Editing Battle of Monte Cassino (section)

===Hitler Line===
[[File:The ruins of Cassino, May 1944- a wrecked Sherman tank and Bailey bridge in the foreground, with Monastery Ridge and Castle Hill in the background. TR1799.jpg|thumb|The ruins of Cassino town with a knocked-out Sherman tank by a Bailey bridge in the foreground with Monastery Ridge and Castle Hill in the background, May 1944.]]
Units of the Eighth Army advanced up the Liri valley and the Fifth Army up the coast to the Hitler defensive line (renamed the [[Hitler Line|Senger Line]] at [[Hitler]]'s insistence to minimise the significance if it was penetrated). An immediate follow-up assault failed, and the Eighth Army then decided to take some time to reorganise. Getting 20,000 vehicles and 2,000 tanks through the broken Gustav Line was a major job that took several days. The next assault on the line commenced on 23 May with the Polish II Corps attacking [[Piedimonte San Germano]] (defended by the redoubtable German 1st Parachute Division) on the right and the 1st Canadian Infantry Division (fresh from the Eighth Army Reserve) in the centre. On 24 May, the Canadians had breached the line and [[5th Canadian Division|5th Canadian (Armoured) Division]] poured through the gap. On 25 May, the Poles took Piedimonte, and the line collapsed. The way was clear for the advance northward on Rome and beyond.