The Allied Bombing Campaign and German Resistance
About This Footage
This rare WWII footage captures the brutal Battle of Cassino, a key engagement in the Italian Campaign where Allied forces launched relentless attacks against fortified German positions. The film uses animated maps and models to illustrate tactical maneuvers before showing waves of B-25, B-17, and B-26 bombers unloading their payloads on the historic Monastery of Monte Cassino. Civilians were warned via leaflets fired from 105mm howitzers before the bombardment. Heavy artillery, including 155mm “Long Tom” field guns and 240mm howitzers, was deployed as the town was reduced to rubble. Despite the devastation, German troops held firm, turning Cassino into a prolonged and bloody battleground. The footage ends with a war map marking Cassino under Nazi control and a newspaper headline announcing the massive Allied push in Italy.