[Light Speed]

For a "soft underbelly" that real estate sure had a steep price

Although their were periods of cold,rain and mud...Italy was more weather kind for German forces than their battles on the Russian front..the Ardennes and the forest battles of the fall/winter/spring 44/45.

German Arty in Italy was power in scope...they were able to pile up allied advances with surgical arty and mortar attacks....traveleing Italian roadways and valleys below the mountains was costly for the allies.

Airpower...airpower which knew the lay of the land from 42 onward..the opps run out of North Africa.
In time the units flew to bases in Italy..and the hurt began to be applied to the Nazi's.

I remember watching some film of the last German units fleeing thru Rome...trucks going on 2 wheels with 88's in tow.

A proper picture...the Allies ran the Germans out of Italy : )

[SAMWolf]

Evvning Light Speed.

Italy was a tough fight but in the end the Allies prevailed. The Germans were able to delay us and make us pay a high price but they were never able to push us out or stop us once we landed.

[SAMWolf]

Everything I've read about the Italian campaign tells how accurate and lethal the German artillery and mortars were. They usually had the advantage of holding the high ground, as soon as they lost it or were outflanked they just pulled back to the next series of hills.