Abbey at Monte Casino

Thanks guys, I just feel he deserves it.

Ulrich, It looks like next year I'll finally get to Europe and see where he fought his battles in France.

There is going to be a reunion of us old guys that once were young and worked at the Munchen (Munich) Olympics in 1972. We'll heading over to Munchen in August or September. When they head home, I'm heading on to France to visit old friends I never met ! They are 36th ID reenactors and historians that live in the Voges Mountains. They have been very helpful.

3 years ago I met with a historian of the 36th battles during the Italian Campaign. He told me some amazing things about the 141st Regiment.

This book is going to be hard hitting and factual. As hard hitting as the Italian winter of 1943 ......

 

Actually, you mean The Day of Battle, which covers Sicily and the Italian Campaign.

An Army at Dawn is the first book in his trilogy, on the North Africa Campaign.

Both are outstanding works of historical research and Atkinson is a darn fine writer, too.

The Liberation Trilogy by bestselling author Rick Atkinson

Amazon.com: rick atkinson trilogy: Books


Dave

 

Steve, I have two Signal Corps photos of the 141st in Italy in January 1944. Both of them
show mortar crews; one of the two identifies the soldiers as belonging to G Company.

If you want them, just let me know.


Dave

 

Yes sir !!

If you have a copy I would love to see it !!

ANYTHING with the 141st in action is great ....

 

My uncle was in Cannon Company, 141st.

During the Battle Of San Pietro, Italy, the 141st artillery was just 100 yards behind the front line of the Infantry. The cannons of Cannon Company and other field artillery guns were shooting level !! During this battle, a soldier reported for duty to the 141st Cannon Company from the Repo Depo. He found his Lieutenant reading his reports from the constant fire of the guns at 2:00am !!! Mr Spicer told me it was like daylight for hours during that night. He couldn't remember if it was the 15th or 16th of December. Bless his soul, he told me all the stories he could remember less than a year before he passed away.

 

Steve, Munich is only 45 minutes by car from my location.

 

Steve,

Send me a PM with your email address and I will get them to you.


Dave

 

kerrd5.... Many Thanks !!

Ulrich, We are going to take 3 days and redo our bike rides in Garmish and then Innsbruck, Austira. Only problems is we're 40 years older !! Maybe Mopeds !!

By train from Munich, would we go past your town ??

 

Steve, thats no problem to get at my town by train. And from there to Innsbruck it is around2 hours by car. Sent you a PM.

 

video about the attack of the abbey by the British and French colonial troops (Indian and Moroccan Goumiers) ‪- Monte Cassino the moroccan Goumiers heros -‬‏ - YouTube

 

I was in the British 78 Div from April'43 to December '44 and served a miserable few months as a wireless op in the Monte Cassino area early in 1944.

In 2005 I made a return visit & wrote a few words about it here:
BBC - WW2 People's War - Return to Cassino

Ron

ps
Have added some pics taken at the time

 

Thanks for sharing this aritcle, Ron! And thank you for your service!

 

Erich, i found out that the II./Fallschirm-Artillerie-Regiment 2 had the AchtAcht from 1943 to 1944 with 2 batteries each with 3 of the AchtAcht. And later the II./Fallschirm-Artillerie-Regiment 2 changed in August 1944 into III./Fallschirm-Artillerie-Regiment 6. Maybe it is a bit helpful.

 

Ron:
In 2008 you posted some of the pictures from your visit.
Unfortunately (as yet) the Photo Gallery did not survive the transfer to this new website.

Could you do me / us a big favour and re-post those wonderful picutures here again?
I for one really appreciated being able to connect with you through those.

Much thanks!

 

Great to see more replies on this thread, thank you Ron for your adding to this........an agree with Fred please re-post the photos if possible.

Ulrich am thinking the II. Abteilung was more like a heavy field AA unit than Artilliere, in essence a pretty powerful one at that would not be wanting to receive the 8.8cm rounds thinking I was attacking a backward Art unit. now what we need and this is beyond Cassino is to find the Offiziers of the "new" 6th Art Regiment.

would be interesting to find though where II. Abrteilung was located at Cassino right behind the abbey lobbing shells over or as we mentioned maybe on one of the adjacent ridge lines overlooking the valley. We do know that there were indeed forward Art observation posts directing forward fire.

 

No maps, (I'm looking) but good video of German Forces in action at Cassino.
Critical Past does a good job of preserving important war film footage. There are many more German War footage archives in the 1944 Italy War section. Well worth a look.
Individual still shots can be purchased.

German troops fight after destruction of town Cassino by allied bombings.

See also excellent footage of German Artillary and Anti - Aircraft Battalions in action.
http://www.criticalpast.com/video/6...rcraft_German-fighter-aircraft_loading-shells
_________________

German War footage of the original Monty Cassino Abby, the town of Cassino and...
Video taped Proof that the German forces assisted the Monks in a concentrated effort to save some of the priceless art and treasures before the Allies obliterated this priceless piece of history. Salute!

Courtyards and stairways of Monte Cassino Abbey as men remove art treasures and books from Monte Cassino in Italy.

See a more detailed list of art saved by the German Troops at http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=2704
___________________

English commentary and translation of a good German Film of Fallschirmjäger German Paratroopers at Cassino.
A very good testimonial to just how professional these formidable troops were.

[video=youtube;VYucnYaZiCQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYucnYaZiCQ[/video]

 

Allied Propaganda film justifying the assault on Monte Cassino and detailing the campaign. Includes the actual bombing strike films.
All told an excellent film - actually very detailed and informative. Thanks go to Critical Past.

Model of the area, explains positions and tactics and various artillery and planes being used to demolish city in Italy.

 

thanks Fred for the video footage. part of the German Fallschirm footage is from the German Deutsche Wochenschau films, Kesselring and Heydrich are not at Cassino at all but in Italy way behind the front lines as neither are dressed in the proper combat attire.

 

Excellent photos of Goumiers, some rare shots I have never seen before.

‪goumiers 2‬‏ - YouTube

 

This video shows the heartbreak of The 36th crossing The Rapido River and footage of the bombing of The Abbey. Incredible footage and an section narrated by Mr. Al Dietrich past president of the 36th Association.

‪Battle Monte Cassino 2-3 Color‬‏ - YouTube

Berlin, Warsaw, Manilla, Stalingrad, all major cities that were leveled by war..... The area of Cassino and The Liri Valley along the Gustav Line may have taken as many tons of arms fired and bombing per square mile as them !! Just my observation only, no facts to back this.