This month in history: Attacks begin on Monte Cassino

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Steven Wilson
  • 28th Bomb Wing public affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  In January 1944, Allied attacks began on Monte Cassino, a natural fortress of a town built on the slopes of an Italian mountain, with a Benedictine Monastery at the top bristling with Axis defenders.

This fortress, which constituted a strategic nightmare for Allied planners, had to be captured because it guarded the entrance to the Liri valley, which was a direct route to Rome via Route 6.

"Monte Cassino was actually a 1700-foot hill west of the town of Cassino," said Mr. Ryan Warner, 28th Bomb Wing historian. "The abbey was built on the site of Roman fortifications where St. Benedict of Norcia established the first monastery of his Benedictine Order in 529 A.D."

The entire area, including Monte Cassino, was known as the Gustav Line. The line was defended by 15 German divisions fortified with small arms, artillery, pill boxes, machine gun emplacements, minefields and barbed wire. The German divisions had retreated to and fortified this line after the Allied invasion of Italy. In order to reach Rome, the "center of gravity" of the Italian resistance, the Allies had to push through this line to cut the communication lines of the German Army and open the way to Rome.

A series of ground attacks by the Allies were met with heavy resistance; losses were grave and costly.

"During the first ground assault, which occurred on January 17, 1944, the British Tenth Corps attacked on the enemy's left flank," Mr. Warner said. "They suffered an estimated 4,000 casualties. Three days later, the U.S. Army's 36th Division attacked in the center. Only 40 men from the entire division of more than 2,100 made it back to friendly lines."

Two more assaults were attempted in January and were similarly repulsed with heavy losses. Conflicting reports surfaced whether the Germans were using the monastery itself for cover. Some Allied aerial observes and ground forces stated they saw German soldiers, including snipers and artillery spotters, inside the ancient building.

The German commander insisted his forces were in the area around the monastery, but not inside it.

History proves the German commander was being truthful.

"Although the Germans did not actually occupy the monastery building, they built heavily fortified emplacements and observation posts right next to the monastery walls," Mr. Warner said. "The Germans took full advantage of the murderous terrain and Allied reluctance to attack the abbey. The Allies had no choice but to treat the entire hilltop as a key military target in order to crack the Gustav Line."

Mr. Warner said after much debate on the military necessity of destroying an ancient cultural and religious icon, and the fear of offending Christian's worldwide, Allied airpower was called in.

According to an investigative report by author and historian Martin Blumenson, the Allies first dropped leaflets on the Abbey warning of the pending aerial attack. The leaflets read, "Italian friends, until this day we have done everything to avoid bombing the abbey. But the Germans have taken advantage. Now that the battle has come close to your sacred walls we shall, despite our wish, have to direct our arms against the monastery. Abandon it at once. Put yourselves in a safe place. Our warning is urgent."

The message was signed "Fifth Army."

On February 15, 1944, American B-17s from the 96th Bomb Squadron, 2nd Bomb Group, 2nd Bomb Wing, attacked the abbey.

"The bombers dropped 1,150 tons of high explosives on the monastery," said Mr. Warner. "The top of Monte Cassino was reduced to rubble.

"Maj. Bradford Evans, who was the lead pilot in the first formation, piloted the B-17 numbered 666; an ominous marker for the first aircraft to take part in the destruction of the historical Christian site."

The battle began in January and lasted until mid-May. Allied forces finally stormed the top of the objective and broke the Gustav line.

Interestingly, the official U.S. position on the Monte Cassino bombing underwent several changes.

Mr. Warner said the statement "irrefutable evidence" concerning the German use of the abbey was removed from the official record in 1961 by the Office of the Chief of Military History.

In 1964 the record was changed again to, "It appears that no German troops, except small military police detachment, were actually inside the abbey before the bombing.

The final correction to the official record came five years later.

"In 1969," Mr. Warner said, "the official account was changed to read, 'The abbey was unoccupied by German troops.'"

Mr. Warner pointed out this battle is a classic example of airpower supporting ground forces to reach a military objective.

A good, modern example of airpower augmenting ground forces, much the same in Monte Cassino in 1944, was during a firefight in October 2009 in the mountains of Afghanistan. Two combat outposts were attacked by hundreds of Taliban militants and airpower was called in to aid the ground forces. The article detailing the battle, "Airman over firefight: I won't forget them as long as I live," by Capt. David Faggard, points out "nearly 100 militants were killed by the combined response that included Afghan soldiers as well as U.S. air and ground units. Eight Americans and three Afghans were killed, while nine Americans and 11 Afghans were wounded, according to CJTF-82 officials."

A soldier involved in the firefight said, "There is no doubt that without the incredible air support we received, it would have been a much worse day," said Army Lt. Col. Robert Brown, 3-61 Cavalry commander from the 4th Infantry Division of Fort Carson, Colo.

"Your ability to keep a steady flow of aircraft and ordnance on the enemy turned what could have been a terrible defeat into a hard fought victory," according to the 2009 article.

Captain Faggard's article can be found in its entirety at www.bagram.afcent.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123172813.

The abbey at Monet Cassino was rebuilt after the war by the Italian government. Photos and information are available at www.officine.it/montecassino/main_e.htm.