Editing Battle of Monte Cassino (section)

===II Corps try north of Cassino: 24 January===
[[File:Santa Maria Infante001.jpg|thumb|US soldiers with a [[Ordnance QF 6-pounder|57mm M-1 anti-tank gun]] fighting near Monte Cassino during the initial assault]]
The next attack was launched on 24 January. The U.S. II Corps, with [[34th Infantry Division (United States)|34th Infantry Division]] under Major General [[Charles W. Ryder]] spearheading the attack and French colonial troops on its right flank, launched an assault across the flooded Rapido valley north of Cassino and into the mountains behind with the intention of then wheeling to the left and attacking Monte Cassino from high ground. Whilst the task of crossing the river would be easier in that the Rapido upstream of Cassino was fordable, the flooding made movement on the approaches each side very difficult. In particular, armour could only move on paths laid with steel matting and it took eight days of bloody fighting across the waterlogged ground for 34th Division to push back General [[Friedrich Franek|Franek's]] [[German 44th Infantry Division]] to establish a foothold in the mountains.