Hi everyone

i just started an assigment for history

i found this place, its great

i need 3 focusing questions, for research

ive got an idea of

1. To what extent was the Monastery of M.C strategically significant to the battle?

but i need 2 more please

and possibly if this question is crap then 3.

thanks

adam

Welcome to the WWII Forums Forestfan!

The best thing to do is to type out exactly, word for word what your assignment is. The description you gave is vague at best. The Monte Cassino question sounds like a good topic, but we can't be of more help unless we know what you are being asked.

Can I ask what your name means? Are you a fan of someone named Forest (Forest Grffin?), or do you really like trees?

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"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance." Socrates

yes it is vagAE

ive chosen M.C

im starting to research this particular battle, but i nedd 3 questions- part of assesement to start me off, for me to gather a range of sources open

so in order to get information i have to have good questions, at least be open-ended etc

so my first question would be something like

1. To what extent was the Monastery of M.C strategically significant to the battle?

But with my limited knowledge, and no doubt all of y'all expertise on anything WW2 i chose to come here

to get some really good questions so i can do some thorough research( which i have started) so i can get excellence( which is equvilant to an A+) IM From nEW zEALAND.

so you see, this is why this stage is so important
questions are not my strongpoint
and to to good research, this assignment needs good questions about any aspect of the battle of M.C, 1944.

any help at all would be appreciated
if i neeed to be more specific still
i might be able to give a link

thanks
adam

http://www.tki.org.nz/r/ncea/hist3_1C4_4dec06.doc

thats the official assignment document!

part 1 of 2

but this topic is only concerned with the questions part

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o!!! That looks fun!!!

Forestfan, I do believe that you've come to the right place!

The challenge for the forum will be to provide gentle guidance to you, and not dive in and do your homework for you.

Restraint....restraint....restraint....

I like your first question;

You might also explore the decision to bomb the abbey, and it's military/historical/cultural ramifications.

I'm sure others will come up with some additional areas of inquiry.

I'll be watching this thread with interest.

-whatever

-Lou

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Please check sommercourts web-pages first hand info at your finger-tips besides checking through old archived threads on the site covered in the MTO section

any other suggestions for questions

2. Why was the 36 ID attack across the Rapido (against impossible odds) necessary ?
General Walker's Story of the Rapido Crossing

3. Why was the immediate capture of Rome thought more significant than the surrounding of 2 retreating German army's, when D-Day was imminent as well ?

I like your first one.

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Hi Adam, history is great, I always enjoyed it at school and University. I have been to Monte Cassino and it was truly an amazing place. The hill is astounding, to think that you had to fight up that steep hill and then to fight the defenders of the Abbey which were Fallschirmjäger(Airborne Troops).

The Americans bombed the crap out of the Abbey and the town, which unlike today, used to be on the hill side just below the little castello where the German arty observers were. It was some of the fiercest fighting of the war.

About your questions. good source, Neither Hope nor Fear by Herr General Frido von Senger und Etterlin( He wanted to save the Abbey) Monte Cassino by David Hapgood and The Battle of Monte Cassino by Fred Majdalany.

Although many here may dispute, Mark Clark was a poor General.

The Allies continued to bomb the town of Cassino long after the Germans left according to the locals.

Your first question is good and the answer was it wasn't, they were in the little castello below.

Why did General Mark Clark not simply end run the Gustav line by the coast and the Rapido river and link up with Anzio there by effectively isolating Monte Cassino from resupply?

The effect of the bombing of Monte Cassino was the following:

The destruction of priceless historical abbey for no reason in which the ruins were later used by the Fallschirmjäger as a more than effective fortress which caused the deaths of 50,000 plus British, Polish, Indian, Canadian, New Zealand, American and Free French troops during the battle.

Why didn't the Allies just surround the Abbey and effectively hold down those troops valuable to the German defense, after all the objective strategically was Rome?

If you read about Anzio you will get good insight about Clark and Cassino. He also had poor commanders under him.

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so ive pretty much cemented question 1.

but the other 2

im not sure whether to talk about short term affects of Cassino

long term effects

about the generals

OR MORE sort of about the battle itself

a multitude of nationalities?

look i do know a bit about it but like i said

im useless at wording questions!

thaNks Herr OBERST

2. How important was air artillery to the battle, did either side have an advantage?

a good question??

Hi Forestfan

As a wireless operator in an Anti-Aircraft regiment I spent a few miserable months at Cassino, most of which was spent in slit-trenches.
I went back there for one day in May 2005 to do some research in the British cemetery and wrote about it shortly after:
BBC - WW2 People's War - Return to Cassino

Regards

Ron

wow Hi Ron

Im grateful that you found this thread!
this kind of source will be indespensible
thank you so much

Forestfan

You are indeed welcome to quote from any background info that I can offer.

Using the same link that I have already given you, (BBC WW2 Archives) look for the SEARCH box in the top right hand corner and key in "Cassino".

From then on your only problem will be how much time you have to look at all the many articles about the various battles for the Monastry.

Good researching !

Ron

All I know about the Battle was a little near by in Anzio.. it wasn't a beachhead but rather a Deathhead

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I do not believe for a second that Clark had poor leadership under him, Clark himself made poor and rash decisions and also the German cadre that he was up against was already battle hardened. any Allied member there fighting against them will testify to that.............the 1st LW Fallshirm division living amongst the stones and the little town of Cassino

Erich, I was referring to General John P Lucas who I liken to General George B McClellan from the Civil War. Lucas was under Clark's command at Nettuno/Anzio. He was too cautious and meticulous in his logistics and planning and should have broken out asap before the Germans had a chance to dig in as they did and counter attack with the HG Panzer Division, the German's best on the Peninsula. Lucas also gave time for German Arty to box in his units which wasted alot of people. Clark did make poor decisions like sending the 36th Division to assault across the Rapido without proper fire prep and support and going up against assault guns without armor.

So although the overall responsibility lay with Clark. others were equal in his ability to SNAFU things

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edit

2. WHERE the commanders at Monte Cassino generally imcompetant? analyse the decisions made by the commanders and the affect this had on the battle.

is that a solid question?

and no 3.

im working on it

i wouldnt mind mentioning General freyburg, NZer

Maybe you could ask Ron if he knew any 90 day wonders

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I've actually got some pictures from March, 2007 (this year) from the brief time i was there. Actually being there gave me a good impression of why it was an important 'hill' to take - the view over surrounding countryside is clearly dominating - and the terrain is extremely steep (terraced around the present-day abbey). I can post the pics here if you like.

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