Enjoy a detailed examination of Operation Olive as US, British, Commonwealth and Allied forces seek to smash through the last German defensive line in Italy.
The Italian Theatre post-summer 1944 was not, as was often surmised at the time, populated with "D-Day-dodging" soldiers killing time in a quiet sector. The true nature of the hard fighting that took place is exemplified perfectly by the Allied assault on the Gothic Line defences (Operation Olive).
Covering the dual Allied offensive spearheaded by American and British units, Italian military historian Pier Paolo Battistelli explores the overall strategic aims for both Hitler and the Allies, before guiding you through the progress of the phased battles in unrivalled detail, notably in the expertly researched and highly original maps and 3D diagrams. The level of detail helps explain why the various Allied troops on the ground struggled so hard to overcome the German and Italian Fascist forces dug in on the line.
The photographs and specially commissioned artworks reveal the fascinating array of units involved on both sides – Indian Army troops, Buffalo soldiers, Brazilians, Poles, New Zealanders, Brits, Mountain Infantry, Canadians, Panzergrenadiers, Fallschirmjägers. Special attention is given to the segregated US 92nd Division – the only African-American infantry division to see combat in Europe during World War II.
- ISBN10 1472850149
- ISBN13 9781472850140
- Publish Date 16 March 2023
- Publish Status Forthcoming
- Publish Country GB
- Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
- Imprint Osprey Publishing
- Format Paperback (US Trade)
- Pages 96
- Language English