July of war in Tuscany, recounted by Claudio Biscarini

In this context, we present the contents of a fundamental work dedicated to the Second World War in Tuscany: Claudio Biscarini, San Michele, the Forgotten Battle, Scandicci, Centrolibro, 2005 (2ª ed.)The first two chapters will be summarized here, Tuscany, summer 1944 and The Kiwis arrive, setting aside two issues that require particular attention: on one hand, the battle of San Michele a Torri in Val di Pesa, conducted by New Zealand troops, which opened the doors to the liberation of Florence; on the other, the Liberation of the city, an event upon which, despite the vast memoirs and partisan-based narratives, wide margins for critical investigation still remain. For these aspects, we refer to other works by the same author, among the most authoritative scholars of Tuscan military history, which provide targeted insights into specific fields.

edited by Daniele Baggiani

The strategic framework after Rome

After the capture of Rome on June 4, 1944, Kesselring, commander of German forces in Italy, imposed an “aggressive retreat” to gain time and complete the Gothic Line. "On June 11, 1944, Kesselring issued an order to his subordinates: retreat while fighting, immediately bring reserves into the contact line from the rear and flanks as quickly as possible, close open spaces between the various units, and firmly tighten the inner flanks of the units themselves," a directive that summarizes the idea of gaining days on chosen positions and keeping flanks cohesive under Allied pressure. Von Vietinghoff’s 10th Army is exhausted. Lemelsen’s 14th, more intact, retreats from the Tyrrhenian sector. The German plan is to stagger resistance on successive positions anchored to favorable terrain. The first defensive chain is identified as the Albert Line, "which ran from Castiglione della Pescaia to Mount Amiata, Radicofani, Mount Cetona, linked up with the Trasimenina line and continued eastward to the Adriatic Sea." To reinforce this part of the front, heavy armored units of Tigers and Elefants arrived at the Fabro station, using mixed formations known as Kampfgruppen, numerose e flessibili, per sopperire alle perdite patite con le battaglie di Anzio e sulla Linea Gustav. Sul fronte alleato il dispositivo è multinazionale. La 5ª Armata USA (Clark) avanza sul Tirreno. L’8ª Armata britannica (Leese) fra Appennino e Adriatico. L’obiettivo è di non far respirare il nemico, spingendo verso l’Arno per poi puntare alla Gotica.

Allied disposition and Juin’s tasks

On June 11, the Allied line was redrawn. Between the Tyrrhenian Sea and Lake Bolsena, the US IV Corps operated (Harmon’s 1st Armored "Old Ironsides" and Walker’s 36th "Texas"). To the east was the British XIII Corps with the 6th South African Armored Division and the 24th Guards Brigade. In the middle was the French Expeditionary Corps (Juin). The French were assigned deep objectives: Highway 74 north of Lake Bolsena, the Montalcino–San Quirico d’Orcia–Pienza axis, Siena and Highway 73, then Poggibonsi and Highway 68. Finally, the Arno River between San Miniato and Empoli. In parallel, the 8th Army pressed from the east to realign itself with the Arno. The Germans, though worn down, aimed to gain weeks and days to better fortify the Gothic Line in the Apennines north of Florence. As Biscarini notes on the French progression in Val d'Orcia: "The 2nd Moroccan Infantry Division returned to the fray and succeeded in occupying San Quirico..." (p. 18). And on the capture of Siena, a cornerstone of the plan assigned to Juin: "On the morning of Monday, July 3, 1944, the line finally gave way and the De Linares Group pushed quickly toward the city of the Palio, reaching Porta San Marco and, around 6:30 AM, Piazza del Campo" (p. 22).

June: from Mount Amiata to the coast

On Mount Amiata, the 29th Panzergrenadier, with elements of the 90th, slowed the French momentum. The fighting for Radicofani, Piancastagnaio, and Arcidosso was brutal. On June 18, the Foreign Legion took Radicofani; on the 17th, the Algerians liberated Piancastagnaio; on the 24th, the Americans occupied Roccastrada. Along the coast, the US 36th liberated Grosseto and Follonica (June 25), then San Vincenzo (June 27). The US 34th then took over, while the Germans deployed the 16th SS Panzergrenadier to replace the 162nd. StuG III and Tiger tanks from the 504th made their appearance. The Allied advance was no longer a march, but a sequence of localized, intense clashes. In the Val di Chiana, the 6th South African Armored Division suffered a severe setback at Chiusi (due to confusion between Chiusi Scalo and the town of Chiusi, which was reoccupied by the Hermann Göring). Companies of the First City/Cape Town Highlanders were trapped and decimated. “It was the greatest defeat suffered by the 6th South African Armored Division.” (p. 19). The British response with the 24th Guards took place at Chianciano and Montepulciano (June 29), and at Trequanda and Torrita (June 30–July 1). To the west, the battle of Cecina continued until July 2, with the Germans offering concentrated resistance, a sign that they were reconstructing an effective blocking line. “Cecina was defended by SS units supported by at least two Tiger I tanks of the 504th Heavy Tank Battalion... The battle swayed back and forth until July 2.” (p. 20).

