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{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Battle of Rapido River
| partof = the [[Winter Line|Winter Line and the battle for Rome]], [[Italian Campaign (World War II)|Italian Campaign of World War II]]
| image = Rapido1944Wounded.jpg
| image_size = 300px
| caption = American soldiers bring back wounded during the attempt to cross the Gari River near Cassino, Italy, January 1944.
| date = 20–22 January 1944
| place = [[Gari (river)|Gari River]], [[Italy]]
| territory =
| result = German victory
| combatant1 = {{flagicon|United States|1912}} [[United States]]
| combatant2 = {{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} [[Nazi Germany|Germany]]
| commander1 = {{Flagicon|United States|1912}} [[Mark W. Clark|Mark Clark]] {{Flagicon|United States|1912}} [[Geoffrey Keyes]] {{Flagicon|United States|1912}} [[Fred L. Walker|Fred Walker]]
| commander2 = {{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} [[Heinrich von Vietinghoff]] {{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} [[Frido von Senger und Etterlin]]
| strength1 = {{Flagicon|United States|1912}} [[36th Infantry Division (United States)|36th Infantry Division]]
| strength2 = {{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} [[15th Panzergrenadier Division (Wehrmacht)|15th Panzergrenadier Division]]
| casualties1 = 155 killed 1052 wounded 921 missing and captured<ref name="HR">{{Cite book|last=U.S. House|first=Committee on Military Affairs|year=1946|title=The Rapido River Crossing|publisher=U.S. Govt. print. off. |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015031933628&view=1up&seq=7}}</ref>
| casualties2 = 64 killed 179 wounded<ref name="HN">{{Cite web|last=Schultz| first=Duane|year=2012|title=Rage Over the Rapido|url=http://www.historynet.com/rage-over-the-rapido.htm|work=History Net}}</ref>
| notes =
| campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Italy}}
{{Campaignbox Winter Line}}
}}
The '''Battle of Rapido River''' was fought from 20 to 22 January 1944 during one of the Allies' many attempts to breach the [[Winter Line]] in the [[Italian Campaign (World War II)|Italian Campaign]] during [[World War II]]. Despite its name, the battle occurred on the [[Gari (river)|Gari River]].<ref>[http://www.studicassinati.it/db1/jupgrade/index.php/archivio/51-anno-ix-n-3-luglio-settembre-2009/577-g-petrucci-1944-la-battaglia-di-s-angelo-in-theodice 1944: la battaglia di S.Angelo in Theodice e la confusione tra i fiumi Rapido e Gari] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117030403/http://www.studicassinati.it/db1/jupgrade/index.php/archivio/51-anno-ix-n-3-luglio-settembre-2009/577-g-petrucci-1944-la-battaglia-di-s-angelo-in-theodice |date=17 November 2015 }}, 1944: the Battle of St. Angelo in Theodice and the Confusion between Rapido and Gari rivers.</ref>

Units of the [[36th Infantry Division (United States)|U.S. 36th Infantry Division]], commanded by [[Major general (United States)|Major General]] [[Fred L. Walker|Fred Walker]] crossed the Gari river in boats and seized the west bank of the river. However, the Americans were cut off from reinforcements and subjected to heavy fire and counterattacks from elements of the [[15th Panzergrenadier Division (Wehrmacht)|German 15th Panzergrenadier Division]]. The 36th Infantry Division suffered very high losses, and after two days of fighting the survivors retreated back across the river.

==Background==
In late 1943, the [[Italian Campaign (World War II)|Italian campaign]] had reached a turning point. The Allied advance through Italy bogged down around [[Battle of Monte Cassino|Monte Cassino]], which was a crucial point in the Axis defensive position known as the [[Winter Line]]. As a result, Allied commanders planned to outflank the Germans with [[Battle of Anzio|Operation Shingle]], an amphibious landing at [[Anzio]]. To assist in the landing, Allied forces to the south were to launch attacks in the days leading up to Operation Shingle by seizing German positions across the [[Garigliano]] and [[Rapido (river)|Rapido river]]s; it was hoped that German forces would be drawn away from Anzio to counter these attacks. However, the simultaneous attack at Anzio limited the availability of air support for the river crossings.<ref name="HN" />

[[Lieutenant general (United States)|Lieutenant General]] [[Mark W. Clark|Mark Clark]], [[Commanding officer|commanding general]] of the [[United States Army North|United States Fifth Army]] ordered a crossing of the Gari River, south of [[Monte Cassino]], with two regiments (the [[141st Infantry Regiment (United States)|141st]] and [[143rd Infantry Regiment (United States)|143rd Infantry]]) of the [[36th Infantry Division (United States)|U.S. 36th Infantry Division]], commanded by [[Major general (United States)|Major General]] [[Fred L. Walker|Fred Walker]]. After a bridgehead was secured, an armored advance was to proceed across the Liri Valley.<ref name="HR" />

