Editing Bernhardt Line (section)

===Advance across the Sangro===
[[Image:Italy1943Sango+MoroCampaigns.svg|right|310px]]
The Eighth Army's forward units had reached the Sangro on 9 November. Alexander had planned for Montgomery to strike across the river on its coastal plain on 20 November with the [[V Corps (United Kingdom)|V Corps]] ([[8th Infantry Division (India)|Indian 8th Infantry]] and 78th Infantry Divisions). In secrecy, Montgomery shifted the Indian division to the right to narrow the V Corps front and concentrate its power,sFfvF the newly arrived [[2nd New Zealand Division]] into the gap.<ref name="Nich276">Nicholson (1956), p. 276</ref> Eighth Army also devised a deception scheme involving false troop movements and ammunition dumps to give the impression that the main attack would be through the [[XIII Corps (United Kingdom)|British XIII Corps]] front. The deception was to be maintained by an earlier diversionary attack some {{convert|40|mi|km|abbr=on}} inland by XIII Corps<ref name="Nich276"/><ref name="MC93">Carver, p. 93</ref> and a secondary attack at the same time as V Corps some {{convert|15|mi|km|abbr=on}} inland by the New Zealanders.

However, Kesselring guessed the Allies' intentions.<ref>Phillips (1957), [https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2-1Ita-c4-1.html#n67 p. 67]</ref> On 18 November, Lemelsen had signaled Kesselring to the effect that the Allied concentrations on the coast led him to expect the main attack on his left wing.<ref>Nicholson (1956), p. 287</ref> Then, heavy rain raised the river levels, which caused the postponement of the offensive to the night of 27 November and giving the Germans time to switch two divisions across the Apennines to the defending LXXVI ''Panzer'' Corps. That made three divisions on the coastal plain opposing V Corps: [[65th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)|65th Infantry Division]] (''65. Infantriedivision''), [[90th Light Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)|90th Panzergrenadier Division]] (''90. Panzergrenadierdivision'') and [[23rd Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)|26th Panzer Division]] (''26. Panzerdivision''). 16th ''Panzer'' Division opposed the New Zealanders and the [[1st Parachute Division (Germany)|German 1st Parachute Division]] (''1. Fallschirmjägerdivision'') faced XIII Corps ([[1st Canadian Division]] and [[5th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)|British 5th Infantry Division]]).

In the early hours of 28 November, the Eighth Army attack went in supported by heavy artillery concentrations. The New Zealanders advanced steadily. Although the German defences had been well prepared, most of the New Zealanders' objectives were manned by 65th Division which was poorly equipped and untried in battle. The German Division was also hampered by the fact that its commande, Brigadier-General (''[[Generalmajor]]'') G.H. von Ziehlberg, was severely wounded on the afternoon of 28 November.<ref>Phillips (1957), p. [https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2-1Ita-c4-1.html#n73 pp. 73–74]</ref> The 8th Indian Division, however, like the New Zealanders facing their first major combat action since arriving in Italy, experienced tougher opposition. Elements of 65th Infantry Division supported by an armoured battle group held tenaciously on to Mezzagrogna<ref>Ford (2003), p. 174</ref> and the town was eventually taken on 29 November after tough, often hand to hand, fighting. On the morning of 29 November, 78th Infantry Division had joined the attack on the right of the Indian Division and had forced their way to Santa Maria by the evening, which created a base for their main attack the following day towards Fossacesia.<ref>Ford (2003), pp.175-176</ref> By late on 30 November, 78th Division, supported by [[4th New Zealand Armoured Brigade|4th Armoured Brigade]], had taken Fossacesia and the whole ridge on the far bank of the Sangro. The main Bernhardt defences were under Eighth Army control.<ref>Nicholson (1956), p. 288</ref>

As the Eighth Army pushed forward over the next few days, the 65th Infantry Division crumbled to the extent that German 10th Army were later to order a court-martial into its conduct.<ref>Phillips (1957), [https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2-1Ita-c4-2.html#n80 p. 80]</ref> However, Herr introduced 90th Panzergrenadier Division into the line from his reserve and transferred reinforcements from the quieter sector inland in the form of elements of 1st Parachute Division. The complications of those manoeuvres introduced considerable confusion within the Germans' alignment, but they still managed a fighting withdrawal to the ridge on the far side of the Moro River. Unaware of the disorganisation in the German ranks, the New Zealanders failed on 2 December to exploit an opportunity to capture Orsogna, a key position near the headwaters of the Moro, which on that day was still only lightly held. It was only on the morning of 3 December that the New Zealand Division disputed possession of Orsogna, but the 26th ''Panzer'' had just enough breathing space to organise and repelled it. The 26th ''Panzer'' then proceeded to create a formidable defensive complex around the town and along the ridge towards Ortona on the coast,<ref>Phillips (1957), [https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2-1Ita-c4-2.html#n89 pp. 89-92]</ref> and Orsogna was not occupied by the Allies, despite a further two determined attempts during December, until the Germans withdrew after the Allied breakthrough at [[Battle of Monte Cassino|Monte Cassino]] in May 1944.