dominating peak on Monte Camino, Hill 963, is crowned by a monastery. Two slightly lower peaks, Monte la Difensa (Hill 960) and Monte la Remetanea (Hill 907), lie less than two miles to the north of Camino. At the upper end of the Camino feature are the numerous peaks of Monte Maggiore. The entire hill mass is about six miles long and four miles wide. On the east and northeast the slopes rise steeply to the heights, then fall away gradually to the west toward the Garigliano River. It took until December 8 before the Camino mass was secured from the 15th Panzer Grenadiers.

Meanwhile, on the 5th Army's right flank, U.S. VI Corps (U.S. 34th and 45th Infantry Divisions) had attacked into the moutains but made little progress until reinforced by the mountain troops of the French Expeditionary Corps, recently arrived in Italy[3], they attacked again on December 15.

On December 8 U.S. 3rd, 36th Infantry Divisions and 1st Special Service Force of U.S. II Corps launched the attack on Monte Sambúcaro[1] and into the Mignano Gap. By the night of December 10 the peaks were taken, threatening the German positions in the gap. However, the German positions at San Pietro in the valley held firm until December 16 when an attack launched from the Camino mass took Monte Lungo. The Germans could no longer expect to hold San Pietro when the dominating ground on both flanks, Monte Lungo and the Sambúcaro[1] peaks, was in II Corps' possession. Under the cover of a counter-attack withdrew to positions about a mile to their rear, in front of San Vittore. A number of attacks were made in the next days and Morello Hill, overlooking the San Vittore positions from the north was captured on December 26.

On the VI Corps front progress was made but proved very difficult over the mountainous terrain as the weather deteriorated further with the onset of winter. During the month of December U.S. 5th Army suffered 5,020 wounded but total admissions to hospital totalled 22,816 with jaundice, fevers and trench foot prevalent[4].

At the end of December U.S. 5th Army had to pause once again to reorganise, replace its losses and gather itself for a final push to reach the Gustav Line defences. U.S. VI Corps was taken into reserve to train and prepare for the Anzio landings with the French troops, now at Corps strength taking over their front[5].

U.S. II Corps returned to the attack on January 4/5 1944 with attacks parallel to Route 6 north and south of it. The northern attack took San Vittore and by January 7 the overlooking height of La Chiaia. On the south side the attack was made from Monte Lungo and captured Monte Porchia. Meanwhile on their left, British X Corps had attacked from positions on the Camino mass to take on January 8 the Cedro hill which with Monte Chiaia and Monte Porchia had formed a strong defensive line in front of Monte Trocchio[6].

The last offensive to clear the enemy in front of the Gustav defenses started on January 10. Cervaro was taken on January 12 and the overlooking hills to the north on January 13. This opened up the northern flank of Monte Trocchio and a heavy assault was planned for January 15. However, the German XIV Panzer Corps now considered the position to be untenable and withdrew across the Rapido. When II Corps moved forward on the 15th they encountered no resistance[7].

It had taken U.S. Fifth Army six weeks of intense combat and 16,000 casualties to advance the seven miles through the Bernhardt Line defenses (including the action at Battle of San Pietro Infine) to take Monte Trocchio and reach the positions facing the main Gustav defenses on January 15.

[edit] Breaking the Gustav Line

The initial plan called for the US Fifth Army to cross the Garigliano river and break through the line just south of Cassino and into the Liri Valley, with supporting flanking attacks on both left and right. It also called for amphibious landings (Operation Shingle) at Anzio, behind the Gustav Line, so as to destabilise the Gustav defenses from the rear.

Details of this operation and the subsequent assaults can be found in the Battle of Monte Cassino entry.

[edit] Bibliography

[edit] References and footnotes

  1. ^ a b c This name usually appears as "Sammucro" on Allied military maps of the period.
  2. ^ Carver, p90
  3. ^ Carver, p104
  4. ^ Fifth Army at the Winter Line, p87
  5. ^ Fifth Army at the Winter Line, p91
  6. ^ Fifth Army at the Winter Line, pp106-107
  7. ^ Fifth Army at the Winter Line, p112

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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