Battle of Monte Cassino facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Monte Cassino |
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| Part of the The Winter Line and the battle for Rome of the Second World War Italian Campaign | |||||||
 Ruins of the town of Cassino after the battle. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United States Free French Forces Poland Canada New Zealand South Africa Italian Royalist Armyand others |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Harold Alexander Mark Clark Oliver Leese |
 Albert Kesselring Heinrich von Vietinghoff F. v. Senger und Etterlin |
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| Units involved | |||||||
| U.S. Fifth Army British Eighth Army |
German 10th Army | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 240,000 men 1,900 tanks 4,000 planes |
~140,000 men unknown tanks and aircraft |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 55,000 casualties | ~20,000 casualties | ||||||
The Battle of Monte Cassino was a major battle during the Italian Campaign of World War II. It was a series of four big attacks by the Allied forces against strong German defenses in Italy. These defenses were part of the Winter Line. The battle took place near the town of Cassino and the famous Monte Cassino Abbey.
In early 1944, German forces held the western part of the Winter Line. This included valleys and mountains known as the Gustav Line. The main goal of the Battle of Monte Cassino was for the Allies to break through this line. This would open the way to capture Rome.
The old Benedictine Abbey on Monte Cassino was not used by German soldiers at first. However, they had strong defense positions on the slopes around it. Allied planes later dropped many bombs on the Abbey, turning it into ruins. Between January 17 and May 18, 1944, Allied troops attacked Monte Cassino and the Gustav Line four times. The German defenders fought hard but were finally forced out. This victory came at a high cost for the Allies.
Contents
Why the Battle Happened: The Background
After the Allies landed in Italy in September 1943, they began to move north. They advanced on both sides of the mountains in the middle of Italy.
On the western side, the U.S. Fifth Army moved from Naples. In the east, General Sir Bernard Montgomery's British Eighth Army moved up the Adriatic coast.
The Fifth Army moved slowly. This was because the land was difficult, and German defenses were very strong. The original plan was to capture Rome by October 1943. But this did not happen.
In the east, the town of Ortona was captured. However, the Allied advance stopped in December due to heavy snow. It became impossible to reach Rome from the east. Highway 6, a key road, ran through the Liri valley. The southern entrance to this valley was Cassino. This made Cassino a very important part of the Gustav Line, which was the strongest part of the German Winter Line defenses.
The old Benedictine Abbey was important for its history. Because of this, German units did not place their main defenses inside the Abbey itself.
However, some Allied aircraft saw German troops near the Abbey. The Abbey overlooked the entire valley. This made it a perfect spot for German soldiers to watch Allied movements and direct artillery fire. This made Allied commanders want to bomb the Abbey.
First Attack on Monte Cassino
Planning the First Attack
General Clark, commander of the U.S. Fifth Army, made the plan. The British X Corps would attack first on January 17, 1944. The British 46th Infantry Division would attack on January 19 to help. This would support the main attack by the U.S. II Corps.
The main attack by the U.S. II Corps would start on January 20. The 36th (Texas) U.S. Infantry Division would cross a river five miles from Cassino. The French Expeditionary Corps would move towards Monte Cairo.
The Fifth Army had only reached the Gustav Line on January 15. It had taken them six weeks and they had suffered 16,000 casualties.
The First Attacks Begin
- First Attack: British X Corps (January 17)
The first attack began on January 17. Near the coast, the British X Corps crossed the Garigliano River. General von Senger, a German commander, felt he could not stop this attack. He asked for more troops. The German 29th and 90th Panzer Grenadier Divisions were sent to help him. The X Corps suffered 4,000 casualties during this first battle.
- Main Attack: U.S. II Corps (January 20)
The central attack by U.S. forces started on January 20. They were met by the German 15th Panzer Grenadier Division. This attack failed. The 36th Division lost 2,100 men killed, wounded, or missing in just 48 hours.
- U.S. II Corps Tries North of Cassino (January 24)
The next attack was on January 24. The U.S. II Corps attacked across the Rapido valley, north of Cassino. The 34th Division pushed back the German 44th Infantry Division.
- French Corps Stopped on the Right
On the right side, the Moroccan-French troops made good progress at first against the Germans. However, the two Moroccan-French divisions suffered 2,500 casualties in their battles around Monte Belvedere.
- U.S. II Corps in the Mountains
The U.S. 34th Division had to fight its way southward. By early February, American soldiers had captured a point less than a mile from the Abbey. By February 7, a battalion reached a hill just below the Abbey. But attempts to capture Monte Cassino were stopped by heavy machine gun fire from the slopes.
After the First Battle
On February 11, after a three-day attack on Monastery Hill and Cassino town, the Americans pulled back. The U.S. II Corps was very tired after two and a half weeks of fighting. They had lost about 80% of their infantry soldiers, which was around 2,200 casualties.
Second Attack: Operation Avenger
This attack was called Operation Avenger. The U.S. VI Corps was in trouble at Anzio, so General Freyberg was asked to help at Cassino. Freyberg thought there was only a 50% chance of the attack succeeding.
