Cassino to the Alps - US Army Center Of Military History

PLANNING FOR THE OFFENSIVE
this. The enemy is in Germany, the war is
coming to an end, but we are still up at
Murmansk. Instead of rallying around the
flag the wings are extended who knows
how far. I cannot understand it anymore. 27
Wentzell's cry of despair found no
echo among German commanders.
Field Marshal Kesselring had his orders
"AOK 10, /" KTB Nr. 8, 5-8 Aug 44, AOK 10,
Doc. 61437/3. (Telephone conversations, 31 .lui and
6 Aug 44.)
311
to hold indefinitely in the Gothic Line.
Months of planning and preparation
had gone into its construction, and
veteran divisions were deployed within
it. To the German rear lay the rich
agricultural and industrial hinterland of
northern Italy, the last stronghold of
Mussolini's reconstituted Fascist Republic.
The German armies in Italy quite
obviously would stand and fight again,
this time among the rocks and crags of
the Northern Apennines.