Cassino to the Alps - US Army Center Of Military History

478
exploit his vast superiority in man}X)wer
and materiel to concentrate sufficient
strength at one point to achieve a
breakthrough. 12
To defend south of Bologna, General
Lemelsen had assembled slightly more
than four divisions. Although that constituted
more units than the U.S. II
Corps controlled, in terms of manpower
the Germans were far inferior.
Opposite the inter-army boundary to
the I I Corps right lay the J st Parachute
Division, then the 305th Infantry, followed
by the 65th Infantry and 8th
Mountain Divisions, with part of the 94th
Di'uision opposite the II Corps left. The
65th Infantry and the 8th Mountain Divisions
were especially well positioned between
the Reno River and Highway 65,
the main route through the sector. 13
The four divisions of the II Corps
held a IS-mile front running northeasterly
from the Reno River eastward to a
ridge line about two miles east of the
Idice River. The 6th South African
Armoured Division was in position opposite
Monte Sole across the high
ground between the Reno and the Setta
Creek. Next in line was the 88th Division
facing Monterumici. The 91 st Division
stood astride Highway 65 facing
Monte Adone and the high ground
flanking Pianoro. East of the highway
was the 34th Division, whose objectives
were the Savizzano and Gorgognano
ridges northeast of Monte Belmonte.
The Italian Legnano Combat Group on
the far right flank was to demonstrate
12 II Corps AAR. 1 Apr-2 May 45; Starr, From
Salerno to the Alps, pp. 410-12; Fifth Army History,
Part IX, pp. 50-87; Truscott, Command Missions, pp.
488--89. Unless othelWise indicated, the following is
based upon those references.
• 3 MS # T-Ib (Westphal et at.).
CASSINO TO THE ALPS
but not attack w hen the I I Corps' phase
of the offensive began.
As Keyes prepared for that phase,
the full weight of available air support
shifted to his corps. On 15 April, the
afternoon preceding the attack, 765
heavy bombers attacked targets along
Ix)th highways between the front and
Bologna. Medium bombers followed to
attack installations and troop assembly
areas in the vicinity of Praduro. The
next day the heavy bombers repeated
their attacks, while the medium bombers
shifted to the enemy's lines of
communications in the vicinity of Bologna.
Meanwhile, in late afternoon of
the 15th, 120 fighter-bombers in "aves
of four to eight aircraft continuously
attacked the enemy in the Monte Sole
sector. Just before dusk fighter-Ix)mbers
turned their attention to other strongpoints
across the corps front, dropping
tons of flaming napalm on known
enemy emplacements and illuminating
the darkening landscape with pillars of
fire. In addition to the aerial bombardment,
548 artillery pieces fired counterbattery
and antipersonnel barrages immediately
prior to the first moves by
the ground forces. To all that the
Germans replied only \veakly: only just
over a thousand rounds of enemy artillery
fell across the entire II Corps front
during the first two days of the attack.
On 15 April, while smoke and dust
from the bombs and shells hung heavily
over the rugged terrain or drifted into
the narrow valleys, the 6th South African
Armoured Division and the 88th
Division on the corps left wing attacked
soon after nightfall. Four and a half
hours later, at 0300 on 16 April, the
91 st and 34th Divisions launched their
operations on the corps right wing .