Battle of Rapido River
Battle of Rapido River | |||||||
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Part of the Italian Campaign of World War II | |||||||
![]() American soldiers bring back wounded during the attempt to cross the Gari River near Cassino, Italy, January 1944. | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Frido von Senger und Etterlin | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
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15th Panzergrenadier Division | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
155 killed 1,052 wounded 921 captured or missing[1] |
64 killed 179 wounded[2] |
The Battle of Rapido River was fought from 20 to 22 January 1944 during one of the
Units of the
Background
In late 1943, the
It was hoped that German forces would be drawn away from Anzio to counter those attacks. However, the simultaneous attack at Anzio limited the availability of air support for the river crossings.[2]
Battle
On the night of 20 January 1944, the
The next day, both regiments were ordered to perform another attack beginning at 16:00. Although the assault met with more success, the American foothold was still unsustainable, as withering fire from the
Major General Fred L. Walker decided against committing the division's last regiment, the 142nd Infantry, and the battle concluded at 21:40 on January 22.
Aftermath
No significant gains were made in either assault, and the original objective of luring away German forces was entirely unsuccessful.[4]
Significant controversy followed the American defeat, with Clark criticizing Walker's execution of the battle plan. Walker responded that the entire battle had been foolhardy and unnecessary, and that Clark's plan, which Walker had protested, was all but guaranteed to fail. The battle was one of the largest defeats suffered by the
War Secretary Robert P. Patterson prepared a report in response to the congressional investigation in which he concluded that "the action to which the Thirty-sixth Division was committed was a necessary one and that General Clark exercised sound judgment in planning it and in ordering it."[1] Colonel Miller Ainsworth, president of the 36th Infantry Division Association, testified before Congress against Patterson's conclusions, and criticized what he perceived as Clark attempting to evade investigation of his conduct.
See also
References
- citations
- ^ a b c d U.S. House, Committee on Military Affairs (1946). The Rapido River Crossing. U.S. Govt. print. off.
- ^ a b c Schultz, Duane (2012). "Rage Over the Rapido". History Net.
- ^ 1944: la battaglia di S.Angelo in Theodice e la confusione tra i fiumi Rapido e Gari Archived 17 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine, 1944: the Battle of St. Angelo in Theodice and the Confusion between Rapido and the Gari Rivers.
- ^ Patrick, Bethanne Kelly (8 November 2017). "Rapido River Disaster". Military.com.
- Sources
- Schultz, Duane (2012). "Rage Over the Rapido".
External links
- Winter Line Stories Original stories from the front lines of the Italian Campaign by US Army Liaison Officer Major Ralph R. Hotchkiss