In 1943, Hitler ordered his forces to occupy the Italian mainland to protect the Third Reich's 'soft underbelly'. After the successfulthe Allied landings in Salerno, the Germans fought a series of hard, rearguard actions as the Allies slowly pushed north up the Apennines towards the Alps. These actions were based around the construction of a series of defensive lines: the Winter Line, the Gustav Line, the Hitler Line, the Caesar Line, the Gothic Line and the Voralpenstellung. This book explores the development and form of the six defensive lines constructed by the paramilitary Organisation Todt in Italy, examining the principles of defence of these key fortifications in visual depth, and discussing their fate in the wake of the Allied onslaught.
Very good portrait and explanation of german fortifications used in the rugged italian terrain. A good reference for the hystorian of fortifications or the problems encountered by the 5th US Army in Italy. Based on this german experience the hystorian can also understand the standards used to build the post WW2 fortifications along the cold war borders.
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