The Allies progress up the “boot” of Italy all but stopped when they hit a series of German defensive lines known collectively as the Winter Line. The lines ran from sea to sea, anchored by high points such as Monte Cassino. From January of 1944, until the breakout after the Anzio landing, the Allies threw everything at the Germans with little success. With Rome less than 100 miles away, the Allies decided on a risky move, an amphibious landing just North of the German defensive line.

On January 22, the Allies landed several hundred thousand soldiers hoping to either entice the Germans into weakening the Gustav Line, allowing the Allies to finally penetrate the Winter Line, and opening the road to Rome. The Allies ran into much stiffer than expected resistance, and the Winter Line continued to prove to be a most difficult barrier.

Those who made it through the Winter Line, the Anzio landing, and the 6 months of fighting, were welcomed as heroes by the citizens of Rome.  – Harrison Woodard

The Woodard Boys Go to World War II

From Monte Cassino To Rome – Part 5

By Hollis Hood Woodard

(1917 – 2009)

If I live to be a hundred, I shall never forget entering The Eternal City.

We were not able to make any progress up the boot of Italy in the mountains. It was obvious something else needed to be done to make the war easier. They decided to invade above our lines at Anzio. They didn’t want all our Battalion for this invasion and decided they only needed one battery and selected A Battery. This was the battery that Frank was in and I found myself again with a problem. I knew that was going to be a rough assignment and I was worried about Frank’s welfare. I wanted to go with him, but I was in headquarters battery and was told that they needed me to stay back with the battalion.

German Railway Gun Krupp K5

We were in contact with A Battery all during the invasion and while they were moving inland. I was receiving letters from Frank also and he was telling me it wasn’t as bad as we were hearing it was. Later we switched positions with the British and moved over on the beach near the ocean and they moved into the mountains where we had been. We had the feeling if we could get on land we could go around the mountains and go up to the beachhead at Anzio. We had more tanks than the British and felt this would make it possible. Soon after making this move we were able to go up the beach and make it easier for the British and Poles in the mountains to be able to move forward in that area. One reason for that was the possibility that we were going to be able to cut off the German troops holding Cassino and the mountain surrounding it. We were able to move up the beach and connect with the Anzio beachhead and relieve the pressure on the troops in that area. After we got into the beachhead I found Frank right away and was able to find out from him that things had been pretty rough up there. In his letters to me he always indicated that he was doing okay but I knew those boys were having a hard time holding that beachhead. I was glad we were able to breakthrough and relieve the pressure on them.

Hollis Woodard – U. S. Army

After Anzio, the Germans were in general retreat up the boot of Italy. We were able to move on to Rome.  The people packed the streets to welcome us into town. We received orders to find a place and park for awhile to let an armored Division through. This gave us some time to look around. I was able to visit St. Peters Basilica and see some of the famous paintings on the ceilings. We also went into some of the businesses and were able to talk with the people working there. Some had been to America and spoke fairly good English. After Rome we moved back into the line and stayed a short time. In the meantime H. L. had got out of the hospital in North Africa and had returned to Italy and was assigned to a Port Battalion to help in receiving supplies. He was still having trouble with his feet and told me that he didn’t know if he was going to be able to do the job. Later he was transferred back to Naples and we were pulled out of the line and sent back south for more training. We didn’t know what we were going to do but most of us expected that we were being retrained for Operation Dragoon, the code name for the landing operation of the Allied invasion of Provence (Southern France).

Note: German railway guns were used in Italy, especially during the Anzio landing. The Krupp K5 could send 500 lb shells at targets 40 miles (64 km) away. The bent wire frame around the barrel was used for camouflage.

Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3 – Part 4 – Part 5 – Part 6 – Part 7 – Part 8

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