Beschreibung
Battle of San Pietro Infine
San Pietro - 15 December 1943
Between December 8th and 17th 1943, the small Italian village of San Pietro Infine became a focus for the Italian Campaign of World War II, with the Germans to the North and the Allied forces, joined by Italian soldiers, to the South. The heavily fortified German ‘Winter Line’ ran through the town and was a significant obstacle for the Allies, as it protected an important highway and
blocked their advance on Rome.
The ten day engagement began with a direct attack led by the Fifth Army. After securing the peak of Mount Sambúcaro, an assault on Mount Lungo was planned for the 15th of December. After four successive Allied attacks and German counterattacks, the German soldiers were forced to retreat to more defensive positions to the North. At 12:30 on December 16th, for the first time during the war, Italian and US flags were waving on top of Mount Lungo.