Siena, Valdelsa, and the German stiffening

To logistically support the campaign in France, the Allies launched the landings in Provence (Operation "Dragoon," August 15), in order to quickly open the ports of Toulon and Marseille and alleviate pressure on Normandy. The consequence in Tuscany was the progressive withdrawal of Juin’s CEF and the takeover by British and Commonwealth units in the Chianti sector. “On July 22, 1944, as we have already mentioned, the last Frenchmen left the Italian front,” Biscarini notes, marking the date of the operational "handover" between Siena and the Val di Pesa (p. 28). The vacuum in the XIII Corps was filled by South Africans, British, Indians, and—in a crucial position—Freyberg’s 2nd New Zealand Division (5th and 6th Infantry Brigades, 4th Armored Brigade), veterans of Greece, Crete, North Africa, and Cassino. The German commands immediately recorded the change of opponent. In the diary of the AOK 14, it reads that “in the area east of the Via Cassia, recently added units of the 2nd New Zealand Division attacked in the morning […], the enemy employs about 45 tanks and 360 trucks” (p. 30). From that moment on, the Kiwi brigades turned west into the Chianti, with their headquarters in Castellina and axes of advance toward Tavarnelle, San Donato, and San Casciano, progressively replacing the French marching toward Provence. Combat flared up again along the ridges descending into the Val di Pesa, a prelude to the "Paula" defensive belt south of Florence.

The New Zealanders arrive: organization, mission, and first contact

On July 22, the Germans reported New Zealand units east of Tavarnelle. Prisoners from the "23rd Battalion/5th Brigade of the 2nd New Zealand Division were identified […] 2.2 km east of Tavarnelle. According to the prisoners' statements, the division is organized as follows: 4th Brigade with the 18th, 19th, and 20th battalions; 5th Brigade with the 21st, 23rd, and 28th battalions; 6th Brigade with the 24th, 25th, and 26th battalions," notes the daily report of the 14th Army. The 23rd was ordered to advance from San Donato in Poggio toward the Via Cassia and along the Pesa River, flanked by the 28th (Māori) Battalion. The objectives were assigned code names (Buffalo, Montreal, Quebec). The artillery prepared the ground at 6:20 AM. At San Martino a Cozzi, B Company struck the well-entrenched 4th Fallschirmjäger Division and lost about thirty men—killed or captured—with Major Worsnop being wounded: "In the end, the village was taken, but B Company lost thirty men, including five prisoners."

Toward the Pesa and San Casciano

On July 24, the Māori (28th) advanced from Villa Bonazza toward San Pancrazio and Lucignano, supported by tanks from the 18th Armored Regiment. Their method was systematic: striking every suspicious building. By evening, they established positions at Villa Corno. The 21st replaced the 23rd at Strada. A mixed unit of armor, cavalry, and engineers called "Armcav" was formed to push along the Via Cassia alongside the South Africans: "The march of this unit was truly fast. Having liberated Fabbrica... its armored vehicles occupied Bargino after midday, advancing along the consular road," but at the Terzona stream, the advance halted due to a blown bridge and fire from San Casciano (p. 46). Fabbrica and Bargino were liberated, but the bridge over the Terzona was destroyed and zeroed in by the artillery from San Casciano in Val di Pesa. On July 25, the Māori reached San Pancrazio. The 21st Regiment was blocked on the Pesa River, and Armcav remained stalled at the Terzona. The Germans closed ranks on the Olga Line, which ran from Montespertoli to San Casciano. On the 26th, they counterattacked with Tiger and Panzer IV tanks. At Poppiano, the Māori held their ground thanks to the Vickers guns of the 27th Machine Gun Battalion. "The 21st Battalion... had reached the bridge over the Pesa near Cerbaia, which had been destroyed... Armcav also made no progress and could not cross the Terzona, caught under fire coming from San Casciano," while rumors of "Tigers" everywhere spread across the front, compounded by the weight of 120mm mortars, 88mm guns, and 20mm Flak Vierlings (p. 48). On July 27, the 21st reached Montagnana. Patrols arrived at Montegufoni and discovered the Uffizi art deposits in the cellars of the Sitwell castle. San Casciano fell after house-to-house fighting involving mines and booby traps. Armcav pushed toward Talente and Cerbaia but remained hampered by demolitions and crossfire.

State of the offensive before the Paula Line and the Battle of San Michele

he Allied press celebrated the capture of San Casciano at only “eight miles from Florence,” but the resistance did not yield. The 4th Fallschirmjäger and the Panzergrenadiers, reinforced by Tiger tanks, held the southern edge of the plain. The bridges over the Pesa remained impassable, and the march on San Michele a Torri and La Romola was hampered by artillery, 120mm mortars, and anti-tank weapons. On July 27, Freyberg, commander of the New Zealanders, admitted that the advance was not proceeding as planned. German reinforcements and counterattacks were proving costly, while South African shelling of Impruneta caused civilian casualties. Within this framework, while the German commands boasted of having broken “the attacks of the British, New Zealanders, and De Gaullists […] against the tenacious German defense,” the center of gravity of the struggle was now fixed on the belt immediately south of Florence. To close this phase remains the concise formula by Biscarini, perfect as a narrative seal: “Before the Allies (toward Florence), there now extended (only) the Paula-linie.”

