THE BATTLE OF SAN PIETRO

in 1943 it was one of our strategic aims to draw as many German forces as possible away from the Russian front and French coastal areas and to contain them on the Italian peninsula while liberating as much of Italy as might be possible with a means at our disposal as the bulk of our supplies was directed to England for the forthcoming invasion operations in Italy had to be conducted on an extremely limited scale thus it came about that during the winter months the number of Allied divisions in Italy was greatly reduced yes so determined was their effort that they succeeded in holding in Italy a very large number of German divisions during the pre invasion thery san pietro in the 5th army sector was the key to the Liri Valley we knew it and the enemy knew it we had to take it even though the immediate cost would be high we took it and the cost in relation to the later advance was not existent by its very nature this success worked bitter hardships upon each individual soldier falling for the full measure of his courage and devotion the response of our fifth Army troops provides in his firing page in our military history to these individuals living and dead and to those who now continue in their tradition this picture is dedicated [Music] Laoghaire Valley lies in the Italian Midland some 60 miles northwest of Naples to some 40 miles southeast of Rome a wide flat corridor enclosed between four walls of mountains in winter the highest peaks of the Liri range ascend into the snows at the valley floor with its olive groves and ancient finds its crops of wheat and corn is green the year around that is in normal times last year was a bad year for grapes and olives and the fall planting was late many fields lay fallow there are two ways from the south in the ballet one a narrow pass the other a high scenic road over the mountains they converge before the site of the ancient village of San Pietro which for seven hundred years has stood the threshold of Liri Valley welcoming the traveler the stones of its walls were quarried out of the parent Hill from these slopes it rises population fourteen hundred and twelve the last census a farming community patron Saint Peter point of interest st. Peters 14:38 note interesting treatment of cancer from the end of October 1943 until the middle of December San Pietro and the surrounding ground was the scene of some of the bitterest fighting on our fifth Army front the Italian campaign had entered its second phase to push forward again after static period brought on by heavy seasonal rains our battle lines were haphazard as the terrain itself with his flood swollen liver the twisting back and forth across our line of March so that each River seemed like five and where there was no river to cross the mountain blocked our going each peak ahead being a few meters higher than the last we had one so that each new peak had to be fought for the hard a pure way with the enemy looking down our throats they had had time to fortify and camouflage their positions no amount of artillery fire or aerial bombardment could force them to withdraw that was for the infantry to do employing those weapons the confined and destroy life and narrow trenches caves and fighting holes it was up to the man with the rifle the man under fire from all weapons the man whose way all our weapons land air and sea serve only to prepare it was up to the foot soldier to attack a hidden enemy over ground that the soul with mine the anti-personnel s-mines the fly of the football to explode beneath the groin nowhere along the entire front were enemy preparations more elaborate than the San Pietro area the San Pietro stands at the threshold of lira valley and through Liri Valley wide and level runs the most highly prized linked the road south of Rome by early December we have taken we're holding high ground the north east east and south of san pietro the Camino Maggiore Huell mass being last to fall an Italian Brigade and relied commanded me the vain attempt to capture mouth Lugo possession of which would have acted greatly to our benefit in the impending action the Italians were all annihilated in few of their excessive losses further operations against mouth windows fatigue heights were abandoned and it is decided to make a direct frontal assault on enemy positions in and around San Pietro [Music] elements of the 36 Texas Infantry Division were rotated from position to position overlooking the ballet say the troops might studied the terrain ahead from various viewpoints [Music] patrol activity was continuous day and night units went out to recognize the ground draw fire take prisoners thus adding to the some of our information about the enemy high points mount lingos 3 5 1 and mounts anew close 1205 a 9 5 overall manned in force the town itself for strongly garrisoned with numerous mortars machine gun and heavy weapon emplacements for enemy battalions were dug into a line of connecting trenches and mutually supporting pillboxes in depth that extended from the base of mount Wingo northeast across