Allies taking of the Monastery at Monte Cassino (ITALY) May 18th 1944 The Battle of Monte Cassino was a desperate and costly series of battles fought by the Allies that began January and February of 1944. The first battle started on January 4, 1944 and the monastery hill was destroyed by Allied bombing on February 15. Allies aircraft heavily bombed the ruins of the monastery and assaulted on March 15. The eventual connection of the forces lead to the capture of Rome on June 4th 1944 just days before the invasion in Normandy. But the battle at Monte Cassino waged on until May 18 when exhausted Germans evacuated the stronghold and Allied forces moved in. 20,000 soldiers were killed in the battle. Some sound of firearms (sound intermittent) |