January – May 1944
The Battle of Monte Cassino
By late January the main assault on the Gustav Line was being focused against Monte Cassino, a monastery from the sixth century nestled deep in the mountains of central Italy. Here a truly international force—made up not only of British and American troops, but soldiers from Poland and France as well—launched attack after attack against the Germans who were entrenched in and around the monastery. Again and again they were driven back after suffering heavy casualties, but the German position was weakening as well. In mid-May the overall German commander in Italy, Field Marshal Albert Kesselring, ordered a general withdrawal from the area. When the II Polish Corps attacked on 18 May, they found that the defenders were gone. However, by this time the ancient monastery was in ruins; it would be completely rebuilt after the war.

Histories:
Rome-Arno
Battle of Monte Cassino

Campaign Maps:
Operations at Anzio and Cassino, January – February 1944
Operations at Anzio and Cassino, May 1944

Personal Accounts:
Rutgers Oral History Archives of World War II: Interview with Walter H. Berger
Rutgers Oral History Archives of World War II: Interview with Charles Mickett, Jr.
Rutgers Oral History Archives of World War II: Interview with Thomas Kindre

Photograph:
Nazi motor transport was blown off the road by Allied bombers striking north of Monte Cassino