Battle of Garfagnana
The Battle of Garfagnana (Italian: Battaglia della Garfagnana), known to the Germans as Operation Winter Storm (Unternehmen Wintergewitter) and nicknamed the "Christmas Offensive" (Italian: Offensiva di Natale), was a successful Axis offensive against American forces on the western sector of the Gothic Line during World War II. It took place in December 1944 in the north Tuscan Apennines, near Massa and Lucca.
| Battle of Garfagnana | |||||||||
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| Part of the Gothic Line Offensive during the Italian campaign of World War II | |||||||||
Buffalo Soldiers of the 92nd Division provide mortar support during the fighting near Massa. | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
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United States Brazil (aviation) |
Italian Social Republic Germany | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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Lucian Truscott Edward Almond Dudley Russell |
Rodolfo Graziani Mario Carloni Otto Fretter-Pico | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
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18,000 men 120 tanks 140 artillery pieces |
9,100 men 100 artillery pieces | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
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Nearly 1,000 killed or missing 300+ prisoners taken | c. 1,000 killed or missing | ||||||||
In late December 1944 the German 14th Army under General Kurt von Tippelskirch, using a mixed Italian-German force of some eight infantry battalions, launched a limited objectives attack on the left wing of the U.S. Fifth Army in the Serchio valley in front of Lucca to pin units there which might otherwise be switched to the central front. Anticipating some operation of this sort, the Allies had ordered two brigades from Indian 8th Infantry Division to be rapidly switched across the Apennines to reinforce the US 92nd Infantry Division. By the time they arrived, the Germans and Italians had broken through to capture Barga and to rout the US Division. Reports from captured US soldiers indicated that they had intended to retreat to Lucca and beyond, but decisive action by the Indian Division's Major-General Dudley Russell stabilised the situation. With their objectives achieved, the Italian-German force broke off the attack and withdrew.
Barga was recaptured one week later in the New Year, and the front in the western Gothic Line remained nearly stable until late March 1945.