Diorama of Il Giogo Pass

[Custermen]

During my Tour of Italy last fall, I visited the Gothic Line Museum, aka Gotica Toscana, located in Scarperia. They have a nice collection of militaria to remember the fighting in the Apennine Mountains north of Florence, Italy.

 

There is a fairly well-known photo taken of IL GIOGO Pass, which is near Monte Altuzzo and Monte Pratone---both objectives of the 85th Infantry Division. The museum has added a 1/35 scale diorama that replicates the scene in the photo.

 

I have seen this photo before my trip and I was a little confused about its location and the orientation of the photo. After my trip to the site, I discovered that the building in the photo is not the one currently located on top of the pass. I stood on the ruins of the WW2 building and it all made sense. The road over the pass is not the road in front of the building in the photo but the road is behind the building. The diorama makes all this clear.

 

The real reason I'm sharing this photo is to explain how the Italians' interest in WW2 has changed over the years.

For many years, the Italians wanted to forget WW2. It was a forbidden subject in the homes of those who survived its devastation. Now a younger generation has taken interest in the past and the roles of the American GI's in bringing peace to their towns. Filippo is one of these. His father asked him not to talk about these things. Now Filippo runs the Gothic Line Museum and his Dad was proud of what they are doing to preserve this history. Today the Italians have re-enactments on various anniversaries. They also form long convoys of hundreds of restored WW2 jeeps, half track and trucks, and drive over these hills.

 

This link is a video of the diorama. Hope you enjoy.

 

[Custermen]

Photos

WW2 photo

 

 

 

Close-up detail

 

 

[Simon Lerenfort]

It is a well known photo and of course the the battle for Altuzzo is one studied in the famous Charles B MacDonald study Three Battles book.

[268th C.A.]

First that is very life like, I just dont know how you do it. Its amazes me. If anyone has not read Company Commander by Charles B. MacDonald. Read it. I beleve this is one of the best ever writtten about WW2. It is a classic, must read. He wrote with fresh memories of the war.

[Proud Kraut]

Great dio, these pictures look amazing. Too bad they made the film after the glass hood (term?) was put on. Thanks for sharing!

[Custermen]

The Three Battles account of Monte Altuzzo is really a great read.

Last year, I had someone contact me through my website about the Italian Campaign asking for info on his Uncle who was killed on September 17, 1944. It turned out his Uncle was Pfc Kermit Fisher who was mentioned in the book. Pfc Fisher was killed while taking cover in a shell hole on top of Monte Altuzzo just near the German bunker.

A month later, I received another email from a family member of another soldier who was mentioned in Three Battles. Then again for the 3rd time in 5 months, I was contacted by a family member of yet another soldier who was on Monte Altuzzo. All three Vets were mentioned in that book.

 

Last fall, I got to visit Monte Altuzzo and stood right next to the shell hole where Pfc Kermit Fisher was killed in action. In this photo, I'm looking generally South over the cliff face of Monte Altuzzo. The shell hole is to my right even thought it has been filled in and some hang glider sportsmen have built a dirt launch ramp. Behind me are the ruins of the German bunkers.

 

[Custermen]

Here is a map from my website that shows IL GIOGO Pass and the objectives of the 85th Infantry Division.

The Museum is located approximately at the location of the Church symbol on the road south of the Pass.

 

http://custermen.com/AtTheFront/Biographies/Fisher.htm

 

 

 

[The Meatcan]

Top-notch modelling on display!

Thanks for sharing!

Terry

[ArtyScout]

Very, very nice! I wonder if any of the soldiers in the photo from the 85th Division, would travel back to Italy to see themselves not only immortalized in a historic photo, but now a historic diorama.

Simply outstanding.

 

Semper Fi.

 

Manny

[Garandomatic]

Really cool. I found an 85th Div uniform back in October, small world of small worlds, the man was a great uncle to the RA for my floor freshman year of college. Discovered that because a small blurb on ancestry.

 

Honestly, i need to read up on the 85th and a few other Italian theatre units, i guess I've always been more focused on Normandy and the bulge for the ETO.

 

Don't suppose you could look him up? James v. Sebastian? 1st sgt, found him in the 339th Regt, but i can't remember what source said that.

[Custermen]

Really cool. I found an 85th Div uniform back in October, small world of small worlds, the man was a great uncle to the RA for my floor freshman year of college. Discovered that because a small blurb on ancestry.

 

Honestly, i need to read up on the 85th and a few other Italian theatre units, i guess I've always been more focused on Normandy and the bulge for the ETO.

 

Don't suppose you could look him up? James v. Sebastian? 1st sgt, found him in the 339th Regt, but i can't remember what source said that.

 

Check out my website that focuses on the Italian Campaign from May '44 to May '45: custermen.com.

It includes short history of the 85 Division as well as other divisions: 88th, 91st, 34th & 1st Armored. I have some really short histories of other divisions who were in Italy in 1943 and left after the liberation of Rome(2-days before Normandy): 3rd, 36th & 45th.

