Storming Monte La Difensa by Bret Werner

Author:Bret Werner
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Storming Monte La Difensa: The First Special Service Force at the Winter Line, Italy 1943
ISBN: 9781472807687
Publisher: Osprey Publishing

A German mortar team in an unknown defensive position somewhere in Italy, 1944. These soldiers man the 8cm Granatwerfer Model 34, caliber 81mm, originally designated as the heavy mortar until the 120mm was introduced. This was the standard mortar of the German infantry throughout the war. Mortars like this were used on Mt Difensa and were incredibly troublesome to the Forcemen. With paths and trails already zeroed in, the Germans were able to dispense countless rounds on the unsuspecting Forcemen. The Germans also used tracer rounds from machine guns to mark the targets for their mortarmen. (Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-316-1190-27, photo: o.Ang)

Pvt Dauphinais of 1st Company recalls, “Stuff was really flying around there. The German fire was pretty heavy, but I don’t think they knew what they were shooting at or really believed what was happening. Maybe they couldn’t believe we were that audacious. How could anybody come in your back door?” (Springer, p.80). The initial assault was chaotic as the battle-hardened Panzer grenadiers fought back savagely, making the Forcemen pay for every yard of ground on top of Mt Difensa. Pvt Betts of 1st Company recalls:

We got our machine gun activated and turned it loose on anything that remotely resembled a Kraut. It seemed like it didn’t take long to run out of ammo. I grabbed a rifle from one of the guys who was lying there dead, and I advanced. I think it was because I was scared and very, very busy that I don’t really remember too much of what happened that first few minutes. I don’t think anyone really knew what was going on. (Springer, p.80)

The six German MG 42 machinegun emplacements that had covered the northern approaches to the summit, dug in and untouched by the previous artillery barrage, had by now turned on their attackers from the rear. The Germans had been caught by surprise and this allowed for 2nd Regiment to gain a solid grip around the northern rim of the saucer.

Lt Col MacWilliam of 2nd Regiment directed the assault from a forward shell hole with the advanced platoon. MacWilliam started to pinpoint the enemy strongholds and directed the FSSF men to target them with their own mortars and machine guns. 1st Company was taking heavy casualties, as Pvt Dauphinais states:

There were fire fights on both sides of my position … The Krauts were so close I could have spit in the bugger’s eye. Three of them worked on me for a while there. They were putting out a lot of lead … It was a terrible weapon [MG 42] I could see the muzzle flashes blinking at me, but there wasn’t much I could do at the time. I never saw so many flashes in my life … I was pinned down in the open and it was only a matter of time, really. I didn’t have a chance. They plugged me. I don’t know if it was the shock of the bullet hitting me or what, but I passed out. (Springer, p.81–82)

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