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The Battle for Monte pantano

This natural defense line run along several mountains like Monte Cassino, Monte Sammucro, Monte Pantano, Monte  Marrone. The Germans had named it Gustav line after a famous WWI general.
Fierce fighting raged on one of these peaks, Mount Pantano . Unfortunately the town of Filignano, at the crossroads of the troops routes to battle, suffered a heavy death toll.

In the fighting around Filignano, between November ’43 and January ’44, the 305th and 44th German infantry divisions faced the 34th and 45th American infantry divisions and the 2nd Moroccan infantry division.
Some of the individuals who where shaping the events visited the troops in Filignano in those days, like general De Gaulle, general Clark and field marshal Kesselring.

During violent attacks by the American and French troops, pounded by heavy artillery fire by the allies, Filignano and the neighbouring villages of Lagoni, Mastrogiovanni and Cerasuolo paid a heavy tribute in destruction and human lives.
The battle for mount Pantano proper was fought between November 29 and December 9 1943 by the American 34th “Red Bull” division and the 30th German division “Balkan”, which both suffered heavy casualties..