The Abbey is Destroyed
Allied officers began to believe that the Germans were using the Abbey of Monte Cassino to watch Allied movements and direct artillery. The Allies considered bombing it with very large bombs.
On the morning of February 15, 1944, 142 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers attacked. They were followed by 47 North American B-25 Mitchell and 40 Martin B-26 Marauder medium bombers. They dropped 1,150 tons of bombs on the Abbey. This turned the historic building into rubble. U.S. II Corps artillery also shelled the mountain. However, the German positions above and behind the monastery were not hit.
After the Bombing
Pope Pius XII did not comment on the bombing. However, the Cardinal Secretary of State called the bombing "stupidity."
It is now known that the Germans had agreed not to use the Abbey for military purposes.
After the Abbey was destroyed, paratroopers from the German 1st Parachute Division moved into its ruins. They turned the rubble into a strong fortress and observation post.
The Battle Continues
On the night after the bombing, a company of the 1st Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment attacked on Snakeshead Ridge. The attack failed, and the company suffered 50% casualties.
The next night, the Sussex Regiment was ordered to attack with a whole battalion. This attack was also fought off, and they again suffered over 50% casualties.
On the night of February 17, the main attack happened. The 4/6th Rajputana Rifles failed in their attack and had heavy losses.
In another part of the main attack, two companies from the 28th (Māori) Battalion from the New Zealand Division tried to capture the railroad station in Cassino. They were eventually forced to pull back.
Third Attack on Cassino
For the third battle, the plan was to launch two attacks from the north. Before the attack, there was heavy bombing by Allied planes.
The third battle began on March 15. After 750 tons of bombs were dropped for three and a half hours, the New Zealanders advanced. There was also an artillery attack from 746 artillery guns. By the end of March 17, the Gurkhas held a point near the Abbey. New Zealand units and tanks had captured the station.
March 19 was planned for the attack on the town and on the Abbey. However, an attack by the German 1st Parachute Division stopped the Allied attack and destroyed the tanks. In the town, the attackers made little progress. Allied troops had to fight house by house.
General Freyberg decided the attack could not continue and ended it. The German 1st Parachute Division had suffered heavy losses, but they had held onto their positions.
After the Third Battle
Fighting in Cassino caused the 4th Indian Division to lose 3,000 men. The New Zealand Division had 1,600 men killed, missing, and wounded. The German defenders also suffered heavy losses.
Fourth and Final Attack
Planning the Last Attack
General Alexander's plan in Italy was to force the enemy to use as many divisions as possible in Italy. With the arrival of spring weather, it would be possible to use large groups of troops and tanks.
The fourth battle was called Operation Diadem. The plan was for the U.S. II Corps on the left to attack up the coast. The French Corps would attack across the Garigliano River. The British XIII Corps in the center-right would attack along the Liri valley. On the right, the Polish II Corps (with their 3rd and 5th Divisions) would attack the Abbey. It took two months to get all the troops ready. Movements of troops were done in the darkness to hide them from the enemy.
The Final Battle
The attack (May 11–12) on Cassino started at 11:00 PM. Artillery fired from 1,060 guns on the 8th Army front and 600 guns on the Fifth Army front. The U.S. II Corps made little progress. The French Expeditionary Force managed to get into the Aurunci Mountains. In the mountains above Cassino, for three days, Polish attacks and German counterattacks caused heavy losses for both sides.
By May 13, the German right side began to lose ground to the Fifth Army. On May 17, the Polish II Corps launched their second attack on Monte Cassino. The Poles, on their second try, finally captured Monte Cassino.
Gallery of Battle Plans
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First Battle: Plan of Attack.
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First Battle: Northern Sector (January 24 – February 11, 1944).
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Second Battle: Plan of Attack.
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Third Battle: Plan of Attack.
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Fourth Battle (Operation Diadem): Allied Plan of Attack.
Images for kids
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German paratroopers from the 3rd FJR "Green Devils" taking part in the battles for Monte Cassino, March 1944
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Monte Cassino in ruins
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German paratroopers at Monte Cassino
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Bombing of March 15
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Signallers of the 6th Battalion, Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment using a radio in a dugout on Monastery Hill
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Moroccan Goumier
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British soldier with a Bren gun in the ruins of Monte Cassino
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A knocked out Sherman tank by a Bailey bridge in the foreground with Monastery Ridge and Castle Hill in the background shortly after capture. (This photograph has been reversed and so depicts a mirror image of the actual scene.)
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Unloading of Monte Cassino property in the Piazza Venezia in Rome
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Polish soldiers carry ammunition to the front lines just before the capture of the abbey
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A Polish bugler plays the Hejnał mariacki, announcing the victory
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Ruins of the town of Cassino after the battle
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Monte Cassino: the Polish War Cemetery
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Commonwealth cemetery
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German cemetery
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See also
In Spanish: Batalla de Montecassino para niños
