Photo Analysis Cassino - Dal Volturno a Cassino

Photo Analysis
Cassino
John Winner
This is an attempt to put very accurate positions to some photos taken during the battle of Cassino. The photos are all in the area of the Hotel Excelsior (most of the
time wrongly called the Hotel Continental). This was somewhat of a difficult task as these buildings no longer exist. Period photos of the area before the battles are extemely
hard to find. I have done my best to recreate the basic facade of a couple of important buildings. The infomation presented here is not to be taken as 100% accurate and I do
welcome and corrections or additions.
I can be contacted at [email protected].
I would like to thank the following for providing the groundwork that I was able to build off of, without their previous work this document would not have been
possible.
Valentino Rossetti for Dal Volturno a Cassino: http://www.dalvolturnoacassino.it
Marco Marzilli for Le roccaforti tedesche a Cassino:
http://digilander.libero.it/historiamilitaria2/continental.htm
Life images hosted on Google: http://images.google.com/hosted/life
Victoria Universtiy of Wellington Library: http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/name-001638.html
Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe: http://www.audiovis.nac.gov.pl/
Bundesarchiv images hosted by Wikipedia: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Images_from_the_German_Federal_Archive
Special thanks to Tomek Basarabowicz for the constant words of encouragement
In the presentaion of this document I will be using some images that will be repeated many times. First will be this map (without captions). Buildings are labled as what they
were called at the time of the battles (to the best of my knowledge):
The cave will not be shown in any of the photos. It was where the headquarters of II./3.Fallschirmjäger-Regiment was located. The Palazzo Iucci is the location of the bulk
of the photos presented in this document.
Second will be this map showing the basic shell and interior walls of Pallazo Iucci known from photos of the
buildings (it will most likely be cropped):
Soldiers in photos will be denoted in red and identified soldiers will be denoted with in green.
Fourth will be these basic building facades:
Palazzo Iucci
Palazzo Sivlestri
As most of these photos are taken from inside Palazzo Iucci I will label the 5 entrances 1 thurough 5 starting from the left (south). These will be presented in there own
sections.
Captions on the photographs may at times be repetitive, as I am trying to make each photo able to stand on its own.
Entrance #1
Signal Magazine issue 14, year V, 1944
Fallschirmjäger of 1.Fallschirmjäger-Division (II./Rgt. 1 or II./Rgt. 3) fire on Allied soldiers from the first small
opening on the south side of Palazzo Iucci.
This area of Palazzo Sivlestri can be seen
Die Deutsche Wochenschau Nr. 709
The Stug III of Stug.-Brigade 242 is firing on Allied troops. The Filmberichter is, I believe, located
in the first small opening on the south end of the Palazzo Iucci.
This area of Palazzo Sivlestri can be seen
On this page are more photos from entrance #1. I am putting them here because the camera angle is nearly the same as the first example.
Entrance #2
Inside the first large opening from the south of the Palazzo Iucci. This area was where the Sturmgeschütz from
Stug.-Brigade 242 was stationed between strikes against the allies. Identified soldiers: seated without cap is
Hauptmann Rudolf Rennecke, Kommandeur II./Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 3; standing, wearing field cap is
Feldwebel Eugen Opel, Kommandeur of the Stug III. (standing near the Stug III is another of its crew).
This area of Palazzo Sivlestri can be seen
On the next two pages are more photos of this same corner. I decided not to lay them out with the map as I thought it was too repeatative.
Here we see Hauptmann Rudolf Rennecke (seated, without cap)
looking out towards the railroad station.
Feldwebel Eugen Opel (face towards
camera), two Fallschirmjägern and
another member of the Stug crew (left).
Hauptmann Rudolf Rennecke (seated, without cap) and Feldwebel
Eugen Opel (standing in cap).
Hauptmann Rudolf Rennecke (seated, without cap)
and Feldwebel Eugen Opel (standing in cap).
