 In late 1943 , the 15th Army Group under General Sir Harold Alexander were fighting their way northward in Italy against determined German opposition commanded by Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring , whose forces had prepared a succession of defensive lines . East of the Apennine Mountain spine was the British Eighth Army , under General Bernard Montgomery . In October , Eighth Army had crossed the Bifurno river and pushed the German defenders from the Volturno @-@ Viktor Line defences . Delayed by logistical problems , they were not able to attack the next line of defences ( the Barbara Line ) behind the Trigno river until 2 November . However , by 9 November forward elements of the Eighth Army were in contact with the forward defences of the German Winter Line , which had been set on the high ground north of the Sangro River . 
 In late 1943 , the 15th Army Group under General Sir Harold Alexander <a href='uninflect' title='1'><mark>were</mark></a> fighting their way northward in Italy against determined German opposition commanded by Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring , whose forces <a href='been_done' title='2'><mark>had</mark></a> prepared a succession of defensive lines . East of the Apennine Mountain spine was the British Eighth Army , under General Bernard Montgomery . In October , Eighth Army <a href='been_done' title='3'><mark>had</mark></a> crossed the Bifurno river and pushed the German defenders from the Volturno @-@ Viktor Line defences . Delayed by logistical problems , they <a href='negative_concord' title='4'><mark>were</mark></a> <a href='negative_concord' title='5'><mark>not</mark></a>able to attack the next line of defences ( the Barbara Line ) behind the Trigno river until 2 November . However , by 9 November forward elements of the Eighth Army <a href='uninflect' title='6'><mark>were</mark></a> in contact with the forward defences of the German Winter Line , which <a href='been_done' title='7'><mark>had</mark></a> been set on the high ground north of the Sangro River . 
In late 1943 , the 15th Army Group under General Sir Harold Alexander was fighting their way northward in Italy against determined German opposition commanded by Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring , whose forces done prepared a succession of defensive lines . East of the Apennine Mountain spine was da British Eighth Army , under General Bernard Montgomery . In October , Eighth Army done crossed the Bifurno river and pushed tdaGerman defenders from the Volturno @-@ Viktor Line defences . Delayed by logistical problems , they ain't able to attack the next line of defences ( the Barbara Line ) behind thdarigno river until 2 November . However , by 9 November forward elements of the Eighth Army was in txt with thedarward defences of the daman Winter Line , which done been set on the high ground north of the Sangro River .