the valley floor to the base of mount simapro another battalion was organized to defend the high ground northwest of San Pietro areas before these positions were heavily mine and held a confusion of barbed wire and booby traps on the afternoon before d-day and a tower were communicated to battalion commanders December 8th at 0 6 to 0 hours the 1st battalion of 140 3rd Infantry Regiment to attack the summit of 1205 having moved up the mountain under cover of darkness and upon achieving its objective to attack along the ridge to a point northwest of San Pietro the 3rd range of Italian likewise to attack 9 5 Oh another feature of the mountain Oak Grove Hill mass the 2nd battalion of 140 3rd to attack over the terrorists olive orchards northeast of San Pietro a third battalion acting in support to follow the second at 400 yards of the original force to establish the beachhead in Salerno 140 third had since spent all but a fortnight in action under extremely bitter weather conditions and Salerno at the volcano crossing it had taken mortal punishment the task ahead promised no less bloodshed yet was undertaken in good spirits and high confidence first Battalion began the long run and climb up mountains brow [Music] as night fell artillery from them and throughout the night hours intense fire was laid down on the enemy's main line of resistance [Music] it had rained most of the night and was raining at h-hour in the 2nd and 3rd battalions crossed the line departure some 200 yards forward they encountered mines and automatic fire from pill boxes [Music] mortar and artillery were deadly accurate by reason of excellent enemy observation of the mountain lingo overlooking our advance which continued another 200 to 400 yards [Music] [Music] and gave their lives attempts to reach pillboxes and throw hand grenades to the narrow gun openings the third battalion was committed [Music] but the advance never got more than 600 yards past the line our initial assault on San Pietro had been repulsed with heavy casualties [Music] the attack on Hill 1205 however was a brilliant success leading elements of the 1st battalion had gained the son of the objective before a strongly entrenched enemy knew that an assault was in progress [Music] to the right of 1205 the third range of Italian had also captured its objective but only after successive attacks and costly casualties bra 9/5 old the enemy was not taken unaware counter-attacks would have be expected on both 1205 and 9 v oh they were not long developing [Music] [Music] the first was launched during the early daylight hours and even as it was beaten off another took form [Music] day and night they followed in unremitting violence the toll of enemy dared mounted with each new attempt but German prisoners captured on twelve oh five and nine five Oh said they had been ordered to retake those positions at all cost in addition to defending healed five the first Battalion obedient to the field order undertook the reduction of enemy defenses which were organized along the ridge running west [Music] [Music] [Music] on the 12th of December the 1st battalion was reinforced for the 504th Parachute battalion this took over and maintained the defense of 1205 a95 o [Music] thereby enabling the 1st battalion to throw its entire remaining strength into the assault along the ribs but the first strength had dwindled and shrunk in the 5 days passed and there was now a question as to whether its existing numbers were sufficient to avail reports during the night of the 14th of December stated that the enemy was offering bitter resistance and that the issue was in grave doubt meanwhile on the olive terraces below the 2nd and 3rd battalions had twice again attempted to reach their objective automatic weapon mortar and artillery fire volunteer patrols made desperate attempts to reach enemy positions and they do strong points not a single member of any such patrol ever came back alive our attacking forces were furnished excellent aerial cover by Allied fighter patrols but now and then enemy planes were able to slip through and a bomb and stream our positions which to all purposes had remained unchanged since the first day to break the deadlock orders were given for a coordinated divisional attack the 2nd and 3rd battalions of 140 third to proceed in the execution of the original orders acting in conjunction company a of the 750 third tank battalion to attack san pietro from the east over the high road one battalion of 140 first to attack over the flat valley floor after nightfall on d-day 140 second infantry regiment to attack mount lungo the earlier decision not to attack those strategic heights having been reversed in view of the present critical situation in preparation for the attack Altaf Army artillery within range including tanks and all tracks was directed against San Pietro and the surrounding area [Music] [Music] [Music] h-hour 1200 hours d-day the 15th the descent 140 first infantry advance some 400 yards in this line of departure to be born down and held powerless under the weight of enemy fire the 