Cassino to the Alps - US Army Center Of Military History

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PURSUIT NORTH OF ROME gap. An aggressive Allied pursuit, however, would have doomed these measures. Because he was to lose Truscott's and Juin's corps within a few weeks, Clark decided to use them in the early phase of the pursuit beyond Rome even though both corps were exhausted. The FEC, which had been covering the Army's right flank, prepared to take over from the II Corps. After a period of rest, the latter was to relieve the French in time for their withdrawal from the Army. The VI Corps, meanwhile, was to continue in line until relieved by the I V Corps. Throughout the first day following Rome's capture, reconnaissance units ranged widely across the army's front to determine the extent of the enemy's withdrawal. Meanwhile, the 1st Armored and the 34th and 36th Infantry Divisions assembled in a bridgehead west of the Tiber. To maintain contact with the rapidly retreating Germans, Clark directed his corps commanders to form small, highly mobile task forces. 2 After clearing Rome by nightfall on 5 June, the Fifth Army continued to advance at first on a two-corps front in the same order in which it had entered Rome: on the left, Truscott's VI Corps moving in two columns, one along the axis of Highway 1 (the coastal highway running northwestward toward Civitavecchia) and a second initially along the axis of Highway 2, roughly paralleling the coastal road some ten miles inland; on the right, Keyes' II Corps advancing to take over Highway 2 about seven miles north of Rome and continuing east of Lake Bracciano north to Vi- 2 Hqs Fifth Army or 28, 6 Jun 1944. 237 terbo. The II Corps' right boundary was also the interarmy boundary and ran almost due north from a point four miles east of Rome, through Civita Castellana, thence to a point just west of Orte, forty miles north of Rome on the Tiber. (Map VIII) The farther the Fifth Army moved beyond Rome, ever lengthening supply lines wreaked an inevitable burden on the hardworking trucks and drivers and exacerbated gasoline shortages at the front that could be alleviated only by opening the port of Civitavecchia. Narrow, winding secondary roads and frequent demolition of culverts and bridges by the retreating enemy contributed to delays and limited the number of troops that might advance along the axis of a single road. Early on 6 June, General Harmon's 1 st Armored Division, with Allen's CCB accompanying the 34th Division along the coastal highway toward Civitavecchia and CCA the 36th Division along Highway 2, took up the pursuit toward Viterbo. The 45th Division remained in corps reserve, while the British 1 and 5 Divisions withdrew into AAI reserve as soon as the bulk of the Fifth Army moved beyond Rome. 3 Each combat command formed a mobile task force composed of a medium tank battalion, a motorized infantry battalion, and attached engineer and reconnaissance units, as well as a battalion of selfpropelled artillery. Because of difficulties involved in maneuvering and protecting the armor during the hours of darkness, motorized infantry led the way at night, armored units by day. As night fell on the 6th, CCB had "Ihid.: Fifth Army Hi.,tory, Pan vr, pp. 20-21.
238 CASSINO TO THE ALPS reached a point about seventeen miles southwest of Civitavecchia. Progress had been so rapid and resistance so light that Clark abandoned a plan to use the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion to block Highway 1 behind the retreating enemy. Meanwhile, the 34th Division's 168th Infantry, mounted on trucks, consolidated gains and rounded up enemy stragglers bypassed by the tanks. Demolished bridges and culverts bore witness to the enemy's passage, but there was little physical contact with the foe. Throughout the night a motorized battalion of the 168th Infantry led the way, and by dawn on the 7th reached a AERIAL VIEW OF CIVITAVECCHIA point within three miles of Civitavecchiao Entering the port, the infantry cleared it by noon. 4 In the meantime, the 34th Division commander, General Ryder, ordered Col. William Schildroth's 133d Infantry to take up the advance in trucks along the coast toward Tarquinia, about ten miles northwest of Civitavecchia. Allen's CCB, meanwhile, turned eastward to rejoin the rest of the 1st Armored Division south of Viterbo. Against little 4 VI Corps Opns Rpt. Jun 44; 34th Div G-3 Jnl. 5-7. 8--16 Jun 44. Unless otherwise indicated the following is based upon these sources.