==Battle==
On the night of 20 January 1944, the [[36th Infantry Division (United States)|U.S. 36th Infantry Division]], under command of [[Major general (United States)|Major General]] [[Geoffrey Keyes]]' [[II Corps (United States)|II Corps]], fired an artillery barrage of 31,000 rounds on German positions across the [[Gari (river)|Gari river]], resulting in negligible damage. Feint attacks were conducted by the [[34th Infantry Division (United States)|34th Infantry Division]] to the north, near Monte Cassino, to divert attention from the main advance. After the barrage, the [[141st Infantry Regiment (United States)|141st]] and [[143rd Infantry Regiment (United States)|143rd Infantry Regiment]]s were ordered to cross the river, which began at 19:00. Initial casualties were inflicted on the Allies by landmines on the east bank of the river, despite army engineers being tasked with clearing approaches to the river. German artillery fire responding to the barrage also landed hits on elements of the 141st regiment before they were able to reach the river. Two [[Company (military unit)|rifle companies]] of the 143rd successfully crossed the river, but German return fire resulted in the loss of too many men and landing boats, and their foothold was abandoned. The 141st fared even worse, being forced to withdraw with heavy casualties after landing directly on a minefield.<ref name="HR" />

The next day, both regiments were ordered to perform another attack, beginning at 16:00. Although this assault met with more success, the American foothold was still unsustainable, as withering fire from the [[15th Panzergrenadier Division (Wehrmacht)|15th Panzergrenadier Division]] prevented the construction of [[Pontoon bridge|pontoon]] and [[Bailey bridge]]s by engineers. Without the bridges, armor could not assist in the attack, and the infantry were left to fight on their own, resulting in devastating casualties for the two regiments. After more than twenty hours of fruitless combat, both were ordered to withdraw. The 143rd was able to withdraw relatively intact, but much of the 141st was left stranded due to their bridges and boats being destroyed by enemy fire. The German defenders mounted a [[counterattack]] against the trapped Americans, capturing hundreds of soldiers. Major General [[Fred L. Walker|Walker]] decided against committing the division's last regiment, the [[142nd Infantry Regiment (United States)|142nd Infantry]], and the battle concluded at 21:40 on January 22.

==Aftermath==
No significant gains had been made in either assault, and the original objective of luring away German forces was entirely unsuccessful.<ref name="military">{{cite web|url=https://www.military.com/history/rapido-river-disaster.html|title=Rapido River Disaster|work=Military.com|first=Bethanne Kelly|last=Patrick|date=8 November 2017 }}</ref>

Significant controversy followed the American defeat, with Clark criticizing Walker's execution of the battle plan. Walker responded that the entire battle had been foolhardy and unnecessary, and that Clark's plan, which he (Walker) had protested against, was all but guaranteed to fail. The battle of the Rapido River was one of the largest defeats suffered by the [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] during World War II and was the subject of an investigation in 1946 by [[United States Congress|Congress]] to establish responsibility for the disaster.<ref name="HN" />

Secretary of War [[Robert P. Patterson]] prepared a report in response to the Congressional investigation, in which he concluded that "the action to which the Thirty-sixth Division was committed was a necessary one and that General Clark exercised sound judgment in planning it and in ordering it."<ref name="HR" /> Colonel Miller Ainsworth, president of the 36th Infantry Division Association, testified before Congress in opposition to Patterson's conclusions and criticized what he perceived as Mark Clark attempting to evade investigation of his conduct.

==See also==
* [[Battle of Monte Cassino]]
* [[Battle of Anzio]]
* [[Fred L. Walker]]
* [[Mark W. Clark]]

==References==
;citations
{{Reflist}}
;Sources
* {{Cite web|last=Schultz| first=Duane |year=2012|title=Rage Over the Rapido|url=http://www.historynet.com/rage-over-the-rapido.htm}}

==External links==
*[http://winterlinestories.com Winter Line Stories]'' Original stories from the front lines of the Italian Campaign by US Army Liaison Officer Major Ralph R. Hotchkiss''
{{World War II}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:RapidoRiver}}
[[Category:Conflicts in 1944]]
[[Category:1944 in Italy]]
[[Category:Battles of World War II involving the United States]]
[[Category:Military history of the United States during World War II]]
[[Category:World War II operations and battles of the Italian Campaign]]
[[Category:January 1944 events]]
[[Category:Battle of Monte Cassino]]

Battle of Rapido River - Revision history

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