Editing Battle of Monte Cassino (section)

===Plans and preparation===
{{Further|Battle of Monte Cassino order of battle January 1944}}

[[File:Cassino1944FirstPlan.svg|thumb|upright=1.5|left|First Battle: plan of attack]]

The plan of the Fifth Army commander, Lieutenant General Clark, was for the [[X Corps (United Kingdom)|British X Corps]], under [[Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant General]] [[Richard McCreery]], on the left of a thirty-kilometre (20&nbsp;mi) front, to attack on 17 January 1944, across the Garigliano near the coast ([[5th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)|5th]] and [[56th (London) Infantry Division|56th Infantry Divisions]]). The [[46th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)|British 46th Infantry Division]] was to attack on the night of 19 January across the Garigliano below its junction with the Liri in support of the main attack by [[II Corps (United States)|U.S. II Corps]], under [[Major general (United States)|Major General]] [[Geoffrey Keyes]], on their right. The main central thrust by the U.S. II Corps would commence on 20 January with the [[36th Infantry Division (United States)|U.S. 36th Infantry Division]] making an assault across the swollen Gari river {{convert|5|mi|km|spell=in}} downstream of Cassino. Simultaneously, the [[French Expeditionary Corps (1943–44)|French Expeditionary Corps]] (CEF) led by General [[Alphonse Juin]] would continue its "right hook" move towards [[Monte Cairo]], the hinge to the Gustav and [[Hitler Line|Hitler defensive lines]]. In truth, Clark did not believe there was much chance of an early breakthrough,<ref>E.D. Smith, p. 26.</ref> but he felt that the attacks would draw German reserves away from the Rome area in time for the [[Battle of Anzio|attack on Anzio]] (codenamed Operation Shingle) where the [[VI Corps (United States)|U.S. VI Corps]] ([[History of the British 1st Division during the World Wars|British 1st]] and [[3rd Infantry Division (United States)|U.S. 3rd Infantry Divisions]], the [[504th Infantry Regiment (United States)|504th Parachute Regimental Combat Team]], [[United States Army Rangers|U.S. Army Rangers]] and [[British Commandos]], [[Combat command|Combat Command 'B']] of the [[1st Armored Division (United States)|U.S. 1st Armored Division]], along with supporting units), under Major General [[John P. Lucas]], was due to make an amphibious landing on 22 January. It was hoped that the Anzio landing, with the benefit of surprise and a rapid move inland to the [[Alban Hills]], which command both routes 6 and 7, would so threaten the Gustav defenders' rear and supply lines that it might just unsettle the German commanders and cause them to withdraw from the Gustav Line to positions north of Rome. Whilst this would have been consistent with the German tactics of the previous three months, Allied intelligence had not understood that the strategy of fighting retreat had been for the sole purpose of providing time to prepare the Gustav line where the Germans intended to stand firm. The intelligence assessment of Allied prospects was therefore over-optimistic.<ref>E.D. Smith, p. 27.</ref>
[[File:Grupa niemieckich spadochroniarzy na froncie włoskim (2-2131).jpg|thumb|[[Fallschirmjäger|German paratroopers]] from the 3rd FJR "Green Devils" taking part in the battles for Monte Cassino, March 1944]]
The Fifth Army had only reached the Gustav Line on 15 January, having taken six weeks of heavy fighting to advance the last {{convert|7|mi|km|spell=in}} through the [[Bernhardt Line]] positions, during which time they had sustained 16,000 casualties.<ref>{{harvnb|Majdalany|1957|p=30}}</ref> They hardly had time to prepare the new assault, let alone take the rest and reorganisation they really needed after three months of [[Attrition warfare|attritional fighting]] north from Naples. However, because the Allied [[Combined Chiefs of Staff]] would only make [[landing craft]] available until early February, as they were required for [[Operation Overlord]], the Allied [[Invasion of Normandy|invasion of Northern France]], Operation Shingle had to take place in late January with the coordinated attack on the Gustav Line some three days earlier.