Battle of Gemmano

The British Army in Italy 1944 Platoon commanders of 7th Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Regiment are briefed for an attack on German forces in the village of Gemmano, 6 September 1944.
Historical Overview
The Battle of Gemmano took place during World War II, between 4 September and 15 September 1944. The battle occurred in the area of the Gothic Line, near the Apennine Mountains in northern Italy, which would soon turn out to be the last line of defence for the Axis powers in Italy. The village of Gemmano was eventually captured on September 9, 1944, by the British Eighth Army, but two more subsequent attacks were needed to secure the area surrounding the village of Gemmano. Fighting was so fierce, similar to that of the famous battle of Monte Cassino, that the battle was sometimes referred to as “The Cassino of the Adriatic”.
Quick Facts
British 8th Army
- Commander: Oliver Leese
- Strength: ca. 30.000
- Casualties: ca. 5.000
German Army
- Commander: Harry Hoppe
- Strength: ca. 10.000
- Casualties: ca. 2.000
Strategic Context
Part of Operation Olive to break the Gothic Line.
Related Literature

Der Gulag

Die Schlacht um Berlin und das Ende des Dritten Reichs 1945

Hunde, wollt ihr ewig leben: ein Stalingrad-Roman

Roter Hunger: Stalins Krieg gegen die Ukraine

So weit die Füße tragen

Söldner ohne Sold: Die deutschen Freikorps 1918–1923

Vom Massensturm zur Stoßtrupptaktik: Die deutsche Landkriegtaktik im Spiegel von Dienstvorschriften und Publizistik 1906 bis 1918

Wir Wehr-Wölfe: Erinnerungen eines Freikorps-Führers

Zweiter Weltkrieg Erlebnisbericht Apokalypse Stalingrad: Untergang der 6. Armee 1942-1943
Walter Mönch
Rise And Fall Of The Third Reich
William Shirer
Historical Locations
Interactive map requires third-party cookie consent.




