Editing Bernhardt Line (section)

===Prelude===
On 3 October, a battalion of the British Eighth Army's [[78th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)|78th Infantry Division]] had crossed the [[Biferno]] river to confront the German [[Volturno Line|Volturno-Viktor Line]] defences. Two [[British Commandos|Commando]] battalions landed from the sea north of the river at [[Termoli]], and a fiercely contested battle ensued which had hung in the balance when a ford became unusable after heavy rains and prevented Allied armour from moving forward. However, the British infantry reinforced from the sea by two brigades, had held out long enough against the tanks of 16th Panzer Division (''16. Panzerdivision'') for a Bailey bridge to be laid across the river, and the crisis passed with the arrival of elements of [[1st Canadian Armoured Brigade]]s.<ref>Nicholson (1956), p. 253</ref> By 6 October, the Germans were withdrawing to new defensive positions behind the Trigno River, the "[[Barbara Line]]".<ref>Carver (2002), p. 84</ref>

At the Trigno, the Eighth Army were obliged to pause because it had outrun its supply chain which stretched back over poor roads to the main ports of [[Bari]] and [[Taranto]], {{convert|120|mi|km|abbr=on}} and {{convert|170|mi|km|abbr=on}} to its rear. Port and transport capacity had also been affected by the logistic requirements of the Allied air force, which was establishing a large number of strategic bomber bases around [[Foggia]].<ref name="Carver90">Carver (2002), p. 90</ref>

The Eighth Army attacked across the Trigno on 2 November. By the next day, the Germans' position had been turned, and they commenced a fighting withdrawal to the forward Winter Line positions that they were preparing on the ridges behind the Sangro River.<ref name="Carver90"/>