Third Battle of Cassino (19 February - 23 March 1944)

Wet weather delayed the third battle until 15 March 1944. This time Freyberg's Corps attacked Cassino from the north with the Indian troops again attacking the monastery and the New Zealand troops advancing into the town along Route 6. This time the town was flattened by intensive bombing followed by an artillery bombardment of over 1000 guns. However, poor coordination was again evident as the monastery itself was not included as one of the targets. The bombing devastated the Axis defenders but it created equal problems for the Allied attackers who had difficulty bringing their tanks forward. Vicious house-to-house fighting took place in the ruins of Cassino with often the same building being occupied by both sides.

Progress made by New Zealand Corps on 15 March 1944

24 March 0340	Lt. Mallinson 1/4 Essex Regiment arrived at Battalion Headquarters with verbal orders from Brigadier Bateman to the effect that the enemy was all around our positions, in apparently quite considerable strength; that the New Zealanders had been continuously attacking in Cassino for 9 days and were now played out; that the rest of 4 Indian Division were not in any position or condition to make further attacks. There were therefore two courses open to the Army Commander; (a) he would put in fresh formations or (b) he would withdraw 1/9 Gurkha Rifles and call the battle off.
Extract From 1/9th Gurkha Rifles’ war diary, 24 Mar 1944

A New Zealand platoon commander wrote of the fighting in the town:

Our four days and nights were absolute hell; mortar bombs continued to rain down; we had a nebelwerfer rocket through our roof; and the never-ending smoke shells meant that we were living in a world where there was no day. Our nerves were stretched to breaking point, hands shaking so much that cigarettes were hard to light. Hot meals were impossible, as was washing and shaving. My diary notes, 'it takes all our nerves to move from our position to Company Headquarters 25 yards away'.

The acting New Zealand Divisional commander, Major-General Howard Kippenberger, lost both his legs to a landmine while visiting the forward positions and the pessimism evident in the previous battle continued. Bravery and endurance were displayed by the soldiers such as the 9th Gurkhas, the 1st/4th Essex and the Rajputana Rifles who had fought their way forward and held Hangman's Hill. 24th New Zealand Battalion seized Point 202, a tenacious German defence was stretched to breaking point. The third attempt to break through at Cassino had been halted.

The Fourth Battle of Cassino (11May – 5 June1944) »