Allied Armies in Italy Joined for Drive North
1944
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This segment of a United News Newsreel shows allied planes bomb Italy. British troops advance toward Cassino and Americans toward Anzio. Shows German prisoners of war and aid to Italian citizens.
Transcript
Text: ALLIED ARMIES IN ITALY JOINED FOR DRIVE NORTHNarrator: From the air, the shattered town of Cassino is little more than a name on a map after six months of savage battle for this key bastion on the road to Rome. Now, Allied bombers strike deep behind Nazi lines, confusing the enemy’s transport and foreshadowing a new Allied drive. North of Rome, bombs hit two important bridges. The heaviest Allied barrage of the war precedes a dawn attack. British motorized forces plunge forward in the final battle for Cassino. With vital aid from French and Polish troops, they have encircled Cassino, cutting it off from the main German armies. The whole Cassino sector is spotted with bomb and shell craters, testifying to the fury of the action in this embattled area. The first prisoners stream to the rear. Bowl-shaped helmets identify them as parachutists, so called Green Devils, members of the German 1st Parachute Division. Along Italy’s west coast near Gaeta, where the bulk of the 5th Army has been suddenly shifted, a second phase of the campaign flares into action. Driving through Minturno, Santa Maria Infante and Tremensuoli, U.S. infantry moves toward a junction with forces 60 miles away at Anzio. Castelforte, between Cassino and the sea, is captured by French units. In the most important action in which these men of fighting France have yet participated, they have made a brilliant record. These are Italian refugees freed from Nazi-held areas. In their faces is graphically written the grim effects of Fascist rule and years of war. American and Allied troops do what they can to aid them. Prisoners are taken by the thousands. More than 12,000 were captured in the first two weeks. Numbed and shocked by the fury of the Allied attack, they show plainly the strain of battle. These Nazis bear unmistakably the mark of utter defeat. Swiftly along the ancient Via Casilina, the surge of Allied power rose north. Whether the Nazis retreat further or choose to stand and fight, the enemy has taken his worst defeat in the entire Italian campaign.
This primary source comes from the Records of the Office of War Information.
National Archives Identifier: 39012
Full Citation: Motion Picture 208-UN-105; Allied Armies in Italy Joined for Drive North; 1944; Motion Picture Films from "United News" Newsreels, 1942 - 1945; Records of the Office of War Information, Record Group 208; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/allied-armies-italy-drive-north, September 20, 2024]Rights: Copyright Not Evaluated Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
