At the beginning of 1944, two Allied armies were ready to launch a massive attack against German forces in central Italy in order to open the way north towards Rome. Standing in their way was the Gustav Line: the most heavily fortified defensive line the Western Allies had ever faced. There were three possible routes of attack. The fastest led directly through the Liri Valley, but required a dangerous crossing of the Rapido River. The second possible route involved bypassing the Gustav Line to the east, but this required the Allies to capture countless rugged peaks and ridges along the massif in terrain that favoured the defenders. The third and final option was to break through the enemy defences directly in front of the town of Cassino, crowned by its famous medieval monastery. However, this would have meant costly house-to-house fighting until the last of the determined German paratroopers had been killed or captured. The Allied commanders decided to try all three options. None of them was easy, and all proved deadly.
Author
Mansolas, Angelos
Title
Monte Cassino January–May 1944
Details
English text, paperback, 84 bw- and 45 colour illustrations. 176 pages.
State
new
Subtitle
The Legend of the Green Devils
Fonthill Media Limited Russell Strett GL5 3AN Strout Vereinigtes Königreich
