What were the names of the battles in Po Valley in World War 2?

Answer 1

The last surge across the Po Valley in the Spring of 1945 was so rapid and was over so quick that there were not many battles that were given a name. Some of the early preparations for the Spring campaign were launched in February 1945 when the US 10 Mountain Division arrived in Italy. This cleared some of the obstacles in front of the 5th Army.

Here are a few highlights on the Po River Campaign for both the British 8th Army, which began the attack, and the US 5th Army. I've highlighted some of the names of prominent objectives.

D-day for the spring offensive began on the morning of April 9. The Mediterranean Allied Air Force flew a few routine sorties, to preserve the secrecy of the air attack that was to take place shortly after noon. At 1350 hours in the afternoon the greatest concentrated direct-support air effort of the Italian campaign began as 825 heavy bombers and 234 medium bombers assisted by 740 fighter bombers assaulted the Lugo-Imola front, east of Bologna, in direct support of the Eighth Army's main effort.

The V Corps and the 2 Polish Corps started the main Eighth Army attack across the Senio River at 1920 hours according to plan, the V Corps on the right and the 2 Polish Corps on the left.

On April 14, the 2nd New Zealand Division reached the Sillaro River and established the first bridgehead across the river.

Meanwhile, the Fifth Army attack started on April 14 in the IV Corps zone, west of Highway 64. The attack, originally planned to be launched on 24-hours notice after D plus 2, was delayed on the 12th and 13th because of rain and overcast conditions. At 0945 hours, the IV Corps jumped off in the zone west of Highway 64. The attack was proceeded by an air preparation flown by over 450 fighter-bombers that dropped eighty-three tons of bombs between 0830 and 0910 hours. This was followed by an artillery preparation by the Corps, on fifty selected targets, lasting until 0930 hours. The artillery concentrations were then shifted to thirty-two known enemy gun positions on which neutralizing fire was kept for the next two hours.

The Fifth Army attack to break through the last mountain positions in the Apennines and reach the Po plains gained momentum on April 19. The enemy held tenaciously to his prepared defenses south and southwest of Bologna, hut after four days and nights of the relentless all-out attack the enemy began to weaken, opening the way for the debouchment of the Fifth Army into the Po Valley.

Following on the heels of the enemy withdrawal, several Allied units entered Bologna simultaneously on the 21st. Polish Corps elements from Rudforce, having battled across the Idice River along Highway 9 the day before, entered from the southeast, while from the II Corps on the south elements of the Legnano Group, the 34th Division, and the 91st Division drove into the city from their positions in the hills. The city had been evacuated by the enemy during the night.

The 3rd Battalion, 133rd Infantry, mounted on tanks of the 752nd Tank Battalion, were the first II Corps troops to enter Bologna. The remainder of the 34th Division moved into the city later in the day and passed to direct command of the Fifth Army to garrison the city. The Legnano Group, after being among the first elements to enter Bologna on the 21st, assembled southwest of the city in II Corps reserve.

Combat Command A of the 1st Armored Division continued to meet resistance throughout the day of April 21, but late in the afternoon resistance became more scattered and the 13th Tank Battalion crossed Highway 9 at Castelfranco and reached the Panaro River northeast of Modena. Combat Command B mopped up resistance in the mountains in the Savignano area.

The 338th Infantry had crossed Highway 9 during the night of April 20th-21st and on the 21st advanced north and crossed the Samoggia River south of San Giovanni against scattered resistance. The 337th Infantry was relieved in the Casalecchio area by the 351st Infantry and assembled during the day east of Anzola.

On April 22nd, IV Corps took up the advance north and northwest on a broad front, fanning out in the Po plains in the race for the Po River. In a lightning thrust north from Bomporto, Task Force Duff drove all the way to the Po River on the 22nd, reaching the south bank at San Benedetto Po at 2030 hours.