I bought this very nice KIA portrait named to Monte Cassino. Of interest to me is that his "gefallen" date is 8/12/43. The official start of the Cassino battles is in January 1944.
I am trying to figure when was the first deployment of FJ in this areas and what battles predated the Cassino battles. I know of the battle of San Pietro just south of Cassino (mid Dec), but what was the involvement of FJ's there?
In another thread by Marco, Gran Sasso commented:
" Originally Posted by PaulW View Post
Not sure why this thread was in the FJ Forum as there seems to have been no FJ involvement (though I may be wrong!), unless it's because it was a prelude to Cassino?"
"Gran Sasso
I know a para vet who fought and was wounded at San Pietro. "
On the east side of Italy there was Ortona later Dec where FJ1 was involved.
I got this from a post from Marco and Willy here.
"Most of the division was in Sicily and withdrew by mid-August. They then ended up near Salerno, and then moved to Ortona, as Marco pointed out. "
"First elements of 1.FJD arrived to Cassino from Ortona between last days of january and first days of february 1944 by trucks.
1 FJR was in the area between the Abbey and Mt.Castellone; III./FJR3 of Major Kratzert was on Hill 593 and Masseria Albaneta and Machine Gun Battalion of Major Schmidt around the Castle Hill and Mt. Calvario.
After the bombing of the monastery, general von Senger ask to Kesserling more troops and Kesselring authorize to transfer the entire division to Cassino.
At the end of the february all the 1.FJD was in Cassino area.
In march, FJR.3 was in the city and FJR1 and FJR4 was on the hills around Cassino. "
I would appreciate some more info on this. Thanx J
I am trying to figure when was the first deployment of FJ in this areas and what battles predated the Cassino battles. I know of the battle of San Pietro just south of Cassino (mid Dec), but what was the involvement of FJ's there?
In another thread by Marco, Gran Sasso commented:
" Originally Posted by PaulW View Post
Not sure why this thread was in the FJ Forum as there seems to have been no FJ involvement (though I may be wrong!), unless it's because it was a prelude to Cassino?"
"Gran Sasso
I know a para vet who fought and was wounded at San Pietro. "
On the east side of Italy there was Ortona later Dec where FJ1 was involved.
I got this from a post from Marco and Willy here.
"Most of the division was in Sicily and withdrew by mid-August. They then ended up near Salerno, and then moved to Ortona, as Marco pointed out. "
"First elements of 1.FJD arrived to Cassino from Ortona between last days of january and first days of february 1944 by trucks.
1 FJR was in the area between the Abbey and Mt.Castellone; III./FJR3 of Major Kratzert was on Hill 593 and Masseria Albaneta and Machine Gun Battalion of Major Schmidt around the Castle Hill and Mt. Calvario.
After the bombing of the monastery, general von Senger ask to Kesserling more troops and Kesselring authorize to transfer the entire division to Cassino.
At the end of the february all the 1.FJD was in Cassino area.
In march, FJR.3 was in the city and FJR1 and FJR4 was on the hills around Cassino. "
I would appreciate some more info on this. Thanx J
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