This article is about the 1944 offensive in Italy. For the 1942 offensive in the Soviet Union also called Winter Storm, see Operation Winter Storm.
Battle of Garfagnana
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.
Date
26–28 December 1944
Location
North of Lucca, Italy
Result
Axis victory
Territorial changes
Territory in northern Tuscany falls back into Axis hands.
Belligerents
United States United Kingdom
India
Italian partisans Brazil (aviation)
Italian Social Republic Germany
Commanders and leaders
Lucian Truscott Edward Almond Dudley Russell
Rodolfo Graziani Mario Carloni Otto Fretter-Pico
Strength
18,000 men 120 tanks 140 artillery pieces
9,100 men 100 artillery pieces
Casualties and losses
Nearly 1,000 killed or missing 300+ prisoners taken
c. 1,000 killed or missing
v
t
e
Gothic Line Offensive
Rimini
San Marino
Gemmano
Monte Castello
Garfagnana
v
t
e
Italian Campaign
Invasion of Sicily
Corkscrew
Mincemeat
Barclay
Animals
Chestnut
Narcissus
Fustian
Ladbroke
Gela
Troina
Centuripe
Invasion of Italy
Baytown
Avalanche
Slapstick
Armistice with Italy
Achse
Naples
Devon
Vatican bombing
Volturno Line
Barbara Line
Bari raid
Winter Line
Bernhardt Line
Monte la Difensa
San Pietro
Moro
Ortona
Rapido
Monte Cassino
Anzio
Cisterna
Diadem
Strangle
Chesterfield
Trasimene Line
Ancona
Elba
Gothic Line
Rimini
San Marino
Gemmano
Monte Castello
Garfagnana
1945 Spring Offensive
Tombola
Bowler
Roast
Bologna
Argenta Gap
Herring
Collecchio
Trieste
Italian Civil War
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.[1]
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,[2] 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,[3] and the front in the western Gothic Line remained nearly stable until late March 1945.
^"Oland, pp. 25-26". Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2011-05-20.
^Pellegrinetti, p. 79
^Moseley, page 156
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Global Information
Italian partisans
Brazil (aviation)
Italian Social Republic
Germany
Lucian Truscott
Dudley Russell