Mappa cronologica sintetica (Date – Location – Unit – Action – Outcome)

• 4 June – Rome – Allies – Capture of the capital – Unopposed advance for several days.
• 9–11 June – Lake Bolsena/Orvieto – US IV Corps, CEF, UK XIII Corps – Realignment of fronts – Resumption of the Allied offensive.
• 12–18 June – Amiata/Radicofani – CEF vs. 29th PG, 90th PG – Fierce clashes – Radicofani occupied by the French.
• 17–24 June – Piancastagnaio/Arcidosso/Roccastrada – CEF/USA – Progressive advance – Towns liberated.
• 21–22 June – Chiusi – 6th SA Armoured vs. HG-Div. – South African setbacks – Companies trapped and heavy losses.
• 25–27 June – Follonica/San Vincenzo – 36th→34th US – Coastal liberation – 34th US takes over.
• 27–30 June – Monticiano/Siena – CEF/USA – “Edita Line” breached – Siena liberated (July 3).
• 29 giugno–1 luglio – Chianciano/Montepulciano/Trequanda/Torrita – 24ª Guards – Liberations in Val di Chiana – Consolidation.
• Until July 2 – Cecina – USA vs. 16th SS – Intense battle – German hold then withdrawal.
• July 6–13 – Volterra/Lajatico – US 88th Div vs. 26th Panzer – Harsh clashes – Lajatico falls on the 13th.
• 16 July – Poggibonsi – CEF/USA vs. Germans – Counterattack repelled – Advance resumes.
• 17–19 July – Pontedera/Livorno – USA – Liberations – Stabilization of the Tyrrhenian sector.
• July 19–22 – Gaiole/Brolio/Radda – 6th SA Armoured – Advance into Chianti – "Hilde" Line pushed back.
• 22 July – Tavarnelle and surroundings – 2nd NZ Division – First contact – Confirmation of the New Zealand OOB (Order of Battle).
• 22–24 July – San Martino a Cozzi/Villa Strada – 23rd NZ vs. 4th FJ – Attacks and casualties – Village taken at a high price.
• 24–25 luglio – San Pancrazio/Lucignano – 28° Māori, 18° Arm. – Avanzata metodica – Linea Olga in formazione.
• 26–27 July – Poppiano/Montagnana/Montegufoni – 5th NZ/Armcav – Counterattacks with Tigers – San Casciano falls.
• 27–28 July – Talente/Cerbaia – Armcav – Demolitions, crossfire – Advance slowed down.
• Late July – Impruneta/Val di Pesa – Mixed XIII Corps forces – Bombardments and booby traps – Ahead: Paula Line.

Essential glossary

• Albert Line: first German defensive belt in Tuscany after Rome; Tyrrhenian–Amiata–Trasimeno–Adriatic axis.
• Trasimeno Line/Frieda: subsequent defensive belt around Lake Trasimeno; in the Tyrrhenian sector, it was also referred to as the "Albert Line."
• Hilde Line: German defensive position in the Chianti region following the fall of Siena.
• Olga Line: delay belt between Montespertoli and San Casciano in Val di Pesa, established before the Paula Line.
• Paula Line: the final defensive line south of the Arno and Florence, forming the core of the city's defensive belt.
• Heinrich Line: German designation for rear lines on the Arno and its tributaries, covering the access to the Paula Line.
• Kampfgruppe: German tactical grouping, of variable composition, characterized by high mobility.
• 2nd New Zealand Division: a major mixed unit (comprised of the 5th and 6th Infantry Brigades and the 4th Armoured Brigade); a veteran force with combat experience in Greece, Crete, North Africa, and Monte Cassino.
• 6th South African Armoured Division: a large Commonwealth armoured unit with motorized infantry and artillery, part of XIII Corps.
• French Expeditionary Corps (CEF): General Juin's forces (Moroccans, Algerians, Goumiers, 1st DFL), key players from Cassino to Siena; transferred to Provence for Operation Dragoon.
• Operation Dragoon: the landings in Provence (August 15, 1944) to open the ports of Toulon and Marseille and support the Normandy front.
• Fallschirmjäger: German paratrooper infantry; the 4th Division operated in this sector.
• Panzergrenadier: German mechanized infantry; the 29th and 90th PG, as well as the 16th SS PG, were active in Tuscany.
• Elefant/Tiger: respectively heavy tank destroyer (s.PzJgAbt 653) and heavy tank (s.PzAbt 504/508) used for counterattacks and roadblocks.
• Armcav: a mixed task force (armored units, cavalry, and engineers) attached to the New Zealanders for the breakthrough along the Via Cassia and the Val di Pesa.