34th Division Battlefield Tour (the Red Bulls)

34th Division Battlefield Tour: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

After witnessing how difficult the British attack on Castelforte and the Minturno area had been, and after losing so many lives at the Rapido River in the middle of the Liri Valley, Mark Clark asked General Keyes’ II Corps to send the 34th Red Bulls Division, under the command of Charles Ryder, to cross the Rapido River north of Cassino. His plan was to have the 133rd Regiment attack and occupy the small village of Caira, which at the time was just a group of barracks, and then to climb the hills behind these barracks.

34th Red Bull Division Battlefield Tour: attacking Caira Village

On the left side of the 133rd, the 135th also had to cross the Rapido, but in this case, the goal was to attack Monte Cassino from that side. Naturally, the poor American soldiers didn’t know that the Germans had already dug pillboxes and foxholes, and had prepared barbed wire lines and minefields to delay the Allies.

34th Division Battlefield Tour: the starting of a second front and Monte Cassino Abbey attack

On January 24th, they reached the barracks, but the German fire pushed them back the following night. With the help of the 100th Battalion, a group of American-Japanese soldiers, the so-called Nisei, they fought like lions. By January 26th, they discovered that the battalion, originally formed by 187 men, had only 28 left after 24 hours of fighting. The Red Bulls, with the help of the tank battalion, organized several attacks, but the mud was so difficult for tanks and heavy guns that they had to wait until February 1st. It was then that the 142nd Regiment of the 36th Division arrived to help. The 34th Division reached Point 593, but only for a few hours.

34th Red Bull Division Battlefield Tour: Monte Cassino tour

Even though The Times continued to publish articles about the successful attacks and how weak the German defenses around Cassino had become, the Germans had ordered their regiments from across Europe to reach Cassino and reinforce the position. By the end of February, General Mark Clark and General Keyes were forced to decide to withdraw the 34th and 36th Divisions. In just a few days of fighting, the 34th Red Bulls Division lost one-third of its forces: 318 dead, 1,641 wounded, and 392 missing.

34th Red Bull Division Battlefield Tour: WHAT TO EXPECT

The “Monte Cassino 34th Division Battlefield Tour for Americans”(approximately 3 hours) includes:

1) pickup from your arrival at the railway station in Cassino every day at 10:00 AM or 02:00 PM (Main Square, near the Green Kiosk)

2) About a 3.5-hour guided tour of the most significant American sites in Cassino:

• Monte Trocchio slopes

• Caira village

• the Rapido River and Rio Secco banks

• The Barracks and the Caruso Road

• German Cemetery

• Cassino town center

• Castle Hill

• The Panoramic point

• The Germans’ caves

• The Abbey of Montecassino

3) return to the railway station in Cassino at 01:30 PM or 05:30 PM

34th Red Bull Division Battlefield Tour: EVERYTHING YOU MUST KNOW ABOUT THE TOUR

TOUR DURATION: about 3 hours

DEPARTUR TIME: Daily at 10:00 AM and 02:00 PM

MEETING POINT: Cassino Railway Station (Main Square, near the Green Kiosk)

WHAT IS INCLUDED:

• Professional WWII Guidance
• Transportation in a modern van with air conditioning
• Donation to the monastery

WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED: Lunch and dinner are not included

PRICE PER PERSON: 90 euros

PAYMENT:

• No advance payment
• You can make the payment in cash to your guide during the tour.

34th Red Bull Division Battlefield Tour: MORE TOURS IN THIS AREA

Battlefield tour on the footsteps of 36th Texas Division⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The 85th Division (From Scauri to Tremensuoli) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The 88th Division Grand Tour (from Santa Maria Infante to Castelforte) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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