2nd and 3rd battalions of 143rd advanced some 100 yards beyond their former positions to a point almost directly before forward enemy defenses and for the third time they were forced to take such cover as the quaking earth could offer and the tanks orders were for them to enter the town to locate and destroy the heavy weapons there which were leveled against our attacking foot soldiers the high road into San Pietro is a narrow mountain road and from the beginning of its winding descent in Lyra valet it was under direct enemy observation [Music] sixteen tanks started down that road three reached the outskirts of the town [Music] these two were destroyed and one was missing five tanks were immobilise behind enemy lines their crews having to abandon them five tanks hit enemy mines within our lines and were thereupon destroyed by enemy gunfire four tanks return to the bivouac area after dark two companies one to the second Battalion and one from the third finally succeeded in penetrating enemy positions before San Pietro but receiving those brutal and flanking fire they were forced to retire company having been reduced in strength to a handful of rifleman and company L faring little better [Music] on the Mount some okra Lynch the first Battalion fought its way to than a few hundred yards of the objective [Music] but it obtained for ground gained at the rate of a man a yard and did not have strength to carry the fight any further forward on mouth lingo however despite bitter resistance battalions of the hundred and forty second in successive waves kept pushing upwards until in the early daylight hours of the 16th of December its foot soldiers had gained a summit and were wiping up what remained of a stubborn enemy and that height proved to be a key position and the enemy plan of defense for even as mount lungo fell the enemy throughout the San Pietro area made preparations to withdraw almost invariably the enemy will counter-attack to cover the withdrawal the first vial of thrust was delivered within a two hour and their counter-attacks came in waves the roar of the last mingling with a Russian fury of the next break many companies lost all their officers enlisted men came forward as inspirational leaders to rally their battered companies and resistant yet one more onslaught our own artillery was brought to fall within a hundred yards of our frontline elements after five hours during which the earth never ceased to tremble counter-attacks ended indicating the withdrawal of the enemy's main body commenced [Music] in an effort to maintain contact with the enemy our patrols immediately pushed to hand [Music] entering the town they discovered that San Pietro was ours for the taking the 2nd and 3rd battalions less than a rifle company and strength weary to death who were alive stumbled forward past San Pietro to consolidate gains and re-establish contact with the enemy now taking up new positions some 5 kilometers beyond that is the broad shape of the Battle of San Pietro which was the first of many battles in the early valley it was a very costly battle after the battle the hundred and forty third Infantry Regiment alone required 1,100 replacements [Music] the lives lost for precious lives to their country to their loved ones and the men themselves for the living of the hundred and forty third Infantry Regiment more than 100 decorations for acts of power above and beyond the call of duty [Music] many among these you see alive here have since joined the ranks of their brothers in arms who Philips and the April 4 ahead lay San Vittore and the rapido River and Casino and Beyond casino more rivers and more mountains and more towns more San Pietro greater or lesser a thousand more as the battle passed over and beyond San Pietro westwardly townspeople began to appear coming out of their caves in the mountains for they had stayed in hiding during the enemy occupation they were mostly old people and children [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] pounds people were warned against enemy mines and booby traps which were in the process of being cleared [Music] [Music] [Music] children are able to forget quickly yesterday they wept today their smiles and even laughter [Music] tomorrow it will be as though the bad things have never happened [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] living was resumed in San Pietro [Music] our prime military aim being to engage and defeat the enemy the capture of the town itself and the liberation of its people is an incidental nature but the people in their military innocence look upon us solely as their delivers it was to free them and their farm lands that we came behind our lives Southwest lesea the fields are green the growing crops planted after our coming by other people of other towns leave likewise [Music] the new one earth of San Pietro was plowed and sown it should yield a good harvest this year and the people pray to their patron saint to intercede with God in behalf of those who came deliverer and passed on the No with the passing battle [Music] [Music]