Prelude to Monte Cassino

[Marco]

Allied engineers at work for rebuilt a bridge on Mt. Camino..

[Marco]

after the battle, company "I" 36th US Infantry division fired toward Cassino with his artillery From Mt.Camino.

[Marco]

A Then&Now about Mignano Monte Lungo,take by me two years ago.

[Marco]

another...

[Marco]

Thanks John for give me this opportunity to send all my respect to all men of all counties that fought and died on Mt. Camino. This battle was very hard and the victory very expensive...
Marco.

[John Hodgin]

This is the "Mignano Gap" from the top of Monte Lungo...do you remember John? We was here together!

I remember it well Marco! And I knew you would "come through" with your usual wonderful contributions! Thanks!

Monte Camino was defended by 15th Panzergrenadier Division. The mountain was nicknamed "million dollar hill" by US troops because of the enormous volume of artillery shells expended to take the mountain.

15th Panzergrenadier on Camino fought very well and hard. Of course they are obviously not a paratrooper formation. But, the battles for Monte Camino and Monte Cassino are forever linked in history. To understand the battles of Cassino an understanding of the prior battles and surrounding terrain is required.

As this December passes important dates and events from the battles can be discussed. And Marco's first hand knowledge and photos can make the history "come alive."

To present a concept of the intensity of battle, in the first half of November 43 the US 5th Army lost 10,000 soldiers KIA and wounded!

Remember them all, from all nations involved in conflict in Marco's homeland in December 1943.

Thank you again Marco!

[Luca Ongaro]

Strepitoso reportage Marco, really interesting, thanks for your passion
Luca

[GEBIRGS-JAGER]

La Defensa

Thanks Marco for a great thread, John also.Do you have any photo's of Monte La Defensa taken recently.Thank you Brian

[Willi Z.]

Great thread John! Always a pleasure to see what Marco will show us!

Until I toured the area I truly understood little of the events which took place before Cassino. The suffering endured by both sides by fighting in such brutal terrain was enormous!

[pimpf]

In the battle for Mt. Camino was....russians soldier also!
Major Gen Vasiliev on his visit to the Battle ground, this came about because Stalin accused the British and Americans for not doing enough when his men were loosing thousands at Stalingrad and on te Western front, he was invited to send his general to Italy to see the conditions for himself, Vasiliev went up Camino and quickly came down again and was heard to keep repeating "Mud and Blood" - "Mud and Blood" they never heard anymore from Stalin after that.
The russian military group was formed by 10 soldiers...3 of this died on Mt. Camino because put feets on German booby traps.

Interesting fact, have never heard about this!

[Allan P.]

Great thread, excellent!!

Allan

[John Hodgin]

My thoughts regarding thread is to let it unfold in real time. That is, post what happened before and during the battles for Cassino on the dates they actually occured during the winter of 1943/44. In doing so we will appreciate just how difficult the battles were.

Accordingly, further combat on the Bernhardt Line should be considered now, with focus on General Juin and his French Expeditionary Corps. The Bernhardt Line was a rounded "bulge" to the south of the Gustav Line in the Cassino area which encompassed many large mountains including Monte Camino. The Bernhardt Line was indended only as a delaying fortfication, whereas the Gustav Line was planned to stop the Allies. The soldiers mannning the Bernhardt Line did their job very well.

Marco, please show us photos of the FEC, especially Juin's French Moroccan troops fighting through the Bernhardt Line if you can.

[Sergey K.]

To present a concept of the intensity of battle, in the first half of November 43 the US 5th Army lost 10,000 soldiers KIA and wounded!

This is a very high casaulties , i can't imagine how strong and terrible was the battle , and also have never heard about russian soldiers falled in that place . Thank you Marco , great thread .

[Marco]

Marco, please show us photos of the FEC, especially Juin's French Moroccan troops fighting through the Bernhardt Line if you can.

John .. in Italy we have a nice proverb: When is asked to do something nice, we say: "You call me a wedding."
The first two then & now are very important to me because was first in absolute made by me (have been made in 1993).

French Field Hospital in Acquafondata (sorry for not perfect quality of the photo...I was in 1993 and digital camera in Italy was very rare )

[Marco]

French Artillery in Casalcassinese...