West European Studies

Strategic background
The 10th Mountain Division (or Light Infantry) can be defined as the light infantry division of the United States army which is based at Fort Drum, New York. It is considered as the XVIII Airborne Corps subordinate unit and only element that is division-sized of the US Army specializing in fighting under very harsh weather and terrain conditions. The designation of the mountain is retained by the division for the purpose concerning history although it is normally organized as a light infantry division. Prior to North African Campaign victory, there existed some disagreements in between Allies which had the best strategies in order to defeat Axis. Washington Churchill, who was among the British, adopted a strategy that was their traditional naval-based peripheral. This traditional strategy of the British which was against the continental army was supposed to fight as to be part of a mount small and a coalition peripheral operations that were designed to make the enemy weak gradually. The US favored a strategy that was direct because they had a large army for fighting the German in Northern Europe.

Italy
The mountain division did sail for Italy in the year 1944 who arrived on 6 January 1945. Immediately it entered Italy as the last Army Division of the US during World War 2 to enter combat near Orsigna and Cutigliano. British Eighth Army forces landed in Italys toe on September 3 1943 during Operation Baytown. This was the day when the government of Italy had agreed with Allies to an armistice. On September 8, Italy announced publicly the armistice even if the German forces had prepared for defense with no assistance. Except two opposite divisions, salerno and Eighth Army got tied up resulting to disarming of the Italian army.

On 19 February 1945, Battle of Monte Castello followed the preliminary actions in collaboration with Brazillian Expeditionary Force troops. Monte Della Torraccia was attacked by the unit and the peaks got cleared after some days of serious fight. The division did fight north Canolle on early March and moved within 15 miles of Bologna. For a period of about three weeks that followed, they maintained the defensive positions. In April 20, the division jumped off, captured Mongiorgio, entered Po Valley, and seized strategic points Bomporto and Pradalbino. On April 25 they reached Verona, 10th on April 23 crossed Po River and at Torbole and Nago they ran into serious opposition. After amphibiously crossed the Lake Garda, it gave security to Porto di Tremosine and Gargnano on 30th April when resistance in Italy from German ended. On 2 May 1945 after German surrendered Italy, the division continued with the security duty. They received various German units who surrendered and screened the occupation areas near Kobarid, Trieste, Log pod, Bovec, Slovenia, V-E Day until Mangartom which was the end of war in Europe.

As the Allies headed north, they encountered more difficult terrain Apennine Mountains formed a spine along peninsula of Italy which was offset towards east direction. In the very mountainous places of Abbruzzi half of peninsula width comprised of peaks and crests of over 3,000 feet. This was a bit easy to defend the re-entrants and spurs towards the spine which confronted Allies with rivers and ridges succession across their advance line. The rivers got unexpected and sudden flooding which thwarted the plans of Allied commandments.