valtrex
01-24-2007, 06:00 AM
"The battle of Rimini was one of the hardest battles of Eighth Army. The fighting was comparable to El Alamein, Mareth and the Gustav Line (Monte-Cassino)". (Sir Oliver Leese, CO of the British 8th Army)
INTRODUCTION
The Gothic Line (Die Gotische Linie-Linea Gotica) , was a fortified line, running 320 km (199 miles) from Pesaro on the Adriatic to Massa Carrara on the Tyrrhenian sea, thick with Panzers, steel shelters, rock tunnellings of defence positions, deep minefields, etc. From the left bank of the river Foglia it had 2,376 machine-gun posts, 479 antitank guns, mortar and assault guns positions, 120 km (75 miles) of wire and many miles of antitank ditches
THE OPPONENTS
LXXVI (76th) Panzerkorps under
http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/7760/image10969888451ih.jpg
General der Panzertruppe Traugott Herr
was composed of:
-1. Fallschirmjäger-Division (Gen. Heydrich)
-71. Infanterie-Division (Gen. Raapke)
-5. Gebirgsjäger-Division (Gen. Schrank)
-278. Infanterie-Division (Gen. Hoppe)
-29. Panzergrenadieren-Division (Gen. Polack)
-98. Infanterie-Division (Gen. Reinhardt)
-26. Panzer-Division (Gen. Crasemann)
The 8th Army under
http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/2029/063538bg.jpg
General Sir Oliver Leese
moved against the Germans with three Army Corps:
-Drugi Korpus Wojska Polskiego-II Polish Corps (General Anders)->3 Dywizja Strzelców Karpackich-3rd Carpathian (Polish) Rifle Division (Gen. Duch), 2 Warszawska Dywizja Pancerna-2nd "Warsaw" Polish Armoured Brigade (Gen Rakowski), 5 Kresowa Dywizja Piechoty-5th Polish Infantry Division (Gen. Sulik)
-I Canadian (General Burns)->2nd New Zealand Division (Freyberg), 5th Canadian Armoured Division (Gen. Hoffmeister), 1st Canadian Infantry Division (Gen. Vokes), III Elliniki Orini Taxiarchia-III Greek Mountain Brigade (Col. Tsakalotos)
-V British (General Keightley)->56th London Division (Gen. Whitfield), 1st Armoured Division (Gen. Hull), 4th Infantry Division (Gen. Wall), 4th Indian Division (Gen. Holworty), 48th Midland Division (Gen. Hawkesworth), 7th Armoured Division (Gen. Erskine), Gruppo di Combattimento Cremona (the Cremona Combat Group), with 21 & 22 Italian Infantry Rgts (Gen. Primieri)
THE III GREEK BRIGADE IN THE BATTLE OF RIMINI (September 14-21, 1944)
http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/4598/3rdhmd3wk.jpg
The 3rd Brigade Crest
http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/6042/7648zc.jpg
Colonel Thrasyvoulos Tsakalotos
At the request of the Greek Government and with the approval of the New Zealand Government, 3 Greek Mountain Brigade was placed under the aegis of the New Zealand Division. The brigade was composed of 3,000 or more officers and men. Some had seen action in Albania and others at El Alamein.
3 Greek Mountain Brigade and the New Zealand troops, made contact with the enemy on September 12th. The Greeks, with the support of Canadian mortars, machine guns and anti-tank guns, were sent into action to gain battle experience. By a perversity of fortune, these mountain troops were committed on the coastal flats, where they relieved a brigade of 1 Canadian Division (Major-General C. Vokes) on a front of about 2 km (1.2 miles)
inland from Riccione Marina. In this country of vineyards and closely tilled fields, the Greeks were pitted against the men of 1 Parachute Division (1. Fallschirmjäger-Division); but, though suffering many casualties, they gave a good account of themselves in the sharp patrol clashes.
As a preliminary to the crossing of the Marano, the Greek brigade was ordered to clear the approaches to the river on its front. An attempt in the early hours of 14 September to capture two clusters of houses known as Monaldini and Monticelli on a lateral road south of the river met with a costly repulse, the Greeks losing more than a third of the troops engaged since the action began. The 22nd NZ (Motor) Battalion (Lieutenant-Colonel Donald), supported by the 17-pounders of a troop of 33 Anti-Tank Battery, already had been sent forward to a reserve position behind the Greeks. Although it was not intended originally for an active role, General Vokes now instructed the battalion to detach a task force of at least one company to go with all speed to the "moral and physical support" of the Greeks. Donald sent 1 Company (Major O'Reilly). At the same time Major E. W. Aked (of 24 Battalion), now commanding 210 British Liaison Unit, was tactical adviser to the Greeks; he appreciated at once their need for armoured backing, and within a few hours B Squadron of 20 Armoured Regiment (Major Clapham)joined the task force.
http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/4346/wh22ita221a2km.jpg
Thus strengthened, the Greeks returned to the assault on the evening of the 14th. In what a New Zealand officer described as "a copy-book attack with close support fire from tanks", Greek infantry occupied Monaldini and New Zealand infantry the neighbouring settlement of Monticelli.
