Prelude to Monte Cassino

[George Cone]

Here is the picture Rittmeister Ernst Georg von Heyking gave me with the dedication on the reverse.
And below is the link to the page I made in his honor.
http://www.lestweforgetww2.com/Rittm...n_Heyking.html

The German Cross in Gold he received for holding a bridge head open in Russia, thus allowing a unit to retreat.

[John Hodgin]

On Feb. 11, 1944, elements of the US 36th Division were ordered to clear the valley between Snakes Head and Phantom Ridges. The weather was freezing rain and snow. The wind would sometimes gust to 50 mph. US troops had been fighting from positions on Snakeshead Ridge for two weeks and were hungry, cold, had been under almost constant German fire. The US troops on the ridges near the Abbey were pretty much "spent." Still, the 141st and the 142nd Regiments. of the 36th attacked the objectives assigned to them.

The soldiers from the 36th were to also relieve the men of the 34th Division who had been fighting on Snakes Head for over two weeks and were worn out and badly depleted.

[John Hodgin]

At this time in 1944 five Allied Divisions, two US, two British, and one Algerian, had been badly mauled in the fighting around Cassino. All five suffered heavy losses. Allied military and political leadership became deeply concerned over the lack of progress in Italy. All leadership expressed the opinion that something had to be done to bring some success at Monte Cassino.

Something big is about to happen.

[Marco]

February 13, 1944. In the early hours of the afternoon, the Allied artillery open the fire against the monastery hill. But this time shells were special: did not contain explosive, but leaflets... these leaflets.
Strangely, these fell around the Abbey, but not inside and even more strangely fell not on the lines of 4th Indian Division placed on the snakeshead ridge.
A civilian, who was in the monastery, managed to go outside and get one, bringing to the Abbot Gregorio Diamare. Monks contacted the Germans, who organized the evacuation of the Monastery for the morning of February 16 ... but it was too late.

[Marco]

meanwhile, in the airports in southern Italy...

[Marco]

Crews study maps...

[Marco]

and waiting....waiting....waiting....

[Marco]

...waiting...

[Marco]

..waiting..

[Marco]

..waiting..something has to happen ... but nobody knows exactly what ...

[Marco]

Watch, Watch her ..because this is the last time that you will see how it was since the year 1349. His time is about to expire....again.

(to be continue)

[Marco]

February 15, 2009. This morning I was in the Montecassino Abbey to realize this small document that I want to show on the Forum. This was the sky above the monastery exactly at 9.45 A.M.

[Marco]

65 years ago, at the same time, other eyes looked the same sky. Were those of a thousand civilian refugees in the monastery to escape the war.

[Marco]

Last shots before the hell...

[Marco]

Last shots before the hell..