Hell of San Pietro
Parallel to the attack on the Monte Cassino front, the Allies mounted another amphibious landing behind the German front. An invasion at Anzio and the neighbouring fishing village of Nettuno was designed to divert German forces from the Cassino front and cut off the supply routes between Rome and the Gustav line. In preparation the Allies intensified their operations towards Cassino. In streaming rain and bitter cold the British X.Corps and II. US Corps took the 3,000ft. high Monte Camino, a mountain massif above the river Garigliano. General Clark's 5th Army had to take the Monte Lungo, the Monte Maggiore, the village of San Pietro Infine and the Monte Sammucros, which appeared to the planners in the allied HQ to be an easy task. The village and the Monte Sammucro seemed to be clear of the enemy anyway. This quickly turned out to be a fatal miscalculation. The Germans had recognized the strategic importance of the place and prepared for a grim defence. They had a clear view from San Pietro on all activities at the Monte Lungo and down Highway No. 6 which led to Cassino across the valley. Except for one road, the village could only be reached by paths or tracks across open fields, Besides, San Pietro had been designed with defence in mind.
One of the toughest combat actions to ever take place in Southern Italy was now fought here. Two regiments of 29 Panzergrenadier Division were positioned at Monte Lungo and Monte Sammucro at the beginning of December. Two battalions of 15. Panzergrenadier Regiment which had set up an ingenious system at trenches, wire obstacles, foxholes and bunkers were sighted between the mountains, immune even to fighter bomber attacks.
The American attack plan provided that next to the 36. U.S. Division an Italian unit also should intervene in the action. The 1. Raggruppamento Motorizzato (1. motorised group) was the first Italian unit activated, under the command of Brigadier Vincenco di Dapino, since the declaration of war by Italy on Germany on October 13. It was their task to take Monte Lungo. The attack began on December 7. The Italians, motivated and full of vigour, started with the ascent to the peak after a 30 minute artillery preparation. Unfortunately, they had, however, carried out no reconnaissance before the attack and believed themselves safe after the artillery fire. So they scaled the mountain in a compact formation and made perfect targets for German MG marksmen. The result was terrible. Three hours later the Italian troops were completely demoralized and decimated by MG and mortar fire. Lack of ammunition made the situation even worse and forced the Italians to call off the attack. The U.S. attack on Monte Sammucro and Hill 905 proceeded, however, positively. Second Lieutenant Rufus J. Cleghorn of 143rd Infantry Regiment overran with his 250 men the 71st Panzergrenadier Regiment at Monte Sammucro. The attack on Hill 950 was also crowned with success. But the losses were considerable. For three days the GIs had to resist furious German counterattacks.
The frontal attack on San Pietro however, turned into a fiasco. The second and third Battalion of the 143rd Infantry Regiment worked hard in vain to break through the extremely deep defence for two days. Artillery fire from Monte Lungo effectively supported the German defenders of the village.
Another attack started on December 12, this time with tank support. But the key feature of the terrain was agricultural terracing with boggy ground inbetween, which foiled every attempt to advance across it. Either the tanks got stuck at the terrace walls or became stuck in the mud. A further attack on Monte Sammucro and its side peaks also developed into disaster. The 1st Battalion of 143rd Regiment had only 155 men fit for action by the end of the day.
On December 15th at 1100hrs in the morning the third attempt to take San Pietro began. The 753rd Tank Battalion under command of Colonel Felber raised hopes that a turning-point may be achieved. The plan was to use the road from Ceppanga to San Pietro and the neighbouring ground to increase fire power against San Pietro and finally to take the place. 16 Shermans and a British Valentine bridgelayer advance towards the objective. The first Sherman managed within some hours to get in sight of the village before being pulled back. The others which were following up carefully, however, were put out of action one after another either by mines or artillery. Only three returned intact. The accompanying Infantry Captain C. Bergman also found no solution for cracking the defence at San Pietro by infantry.
On December 16th Major Milton J. Landy of the Second Battalion was ordered to lead another and final attack. He estimated the defenders of the village to be no more than approximately 100 men and was impressed by the fire which this relatively small force brought to bear against him The men of the 29. Panzergrenadier division had delivered perfect stalling tactics to hold off the Americans.
Another episode, however, then decided the fight for the village. U.S. units succeeded in taking Monte Lungo during the night of 15 December. With that the flank protection for the defenders of San Pietro was lost. The German troops therefore received the order to withdraw. In the morning of December 17 all was quiet in San Pietro. At first it was thought it must be a German trap but it was quickly noticed that the German defenders had withdrawn.
Hollywood`s top director John Houston was with a camera team in San Pietro during the action and created an impressive documentary film titled "The Battle of San Pietro" which insistently captured the horror of war on celluloid as no other film before. San Pietro looks just the same today as the Americans found it on the morning of 17 December. The village was rebuilt after end of the war out of respect and also because of the fear of earthquakes at the foot of the hill.