Beyond the Marano, which they crossed on 15 September, the Greeks began to broach the problem of Rimini airfield, a rectangle a mile long and 1200 yards wide, copiously sown with mines and easily swept by fire from damaged hangars and other buildings around its perimeter. They could still rely on New Zealand help, though now C Squadron, 18 Regiment, replaced the squadron from the 20th, and it was decided to allot to each of the three Greek battalions one tank troop accompanied by a platoon from 22 Battalion. The Greeks maintained the pace set by the Canadians on either side of them. By the 16th, after capturing 20 German paratroops and killing perhaps twice as many on the way, they had disposed of nuisances at the south-eastern end of the airfield and were lining the edge of it.
On 18 September, during the fight for the Ausa crossing, the Greeks completed their encirclement of the airfield and extended their right wing to the sea to relieve the Canadian armoured car regiment which had fought its way through the ribbon of seaside villas and hotels along the coastal road. The 19th, a day of decisive battle on the San Fortunato ridge, was for the Greeks, assisted by C Squadron of 19 Regiment, a day of easy progress towards the outskirts of Rimini.
The Greeks had more fighting on 20 September against elements of both 1 Parachute Division and the much less warlike 162 Turkoman-Division but at the end of the day the battered old town lay only a mile ahead.
On the 21st, the 3rd Greek Mountain Brigade entered the town.
http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/2121/riminites3sd.jpg
The Greeks at the outskirts of Rimini
1st Lieutenant Constantine Gerakinis (CO of 1 Company) & 1st Lt Georgios Beliyannis (CO of 3 Company), were the first allied Officers entered Rimini. The Greek flags that were soon flying from the Town Hall and other prominent mastheads signalled a success won by 13 days of rugged fighting and at a cost of 314 casualties (128 Greeks). Although inexperience and the language barrier had prevented it from making full use of the supporting New Zealand tanks, the Greek brigade had secured the coastal flank and conformed to the main advance inland, and its first battle honour was well deserved.
Sources: http://www.gothicline.org/inglese/offensiva/offensiva.htm
http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2-2Ita-c5-5.html
The Greek Army in WWII
Army General Staff/History Directorate Edition
INTRODUCTION
The Gothic Line (Die Gotische Linie-Linea Gotica) , was a fortified line, running 320 km (199 miles) from Pesaro on the Adriatic to Massa Carrara on the Tyrrhenian sea, thick with Panzers, steel shelters, rock tunnellings of defence positions, deep minefields, etc. From the left bank of the river Foglia it had 2,376 machine-gun posts, 479 antitank guns, mortar and assault guns positions, 120 km (75 miles) of wire and many miles of antitank ditches
THE OPPONENTS
LXXVI (76th) Panzerkorps under
http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/7760/image10969888451ih.jpg
General der Panzertruppe Traugott Herr
was composed of:
-1. Fallschirmjäger-Division (Gen. Heydrich)
-71. Infanterie-Division (Gen. Raapke)
-5. Gebirgsjäger-Division (Gen. Schrank)
-278. Infanterie-Division (Gen. Hoppe)
-29. Panzergrenadieren-Division (Gen. Polack)
-98. Infanterie-Division (Gen. Reinhardt)
-26. Panzer-Division (Gen. Crasemann)
The 8th Army under
http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/2029/063538bg.jpg
General Sir Oliver Leese
moved against the Germans with three Army Corps:
-Drugi Korpus Wojska Polskiego-II Polish Corps (General Anders)->3 Dywizja Strzelców Karpackich-3rd Carpathian (Polish) Rifle Division (Gen. Duch), 2 Warszawska Dywizja Pancerna-2nd "Warsaw" Polish Armoured Brigade (Gen Rakowski), 5 Kresowa Dywizja Piechoty-5th Polish Infantry Division (Gen. Sulik)
-I Canadian (General Burns)->2nd New Zealand Division (Freyberg), 5th Canadian Armoured Division (Gen. Hoffmeister), 1st Canadian Infantry Division (Gen. Vokes), III Elliniki Orini Taxiarchia-III Greek Mountain Brigade (Col. Tsakalotos)
-V British (General Keightley)->56th London Division (Gen. Whitfield), 1st Armoured Division (Gen. Hull), 4th Infantry Division (Gen. Wall), 4th Indian Division (Gen. Holworty), 48th Midland Division (Gen. Hawkesworth), 7th Armoured Division (Gen. Erskine), Gruppo di Combattimento Cremona (the Cremona Combat Group), with 21 & 22 Italian Infantry Rgts (Gen. Primieri)
THE III GREEK BRIGADE IN THE BATTLE OF RIMINI (September 14-21, 1944)
http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/4598/3rdhmd3wk.jpg
The 3rd Brigade Crest
http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/6042/7648zc.jpg
Colonel Thrasyvoulos Tsakalotos
At the request of the Greek Government and with the approval of the New Zealand Government, 3 Greek Mountain Brigade was placed under the aegis of the New Zealand Division. The brigade was composed of 3,000 or more officers and men. Some had seen action in Albania and others at El Alamein.
