On 21 December 1944, Marshal Graziani and General
Mario Carloni visited the battalions of the Monte Rosa Division in the Garfagnana, in order to prepare the offensive. Following the
Ardennes Offensive on the
Western Front in mid-December, Allied intelligence had considered the possibility of a similar Axis operation in Northern Italy. They had determined that the most likely objective would be the western coastal sector and as a consequence, the
19th and
21st Indian Brigades of the
8th Indian Infantry Division, under
Major General Dudley Russell, were ordered from the central Apennine sector to reinforce the 92nd Infantry Division on the
U.S. Fifth Army's left flank in front of Lucca. The 19th Indian Brigade arrived on 26 December and was ordered by the commander of
U.S. IV Corps, Major General
Willis D. Crittenberger, to take up position some behind the 92nd Division's positions. The 21st Indian Brigade arrived two days later. As further insurance,
Lieutenant General Lucian Truscott, the Fifth Army commander, placed two infantry regiments from the
U.S. 85th Infantry Division, under Major General
John B. Coulter, under Crittenberger's command and moved additional artillery into range. On 26 December, several RSI military units, including four battalions of the 4th Italian "Monte Rosa" Alpine Division and the 3rd Italian "San Marco" Marine Division, participated in "Operation Winter Storm" (Wintergewitter) together with three German battalions. A total of 9,100 Axis troops (of which 66% were Italians), with 100 artillery pieces but no tanks, attacked 18,000 Allied troops which were equipped with 140 artillery batteries and 120 tanks, as well as support from 160
P-47 Thunderbolts of the Allied
XXII Tactical Air Command. The surprise factor was fundamental in the attack, together with a cloudy winter front that was hoped to prevent the Allied aircraft from flying. XXII TAC P-47s were in the air throughout the day on the 26th, but continued to fly scheduled missions in Northeastern Italy until the severity of the breakthrough was known. XXII TAC retasked all missions on the 27th to support the Fifth Army front and these were key in dislodging the Axis thrust. The attack against the
Buffalo Soldiers (nickname of the 92nd Division) was made in three columns: two by Italians and one by Germans. While German General Fretter-Pico would be the overall commander, Italian General Carloni would lead the attack operationally. All the offensive was under leadership of Italian Marshall
Rodolfo Graziani, who promoted the attack with Mussolini. Their objective: conquest of the small towns of
Barga,
Sommocolonia,
Vergemoli,
Treppignana,
Coreglia,
Fornaci di Barga,
Promiana,
Castelvecchio and
Calomini located north-west of
Lucca. The Order of Battle was: • First column (toward Vergemoli-Calomini): Italian Alpini Intra battalion; HQ defence company of 1st Reggimento Alpini; Divisional Reconnaissance group (Monterosa Div.); Two battalion, 6th Marine Infantry Regiment (San Marco Division); • Second column (toward Treppignana-Castelvecchio): Italian Alpini Brescia Battalion; 1st and 2nd battalions of 286th German Grenadier Regiment; • Third column (toward Sommocolonia-Barga): German Mountain battalion Mittenwald; Groups of Kesselring battalion. ) before the battle Early on 26 December elements of the two German assault battalions from the third column attacked the Sommocolonia garrisoned by elements of Company F of the 2nd Battalion,
366th Regiment, supported by some partisans. Some authors state that the resistance there was tough but quickly overwhelmed. In the morning, 200 men of the Mittenwald battalion seized the American positions south of Sommocolonia at Bebbio and Scarpello held by the 92nd Recon Troop, which withdrew to Coreglia. In the meantime, Axis mortars had opened fire along the whole front and the other two columns had started moving forward: the two German grenadier battalions together with the attached company of the Italian Brescia Alpine battalion attacked successfully in the center down the Serchio valley, east of the river. West of the river, the other Brescia companies overcame a weak initial resistance, but their opponents were already falling back and the attackers advanced to Fornaci almost without opposition. Fornaci itself fell quickly, although the two German battalions were heavily criticized for their sluggishness and lack of aggressiveness. Italian historian Pellegrinetti wrote that the Italian troops conquered all the villages of the valley up to the outskirts of
Bagni di Lucca: on December 27 late afternoon the main offensive ended, even if the next day there were small territorial consolidations. It had been a success with a penetration of more than 25 kilometres inside the Allies lines. As troops of the 92nd Division streamed back, they were ordered to take up positions on the left flank of the Indian positions. All Allied troops forming the defence were placed under command of Major General Russell, the 8th Indian Division commander. However, the Axis objectives were short of the Indian line and so the Axis attack was not pressed forward. By late afternoon on December 27, all objectives having been attained, the offensive ended and by the following day the Axis troops were pulling back towards their start lines with the withdrawal being completed by 30 December. The Alpini of the Monte Rosa Division maintained their new advanced line, 2 kilometers south of the positions they had on December 25, until March 1945. ==Consequences==