Editing Bernhardt Line (section)

{{Short description|WWII German defensive line in Italy}}
{{Infobox military conflict
|conflict=Battle for the Bernhardt Line
|partof=the [[Italian Campaign (World War II)|Italian Campaign]] of [[World War II]]
|campaign=
|image=Image:Sanpietvalley.jpg
|image_size= 300px
|caption=Mount Sambucaro overlooking the modern town of San Pietro Infine (left) and the ruins of the original town (center).
|date=1 December 1943 – 15 January 1944
|place=[[Mignano Gap]], [[Kingdom of Italy|Italy]]
|result=Allied victory
|combatant1={{flag|United Kingdom}}
* {{flag|British India}}
{{flag|United States|1912}}<br>{{flag|Dominion of New Zealand|name=New Zealand}}<br>{{flag|Canada|1921}}<br>{{flag|Free French}}<br>[[Allies of World War II|and others]]
|combatant2={{flag|Nazi Germany|name=Germany}}
|commander1={{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis|Harold Alexander]]<br />{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[Bernard Montgomery]]<br />{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[Oliver Leese]]<br />{{flagicon|United States|1912}} [[Mark W. Clark|Mark Clark]]
|commander2={{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} [[Albert Kesselring]]<br />{{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} [[Heinrich von Vietinghoff]]{{#tag:ref|Von Vietinghof went to Germany on sick leave in late November, and Lemelsen commanded the Tenth Army during the major actions on the Bernhardt Line in December.<ref>Nicholson (1956), p. 269</ref> Von Vietinghof returned in early January|group=nb}}<br />{{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} [[Joachim Lemelsen]]
|strength1=
|strength2=
|casualties1=
|casualties2=
|campaignbox={{Campaignbox Italy}}
{{Campaignbox Winter Line}}
}}
[[File:ItalyDefenseLinesSouthofRome1943 4.jpg|thumb|300px|German-prepared defensive lines south of Rome]]

The '''Bernhardt Line''', or '''Reinhard Line''', was a [[Wehrmacht|German Army]] defensive line in [[Italy]] during the [[Italian Campaign (World War II)|Italian Campaign]] of [[World War II]]. Having reached the Bernhardt Line at the start of December 1943, it took until mid-January 1944 for the [[United States Army North|US Fifth Army]] to fight its way to the next line of defences, the [[Winter Line|Gustav Line]]. The Bernhardt Line was defended by [[XIV Panzer Corps]] (''XIV Panzerkorps''), part of the [[10th Army (Wehrmacht)|German Tenth Army]] (''10. Armee'').

Unlike most of the other defensive lines, the Bernhardt Line did not run all the way across Italy but was merely a bulge in front of the main Gustav Line; ran over the massif of Monte Cassino; and enclosed the peaks of Monte Cassino (Monastery Hill), Monte la Difensa, Monte la Remetanea and Monte Maggiore, in the territory of [[Rocca d'Evandro]], and Monte Sambucaro (or Sammucro), which stands at the border of the three regions (Lazio, Molise, and Campania). However, the defences of the Gustav Line on the [[Adriatic]] are sometimes referred to as the Bernhardt Line, and the battles for that part of the line are included in this entry.

The Bernhardt Line was not as strong as the Gustav Line and was intended only to delay the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]]' arrival. Together with the Gustav Line and the [[Hitler Line]], it made up the German [[Winter Line]] defences.