I had hoped we were hurling a wild cat onto the shore, but all we got was a stranded whale.

Winston Churchill.

Welcome to the history of the 20th century.

Music 20th century.... Episode 422, A Stranded Whale

In episode 416, a stranded whale.

In episode 416, I told you how the German army in southern Italy had fallen back to a prepared defensive line known as the Gustav line, or sometimes the winter line, which took advantage

of the rugged terrain of Italy to create a formidable obstacle.

The advancing Allied armies reached the Gustaf Line in December.

On the east coast of the peninsula, the British 8th Army managed to break through the Gustaf Line

and capture the coastal town of Ortona, just a few kilometers farther north. Though the 8th Army had crossed the Gustaf Line and capture the coastal town of Ortona, just a few kilometers farther north.

Though the 8th Army had crossed the Gustav Line, the Germans continued to offer stiff resistance,

and the 8th Army was exhausted after weeks of fierce combat.

And it was winter, with rain and snow making everything twice as hard,

and to top it off, the Eighth Army's

commander, General Bernard Montgomery, was relieved of this command and summoned back to England

to prepare for Operation Overlord. In such circumstances, it was inevitable that the Eighth Army

would have to pause its offensive to give the troops

time to rest and resupply and the weather time to improve. It would also give the 8th Army's

new commander, British General Oliver Lees, time to familiarize himself with his new command.

On the other side of the peninsula, the American Fifth Army,

commanded by General Mark Clark, was agonizingly close to Rome, just 70 miles or 120 kilometers

up the road from their current position. But between them and Rome lay the toughest part of the Gustav Line defenses.

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