Editing Gothic Line (section)

==Central Front (Fifth Army)==
{{Further|Gothic Line order of battle}}

===U.S. Fifth Army formation===
Clark's U.S. Fifth Army comprised three corps: [[IV Corps (United States)|U.S. IV Corps]], under [[Major general (United States)|Major General]] [[Willis D. Crittenberger]], on the left formed by the [[1st Armored Division (United States)|U.S. 1st Armored Division]], the [[6th Armoured Division (South Africa)|6th South African Armoured Division]] and two [[regimental combat team|Regimental Combat Teams (RCTs)]], one of the [[92nd Infantry Division (United States)|U.S. 92nd Infantry Division]] the other the Brazilian 6th RCT (the first land forces contingent of the [[Brazilian Expeditionary Force]]); in the centre was [[II Corps (United States)|U.S. II Corps]], under Major General [[Geoffrey Keyes]], (with the U.S. [[34th Infantry Division (United States)|34th]], [[85th Infantry Division (United States)|85th]], [[88th Infantry Division (United States)|88th]] and [[91st Division (United States)|91st Infantry Divisions]] supported by three tank battalions under command); and on the right [[XIII Corps (United Kingdom)|British XIII Corps]], under Lieutenant-General [[Sidney Kirkman]], (composed of the British [[History of the British 1st Division during the World Wars|1st Infantry]] and [[6th Armoured Division (United Kingdom)|6th Armoured Divisions]], the [[8th Infantry Division (India)|8th Indian Infantry Division]] and the [[1st Canadian Armoured Brigade]]). Like the Eighth Army, the Fifth Army was considered to be strong in armour and short on infantry considering the terrain they were attacking.<ref>Orgill, p. 164.</ref>

===German formation in the central Apennines===
In the front line facing Clark's forces were five divisions of [[Joachim Lemelsen]]'s German 14th Army (20th ''Luftwaffe'' Field Division, [[16th SS Panzergrenadier Division Reichsführer-SS|16th SS ''Panzer'' Grenadier Division]] (16. ''Panzergrenadierdivision''), [[65th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)|65th]] and [[362nd Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)|362nd Infantry Divisions]] and the [[4th Parachute Division (Germany)|4th Parachute Division]]) and two divisions on the western end of von Vietinghoff's German 10th Army ([[356th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)|356th]] and [[715th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)|715th Infantry Divisions]]). By the end of the first week in September, the ''Luftwaffe'' Field Division and the 356th Infantry Division had been moved to the Adriatic front along with (from army reserve) the [[29th Panzer Grenadier Division (Wehrmacht)|29th ''Panzer'' Grenadier Division]] and the armoured reserve of [[23rd Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)|26th ''Panzer'' Division]]. The 14th Army was not of the same quality as the 10th Army: it had been badly mauled in the [[Battle of Anzio|retreat from Anzio]] and some of its replacements had been hastily and inadequately trained.<ref>Orgill, pp. 164–166.</ref>

===Allied plan===
Clark's plan was for II Corps to strike along the road from Florence to [[Firenzuola]] and [[Imola]] through the Il Giogo pass to outflank the formidable defences of the Futa pass (on the main Florence–Bologna road) while on their right British XIII Corps would advance through the Gothic Line to cut Route 9 (and therefore Kesselring's lateral communications) at [[Faenza]]. The transfer of 356th Infantry Division to the Adriatic weakened the defences around the Il Giogo pass which was already potentially an area of weakness, being on the boundary between 10th and 14th Armies.<ref>Orgill, p.165.</ref>

===Battle===
{{Main|Battle of Rimini (1944)}}
During the last week in August, U.S. II Corps and British XIII Corps started to move into the mountains to take up positions for the main assault on the main Gothic Line defences. Some fierce resistance was met from outposts but at the end of the first week in September, once reorganisation had taken place following the withdrawal of three divisions to reinforce the pressured Adriatic front, the Germans withdrew to the main Gothic Line defences. After an artillery bombardment, the Fifth Army's main assault began at dusk on 12 September. Keyes tried to flank the II Giogo Pass by attacking both the peaks of Monticello and Monte Altuzzo using the 91st Infantry Division in a bold attempt to bounce the Germans off the positions, but this failed.<ref>War Monthly - Issue 34 (1977). ''Gothic Line 1944'', by E. D. Smith, p. 30. {{ISSN|0307-2886}}.</ref>

