Battle for the Barbara Line | |||||||
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Part of the Italian Campaign of World War II | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
United States | Germany | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Harold Alexander Bernard Montgomery Oliver Leese Mark Clark | Albert Kesselring |
During the Italian Campaign of World War II, the Barbara Line was a series of German military fortifications in Italy, some 10–20 mi (16–32 km) south of the Gustav Line, from Colli al Volturno to the Adriatic Coast in San Salvo and a similar distance north of the Volturno Line. Near the eastern coast, it ran along the line of the Trigno river. The line mostly consisted of fortified hilltop positions. The line was broken by the allied army in November 1943 following which the Axis forces withdrew to the defensible positions of the Winter Line.