 

I used to be an associate member of the Polar Bear Association of Vets of the 339 Regiment many years ago. Another associate member was the historian for the 339 Regiment and interviewed many Vets. He wrote a draft for a history of the 339th but never found a publisher. He has accumulated a lot of documents and records on the 339th Regiment. Whenever I go to him with a name of a soldier, he usually can tell me what company he served in and when he was wounded, killed, or decorated in almost all cases. I will ask him for info on James V. Sebastian and contact you with any info.

[Garandomatic]

I can't thank you enough. The jacket is pretty cool, nicely cross-stitched 1st sgt chevrons, and if I recall, an AT marked collar disk, but I am only assuming it's correct to the jacket.

[Custermen]

I can't thank you enough. The jacket . . . . and if I recall, an AT marked collar disk, but I am only assuming it's correct to the jacket.

 

Each Regiment had one Anti-Tanks Company. I would think it would be correct to wear a AT disc. But that would rule out him being issued the Combat Infantryman's Badge since he was not rated an infantryman. Unless, of course, he had seen previous service in a rifle company. I know because my Dad was in the divisional artillery and was not authorized a CIB even though he went with the infantry on patrols up to and behind enemy lines.

 

if he was a 1st Sergeant, then he should be mentioned in a lot of the files. The problem with Paul Schultz's history of the 85 Division, it does not include a roster at all---not even an Honor Roll of the KIA's. I have some partial rosters for a few companies of the 338 Regiment but nothing much for the 339th Regiment.

[patches]

 

Each Regiment had one Anti-Tanks Company. I would think it would be correct to wear a AT disc. But that would rule out him being issued the Combat Infantryman's Badge since he was not rated an infantryman. Unless, of course, he had seen previous service in a rifle company. I know because my Dad was in the divisional artillery and was not authorized a CIB even though he went with the infantry on patrols up to and behind enemy lines.

 

if he was a 1st Sergeant, then he should be mentioned in a lot of the files. The problem with Paul Schultz's history of the 85 Division, it does not include a roster at all---not even an Honor Roll of the KIA's. I have some partial rosters for a few companies of the 338 Regiment but nothing much for the 339th Regiment.

Members of the Infantry Regimental Anti Tank Companies as well as the Cannon Companies did get CIBs.

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/246504-86th-id-blackhawks-ike-jacket/

[angatti]

More picture of the diorama can be found on the dedicated page of Gotica Toscana website.

On the website you will find some info about the our association amd the story of the Gogo Pass area.

[Blacksmith]

Incredible work Custermen, bravo!

[Custermen]

Really cool. I found an 85th Div uniform back in October, small world of small worlds, the man was a great uncle to the RA for my floor freshman year of college. Discovered that because a small blurb on ancestry.

 

Honestly, i need to read up on the 85th and a few other Italian theatre units, i guess I've always been more focused on Normandy and the bulge for the ETO.

 

Don't suppose you could look him up? James v. Sebastian? 1st sgt, found him in the 339th Regt, but i can't remember what source said that.

 

I finally got an answer from my expert on the 339th Regiment. I didn't expect an answer until after the holidays were over.

 

James V. Sebastian was 1st Sergeant of the Cannon Company, 339th Infantry, not Anti-Tank Company. It appears he served in that company through 1945

The records of the Polar Bear Association shows he was a member of that Veterans association for the 339th Regiment in the early 1970's.

 

This info comes from the historian of the ex- Polar Bear Association and webmaster for this website:

http://user.pa.net/~cjheiser/ct9/339main.htm

 

Hope that helps.

[Garandomatic]

So was the cannon company small artillery? Like pack 75s? I'm familiar with a decent amount of the ins and outs of an infantry regiment, but never heard of a cannon company.

 

Thanks by the way!

[Custermen]

So was the cannon company small artillery? Like pack 75s? I'm familiar with a decent amount of the ins and outs of an infantry regiment, but never heard of a cannon company.

 

Thanks by the way!

 

After 1941, the Army re-defined the Infantry Division from a Square organization to a Triangular organization.

The Infantry Division consisted of 3 infantry Regiments and 3 field artillery (later a 4th heavy field artillery was added), and the support units including engineering, medical, signal etc.

 

Each infantry Regiment was consisted of 12 companies and three support companies: Anti-Tank, Cannon and Service companies. (I'm excluding the HQ Companies).

I'm not real sure of the organization and weapons of the two companies: the Anti-Tank Company and Cannon Company. They started out with 57mm cannons but soon upgraded to 75mm cannons. Some reference sources say the Cannon Company had 105mm Howitzers by 1943. The main role of the Cannon Company was defensive.

 

This is not to be confused with the Heavy Weapons Company. The 12 infantry companies were divided into 3 Battalions consisting of 4 companies and the HQ and Support Company. Three of the companies, such as Company A, B, & C, were infantry companies and the fourth, such as Company D in this example of the 1st battalion, was the Heavy Weapons Company. The Heavy Weapons Company were armed with two Machine Gun Platoon and one 81mm Mortar Platoon.

 

I do need to go back and find a good source of the weapons for the Cannon Company and the Anti-tank Company. Here is a link to some pages that were published in Osprey books. I hope it is accurate.

Link: http://www.trailblazersww2.org/units_organization.htm