大象传媒

Monte Cassino: April 30 - May 23, 1944 Part II(a)
Romuald E. Lipinski, 12 Podolski Lancers Regt.
2nd Polish Corps

The Battle

The offensive started with an artillery barrage exactly at 11:00 PM, on May 11, 1944. I never saw anything like it. The entire area where the olive orchards were was in constant fireworks. I saw similar pictures of the artillery barrage in movies, about the battle of El Alamain, in Africa. One could hear the noise of artillery shells in the air. The Germans were quiet for a while. After some time German batteries started to respond. We found out later on that our artillery did not do much damage to the Germans on the front line. They had two kinds of shelters: one type was combat shelters, for firing at us and the other to protect them from our artillery and air bombardment, to rest and sleep. The combat shelters were well camouflaged, most of them were made out of steel pillboxes, encased in the rock. One of the problems that our attacking forces encountered was that they did not have reconnaissance of the enemy nests of machine guns, and they had to figure out where the enemy is already being fired upon. And the Germans knew how to hide themselves...The shelters where they were sleeping were usually in large caves, protected from air attacks and artillery fire. They had their supplies there, their temporary medical facilities, and so on. Thus when our artillery started to fire they took refuge in the shelters that were prepared for that purpose and did not suffer many casualties. When our infantry started to advance they went to their firing shelters and our troops met a stiff resistance. Another thing that is worth to note, and not mentioned in many books, is the fact that when the offensive started Germans were releasing the troops that were at the Cassino complex. Thus although they perhaps suffered more casualties in the first stage of the battle, they could mount their counterattacks with greater strength than it would be if only the initial garrison of soldiers was there.

Organization of our forces was modeled by the British system. The 12-th Podolski Lancers Regiment had in combat group three squadrons, each consisting of 9 officers and 80 troops. Additionally, there was a platoon of each: mortars, anti-tank guns, signals, administration, mechanical repairs, and other services, such as health, chaplain, etc. In infantry the basic unit was a battalion, consisting of three companies, 120 troops and 5 officers each, plus some services. Total number of men in a battalion was 808 soldiers and 37 officers.

At first, the assault of 2-nd Battalion, 1-st Brigade of the 3-rd Carpathian Division was successful. They quickly took Hill 593 and moved towards Hill 569. But then the Germans counterattacked. It is difficult to determine how many counterattacks Germans did make. After several German counterattacks, our infantry, exhausted, decimated, lacking ammunition had to withdraw. Losses of the infantry were terrible. Out of the three companies of the 2-nd battalion came back 5 officers, and 37 enlisted men. Total losses, killed, wounded and lost in action in the battalion were 216. Forth Company of the 3-rd Battalion was supporting the 2-nd Battalion in their attack on Hill 593, also suffered appalling losses. Together with their commanding officer, ten soldiers came back out of the entire company.

Simultaneously with the attack on Hill 593 by the 2-nd Battalion, the 1-st Battalion attacked Mass Albaneta, north of Hill 593. Again, after fighting all night and good part of the next day, May 12, the battalion had to retreat to the original positions with a loss of 216 men. It should be noted, that it is difficult to establish the percentage of the losses with respect to the number of people participating in the assault, because only certain fraction of the battalion was participating.

Further north, tanks from the 4-th Panzer Regiment attempted to get on the "Gardziel." The road that they had to proceed was heavily mined by the predecessors, as well as Germans, and there was no information regarding mine fields. Sappers were removing mines for three nights prior of the offensive, but in spite of heavy losses, they cleared only 250 m. removing 59 mines. Having suffered heavy losses they had to retreat to the original positions.

Assuming that the assault of the 3-rd Carpathian Division were successful, the 12-th Podolski Lancers were supposed to attack Hill 445 (Colle D'onofrio) and then proceed towards the Monastery of Monte Cassino. In view of the failure of the attack on the 11 and 12 of May, the lancers were waiting for further orders.

Meanwhile, the 5-th Infantry Division, fighting north-east of the 3-rd Division was successful in taking the Phantom Ridge (Widmo).

On May 17, a new assault was made on Hill 593. This was to be the straw that was to break the camel's back. Our commanders knew that Germans were probably exhausted enough that if they are pushed just a little bit more they will decide that they had enough. They were right. Also, after many attempts and heroic efforts with heavy losses by the sappers to clear the mines who were crawling under tanks inch by inch, under fire, in dark, some tanks showed up at the battle field. Through the entire day of May 17 fighting for the Hill 593 was going on. During the night of May 17/18 the it was relatively quiet. Germans, by loud speakers, voiced some propaganda mixed with insults from the monastery, and we answered them by means of our mortars.

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