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Monte La Defensa First Special Service Force Marker

<< Back to Monte La Defensa (Hill 960)

Details:

Upon reaching the peak, the marker is located in a small depression in a saddle on the mountaintop near the steep slope facing southeast into the Mignano Gap.

Marker

The marker is a black metal panel (about 2 ft by 2 ft) with silver inscription. The First Special Service Force (FSSF) symbol is in the top center of the plaque.

 

 

The plaque remembers the FSSF first battle in this area, the heroic capture of Monte La Defensa (also known as Hill 960 and Monte La Difensa), key to the Allies controlling the Mignano Gap. Taking the Mignano Gap was key to the 5th Army Drive to the Liri Valley which was the passage to Rome.   The FSSF was a joint Canadian-US unit and was considered the precursor to the modern Special Forces. The FSSF was also known as the “Devil’s Brigade” and a movie entitled the same, starring William Holden, culminates with the Hollywood version of the attack of Monte La Defensa. 

 

From the Official US Army History:

 

“The steep slopes of Monte La Difensa {Monte La Defensa} presented a formidable obstacle to the Allied advance. In November 1943, the 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division tried and failed to seize control of the mountain, despite a valiant ten-day effort. Other 3rd Division units attacked north of La Difensa, but also could not penetrate the stout German defenses. Limited successes along the front were offset by the high casualty rate. November 13, Lt. Gen. Clark called off further offensive operations for the remainder of the month. 
The FSSF, under the command of Col. Robert T. Frederick, was called on to break the stalemate. His highly trained force moved into position near the base of Monte La Difensa under the cover of darkness on the night of December 2. The attack began on the afternoon of the next afternoon with a heavy artillery barrage that saturated the German positions with more than 75,000 rounds. The Force's ground assault commenced under cover of darkness, taking a different route from previous attempts on La Difensa. The Force came in from the east side and moved onto the northern shoulder of the mountain. With artillery pinning down the Germans, the Force began the climb up the steep slope, using ropes to ascend the final 500 feet. 
Reaching the summit shortly before dawn, the battle commenced when an alerted German sentry fired on the Force members crouching among the rocks. A fierce firefight broke out all along the line. Surprise had been achieved. German defenders, expecting an attack to their front, worked feverishly to reorient their machine guns to meet the assault but were unable to mount an effective defense. They evacuated their positions, escaping down the mountain toward Monte Camino or across the northwest saddle towards Monte Remetana {Monte La Remetanea}. After two hours of hard, often confused, fighting, the Force secured the top of the mountain. They immediately prepared for a German counterattack.
The next three days witnessed constant shelling and counter-attacks, made worse by the rain, snow, and freezing temperatures, which hindered resupply and evacuation of the wounded. The Force sustained heavy casualties from German shelling on the mountaintop. Nevertheless, the Force continued to press the attack, dislodging the Germans from nearby Monte Remetana {Monte La Remetanea} by December 7. The next night the Force was relieved by the 142nd Infantry Regiment, 36th Division. The first phase of the mountain campaign was ended. 
The Force had pushed the Germans off Monte La Difensa in a matter of hours when the Fifth Army planners had predicted it would take two or three days. The cost to the Force had been heavy: 73 killed, 313 wounded, and 9 missing in action. A further 116 were evacuated due to weather-related injuries and exhaustion.  The assault on Monte La Difensa was the first of many combat operations for the FSSF in Italy. 

 

Monument Text:

The text on the Marker is written in English and reads: 

Symbol of the First Special Service Force (FSSF) 

FIRST SPECIAL SERVICE FORCE 1942 1944 MONTE LA DIFENSA WAS THE KEY PART OF THE GERMAN WINTER LINE IN 1943. COMMAND OF THIS MOUNTAIN EFFECTIVELY STOPPED THE ALLIED ADVANCE. FOR TWO WEEKS, TWO ALLIED DIVISIONS FAILED TO TAKE THE STRONGHOLD AND TOOK HEAVY CASUALTIES. ON DECEMBER 3rd 1943, THE MEN OF THE SPECIAL SERVICE FORCE, A CANADIAN-AMERICAN SPECIAL FORCES UNIT TOOK THIS MOUNTAIN IN ONLY TWO HOURS BY ATTACKING THE MOUNTAIN FROM THE NORTH FACE. IN THIS, THEIR BAPTISM OF FIRE, THE LEGEND OF THE FORCE BEGAN.

Commemorates:

People:

Robert Tyron Frederick

Austin O. Gunderson

William T. Rothlin

Edward Hill Thomas

Units:

1st Special Service Force

5th Army

Canadian Army

First Special Service Force (FSSF)

Wars:

WWII

Battles:

Italian Campaign

Operation Raincoat

Other images :