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The Gothic Line

5. In the 5 Corps area the defensive positions of the Gothic line were sited on the rising ground to the north of, and overlooking, the wide flat valley of the River Foglia, and were continuous as far west as Caprazzino (R 7565). The line followed closely the course of the river throughout most of its length, but in the area of Montecalvo (R 9070), however, the Foglia makes a wide loop to the south. Here the defensive line ran through the high ground of Montecalvo at the base of the loop, and an outpost position was established forward by the river on Monte Croce (9068).

6. During July 1944 the enemy carried out a particularly large amount of work on this line but in August the positions in the foothills of the Apennines were in a much less advanced state of preparation than those in the flatter country nearer the sea. The line was a series of closely spaced casemates, pillboxes, wire entanglements, minefields and a long anti-tank ditch. A small amount of concrete had been used in its construction and little attempt was made at defence in depth. Except in the area of Montecalvo the defended area was not more than eight hundred to one thousand yards wide. Key points of the line were at Montecchio (S 0075), San Giorgio (R 9371) Montecalvo, La Casinina (R 8670), Bronzo (R 7970), Mercatale (R 78665), most of which control the roads leading north and northwest.

7. Minor defences were of the usual type, mainly machine gun pits connected to a deep dugout by communication trenches, and were sited to cover either the approaches to the Foglia area from the south of roads running through the defensive area itself. Particularly in the foothills sector of the line these minor defences were bolstered up with wire entanglements. For tank obstacles a continuous ditch had been dug as far west as Montecchio, and from there a further three miles to Santa Teresa (R 9771) a minefield was made with overlapping panels of mines approximately fifty feet wide. This field ran north of the road on the enemy’s bank of the river and in front of the defensive positions. To the west of Santa Teresa no artificial obstacles were made as the bank and the hills to the north of it, being steep, completed the line of anti-tank obstacles.

8. About twenty casemates large enough to contain an anti-tank or light field gun were spaced among the other defences, and all covered the river, tank ditch or minefield. A large number of pill boxes of varying sizes (some big enough for anti-tank guns or containing Panther tank turrets similar to those encountered in the Hitler line) also covered a similar area. All buildings between the line and the Foglia had been demolished to give fields of fire. Two features of the line were that the great majority of all defensive positions were deeply and strongly protected from shell fire and that the concrete boxes had been constructed so that the firing slit was almost down to ground level and only a few feet of the construction showed above ground. Despite the artificial construction of the line, the main strength was natural, for the hills rose very sharply from the river to the height of one thousand feet, and the river banks were high and steep except in one or two places, although the river itself could be crossed by infantry without undue difficulty. On the south bank of the river was a stop line reaching from the coast to Monte Busseto (9868), a feature within the 46th Division’s sector.

Terrain ¹

9. The country to the south of the Gothic Line on the Adriatic sector is of two vastly different types. On the extreme east near the coast it is of a rolling nature and predominantly pasture and cultivation; on the western end of the sector the land rises sharply into the mountains. In the first type the general grain of the valley is northeast to southwest; the hills rise approximately five hundred feet above the intervening valleys and six hundred and fifty feet to eight hundred feet above the larger rivers. This sector is cultivated in small mixed farms and about one half bears vines, grain and orchards, the remainder being pasture and woodland. Intervisibility in the higher areas is good but somewhat restricted in the valleys. On the western end the terrain rising into the mountains is scrub and bare ground rising to nearly four thousand feet and completely overlooking the eastern strip.

10. On nearing the defence line trhe land on 5 Corps sector was mostly rolling terrain as the mountains receded to the west, but there were still a number of dominating features which tended to delay attacking forces. The main rivers, running across the line of advance, and averaging about one every six to eight miles, had low banks and gravel beds. Towards the upper reaches the valleys became ravines and definite obstacles. Between the main rivers, smaller rivers and streams abounded, which after heavy rain easily became obstacles to hinder progress. The main roads and railways followed the course of the main rivers, most of them branching from the coast, where Route 16 was the most important road line of communication. Secondary roads were of poor quality, following streams, valleys and spurs for the most part.

¹ Map 1c: Terrain south of the Gothic Line

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