| The
Fourth Battle of Cassino:
‘Operation Diadem’
11th May – 5th June
By David Murray
July 2012
During the third battle of Cassino, preparations
were already under way for a major offensive
codenamed “Operation Diadem.” This
involved a major reorganization of the Allied
units facing the Gustav line.
The formations facing the Gustav Line near
the Adriatic were moved to the Cassino sector,
leaving just enough forces to hold the line.
The majority of the U.S. 5th & British
8th armies were concentrated on a front of
barely 20 miles running from the sea to Cassino.
The New Zealand II Corps was disbanded and
control of the Cassino sector passed to the
British 8th Army. Taking over on the Cassino
Massif were the Polish II Corps. In the Liri
Valley were the British XIII Corps.
The Germans had also reorganized. In the
Liri Valley the 115th Panzer Grenadier Regiment,
305th Infantry Division and a Parachute MG
Battalion formed Kampfgruppe Bode. The 1st
Parachute Division still manned the Massif
and to the north were the 5th Mountain Division.
Late on the evening of May 11, Operation
Diadem began with an artillery barrage all
along the front. Nearest the coast the U.S.
II Corps advanced, and to their right the
French Expeditionary Corps attacked through
the Aurunci Mountains. In the Liri Valley
the Indian 8th Division attacked across the
Rapido near the village of Sant’ Angelo.
(Cassino Scenario 21 represents the efforts
of the 17th Infantry Brigade of the Indian
8th Division as they attempted to cross the
Rapido.)
Just south of Cassino town, the British
4th Division also attacked across the Rapido.
On Cassino Massif the Poles launched their
attack to gain the high ground and link up
with Highway Six.
General Anders, commander of the Polish
II Corps, did not want to commit his forces
in “penny packets” as in previous
attacks. He also wished to avoid assaulting
the monastery directly. His plan was to capture
the high ground behind the monastery therefore
isolate it; his forces could then link up
with the British forces in the valley below.
In the early hours of May 12 the Polish Brigades
attacked towards Point 593, Albaneta Farm
and the high ground beyond. Scenarios 23
and 24 represent the Polish attacks on the
Massif during May 12. Scenario 25 combines
scenario 23 and 24 into one large scenario.
The Poles made some progress but not the
breakthrough hoped for.
The British crossed the Rapido just south
of Cassino town. Their crossing was into
the strongest defenses of the Gustav Line
within easy observation from the monastery.
The British found the crossing very difficult
and as soon as dawn broke they were subject
to numerous counter-attacks, including some
by German tanks. Scenario 22 represents one
of the German counter-attacks against the
British bridgehead.
Scenario 26 represents the first 14 hours
of Operation Diadem all along the area depicted
by the game map.
The Polish II Corps wanted to renew their
attack but was advised to wait for the British
in the Liri Valley to make more progress
so the units could meet up at Highway Six.
The Indians captured the Village of Sant’ Angelo
on the 13th. Scenario 27 represents the capture
of Sant’ Angelo by 8th Indian division
supported by Canadian tanks.
On the 15th of May the British introduced
the 78th Division into the Liri Valley in
order to boost their flagging advance; they
were immediately launched into combat to
capture the Pignataro-Cassino road. Scenario
29 Represents the Elements of the 6th Inniskilling
Fusiliers & 5th Northamptonshire Regiments
with armour support advance towards the Pignataro-Cassino
road.
Also on the 15th the 8th Indian Division
captured the village of Pignataro. Scenario
28 represents the 3/8 Punjab Regiment with
support from the 14th Canadian Armoured Regimen’s
attack on the village of Pignataro.
The advances in the valley were the trigger
for the Poles to resume their attack. Early
on the 17th the 5th Kresowa Division attacked
towards Colle Sant’ Angelo. Scenario
30 represents the Polish assault on Colle
Sant’ Angelo.
Shortly after the Kresowa attack the Carpathians
attacked towards Point 593 and Albaneta Farm.
Scenario 31 represents the Carpathian assault
on Point 593 and Albaneta Farm. The capture
of Point 593 led to a series of desperate
German counterattacks to recapture it — this
marked the last attack of the paratroopers
on the Massif. Scenario 33 represents the
last attack of the paratroopers on Point
593. The Polish attack came very close to
breaking through the German defences but
could not quite manage it. Scenario 32 depicts
the Polish II Corps attack on the Massif
during May 17; it combines the actions in
scenarios 30 and 31.
By now Operation Diadem was making progress
in other areas of the front. The Americans
had made substantial progress along the coast.