A Fallschirmjäger fires from his FG42.
Hauptmann Rudolf Rennecke now wearing his Feldmutze
and smock.
Fallschirm-Sanitäter move out from the Palazzo Iucci to retieve wounded men from the battlefield. They are leaving
from the same opening of Palazzo Iucci which held the Stug III of Stug.-Brigade 242. One can see the end of the
Stugs muzzle in the lower left of the photograph.
This area of Palazzo Sivlestri can be seen
This area of Palazzo Sivlestri can be seen
Two Fallschirm-Sanitäter move toward the north end of Palazzo Sivlestri. The photograph was take from the first large southern opening of the Palazzo Iucci.
Die Deutsche Wochenschau Nr. 709
The Stug III of Stug.-Brigade 242 is moving out from the first large southern opening
in the Palazzo Iucci to attack the Allies.
This area of Palazzo Sivlestri can be seen
Die Deutsche Wichenschau Nr. 709
The Stug III of Stug.-Brigade 242 sits between Palazzo Iucci, possibly moving to defend the other side of
Palazzo Sivlestri.
This area of Palazzo Sivlestri can be seen
Entrance #4
Here inside the large opening on the north end of Palazzo Iucci are from left to right: Leutnant Siegfried Rammelt, Kommandeur of the Pionier Zug; Lt. Renisch,
Kommandeur of II/Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 1; Feldwebel Eugen Opel, Kommandeur of the Stug; Hauptmann Rudolf Rennecke, Kommandeur of II./FallschirmjägerRegiment 3, and an unknown Fallschirmjäger.
Bundesarchiv (photo number not known)
The crew of the Stug III of Stug.-Brigade 242 rests between engagements, Feldwebel Eugen Opel is second from the left. This scene took place in the room with the
northern large openingin Palazzo Iucci.
Men of the 1.Fallschirmjäger-Division (II./Rgt. 1 or II./Rgt. 3) rest at the back of the large opening on the north of Palazzo Iucci. Through the door on the right side of the
photo you can see the next room, it has been almost totaly destroyed, so it seems like the outside.
The Stug III of Stug.-Brigade 242 sits in the Large northern opening in the Palazzo Iucci.
Die Deutsche Wochenschau Nr. 709
The Stug III of Stug.-Brigade 242 has moved to the large opening on the south end of the Palazzo Uicci. I do not know if it is still operational at this time. Identified soldiers:
(close to the wall is Fedwebel Eugen Opel, Kommandeur of the Stug; in front of him with his left shoulder to the camera is Hauptmann Rudolf Rennecke, Kommandeur of
II./Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 3; and on to his right is Leutnant Renisch, Kommandeur of II./Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 1.
Die Deutschen Wochenschau Nr. 709
Leutnant Renisch observes the advance of his troops, II./Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 1.
More captures from this sequence will be shown on the next pages.
Leutnant Renisch (left) watches as his troops advance.
Leutnant Renisch seen here to the left.
The troops approach the corner of Palazzo Sivlestri.
Fallschirmjäger advance across the Piazza Ciano to the Casa
del Fascio from the Palazzo Sivlestri (map shown left).
Outside
Courtesy of Dal Volturno a Cassino
The Stug III of Stug.-Brigade 242 sits outside the Palazzo Uicci, in the background we see the Palazzo Marselli.
Palazzo Iucci
On the next page are more photos of this same scene.
Courtesy of Dal Volturno a Cassino
Here we see the body of Leutnant Siegfried Rammelt surrounded by some Fallschirmjäger, just behind them is the Hotel Excelsior. The photo was taken on 21.03.1944.
Surrounding area
Die Deutsche Wochenschau Nr. 709
These captures are taken from Palazzo Sivlestri looking north across Piazza Ciano down
Corso Vittorio Emanuele II (now Via Gaetano di Biasio).
Die Deutsche Wochenschau Nr. 709