Storming Monte La Difensa: The First Special Service Force at the Winter Line, Italy 1943

by Bret Werner, Peter Dennis (Illustrator), Johnny Shumate (Illustrator), Alan Gilliland (Illustrator)

Overview

In December 1943 Monte La Difensa was part of the formidable German defences overlooking the Allies' planned route to Rome via Monte Cassino. In the First Special Service Force's first combat in the Mediterranean theater, the Force would employ its special training in mountain and winter warfare to scale the peak, capture it, and then hold it against the inevitable German counterattacks. Astonishing their superiors, the First Special Service Force succeeded in the face of seemingly impossible odds, but suffered a 77 percent casualty rate. Their victory, founded on their aggressive doctrine and extensive training in a variety of combat techniques, would prove instrumental in the postwar development of special forces. Employing full-colour artwork, archive photographs, and first-hand accounts from participants, the author examines the origins, execution, and aftermath of the FSSF's spectacular success at Monte La Difensa amid the savage winter conditions of December 1943.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781472807687
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	02/20/2015
Series:	Raid , #48
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	80
File size:	12 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Bret Werner was raised in the Philadelphia area of Pennsylvania. He is deeply involved with living history organizations with an emphasis on the soldier of the 20th century. The author is also an associate member of the First Special Service Force Association, and he attends the veteran reunions every year.

Peter Dennis was born in 1950. Inspired by contemporary magazines such as Look and Learn he studied illustration at Liverpool Art College. Peter has since contributed to hundreds of books, predominantly on historical subjects, including many Osprey titles. Johnny Shumate works as a freelance illustrator living in Nashville, Tennessee. He began his career in 1987 after graduating from Austin Peay State University. Most of his work is rendered in Adobe Photoshop using a Cintiq monitor. His greatest influences are Angus McBride, Don Troiani, and Edouard Detaille.
Peter Dennis was inspired by contemporary magazines such as Look and Learn, leading him to study Illustration at Liverpool Art College. Peter has since contributed to hundreds of books, predominantly on historical subjects, including many Osprey titles. A keen wargamer and modelmaker, he is based in Nottinghamshire, UK.
Johnny Shumate works as a freelance illustrator living in Nashville, Tennessee. He began his career in 1987 after graduating from Austin Peay State University. Most of his work is rendered in Adobe Photoshop using a Cintiq monitor. His greatest influences are Angus McBride, Don Troiani, and Édouard Detaille.
Alan Gilliland, a contributor to more than 70 Osprey titles, notably in the Weapon series, writes, illustrates and publishes fiction (www.ravensquill.com), as well as illustrating for a variety of publishers (alangillilandillustration.blogspot.com).

Table of Contents

Introduction 4

Origins 8

The birth of the First Special Service Force 8

Training 10

Organization 15

Initial Strategy 17

The Allies' road to Rome 17

Operation Avalanche and the initial attack on the Winter Line 18

Debut of the Force 21

The Plan 22

A role for the FSSF 22

The Winter Line quagmire 23

Planning and preparation for the first phase (Operation Raincoat) 26

Equipment and weapons used on Difensa 31

The Raid 35

The jump-off 35

The wait 36

The opening phase 37

The attack 43

The resupply 54

The waiting game 58

The attack on Mt Remetanea (Hill 907) and the Difensa-Camino Saddle 60

The final push 62

The mop-up 63

Withdrawal and reflection 64

The campaign continues 66

Analysis 69

Lessons Learned 70

Morale 71

The sacking of 2nd Regiment's commander 73

A short-lived victory 74

Conclusion 76

Bibliography and Further Reading 78

Index 80