The French had broken through the Mountains
to the south of Cassino. The German positions
on the Cassino Massif were at risk of being
cut off so on the night of the 17th the Germans
withdrew to another line of fortification
named the “Hitler Line” a few
miles further up the valley. On the morning
of May 18 a detachment of the Polish 12th
Podolski Lancers entered the abandoned monastery
and raised the Polish flag.
It had taken five months and the combined
firepower of two Allied armies to breach
the Gustav Line. Accurate figures for the
casualties at Cassino are difficult to find,
but estimates for the whole Cassino/Rome
campaign, including Anzio, were around 105,000
Allied casualties and somewhere in the region
of 80,000 Germans.
Polish Forces at Cassino
Polish II Corps
General Anders
3rd Carpathian Division
Lt. General Bronislaw Duch
1st Carpathian Rifle Brigade
1st Battalion
2xLeader
4 infantry companies:
Each: 3 x INF
1 Support company
1 x 3”MTR, 3 x carrier, 1 x 6pdrATG, 1 x ENG,
1 x jeep
2nd Battalion
4 infantry companies
1 support company
3rd Battalion
4 infantry companies
1 support company
2nd Carpathian Rifle Brigade
4th Battalion
4 infantry companies:
1 Support company
5th Battalion
4 infantry companies
1 support company
6th Battalion
4 infantry companies
1 support company
Divisional Assets
1st Carpathian Field Artillery Regiment
3 x 25pdr, 3 x truck
2nd Carpathian Field Artillery Regiment
3 x 25pdr, 3 x truck
3rd Carpathian Field Artillery Regiment
3 x 25pdr, 3 x truck
3rd Carpathian Artillery Regiment
2 x 4.5”Arty, 2 x truck
3rd Carpathian Anti-tank Regiment
6 x 6pdr, 4 x 17pdr, 10 x truck
3rd Carpathian AA Regiment
3 x 40mmAA, 3 x truck
1st Carpathian Engineer Company
3 x ENG, 3 x truck
2nd Carpathian Engineer Company
3 x ENG, 3 x truck
3rd Carpathian Engineer Company
3 x ENG, 3 x truck
12th Podolski Reconnaissance Regiment
2 x 6pdr, 2 x Lloyd carriers
1 x Humber
3 Squadrons:
Each: 1 x Daimler, 4 x Staghound
This unit appears to have fought on foot
during the Cassino campaign. Each squadron:
3 x INF, 1 x Leader.
3rd Carpathian MMG Battalion?
5th Kresowa Division
Lt. General Nikodem Sulik
5th Wilenska Rifle Brigade
13th Wilenska Battalion
2 x Leader
4 infantry companies:
Each: 3 x INF
1 Support company
1 x 3”MTR, 3 x carrier, 1 x 6pdrATG, 1 x ENG,
1 x jeep
14th Wilenska Battalion
4 infantry companies
1 support company
15th Wilenska Battalion
4 infantry companies
1 support company
6th Lwowska Rifle Brigade
16th Lwowska Battalion
4 infantry companies:
1 Support company
17th Lwowska Battalion
4 infantry companies
1 support company
18th Lwowska Battalion
4 infantry companies
1 support company
Divisional Assets
4th Kresowa Field Artillery Regiment
3 x 25pdr, 3 x truck
5th Kresowa Field Artillery Regiment
3 x 25pdr, 3 x truck
6th Kresowa Field Artillery Regiment
3 x 25pdr, 3 x truck
5th Kresowa Anti-tank Regiment
6 x 6pdr, 4 x 17pdr, 10 x truck
5th Kresowa AA Regiment
3 x 40mmAA, 3 x truck
4th Kresowa Engineer Company
3 x ENG, 3 x truck
5th Kresowa Engineer Company
3 x ENG, 3 x truck
6th Kresowa Engineer Company
3 x ENG, 3 x truck
12th Poznanski Reconnaissance Regiment
2 x 6pdr, 2 x Lloyd carriers
1 x Humber
3 Squadrons:
Each: 1 x Daimler, 4 x Staghound
2nd Polish Armoured Brigade
1st Polish Armoured Regiment
1 HQ
1 x M4
1 Recce squadron
3 x Stuart, 3 x Daimler
3 armoured regiments - each
3 tank squadrons
3 x M4, 1 x Firefly
2nd Polish Armoured Regiment
1 HQ
1 Recce squadron
3 armoured regiments
6th Kresowa Armoured Regiment
1 HQ
1 Recce squadron
3 armoured regiments
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