Operation Winter Storm (Gothic Line)

Operation Wintergewitter (Winter Storm) was an offensive conducted by Italian RSI and Austrian forces against American forces dug in on the west side of the Gothic Line. Often referred to as the Battle of Garfagnana or Offensiva di Natale ("Christmas" Offensive), the attack resulted in an Axis tactical victory against the Allies. The battle lasted from 26 December 1944 to 4 February 1945.

On 13 December, as part of the planned Axis offensive, an experienced Italan platoon penetrated through the US platoons guarding Vergemoli and Gallicano in an unsuccessful attempt to blow up the concrete bridge at Farnaci and cut off the American retreat and reinforcements.

Operation Wintergewitter

From 26-31 December, as part of Marshal Rodolfo Graziani's Operation Winter Storm (planned in conjuction with Benito Mussolini), the Monte Rosa (Alpine) and San Marco (Marine) Divisions under General Mario Carloni, with supporting Austrian Gebirgsjäger (mountain) units attacked and overran the forward battalions of the US 92nd Buffalo Infantry Division (under General Edward Almond) entrenched along the Serchio Valley, with the Italians forming and commanding two of the three Axis Spearheads involved.

The Axis force advanced in three columns on the night of 25 December. The first column moved toward Vergemoli-Calomini, the second toward Treppignana-Castelvecchio, with the third advancing toward Sommocolonia-Barga. The soldiers from the 2nd Battalion (US 366th Regiment) at Sommocolonia were hit first, with several forward platoon positions overrun and Bebbio and Scarpello captured. The American battalion had no option but to withdraw toward Coreglia.

In the early hours of 26 December, a company of American soldiers from the 92nd US Infantry Division and Italian Communist Partisans in Sommocolonia (a village of 200 inhabitants) found themselves pinned down by heavy softening up fire from Axis mortars fire.  29-year-old Lieutenant John R Fox, an artillery officer, reported the streets of Sommocolonia filled with soldiers from the Austrian 4th Gebirgsjäger (Mountain) Battalion. The elite Austrian soldiers expected little resistance as many Black American troops had been reported in the area. However, much fierce resistance was encountered in Sommocolonia.

By 9 in the morning, house-to-house combat taking place in the streets Sommocolonia. The American soldiers and Communist Partisans, soon realized that they could, at best, only slow down the Axis offensive.

Orders to retreat were radioed from US headquarters in Barga, but by that time, two thirds of the American and Communist defenders were dead or wounded. With the American and Italian wounded dragged inside, the Austrians started burning houses in Sommocolonia.

The US field artillery at Barga provided fire support for the Somocolonia defenders, with Lieutenant Fox radioing the co-ordinates. With Austrian and Italian infantry reinforcing the attack, several men at Barga heard Fox’s last call for smokescreen to cover the escape of the surviving American soldiers and Italian Partisans. Heavy artillery fire then rained down on Fox's position.  The US artillery commander hesitated at first in firing directly on his position, but Lieutenant Fox had his way and was killed soon after. Of the Somocolonia defenders, only 18 Americans made it back to the lines of the US 5th Army.

In the fighting on 26 December, Austrian mountain troops had also captured Fornaci from the Americans, and the Italians captured the village of Molazzano but failed to take Brucciano.

On the night of 26/27 December, the surviving civilians from Sommocolonia were rounded up by the Austrians and Italians and suspected Communist Partisans and sympathizers detained. The local Italian priest later told of seeing Lieutenant Fox’s body in the rubble, along with the bodies of about 100 Axis soldiers. About 50 American soldiers and 30 Communist Partisans were killed in the defence of Sommocolonia.

On 27 December, Austrian troops captured Pian di Coreglia, a main objective, while Italian troops captured the village of Calavorno.

On 27 and 28 December, with US 92nd Buffalo Division falling back or digging in all along the 9-kilometre frontline, around-the-clock bombings and strafing missions from 1,000 US P-47 Thunderbolts, Mustang fighters, Mitchell bombers and British Commonwealth Spitfires, Kittyhawks, finally halting the Axis advance.