Cassino to the Alps - US Army Center Of Military History

BREAKTHROUGH ON THE FIFTH ARMY'S FRONT 481
34TH DIVISION INFANTRYMEN PAUSE IN BOLOGNA
lung-the German defense collapsed.
Around noon Monte San Michele was
in hand and a request went back for
every available tank and tank destroyer
to join the attack, for the enemy withdrawal
had become a rout. The leading
troops stopped for the night three miles
beyond Monte San Michele but only to
allow supporting troops and reserves to
catch up. To the left a battalion of the
87th Mountain Infantry occupied another
height, Monte San Pietro, again
in the face of virtually no opposition.
General Truscott's hope for a break-
through onto the plain in two days had
fallen short but not by much. Debouchment
was bound to come on the 20th.
The 1st Armored Division meanwhile
had one combat command ready to
attack on the 18th up the valley of the
Samoggia to protect the left flank of
the corps. The next day the remainder
of the division joined the drive. That
was fortunate, for in a desperate effort
to stop a breakthrough onto the plain,
the Germans threw in tanks of the 90th
Panzer Grenadier Division. As tank
fought tank, the advance of the Ameri-