Tag Archives: Italy

This week in the War, 6–12 March 1944: Pope appeals for Rome to be spared from destruction

Posted on March 12, 2016 by secondbysecond

This week in the war, on 12 March 1944, Pope Pius XII appealed to all warring parties that Rome be spared from destruction. It had become obvious that the Allies would eventually penetrate the Gustav line at Cassino and that … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 14–20 February 1944: Destruction of the abbey at Monte Cassino

Posted on February 17, 2016 by secondbysecond

This week in the war, in an effort to break through the Gustav Line, Allied planes bombarded Monte Cassino. The world renowned Benedictine abbey was completely destroyed and the bishop and a number of monks were killed. General Bernard Freyberg, … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 7–13 February 1944: Death of Italian opera singer Lina Cavalieri

Posted on February 7, 2016 by secondbysecond

This week in the war, Italian opera singer Lina Cavalieri was killed on the night of 7/8 February 1944 during an Allied bombing raid on Florence. She and her husband were running from her house to the air raid shelter in … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 10–16 January 1944: Advance towards Monte Cassino

Posted on January 15, 2016 by secondbysecond

This week in the war, on 14 January 1944, the Americans bombarded German forces defending the Gustav Line—the last obstacle before the Italian town of Cassino and the famous Monte Cassino abbey. The following day, the US II Corps mounted an attack … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 11-17 October 1943: Italy changes sides

Posted on October 16, 2015 by secondbysecond

This week in the war in Italy, on the night of 12/13 October 1943, troops from the US 5th Army crossed over the Volturno river. Further advance was made difficult by torrential rain and fierce opposition from German units north of the … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 27 Sept–3 Oct 1943: Naples

Posted on September 28, 2015 by secondbysecond

This week in the war, on 27 September 1943, the people of Naples rose up against the German occupiers who had been plundering the city and deporting thousands of citizens for forced labour in Germany. The uprising began in the … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 20–26 September 1943: The Salo republic

Posted on September 24, 2015 by secondbysecond

On 23 September 1943, Benito Mussolini proclaimed the Italian Social Republic(ISR), the so-called Salò Republic, which was headquartered in the town of Salò in the extreme north of Italy. The new republic was a puppet regime and Mussolini had himself become little … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 13–19 September 1943: Bridgehead firmly established at Salerno

Posted on September 16, 2015 by secondbysecond

This week in the war, heavy fighting continued around Salerno, the more northerly prong of the Allied force that had invaded the Italian mainland. Using large numbers of tanks and powerful artillery, the Germans launched a series of counter-attacks aimed … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 6–12 September 1943: Italy surrenders, Mussolini is rescued

Posted on September 8, 2015 by secondbysecond

This week in the war, on 8 September 1943, with the Allied fleet already in view off the Italian coast near Salerno, Italy surrendered. (The agreement to do so had already been signed five days earlier.) General Eisenhower made the … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 30 Aug–5 Sept 1943: The Invasion of Italy

Posted on September 3, 2015 by secondbysecond

This week in the war, on the morning of 3 September 1943, General Bernard Montgomery’s Eighth Army invaded the mainland of southern Italy. It was the beginning of what would become a two-pronged assault on the Italian mainland, with Lieutenant-General Mark … Continue reading →

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