Cassino 2 & 3

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Monte Cassino Abbey

bigpigeon.us webpage WWII Germany > The MTO > Naples to Cassino/Anzio > Cassino 2 & 3, © 2026 by Robert A. Christiansen, updated by RAC 31 Dec 2025

In the late winter of 1944–45, after the US Fifth Army's defeat in the protracted First Battle of Monte Cassino, Allied forces made two additional attempts to seize the Monte Cassino area.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: The Second and Third Battles of Cassino ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Both the Second and Third Battles of Cassino were fought in the area shown on the following map.
Both battles were fought by troops organized into a temporary New Zealand corps which was temporarily part of the US Fifth Army.

Each battle was prefaced by a massive air assault, the second battle by destruction of the Montecassino Monastery and the third battle by destruction of the town of Cassino, which by then was long devoid of residents.
In each air assault, many bombs missed the target area, killing Allied and civilian deaths.
In each instance, the land offensive lagged the conclusion of the air offensive.
Each battle failed, with little if any territorial gains and with Allied losses exceeding enemy losses.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: The Second Battle of Monte Cassino ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The Second Battle of Monte Cassino was preceded by the tragic, and in retrospect counterproductive, Allied destruction of Monte Cassino Abbey.

The Destruction of Monte Cassino Monastery

At the insistence of some leading Allied officers, American aircraft destroyed the historic Monte Cassino Abbey on February 15, killing around 240 civilians sheltering in the abbey but no Germans.
It was later learned that the German army had observed the terms of an agreement not to use the abbey. However, after the destruction, the abbey ruins made excellent positions for the German defenders.

Monte Cassino Abbey After the American Bombing of 15 February 1944

After the abbey bombing, the Second Battle of Monte Cassino began on the evening of 15 February.

It was planned that the 4th Indian Division would attack from the mountains northeast of the Monte Cassino abbey, while the 2nd New Zealand Division would attack from the flooded lowlands southeast of the city of Cassino.

Neither prong of the Allied attack succeeded. On 18 February, the attack was cancelled, and the New Zealand Corps was augmented by the addition of the British 78th Infantry Division.

The Third Battle of Cassino

The generally-used dates for the Third Battle of

█ Pottawattamie Area WWII Dead - WWII Germany > The MTO > Naples to Cassino/Anzio > Cassino 2 & 3 █

I list any US deaths during the Second and Third Battles of Monte Cassino under Cassino 1.

██ Allied Order of Battle - Cassino 2 & 3 ██
⏶ New Zealand Corps (Freyberg) - created 3 February 1944; relieved US II Corps of responsibility for Cassino offensive operations 12 February 1944; conducted 2nd and 3rd Battles of Monte Cassino; disbanded 26 March 1944

2nd New Zealand Division - from British XIII Corps 3 February 1944; to British X Corps 26 March 1944
4th Indian Infantry Division - from British Eighth Army reserve 6 February 1944; to British V Corps 26 March 1944
British 78th Infantry Division - from British V Corps 18 February 1944; to British XIII Corps 26 March 1944

█ Sources for Big Pigeon's WWII Germany > The MTO > Naples to Cassino/Anzio > Cassino 2 & 3 webpage

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