3 Greek Mountain Brigade and the New Zealand troops, made contact with the enemy on September 12th. The Greeks, with the support of Canadian mortars, machine guns and anti-tank guns, were sent into action to gain battle experience. By a perversity of fortune, these mountain troops were committed on the coastal flats, where they relieved a brigade of 1 Canadian Division (Major-General C. Vokes) on a front of about 2 km (1.2 miles)
inland from Riccione Marina. In this country of vineyards and closely tilled fields, the Greeks were pitted against the men of 1 Parachute Division (1. Fallschirmjäger-Division); but, though suffering many casualties, they gave a good account of themselves in the sharp patrol clashes.
As a preliminary to the crossing of the Marano, the Greek brigade was ordered to clear the approaches to the river on its front. An attempt in the early hours of 14 September to capture two clusters of houses known as Monaldini and Monticelli on a lateral road south of the river met with a costly repulse, the Greeks losing more than a third of the troops engaged since the action began. The 22nd NZ (Motor) Battalion (Lieutenant-Colonel Donald), supported by the 17-pounders of a troop of 33 Anti-Tank Battery, already had been sent forward to a reserve position behind the Greeks. Although it was not intended originally for an active role, General Vokes now instructed the battalion to detach a task force of at least one company to go with all speed to the "moral and physical support" of the Greeks. Donald sent 1 Company (Major O'Reilly). At the same time Major E. W. Aked (of 24 Battalion), now commanding 210 British Liaison Unit, was tactical adviser to the Greeks; he appreciated at once their need for armoured backing, and within a few hours B Squadron of 20 Armoured Regiment (Major Clapham)joined the task force.
http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/4346/wh22ita221a2km.jpg
Thus strengthened, the Greeks returned to the assault on the evening of the 14th. In what a New Zealand officer described as "a copy-book attack with close support fire from tanks", Greek infantry occupied Monaldini and New Zealand infantry the neighbouring settlement of Monticelli.
Beyond the Marano, which they crossed on 15 September, the Greeks began to broach the problem of Rimini airfield, a rectangle a mile long and 1200 yards wide, copiously sown with mines and easily swept by fire from damaged hangars and other buildings around its perimeter. They could still rely on New Zealand help, though now C Squadron, 18 Regiment, replaced the squadron from the 20th, and it was decided to allot to each of the three Greek battalions one tank troop accompanied by a platoon from 22 Battalion. The Greeks maintained the pace set by the Canadians on either side of them. By the 16th, after capturing 20 German paratroops and killing perhaps twice as many on the way, they had disposed of nuisances at the south-eastern end of the airfield and were lining the edge of it.
On 18 September, during the fight for the Ausa crossing, the Greeks completed their encirclement of the airfield and extended their right wing to the sea to relieve the Canadian armoured car regiment which had fought its way through the ribbon of seaside villas and hotels along the coastal road. The 19th, a day of decisive battle on the San Fortunato ridge, was for the Greeks, assisted by C Squadron of 19 Regiment, a day of easy progress towards the outskirts of Rimini.
The Greeks had more fighting on 20 September against elements of both 1 Parachute Division and the much less warlike 162 Turkoman-Division but at the end of the day the battered old town lay only a mile ahead.
On the 21st, the 3rd Greek Mountain Brigade entered the town.
http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/2121/riminites3sd.jpg
The Greeks at the outskirts of Rimini
1st Lieutenant Constantine Gerakinis (CO of 1 Company) & 1st Lt Georgios Beliyannis (CO of 3 Company), were the first allied Officers entered Rimini. The Greek flags that were soon flying from the Town Hall and other prominent mastheads signalled a success won by 13 days of rugged fighting and at a cost of 314 casualties (128 Greeks). Although inexperience and the language barrier had prevented it from making full use of the supporting New Zealand tanks, the Greek brigade had secured the coastal flank and conformed to the main advance inland, and its first battle honour was well deserved.
Sources: http://www.gothicline.org/inglese/offensiva/offensiva.htm
http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2-2Ita-c5-5.html
The Greek Army in WWII
Army General Staff/History Directorate Edition