ITALERI Montecassino 1944 Gustav Line Bat CDuring the Italian campaign, in the period from January to May 1944, the allied forces under the command of General Mark Clark, advanced upon the German 10th Army commanded by General Heinrich von Vietinghoff, who were entrenched in defensive positions along the Gustav line. The cornerstone of the Gustav line was the small town of Cassino which controlled the river Liri valley. Cassino itself was dominated by the historic Benedictine abbey of