Cassino is a town a mile west of Monte Cassino, a rocky hill about 80 miles south of Rome, atop which was a Benedictine monastery. During World War II, the Germans fortified both the town and the commanding hill. It was, in fact, an obvious strategic choice; the town and its hill provided a formidable defensive position and had been the scene of battles and sieges since antiquity. To complete the advance on Rome. Mark Clark's Fifth U.S. Army had to break through the Gustav Line, the well-prepared defensive line that spanned the Italian peninsula at this position. The series of battles in and around Cassino would prove heartbreaking in their cost.

The first battle began on January 4, 1944. In the course of it, the monastery atop the hill, which the Allies believed was occupied by Germans and part of the German defenses, was destroyed by Allied bombers on February 15. In fact, the Germans did not occupy the monastery until after it had been reduced to rubble, which proved to be highly effective for creating defensive positions, providing even better cover than the intact building. Accordingly, more air attacks were ordered in, and the ruins were intensively bombed on March 15.

Clark had overall command of the Fifth U.S. Army proper, but, in the field, British general Harold Alexander directed the battle, which included, in addition to American and British troops, soldiers from India, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Poland, Belorussia, and New Zealand. Three assaults were launched against the monastery hill: January 17-25, February 15-18, and March 15-25. All failed. Neither the city nor the hill was seized. . .

Free term papers are not written to satisfy your specific instructions. You can use our professional writing services to buy a custom written research paper, term paper, or essay on Military Topics at affordable price. CustomTermPapers is the best solution for those who seek help in writing term papers, essays, and research papers related to Military Topics and other relevant topics.