25 January 1944 - 06:00 hours
The military attack on Terelle
In the course of the World War II, within the framework of the First Battle of Cassino, In early January 1944, the Allied military higher echelons prepared an attack plan aimed at the breakthrough of the Gustav Line, the mighty defensive line set up by the German army from Minturno to Ortona to halt the advance of the Allied forces from the south.
The operation involved a pincer attack in the mountains north-east of Cassino, entrusted to the military of the French Expeditionary Force (CEF) and the II US Army Corps.
The military objectives of the offensive
The French Expeditionary Force was assigned the task of conquering:
- Belvedere Hill (altitude 862 metres above sea level)
- Abbot Hill (altitude 915 a.s.l.)
Subsequently, the troops were to occupy the village of Terelle and advance towards Piedimonte San Germano, with the strategic objective of cutting the Casilina, called the ’vital artery“ of the German defenders.
American forces had the difficult task of crossing the Rapido River, in the area of Caira, and ascend towards the’Abbey of Monte Cassino.
An extremely complex military action
The attack entrusted to the CEF was particularly daring. From the starting point, called “The Lake”, the military had to:
- descending the ridge Acquafondata - Vallerotonda - Sant'Elia
- reach the bottom of the Quick
- cross two roads and cross the Gustav Line, with grids, mines and casemates
- ford the Rio Secco, with ice-cold water up to the waist
- go up the Mount Cairo massif up to almost 1000 metres
All this took place on very steep, often vertiginous slopes, with no possibility of camouflage or shelter, right in the middle of enemy positions. The soldiers were constantly observed by the German forces, caught between the Mount Cairo opposite and the Cifalco behind, fighting relentlessly on snowy or icy heights in a particularly harsh and rainy winter.
The units involved
At the centre of the array was the 3rd Tunisian Infantry Division (RTT), side-by-side:
- right by Algerian infantrymen (RTA)
- left by wards of Algerian Spahis e Hunters of Africa, with the support of American tanks
La Moroccan Second Division was instead tasked with engaging the German forces in their own sector with local attacks.
The course of the attack
The offensive began at 06:00 hours 25 January 1944. In the afternoon of the same day the Tunisian riflemenmanaged to conquer Belvedere Hill, while the following day also fell Abbot Hill.
The retreat of the German troops made the plateau of Ottaduna, which became a real no man's land.
The German counterattack and heavy losses
Soon running out of ammunition and supplies, the French colonial units were unable to repel the German counterattack, that the 27 January led to the reconquest of the two heights.
The exhausted Tunisian military had faced continuous counter-offensives, witnessing the transport of long convoys of wounded and fallen soldiers, as well as prisoners sent to the rear. They had also witnessed the sacrifice of French women- nurses, drivers, ambulance attendants - who claimed to be treated not as auxiliaries, but as soldiers.
Deprived of water and food from the start, only six days after the start of the attack received supplies, transported on mules driven by Moroccan drivers. Due to the very heavy losses suffered, these units effectively ceased to exist.
Subsequent clashes
The Tunisian units were replaced by the 7th Algerian Rifle Regiment, who continued to fight for control of Abbot Hill e Belvedere Hill, winning and losing them several times.
Eventually, the French Expeditionary Corps was able to establish itself on those hills, but their final occupation did not produce militarily decisive results in the context of the battle.