bigpigeon.us webpage WWII - Germany  > MTO > Italy > The Northern Apennines, updated by RAC 16 May 2022.

The Allied advance northwards through central Italy slowed in August as Allied forces approached the German defensive line, known as the Gothic Line or the Green Line, across the northern Apennine Mountains.
The Fall Allied Advances Beyond the Gothic Line
 As the accompanying map shows, the Allies penetrated the Gothic line in the Fall of 1944 but lacked the strength to achieve a breakout into the Po Valley.
  • In the east, the Canadian Corps spearheaded the British 8th Army drive up the Adriatic coast. This offensive eventually stalled due to German river defenses and heavy fall rains.
  • In the center north of Florence, the US Fifth Army penetrated the Gothic Line but eventually stalled in front of the northernmost German positions in the Appenines.
Combat subsided during the winter as the Allies replenished waiting for the final spring offensive.
Fall 1944 Advances on the Gothic Line
Northern Appenines Fall 1944
Perhaps the Italian Campaign would have ended sooner if the Allies had maintained a larger fighting force in Italy in 1944.
  • The American 3rd, 36th, and 45th Infantry Divisions were detached in June in the Rome area to prepare for the August invasion of southern France.
  • The French Expeditionary Force of four divisions was detached in July for the same purpose.
  • In the early fall, as the German army withdrew from Greece, British units were sent from Italy to Greece to ward off Russian influence and Civil War.
  • Finally in February 1945, the Canadian corps in the 8th Army were sent to northwestern Europe to join the Canadian 1st Army.
United States Fifth Army replacements included:
  • The Japanese-American 442nd Regimental Combat Team (RCT) fought in Italy from June to September 1944 before transferring to southern France and later returning to Italy.
  • The 85, 88, and 91st Infantry Divisions.
  • The African-American 92nd Infantry Division.
  • The 10th Mountain Division.
  • The 1st Brazilian Division.
German Prisoners of 442nd RCT
German prisoners of 442nd RCT, Tuscany, Summer 1944
Sources for the WW II - The Northern Apennines webpage:
  • The excellent Northern Apennines Fall 1944 map is courtesy of emersonkent.com.
Pottawattamie Area WW II Dead - The Northern Apennines:02-03 - The Italian Mainland - The Northern Apennines (updated 9 Aug 2020)
No known Pottawattamie area dead.