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UNITED STATES ARMY IN WORLD WAR II
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The Author Ernest F. Fisher, Jr., g
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Chapta Contents PART ONE The Spring
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Chapter XXIII. STALE\,IATE IN THE \
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merly chief o staff of the 95th Inf
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PREPARING FOR A J\;EW OFFENSIVE Pic
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DIADEM'S FIRST DAY-II MAY 43 confir
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DIADEM'S FIRST DAY-II MAY stalled a
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68 unaware of the 338th Infantry's
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100 next operations. Meanwhile, lar
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108 sItIons were to be held in stre
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110 Monte Cavo, both rIsmg hundreds
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While the Americans tried to rest d
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In direct defense of the major stro
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PART THREE DRIVE TO ROME If I kllO\
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176 CASSINO TO THE ALPS TANKS OF 1S
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STALEMATE ALO:'\JC THE CAESAR LINE
Page 222 and 223: BREAKING THE STALEMATE 197 \\'ay an
Page 237: from the 88th Division's 350th and
Page 244: THE FALL OF ROME 338th Infantry rea
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Page 268: PURSUIT NORTH OF ROME 243 name of t
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Page 288: THE PURSUIT ENDS Route 68. As the d
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290 CASSINO TO THE ALPS AERIAL VIEW
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PLANNINC FOR THE OFFENSIVE Minister
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PLANNING FOR THE OFFENSIVE each arm
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PLANNING FOR THE OFFENSIVE this. Th
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THE GOTHIC LINE OFFENSIVE BEGINS 31
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THE GOTHIC LINE OFFENSIVE BEGINS in
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322 Even had there been no threat o
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BATTLE FOR THE PASS tered patches o
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332 The counterattacks halted, Comp
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BATTLE FOR THE PASS tor, were at th
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BATTLE FOR THE PASS about it. Once
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A DIVERSIONARY OPERATION could be e
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344 portion of the corps northeastw
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A DIVERSIONARY OPERATION GERMAN PRI
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350 The Defense of Battle Mountain
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A DIVERSIONARY OPERATION last men d
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IN THE NORTHERN APENNINES However h
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362 ander had little choice but to
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368 Division commander, turned his
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372 CASSINO TO THE ALPS Leghorn to
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FROM RIDGE TO RIDGE promptly reinfo
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TOW ARD A WINTER ST ALEMA TE alread
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TOWARD A WINTER ST ALEMA TE own loc
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390 tions encompassing Monte Grande
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402 ance. Two days later the Canadi
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408 was to shift additional units t
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STALEMATE IN THE MOUNTAINS AND ON T
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THROUGH THE WINTER The unsung heroe
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420 to traverse the Brenner Pass by
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426 CASSINO TO THE ALPS ground domi
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428 ARTILLERY AMMUNITION BEING BROU
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432 noon of the 21 st renewed the d
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438 between Army Group C and OKW an
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442 of the previous autumn and wint
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STRATEGIES AND PLANS had done in th
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STRATEGIES AND PLANS items of new e
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454 forces still in northwest Italy
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BREAKTHROUGH ON THE EIGHTH ARMY FRO
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464 billowing clouds of dust raised
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466 sion prepared to move on Bastia
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468 gade was at the same time to co
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BREAKTHROUGH ON THE FIFTH ARMY'S FR
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478 exploit his vast superiority in
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480 CASSINO TO THE ALPS renewed IV
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BREAKTHROUGH ON T'HE FIFTH ARMY'S F
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PART EIGHT PURSUIT TO THE ALPS Now,
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RACE FOR THE PO 491 and small ferry
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RACE FOR THE PO 12,000-man Austrian
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496 CASSINO TO THE ALPS AMERICAN TR
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The Fifth Army's immediate goal bey
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TO THE ALPS Battalion started out e
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TO THE ALPS South African armoured
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506 AMERICAN INFANTRY ENTER VICENZA
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The campaign in Italy would -end as
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THE CAPITULATION The Cermans did as
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THE CAPITULATION ders to their troo
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88TH DIVISION IN ALPINE PASS
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540 the sobriquet "Smiling AI," Kes
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AAF AAI AAR Abn ACC ACMF ACotS Admi
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ANVIL AVALANCHE CROSSWORD DIADEM DR
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Logistical Support of the Armies, V
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INDEX McGarr, Col. Lionel c.: 135-3
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'" BOH/GNA q , Ii , , ti II q " q ,
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