Page 474 - Le Operazioni Interforze e Multinazionali nella Storia Militare - ACTA Tomo I

474 XXXIX Congresso della CommIssIone InternazIonale dI storIa mIlItare • CIHm

sion offensive begins that on the following day, conquer Monte Belvedere, Gorgolesco
and Mazzancana and prepares for continued on 21 Feb 45, over Monte Della Torracia
along with the Brazilian attack. Finally, the western flank of the FEB was clear.
At 17h 30 min, 21 Feb 45, the I and III / 1 RI reached the top of Monte Castello.
After 12 hours of fighting and 3 months of efforts that claimed the lives of 263 Brazil-
ian soldiers and thousands of other injured men. The victory against the German troops
meant the maximum moment of the FEB in Italian lands. After the consolidation of
Monte Castello, Della Torracia and La Sierra, at noon on 5 Mar 45, the 6th RI, seconded
by 11th RI, launches attack, conquering on the same day the elevations of Nerone and
Castelnuovo. It was broken the continuity of the Gothic Line. The 10th Mountain and
1st DIE IV Corps could finally use the highway 64 to enforce the fatal blow on the city
of Bologna.

2.3 Third phase in the valley of the River Panaro
After the conquests of Monte Castello, La Sierra, Torre di Nerone and Castelnuovo,
they would go further north, in order to operate in the cutting of the river Panaro. On 14
and 15 Apr 45, the American Fifth Army and Eighth English Army converged their elite
troops over Bologna strategic objective of the XV Army Group, which came to fall, fi-
nally on 21 Apr 45. On 14 Apr 45, our Division receives the mission to attack the heights
north of Monte Castello among which Montese, Quota 888 and Montello. The Germans
endeavored to keep possession of those heights, which were of vital importance.
The first Brazilian patrols were launched at just the moment when the
10th Mountain Division began the attack. The enemy responded with vio-
lence, bombing the entire region, but the platoons FEB men advanced, though.
The attack itself began at 13 h and 30 min, preceded by intense artillery preparation and
with the support of a CC Cia and the American Chemical Mrt Cia. At one point, Ten
Iporan, commander of the Brazilian squads, announced by the the radio to suspend firing
of artillery, as his platoon was inside that “eagles nest”, at 1,200 meters high, the village
of Montese.
Before dark, Montese was in the hands of FEB. It had been a hard journey, the Brazil-
ians faced the treacherous mines and most violent bombardment of the entire campaign,
behold Montese received more grenades Artillery enemy than all the rest of the front of
the IV Corps. We captured 107 prisoners and Gen Crittenberger thus ruled on the Brazil-
ian victory:
“In the journey of yesterday, only Brazilians deserve my unrestricted congratula-
tions, with the brilliance of their achievement and their offensive spirit, the Brazilian
Division is able to teach others how to conquer a city.”

2.4 Fourth phase pursuit operations south of the river Po
With the enemy already beaten and headlong flight, the south of the river Po perse-
cution took place, developed in the direction Vignola-Alexandria. On 27 Apr 45, the
1st DIE ran into enemy resistance in Collecchio - Fornovo - Respicio, and in double
envelopment, it started encircling German troops. They fought up throughout the night