Moro River Campaign - Background

Background

In late 1943, Allied armies under General Harold Alexander were fighting their way northward in Italy against determined German opposition commanded by Field Marshal (Generalfeldmarschall) Albert Kesselring, whose forces had prepared a succession of defensive lines. East of the Apennine Mountain spine was the British 8th Army under General Bernard Montgomery. In October, 8th Army had crossed the Bifurno river and pushed the German defenders from the Volturno-Viktor Line defences. Delayed by logistical problems, they were not able to attack the next line of defences (the Barbara Line) behind the Trigno river until 2 November. However, by 9 November forward elements of 8th Army were in contact with the forward defences of the German Winter Line, which had been set on the high ground north of the Sangro River.

The main attack across the Sangro by V Corps (Lieutenant-General Charles Allfrey),comprising the British 78th Infantry Division (Major-General Vyvyan Evelegh) and 8th Indian Infantry Division (Major-General Dudley Russell) with supporting and diversionary attacks further inland by 2nd New Zealand Division (Lieutenant-General Bernard Freyberg) and XIII Corps (Lieutenant-General Miles Dempsey)—was delayed by bad weather until late November. After several days of hard fighting, the Germans withdrew to the defences they had prepared on the high ground to the north of the Moro river.