Cassino

[Gerry Chester]

Troops from several countries fought in the four battles for Cassino. In your opinion, whose contribution was the most significant and why?

[Paul Reed]

Interesting one... the cemetery at Cassino is one of the most metropolitan I know of. Personally I think it is difficult to answer a question like this: the Brits slogged away throughout the fighting. The Americans performed incredibily in crossing the Rapido. The Maories fought well at the Station. The NZ and Indian Engineers pulled off a miracle at Cavendish Road. And the Poles finally took what was left, while the old Battle Axe Division pushed up the Liri Valley... it was a combined effort, wasn't it?

[Kiwiwriter]

Ouch! That's a tough one. Everybody but the Finnish border cops fought at Cassino, it seems. From what I can tell, I think it was pretty much a combined effort, as said upstairs. I would vote for the French, oddly enough, because Marshal Juin found the way to make the Germans ultimately decide to pull out of the monastery and the heights around it. But it would not be an overwhelming landslide for the French. Had the Canadians and Poles not been attacking there, the Germans might not have pulled out. And had the New Zealanders, Indians, Britons, and Americans paid a stiff price in blood as well. It's almost a rhetorical question, and I do not believe there is such a thing as a rhetorical question. All questions have answers. That's why teachers put time limits on tests.

[GUMALANGI]

...... and to add,. there were Japanese origin too there
under the American flag..

[Kiwiwriter]

Originally posted by GUMALANGI@Apr 24 2005, 07:24 PM
...... and to add,. there were Japanese origin too there
under the American flag..

Quoted post

Yes, the 100th Infantry Battalion, which became part of the 442nd Regiment. The 442nd, by the way, still exists, as a Hawaii National Guard outfit, part of the 25th Division. Many of the men of the 100th came from Hawaii.

[GUMALANGI]

Originally posted by Kiwiwriter+Apr 25 2005, 02:32 PM-->

Yes, the 100th Infantry Battalion, which became part of the 442nd Regiment. The 442nd, by the way, still exists, as a Hawaii National Guard outfit, part of the 25th Division. Many of the men of the 100th came from Hawaii.

Quoted post

[/b]

You mean the present time? or during WW2?,..

I thought most of 100th Infantry btn was recruited from Japanese camp to proof their loyalty to US. well,.. i migt be wrong.

Cheers
Gumalangi

[Kiwiwriter]

Originally posted by GUMALANGI+Apr 25 2005, 03:10 PM-->

You mean the present time? or during WW2?,..

I thought most of 100th Infantry btn was recruited from Japanese camp to proof their loyalty to US. well,.. i migt be wrong.

Cheers
Gumalangi

Quoted post

[/b]

Not quite. The 100th Battalion came from Hawaiian Japanese (former HNG men) and from internment camps, and came first. They regarded themselves as better than the 442nd, which followed, and there was tension between them. The 442nd did come from internment camps. The 442nd still exists, and I believe one of its battalions is the 100th.

[GUMALANGI]

Originally posted by Kiwiwriter@Apr 26 2005, 02:15 PM
[Not quite. The 100th Battalion came from Hawaiian Japanese (former HNG men) and from internment camps, and came first. They regarded themselves as better than the 442nd, which followed, and there was tension between them. The 442nd did come from internment camps. The 442nd still exists, and I believe one of its battalions is the 100th.

Quoted post

Ths for the infos,..

Cheers.
Gumalangi

[Tom Canning]

Unfortunately we have drifted off the question which was who made a significant contribution at

Cassino - the Japanese did not arrive in Italy until the battle for Florence was shaping up. My money would

be on both the Kiwi's and the 4th Indian divs who went in twice !
Tomcan

[angie999]

There were four separate battles for Cassino and the first three were not successful. In the final battle, I think the credit must go to:

1. The French who, with their trained mountain troops, were able to take the mountainous area behind Cassino and undermine the position.

2. The Poles, who actually took the monastery.

3. Alexander, plus the commanders of 5th and 8th Armies for a successful, complex operation which undermined the whole German position and would have been more successful if Clark had obeyed his orders and established a blocking position instead of going for Rome.