warspite1
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ORIGINAL: warspite1
The land campaign in Italy is not something I know that much about but this maybe a good starting point. Monte Cassino and the Poles has been mentioned as an example of the British being happy for non-British troops under its command to take heavy losses. There were iirc 4 attempts to take Cassino and, ultimately it was the Poles that succeeded. Because there were four attempts it might be useful to look at how events unfolded, which troops were used, what the casualty rates were, why were the Poles used in the fourth attempt? were they used earlier? etc. etc.
Any Italian Campaign experts here? I assume mind_messing you know something of this as I believe it was you that used Monte Cassino as an example of British profligacy with non-British troops under it's command?
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I had family that fought at Cassino - he was quite firm in his opinion that the Poles were sent in as it was regarded as a suicide mission, and that the Polish troops were given the job to avoid the fallout that heavy losses to the other units of the 8th Army would have. The Poles were in no position to refuse to argue.
Again, this is the best you can come up with? So let’s get this right (and as said I am no expert on the Italian Campaign). There were 4 attempts to take the objective. But what? Only the fourth attempt was a suicide mission?? The first three were just a laugh and the US, French, British, Canadian and Indian forces were on a jolly? Why was the 4th attempt harder than the first three? and were only Poles committed to the 4th attempt or did others - such as the British for example - take part?
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The Poles were in no position to argue? So, for example, when the British X Corps made the first assault they were consulted as to whether they fancied it or not??
And how did – what apparently was widely regarded as a suicide mission - turn out then?
warspite1
Well the discussion has whet my appetite for learning a bit more about the non-naval Italian Campaign. So where better to start than Monte Cassino. This book appears to have good reviews so let's see what Parker has to say about the four attempts at taking this famous objective.
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England expects that every man will do his duty. Horatio Nelson October 1805  |
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RE: D-day (day) trip - 
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