bigpigeon.us webpage WWII-Germany > The MTO > Italy > To the Gustav Line, © 2023 by Robert A. Christiansen, updated by RAC 16 Aug 2022.
After the liberation of Naples, the US-led Fifth Army's advance on the western portion of the Italian front was painfully slow. To the east, the British-led Eighth Army made better progress, actually penetrating the Gustav Line at Ortona.
After the liberation of Naples, the US-led Fifth Army's advance on the western portion of the Italian front was painfully slow. To the east, the British-led Eighth Army made better progress, actually penetrating the Gustav Line at Ortona.
Two Allied armies comprising the 15th Army Group were involved during the advance to the Gustav Line, as well as all of the Italian mainland campaign:
- left sector: the US Fifth Army, led by General Mark Clark until December 1944.
- right sector: the British Eighth Army, led by General Bernard Montgomery until December 1943.
Background - The Allied Advance to the Gustav Line
The Allied Advance to mid-November 1943
The accompanying maps show Fifth Army operations from October to mid-November 1943. During this period, the Fifth Army fought through the Volturno line, after 12 days preparation fought through the Barbara Line, and then fought the first phase of the Battle of the Bernhardt Line before pausing in late November.
The timeline below is taken from wikipedia.
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The Allied Advance, mid-November 1943 - mid-January 1944
On 18 November 1943, the US Fifth Army was reorganized, with a new corps headquarters and several new combat units. It now included three corps:
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Ernie Pyle and Captain Waskow
These two men were killed over a month apart in time but only a few straight miles apart in distance. Allied progress against the Bernhardt Line was glacial.
During World War II, Americans learned about the human costs of warfare from the newspaper columns of Ernie Pyle. Below is an excerpt from Ernie Pyle's best-known column; click to read the entire article. |
Ernie Pyle was killed by a sniper's bullet on Ie Shima Island near Okinawa on 18 April 1945.
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Sources for Big Pigeon's The MTO > Italy > To the Gustav Line webpage: (this list will be edited)
Pottawattamie Area Dead - The MTO > Italy > To the Gustav Line:
† Card, Earl E., SN 20-706-381, US Army, Pott Co.
- Salerno to Cassino (scalable maps) (United States Army in World War II, Mediterranean Theater of Operations series, Martin Blumenson, 1993, CMH #6-3) - http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-MTO-Salerno/index.html#index.
- From the Volturno to the Winter Line, 6 October-15 November 1943 (scalable maps) (American Forces in Action series, U.S. Army Center of Military History, CMH #100-8) - https://history.army.mil/books/wwii/volturno/volturno-fm.htm.
- Fifth Army at the Winter Line, 15 November 1943 - 15 January 1944 (scalable maps) (American Forces in Action series, U.S. Army Center of Military History, CMH #100-8) - https://history.army.mil/books/wwii/winterline/winter-fm.htm#cont.
- Naples-Foggia, 9 September 1943-21 January 1944 (The U.S. Army Campaigns of World War II, The U.S. Army Center of Military History, Kenneth V. Smith, illustrated brochure, CMH #72-17) - https://history.army.mil/html/books/072/72-17/CMH_Pub_72-17.pdf.
- The webpage header photo, 168th Infantry in Combat, www.nationalguard.mil/Resources/Image-Gallery/Historical-Paintings/Heritage-Series/Red-Bull-in-the-Winter-Line/FileId/50771/.
- The Italian Campaign - The German Defensive Lines map - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_Line#/media/File:ItalyDefenseLinesSouthofRome1943_4.jpg.
- Allied Gains, 6 October - 15 November 1943 map - https://history.army.mil/brochures/naples/map3.JPG.
- Summary of Fifth Army Operations, 12 October -15 November 1943 map - https://history.army.mil/books/wwii/volturno/map30.jpg.
- https://erniepyle.iu.edu/wartime-columns/captain-waskow.htm
- Anzio Beachhead - https://history.army.mil/catalog/pubs/100/100-10.html
Pottawattamie Area Dead - The MTO > Italy > To the Gustav Line:
- Taken from the bigpigeon.us WWII Roster module.
† Card, Earl E., SN 20-706-381, US Army, Pott Co.
- Co. B, 4th Ranger Bn., VI Corps, Fifth Army; KIA 12 Nov 1943, Venafro, Molise, Italy, 16 miles E of Cassino; The MTO > Italy > To the Gustav Line.
- Co. K, 30th Inf. Regt., 3rd Inf. Div., VI Corps, Fifth Army; KIA 26 Oct 1943, near Pietravairano, SE of Cassino & NW of Caserta, Italy; The MTO > Italy > To the Gustav Line.
- 168th Inf. Regt., 34th Inf. Div.; WIA Dec 1943; DOW 15/16 Jan 1944 in hospital, Italy; The MTO > Italy > To the Gustav Line.
- HQ Co., 157th Inf. Regt.; 45th Inf. Div., VI Corps, Fifth Army; KIA 15 Dec 1943 near Conca Casale, W of Venafro & E of Cassino, southern Italy; The MTO > Italy > To the Gustav Line.
- Co. L, 168th Inf. Regt., 34th Inf. Div. --> 30th Inf. Regt., 3rd Inf. Div., VI Corps, Fifth Army; KIA 7 Nov 1943, Mt. Rotondo, SE of Cassino, Italy; The MTO > Italy > To the Gustav Line.
- Co. M, 168th Inf. Regt., 34th Inf. Div. VI Corps, Fifth Army; KIA 4 Nov 1943 near Hill 400, NE of Venafro, 20 miles E of Cassino, Italy, sniper fire; The MTO > Italy > To the Gustav Line.
- Co. M, 168th Inf. Regt., 34th Inf. Div., VI Corps, Fifth Army; KIA 3 Dec 1943 Mt. Pantano, NE of Cassino, Lazio, Italy; Battle of Mt. Pantano - The MTO > Italy > to the Gustav Line.
- Co. H, 7th Inf. Regt., 3rd Inf. Div., VI Corps, Fifth Army; KIA 16 Oct 1943 Dragoni, N of Caserta, Italy; The MTO > Italy > To the Gustav Line.
- 135th Inf. Regt., 34th Inf. Div., Fifth Army; KIA 5 Jan 1944 Italy; The MTO > Italy > to the Gustav Line.
- Transferred from 168th Inf. Regt. to 133rd Inf. Regt., both 34th Inf. Div., VI Corps, Fifth Army; KIA 1 Dec 1943 near Venafro, Molise, Italy; The MTO > Italy > To the Gustav Line.
- Service Co., 168th Inf. Regt., 34th Inf. Div., VI Corps, Fifth Army; KIA 29 Oct 1943 near Naples, Italy; The MTO > Italy > To the Gustav Line.
- Co. I, 168th Inf. Regt. & Co. I, 133rd Inf. Regt., both 34th Inf. Div., VI Corps, Fifth Army; KIA 5 Dec 1943 near Venafro, Molise, Italy; Battle of Mt. Marrone - The MTO > Italy > To the Gustav Line.