The Gustav Line was the strongest of the German defensive lines, which the Germans and Italians had built in Italy during World War II. It extended across the Italian peninsula south of Rome for 105 km, from the Tyrrhenian to the Adriatic Sea, ending on the coastal town of Ortona. It served a dangerous obstacle for the Allied advance towards the capital of Italy as it bristled with strong artillery emplacements, machine gun nests, and coil of barbed wire in front. It faced the Liri Valley as it ran through the town of Cassino, which was one of the strongest points.
The Gustav Line had been built during the first years of World War II by the Todt Organization, which was civil and military group that was in charge of the Nazi party construction projects. When the Allies landed on mainland Italy in September 1943, they pushed the German 10th Army, under Heinrich von Vietinghoff. After vicious fighting, the Germans fell back to the Gustav Line, where they put up tenacious resistance, especial in the area of Monte Cassino, and at the town of Ortona. These two points held up the US 5th Army and the British 8th Army respectively.
Below, a map of a portion of the Italian peninsula showing the Gustav Line. Monte Cassino is marked with a red dot.
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