Gothic Line - Definition and Overview

Gothic Line also known as Linea Gotica was Field Marshall Albert Kesselring's last line of defence along the top of the Apennines during the retreat of Nazi Germany's forces from Italy near the end of World War II.

After the fall of Rome on June 4, 1944, the Germans retreated to this new defensive line, a heavily fortified belt some 16 km deep, extending from south of La Spezia on the west coast, to the Foglia valley to the Adriatic Sea between Pesaro and Cattolica. It consisted of many gun pits and trenches, which they reinforced with concrete. They built 2,376 machine gun nests with interlocking fire.

One major battle that occurred along the Gothic line was the Battle of Gemmano, nicknamed by some historians as the "Cassino of the Adriatic," a second major battle occurred between August 25, 1944-September 30 at Rimini.

The Gothic line was broken in the Spring of 1945, thanks to fresh reinforcements, British landings in Greece, and Yugoslav partisans.

External links

• http://www.gothicline.org/inglese/offensiva/offensiva.htm
• http://members.tripod.com/~aries46/gemmoliv.htm