[[File:PicGiogioPass.jpg|thumb|Top of Il Giogo Pass in the Gothic Line, looking toward the north]]

Progress at the II Giogo Pass was slow, but on II Corps' right British XIII Corps were making better progress. Clark grasped this opportunity to divert part of II Corps reserve (the [[337th Infantry Regiment (United States)|337th Infantry Regiment]], part of the [[85th Infantry Division (United States)|85th Infantry Division]]) to exploit XIII Corps success. Attacking on 17 September, supported by both American and British artillery, the infantry fought their way onto Monte Pratone, some {{convert|2|-|3|mi|km|abbr=on}} east of the Il Giogo pass and a key position on the Gothic Line.<ref>Orgill, p. 178.</ref> Meanwhile, U.S. II Corps renewed their assault on Monte Altuzzo, dominating the east side of the Il Giogo Pass. The Altuzzo positions fell on the morning of 17 September, after five days of fighting. The capture of Altuzzo and Pratone as well as Monte Verruca between them caused the formidable Futa Pass defences to be outflanked, and Lemelsen was forced to pull back, leaving the pass to be taken after only light fighting on 22 September.

On the left, IV Corps had fought their way to the main Gothic Line: notably the [[370th Infantry Regiment (92nd Infantry Division)|370th Infantry Regiment]], which pushed the Axis troops on its sector to the north beyond the Highway 12 towards [[Gallicano]]; and the Brazilian 6th RCT, which took [[Massarosa]], [[Camaiore]] and other small towns on its own way north. By the end of the month, the Brazilian unit had conquered ''Monte Prano'' and controlled the [[Serchio]] valley region without suffering any major casualties. In October, it also took [[Fornaci di Barga|Fornaci]] with its munitions factory, and [[Barga, Tuscany|Barga]]; while the 370th received reinforcements from other units ([[356th Infantry Regiment (United States)|365th]] and [[371st Infantry Regiment (United States)|371st]]), to ensure the Fifth Army left wing sector at the [[Ligurian Sea]].<ref>Brooks, pp. 221 & 223.</ref><ref>Moraes, Chapter III, section "Operations at Serchio Valley".</ref>

On Fifth Army's far right wing, on the right of the British XIII Corps front, 8th Indian Infantry Division fighting across trackless ground had captured the heights of Femina Morta and British 6th Armoured Division had taken the San Godenzo Pass on Route 67 to [[Forlì]], both on 18 September.

At this stage, with the slow progress on the Adriatic front, Clark decided that Bologna would be too far west along Route 9 to trap the German 10th Army. He decided therefore to make the main II Corps thrust further east towards Imola whilst XIII Corps would continue to push on the right toward Faenza. Although they were through the Gothic Line, Fifth Army—just like the Eighth Army before them—found the terrain beyond and its defenders even more difficult. Between 21 September and 3 October, U.S. 88th Division had fought its way to a standstill on the route to Imola suffering 2,105 men killed and wounded — roughly the same as the whole of the rest of II Corps during the actual breaching of the Gothic Line.<ref>Orgill, p. 187.</ref>

The fighting toward Imola had drawn German troops from the defence of Bologna, and Clark decided to switch his main thrust back toward the Bologna axis. U.S. II Corps pushed steadily through the [[Raticosa pass|Raticosa Pass]] and by 2 October, it had reached [[Monghidoro]] some {{convert|20|mi|km|abbr=on}} from Bologna. However, as it had on the Adriatic coast, the weather had broken and rain and low cloud prevented air support while the roads back to the ever more distant supply dumps near Florence became morasses.<ref>Orgill, pp. 187–188.</ref>

On 5 October, U.S. II Corps renewed its offensive along a {{convert|14|mi|km|adj=on}} front straddling Route 65 to Bologna. They were supported on their right flank by British XIII Corps including [[78th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)|British 78th Infantry Division]], newly returned to Italy after a three-month re-fit in [[Egypt]]. Gradual progress was made against stiffening opposition as German 14th Army moved troops from the quieter sector opposite U.S. IV Corps. By 9 October, they were attacking the massive {{convert|1,500|ft}} high sheer escarpment behind Livergnano which appeared insuperable. However, the weather cleared on the morning of 10 October to allow artillery and air support to be brought to bear. Nevertheless, it took until the end of 15 October before the escarpment was secured.<ref>Orgill, p. 200.</ref> On the right of U.S. II Corps British XIII Corps was experiencing equally determined fighting on terrain just as difficult.