The Round Tablette Founding Editor: James W. Gerber, MD (1951–2009) April 2011 Moroccan troops launched attacks on the 24:09 Volume 19 Number 8 Gustav line. This first battle was Published by WW II History Roundtable coordinated with the Allied landings at Edited by Dr. Connie Harris Anzio and . These landings met www.mn-ww2roundtable.org little initial German defensive action, but Thursday, 14 April 2011 the Allies were unable/unwilling to capitalize on the opportunity. The battle Welcome to the April session of the lasted until February 11, when the Allies Harold C. Deutsch World War II finally broke off the battle.

History Roundtable. Tonight’s speaker is th Flint Whitlock, author of Rock of Anzio, and The second battle began on veterans of the Fifth army. with the destruction of the Abbey at Monte by 1,400 tons of bombs dropped by After much debate at the Casablanca American , killing those Italians Conference, American leaders conceded that who had taken refuge there. Founded in the Allies were still unable to land troops in 524 AD, by , the France as General Marshall wished to do and monastery dominated the hilltops around British Prime Minister Churchill had above the town of Cassino and the promised Stalin they would do. The British, entrances of the and Rapido Valleys. by organized diplomacy and minimized internal disagreement, were able to carry the During the fall of 1943, the Germans disorganized and quarreling Americans along removed the Abbey’s treasures to the to an invasion of Sicily. (Gen. Albert Vatican for safe keeping. In December Wedermeyer said “We lost our shirts … we 1943, Field Marshall came, we listened, and we were conquered.”) ordered German units not to include the Having agreed to invade Sicily, Americans Monastery itself in their defensive positions were not able to avoid the next logical and informed the Vatican and the Allies. decision, to land in . Several alternative The Germans had not occupied the hill top reasons for expanding to the Italian campaign of the Abbey, had told the Vatican and the in late 1943 have been posited by historians, Allies that the monastery was neutral, and such as the drive up the Italian “boot” would General Frido von Senger und Etterlin, divert German divisions from the Eastern defender of the Gustav line, ensured that Front and provide air bases for Allied Abbey neutrality was strictly observed by strikes against the Third Reich, or his troops.

Italy’s collapse would weaken The Germans had set up defensive positions politically and militarily. on the slopes below the abbey walls. Two

British Prime Minister days after the bombing of the abbey believed that Italy was the “soft underbelly” German paratroopers took up positions in of Europe but nothing could be further from the rubble which made it harder for the Allies to achieve victory. The Gurkha the truth. The difficult terrain and weather of th the Italian Campaign made for some the regiments of British Indian 4 Army war’s hardest fought and costliest battles. attempted to take the remains of the During the last few months of 1943 the monastery while Maori British and American efforts to move up the battalion attacked across the Rapido and Italian boot were frustrated by the stiff into the town of Cassino but the tough German defenses at the Gustav Line. The terrain and lack of armored support caused Battle of was a series of four them to retreat. battles beginning in , with the Beginning on March 15th the third battle intention of breaking through the Axis was launched behind a heavy bombardment Gustav Line. The Germans held the Rapido, of and armored support, while the Liri and valleys and certain New Zealanders attempted once again to surrounding peaks. take the town of Cassino and the Gurkhas

The first battle began when the American fought up towards the Monastery but were 36th and 34th IDs, and British and French- once again repelled by the dug in German paratroopers. The exhausted Indian and WWII History Round Table on DVD!!!Programs $10 + tax & shipping Order online at: www.barros.us/online-store.cfmor contact Rob at (763) 639-3399 The Round Tablette April 2011 — 2 New Zealanders were withdrawn and re- Announcements: organized. Twin Cities Civil War Round Table - May 11, 2011 “Ironclads & Industrialization” Dr. The final battle began on May 11th with an Bill Roberts www.tccwrt.com - 612-724-3849 artillery and air bombardment of German St Croix Valley Civil War Round Table - Apr 25, 2011 “Military in the Dakota Uprising” defensive positions and an attack along the Steve Anderson - 715-386-1268 20 mile Gustav line by 20 Allied divisions, Minnesota Civil War Symposium 16 April 2011 which included American, British, Free at Historic Fort Snelling, Fee charged. French, Polish, New Zealand, and South http://www.tccwrt.com/symposium.html African units. Bitter vicious fighting Rochester WWII History Round Table 507-280- th 9970; May 9, 2011 – “Growing up in Belgium and continued until the when Polish Germany.” www.ww2roundtable-rochester.org - forces took the ruins of the monastery and Air Show - Eden Prairie - www.wotn.org - 952- found only wounded Germans who could not 746-6100 July 16-17, 2011 be moved. The rest of the German troops had World War II Weekend, Historic Fort Snelling, evacuated in the night and retreated to form June, 11-12 2011, Fee charged. the (later renamed the Senger Honor Flight - Jerry Kyser - crazyjerry45@hotmail - 651-338-2717 Line). CAF - Commemorative Air Force -

th www.cafmn.org or Bill at 952-201-8400 With the Gustav line broken, the 5 army Fort Snelling Military (Vehicles) Museum - th th linked up with the 6 Corps on May 25 and www.fsmm.org 651-699-7795 marched into on June 4th. Kesselring Minnesota Air Guard Museum - retreated once again, to the Pisa-Romini www.mnangmuseum.org 612-713-252

Gothic line the next line he set up across Round Table Schedule 2010-2011 Italy. By mid-August many US and all of the May 12, Bombers Over Germany Free French combat forces were re-deployed Round Table Schedule 2011-2012 to participate in the landings in southern Sep 8 Naval Battle of Guadalcanal France (Operation Anvil / Operation Oct 13 Children Caught in the Brutality of War Dragoon). After this the Italian theater Oct 27 Bitter Appeasement — Munich stalemated again. Many historians claim that Nov 10 The Resistance Against the Nazis Anvil prevented the Allies from driving Dec 8 The GI Offensive in Europe through the Po River Valley and the Alps to 2012 Austria. Italian operations proved to be an Jan 12 on the Eastern Front excellent training ground for Anglo- Feb 9 The War in the Pacific American forces, and the casualties inflicted Mar 8 Code breaking and Computers on German ground and air forces were a Apr 12 Jedburgs-Jumping Behind Enemy Lines significant return on investment. May10 Beneath the Waves: Submarines

Further Reading: Martin Blumenson, Bloody River; the Real Tragedy of the Rapido (College Station: Texas A&M Press, 1970) Duane Schultz, Crossing the Rapido (Yarkdley, PA: Westholme, 2010) Matthew Parker, Monte Cassino: The Hardest Fought Battle of World War II (New York: Anchor Books, 2005) George Forty, Battle of Monte Cassino (Kent Science Park, Sittingbourne, UK: Ian Allan Publishing, 2004) David Hapgood and David Richardson, Monte Cassino: The Story of the Most Controversial Battle of World War II (Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 2002). John Ellis, Cassino: The Hollow Victory: The Battle for Rome, January – June 1944 (London: Aurium Press, 2003) Frido von Senger und Etterlin, Neither Fear Nor Hope: The Wartime Memoirs of the German Defender of Cassino, (Novato, CA: Presidio Press, 1963).

WWII History Round Table on DVD!!!Programs $10 + tax & shipping Order online at: www.barros.us/online-store.cfmor contact Rob at (763) 639-3399