Spring 1945 offensive in Italy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Spring 1945 Offensive
Part of the Italian Campaign of World War II
British troops pick their way through the ruins of Argenta, 18 April 1945
Date 6 April 1945 – 2 May 1945 Location Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy and the Veneto regions, northern Italy Result Decisive Allied victory German surrender in Italy Partisans capture & execute Mussolini Italian Social Republic disestablished
Belligerents
United Kingdom  United States Polish Army  British India  Brazil  New Zealand  South Africa  Italy and others	Germany  Italian Social Republic
Commanders and leaders
Harold Alexander Mark Clark Richard McCreery Lucian Truscott	Heinrich von Vietinghoff (POW) Traugott Herr (POW) Joachim Lemelsen (POW) Benito Mussolini  † Rodolfo Graziani (POW)
Strength
15th Army Group British 8th Army 632,980 fighting strength U.S. 5th Army 266,883 fighting strength	Army Group C 394,000 fighting strength
Casualties and losses
16,258 casualties incl. 2.860 killed	30–32,000 casualties

The Spring 1945 offensive in Italy was a big military attack during World War II. It was also called Operation Grapeshot. This attack was carried out by the Fifth United States Army and the British 8th Army. Their goal was to push into the Lombardy Plain in northern Italy. The offensive began on April 6, 1945, and ended on May 2, 1945. It finished with the German forces in Italy surrendering.

Why the Attack Happened

Before this attack, the Allies had fought a major battle at the Gothic Line in August 1944. The British 8th Army moved along the Adriatic coast. The U.S. 5th Army fought through the central Apennine Mountains.

They managed to break through the strong Gothic Line defenses. However, they could not reach the Lombardy Plains before winter arrived. The cold weather made fighting very difficult. Both sides then prepared to attack again in the spring.

Planning the Attack

Allied Spring Offensive April 1945: This map shows how the Allied armies planned to move.

The Allied commanders made their plan on March 18. They wanted to defeat as many enemy soldiers as possible. They also aimed to cross the Po River and capture the city of Verona.

The British Eighth Army was to move northwest. Their targets were the cities of Ferrara and Bondeno. The U.S. Fifth Army planned to go past Bologna. They wanted to surround German forces south of the Po River. The Fifth Army would then move west towards Ostiglia. After that, the Allies would capture bridges over the Po River and continue north.

The Fifth Army's plan, called Operation Craftsman, aimed to draw German reserve troops away. This would make it easier for their II Corps to attack.

The Battle Begins

In the first week of April, smaller attacks started on the edges of the Allied lines. The idea was to trick the Germans into moving their reserve troops. This would weaken the areas where the main attacks were planned. German forces relied on sea, canal, and river routes for supplies. Allied planes were constantly bombing these supply routes.

The main attack started on April 6. Allied artillery heavily bombed the German defenses along the Senio River. On April 9, 825 heavy bombers dropped bombs near the Senio. After that, artillery fired for nearly four hours. Special tanks like 28 Churchill Crocodiles (which had flamethrowers) and 127 Wasp flamethrower vehicles were used. By April 12, the 8th Indian Division had crossed the Santerno River. The British 78th Division then moved to attack Argenta.

The U.S. 5th Army began its attack on April 14. First, 2,000 heavy bombers and 2,000 artillery pieces bombed the German lines. Then, the ground troops moved forward. By April 20, both U.S. army groups had broken through German defenses. They reached the Po valley. The 10th Mountain Division moved north. By April 19, the British 6th Armoured Division was trying to surround the German armies defending Bologna. Bondeno was captured on April 23. Bologna was entered on April 21. The U.S. IV Corps reached the Po River on April 22. They continued north to Verona, entering it on April 26. The British V Corps entered Padua on April 29. Local Italian fighters, called Partisans, had already captured the German soldiers there.

The End of the War in Italy

Secret talks about surrender had been happening between the Germans and Western Allies. These talks, called Operation Crossword, took place in Switzerland in March. The Soviets were not happy that these talks did not include them. On April 29, the German forces in Italy officially surrendered. This marked the end of the fighting in Italy.

Images for kids

• 

  Men of the Jewish Brigade ride on a Churchill tank in the Mezzano-Alfonsine sector, 14 March 1945.

• 

  5th Army offensive, April 1945

• 

  Brazilian infantry resting beside a US M10 tank destroyer, April 1945