Advance to the Po River

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bigpigeon.us webpage WWII Germany > The MTO > Italy > Advance to the Po, © 2024 by Robert A. Christiansen, updated by RAC 18 Aug 2024.​
Po Valley:   Breakthrough   Advance to the Po   Beyond the Po

During five days of the Po Valley Campaign, from 21–25 April 1945, Allied forces from the 15th Army Group moved through the southern Po Valley against sporadic Axis resistance.
Almost complete as of 18 August 2024

By April 21, having broken through the Axis defensive line in numerous locations both in the Apennines near Bologna and in the Po Plain to the east, the 15th Army Group was implementing phase 2 of Operation Grapeshot, the Po Valley Campaign. This involved:

1. Joining Fifth Army and Eighth Army units to encircle Axis units from the Bologna and Romanga Plains areas.
2. ​Advancing westward from Bologna along Highway 9 to cut off Axis units retreating from the Ligurian Coast through the western Apennine Mountains.
3. Seizing major crossing points on the Po River. This would force Axis units to abandon their equipment and save personnel by crossing at secondary locations.

​Unlike Phase 1, which involved numerous sharp engagements over small areas and heavy use of artillery, Phase 2 necessitated swift movement over large distances. Allied commanders accordingly made some order of battle changes, as shown in the Order of Battle section near the end of this webpage.

By the end of 25 April, most of the active divisions from both the Fifth and Eighth Armies already had elements north of the Po.

The Advance to the Po Timelines, 21–24 April 1945
Major events south of the Po River

• night of 20–21 April: Axis forces withdrew from Bologna.
• 21 April: Polish and Italian forces, along with US 34th Infantry Division occupied Bologna

• 21 April - British 6th Armoured Division began advancing northwest through the Argenta Gap ​
• 22 April: British X Corps and Polish II Corps, having been squeezed out, entered Eighth Army reserve.​
• 21 April: British 6th Armoured Division reached Poggio Renatico seven miles southwest of Ferrara.
• 21 April: Indian 8th Division left reserve to deploy on British 6th Armoured Division's right flank and drive on Ferrara
• 23 April: US 34th Infantry begins screening Highway 9 west of Bologna.
• 23 Apr 1945 - South African 6th Armoured Division from the Fifth Army and British 6th Armoured Division from the Eighth Army met west of Ferrara at Finale, trapping remnants of German 14th Panzer and 1st Parachute Corps
• 23 April: Indian 8th Division took Ferrara.

Major events at the Po River

In four days beginning on 21 April, most Eighth Army and Fifth Army advance elements reached the Po River, and began crossing in force with little opposition as soon as bridging materials were brought up and installed.

• 22 April - Task Force Duff from US 10th Mountain Division reached the Po at San Benedotto Po.
• 23 April - Elements of 10th Mountain Division crossed the Po using 12-man assault boats.
• 23 April - US 85th Infantry Division reaches the Po just downstream from the 10th Mountain Division.
• 23 April AM - US First Armored Division's CCA reached the Po at Guastalla.
• 23 April PM - First Armored Division's CCB reached the Po upstream from Guastalla.
• 23 April PM - US 88th Infantry Division reached the Po near Ostiglia 20 miles SE of Mantua and encountered German troops at Magnacavallo east of Highway 12 waiting to cross, 11,000 of whom surrendered during the next two days.​
• 23 April - British 6th Armoured Division reaches the Po northwest of Ferrara.
• 23 April - Indian 8th Infantry Division reaches the Po three miles north of Ferrara. 
• 24 April 1945 - units from both British XIII Corps and V Corps cross the Po
• 25 April PM - heavy duty vehicular Po River bridge finished at San Benedetto Po

Po River Crossing Points, 23–25 April 1945

Full Scalable Map

Po River Crossing Points Today

The Battle of Collecchio-Fornovo

After the Axis withdrawal from Bologna on the night of 20–21 April, US IV Corps assigned three divisions to block Axis withdrawal northward from the Ligurian Coast through the western Apennine Mountains. Clockwise, these divisions, to the west of Bologna, were the:

• Brazilian Expeditionary Force, to the south of Highway 9
• 34th Infantry Division, on and near Highway 9, (later transferred north of the Po River to the Alpine foothills area)
• 1st Armored Division, between the Highway 9 area and the Po River (by 26 April, most of the 1st Armored had been transferred north of the Po River to the Alpine foothills area)

A large force of German and Italian troops withdrawing from the Ligurian Coast north on Highway 62 was blocked by the Brazilian Expeditionary Force southwest of Parma. The Battle of Collecchio-Fornovo, fought on 26–28 April, ended with the 29 April surrender of nearly 15,000 enemy.

