Second Battle of Monte Cassino order of battle February 1944

Contents

Second Battle of Monte Cassino order of battle February 1944 is a listing of the significant formations involved in the fighting on the Winter Line in February 1944 during the period generally known as the Second Battle of Monte Cassino.

Allied Armies in Italy

British 8th Army

Commander:

New Zealand Corps

  • 2nd New Zealand Division (Major-General Howard Kippenberger)
  • 4th Indian Infantry Division (Major-General Francis Tuker until 4 February then Brigadier Harry Dimoline (due to illness)) 5th Indian Infantry Brigade (Brigadier D. R. E. R. Bateman) 1/4th Battalion, Essex Regiment; 4th Battalion, 6th Rajputana Rifles; 1st Battalion, 6th Gurkha Rifles; 7th Indian Infantry Brigade (Brigadier O. de T. Lovett) 1st Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment; 4th Battalion, 16th Punjab Regiment; 1st Battalion, 2nd Gurkha Rifles; 11th Indian Infantry Brigade (Brigadier V. C. Griffin) 2nd Battalion, Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders; 1st Battalion, 6th Rajputana Rifles; 2nd Battalion, 7th Gurkha Rifles; Divisional troops 1st, 11th and 31st Field Regiments, Royal Artillery; 149th Anti-tank Regiment, RA; 27th Anti-aircraft Regiment, RA; Engineers 4th Field Company, King George's Own Bengal Sappers and Miners; 12th Field Company, Queen Victoria's Own Madras Sappers and Miners; 21st Field Company, Royal Bombay Sappers and Miners; 11th Field Park Company, Queen Victoria's Own Madras Sappers and Miners; 5th Indian Bridging Platoon; Central India Horse (Reconnaissance Regiment); Machine gun Battalion, 6th Rajputana Rifles
  • British 78th Infantry Division (from 17 February[1]) (Major-General Charles Keightley) 11th British Infantry Brigade 2nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers; 1st Battalion, East Surrey Regiment; 5th (Huntingdonshire) Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment; 36th British Infantry Brigade 5th Battalion, Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment); 6th Battalion, Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment; 8th Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders; 38th (Irish) Infantry Brigade 2nd Battalion, London Irish Rifles; 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers; 6th Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers; Divisional troops 17th, 132nd and 128th Field Regiments, RA; 64th Anti-tank Regiment, RA; 49th Light Anti-aircraft Regiment, RA; 214th, 237th and 256th Field Company, Royal Engineers; 281st Field Park Company, RE; 21st Bridging Platoon, RE; 56th Reconnaissance Regiment; 1st Battalion, Kensington Regiment (MG)
  • Corps troops
  • 2nd Army Group, RA (under command)[2] 166th (Newfoundland) Field Artillery Regiment[3]; Two additional Field Regiments, RA; Five Medium Regiments, RA

German Army Group C

Commander:

Tenth Army

XIV Panzer Corps

  • 15th Panzergrenadier Division (elements at Anzio ordered back to Tenth Army on 8 February[4]) (Major General (Generalleutnant) Rudolf Sperl)
  • 29th Panzergrenadier Division (ordered to Anzio early Feb[4]) Lieutenant General (General der Panzertruppen) Walter Fries) 15th Panzer Grenadier Regiment 3 battalions; 71st Panzer Grenadier Regiment 3 battalions; Divisional troops 129th Armoured Reconnaissance battalion; 129th Panzer battalion; 29th Artillery Regiment; 29th Anti-tank battalion; 29th Engineer battalion; 171st Engineer battalion
  • 44th Infantry Division (Major General (Generalleutnant) Friedrich Franek) 131st Infantry Regiment 3 battalions; 132nd Infantry Regiment 3 battalions; 134th Infantry Regiment 3 battalions; Divisional troops 44th Fusilier battalion; 96th Artillery Regiment; 46th Anti-tank battalion; 96th Engineer battalion
  • 71st Infantry Division (elements at Anzio ordered back to Tenth Army on 8 February[4]) (Major General (Generalleutnant) Wilhelm Raapke) 191st Infantry Regiment 3 battalions; 194th Infantry Regiment 3 battalions; 211th Infantry Regiment 3 battalions; Divisional troops 171st Fusilier battalion; 171st Artillery Regiment; 171st Anti-tank battalion
  • 90th Panzergrenadier Division (Major-General Ernst-Gunther Baade. Placed in charge of all troops in the Cassino position from 1 February.[5]) 155th Panzer Grenadier Regiment 3 battalions; 200th Panzer Grenadier Regiment (Colonel von Behr) 3 battalions; 361st Panzer Grenadier Regiment 3 battalions; Divisional troops 190th Armoured Reconnaissance battalion; 190th Panzer battalion; 190th Artillery Regiment; 90th Anti-tank battalion; 90th Engineer battalion; 3rd battalion 3rd Parachute Regiment[6]; 2nd battalion 1st Parachute Regiment[6]; Parachute Machine Gun Battalion[6]; 4th Alpine Battalion[2]
  • 94th Infantry Division (Major General (Generalleutnant) Bernhard Steinmetz) 267th Infantry Regiment 3 battalions; 274th Infantry Regiment 3 battalions; 276th Infantry Regiment 3 battalions; Divisional troops 94th Fusilier battalion; 194th Artillery Regiment; 194th Anti-tank battalion; 94th Engineer battalion

References

  1. 1.Ellis, p. 555.
  2. 2.[2.2]Molony, p. 697.
  3. 3.Nicholson, G.W.L. (1969). More Fighting Newfoundlanders: A History of Newfoundland's Fighting Forces in the Second World War. St. John's: Government of Newfoundland. pp. 221–236.
  4. 4.[4.2][4.3]Molony, p. 734.
  5. 5.Molony, p. 696.
  6. 6.[6.2][6.3]From 1st Parachute Division