Battle of Monte Castello
The Battle of Monte Castello was fought in Italy from November 25, 1944 to February 12, 1945.
The Brazilian Expeditionary Corps (FEB) were involved on the Allied side and the German Wehrmacht on the Axis side . The battle is considered to be the toughest battle in the Italy campaign of World War II , in which Brazilian forces participated.
The Wehrmacht held a line along Monte Belvedere - Monte Castello - Monte della Torraccio Ridge in the Reno Valley near Bologna . The 1043 Grenadier Regiment of the 232nd Infantry Division held the Monte Castello-Reno sector against the Brazilians.
The FEB was part of Task Force 45. On November 24, the FEB began a three-day attack that failed, with 34 soldiers killed and 153 wounded. On November 29th, the FEB attacked again unsuccessfully with three battalions and additional support from artillery and tanks. In the following six days, the Wehrmacht positions were attacked with artillery and aircraft. On December 12th, the FEB launched a surprise attack, but the US artillery compromised the attack and it stalled. Both sides stopped during the winter. In February the new US 10th Mountain Division captured the German front line of defense with the support of the FEB. On February 21, the FEB attacked and captured the entire positions.
In the battle u. a. the future Brazilian Field Marshal Waldemar Levy Cardoso participated.
Web links
- Film (9; 27, partly in color)
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- ↑ Timeline of the FEB in WWII: 1945
- ^ Thomas R. Brooks: The War North of Rome . New York: Sarpedon Books, c. 1996, chapter 20.
- ↑ Robert L. Scheina: Latin America's wars: Volume 2, The age of the professional soldier, 1900-2001 . Dulles, VA: Brassey's, 2003, p. 168.