After this battle, the Brazilian Expeditionary Force and the US 92nd Infantry Division cooperated with Italian partisans in overrunning remaining Axis forces in northwestern Italy south of the Po River.

The Fornovo area along the Taro River - Collecchio and Fornovo are in the southwest corner

Po Valley:   Breakthrough   Advance to the Po   Beyond the Po

              ██  Pottawattamie Area WWII Dead - WWII Germany > The MTO > Italy > Advance to the Po  ██

• Taken from the bigpigeon.us WWII Roster module.

​​​02-02 - WWII Germany> The MTO > Italy > Advance to the Po: (two dead, updated 18 Aug 2024)
† Hildebrand, Gilbert Dean, SN 37-126-329, US Army, Pott. Co.

• Troop E, 81st Cavalry Recon. Sqdn., 1st Armored Div., IV Corps, Fifth Army; KIA 25 Apr 1945, Colorno, NE of Parma & south of the Po, Emilia-Romagna, Italy; The MTO > Italy > Advance to the Po.

† Moore, Walter Arthur, SN 37-467-084, US Army, Pott. Co.

• Co. A, 14th Armored Inf. Bn., 1st Armored Div., IV Corps, Fifth Army; WIA & DOW 25 Apr 1945 near Parma, Emilia-Romagna, Italy, shrapnel; The MTO > Italy > Advance to the Po.

                        ██   Allied Divisional Order of Battle - after the Advance to the Po, April  1945  ██

• Clockwise from the Ligurian Sea in the west, twelve Allied Divisions were in combat at the end of 24 April
• Status at the end of 23 April

​​​◼ ​US Fifth Army (Truscott)
Under direct US Fifth Army control:

• US 92nd Infantry Division - along the Ligurian Coast north of Carrara.

​⏶ US IV Corps:

• Brazilan Expeditionary Force - heading northwest south of Highway 9.
• US 34th Infantry Division - transferred from US II Corps 23 April; near Highway 9 west of Bologna.
• US 1st Armored Division - elements on Highway 9 hading northwest from Bologna and at Borgoforte on the Po River south of Mantua.
• US 10th Mountain Division - elements north of the Po River at San Benedetto Po SE of Mantua.​
• US 85th Infantry Division - at Quingentole between San Benedetto Po and Ostiglia on the Po River.

​⏶  US II Corps:​

• US 88th Infantry Division - at Ostiglia on the Po River.
• US 91st Infantry Division - approaching the Po River.
• South African 6th Armoured Division - at the Po River northwest of Bondeno.

​​◼ British Eighth Army (McCreery)
⏶  British XIII Corps:​

• British 6th Armoured Division - transferred from British V Corps 23 April; near the Po River northwest of Ferrara and north of Bondeno.
• 8th Indian Division - at the Po River north of Ferrara.

​⏶  ​British V Corps:

• British 56th Infantry Division - near Polesella on the Po River northeast of Ferrara.​

Three divisions had been permanently released from combat:

• Polish 3rd Carpathian Rifle Division - released from combat 22 April and regrouping near Bologna.
• Polish 5th Kresowa Infantry Division - released from combat 22 April and regrouping near Bologna.
• 10th Indian Rifle Division - squeezed out south of the Reno River and withdrawn from combat 23 April.

I can't find the status of the following division: 

• British 78th Infantry Division - may have been regrouping near Bologna; I can't find documentation.

The following division had been squeezed out and will later resume combat north of the Po.
​⏶  British XIII Corps:

• 2nd New Zealand Division -will resume combat near Bondeno north of the Po River.