Battle of San Pietro Infine - The Battle

The Battle

The direct attack on the German positions in and around San Pietro began on 8 December by II Corps of the Fifth Army. The positions were defended by the second and third battalions of the 15th Panzer Grenadier Regiment and the second battalion of the 71st Panzer Grenadier Regiment, all part of German Tenth Army's XIV Panzer Corps.

After a week of intense attacks and counter-attacks, the U.S. 36th Division's 143rd Infantry Regiment and the 82nd Airborne Division's 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment commanded the heights of the Sambùcaro mass. The U.S. 36th Division, then planned a further effort for 15 December. 143rd Infantry assisted by 504th PIR would continue to push west along the shoulders of Sambùcaro and take San Vittore del Lazio while to the south of Route 6 142nd Infantry Regiment supported by the Italian 1st Motorized Group were to capture Mount Lungo. In the center, 141st Infantry would attack San Pietro itself. The main attack of the 36th Division started at 12:00 on 15 December. In an effort to break the German defenses in the town, two platoons from the 753rd Tank Battalion attacked with 16 Sherman Tank and Tank Destroyers. The armored attack failed due to mines and anti-tank fire. Four of the 16 tanks survived. After four successive Allied attacks and German counter-attacks, the Germans pulled back from San Pietro since the dominating ground on both flanks, Mount Lungo and the Sambùcaro peaks, was now in II Corps' possession. The Germans launched a counter-attack on 16 December to cover their withdrawal as they retreated to positions farther north at Cedro Hill, Mount Porchia, San Vittore, and the western spurs of Sambúcaro.