9th (2nd City of London) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers
Gothic Line
### Gothic Line

56th (L) Division set sail from [Port Said](/wiki/Port_Said "Port Said") on 12 July and landed at Taranto on 17 July, taking over the transport and equipment of [78th Division](/wiki/78th_Infantry_Division_%28United_Kingdom%29 "78th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)"), which was leaving for refit in Egypt. On 4 August 56th (L) Division moved to [Assisi](/wiki/Assisi "Assisi"), where it formed part of the reserve behind Eighth Army, which was preparing for the attack on the [Gothic Line](/wiki/Gothic_Line "Gothic Line") (Operation Olive). The offensive opened on 25 August 1944, and once the leading divisions had broken into the German positions, 56th (L) Division was used to widen the breach on 1 September. 169 Brigade captured Mondarno, then 167 Bde, with 8th Royal Fusiliers and 7th OBLI leading, attacked on 4 September, 9th Royal Fusiliers being held back for the capture of the final objective. The initial operation went well, and commanders believed that a breakthrough had been achieved. It was decided to push 9th Royal Fusiliers through before daylight on 5 September. It crossed the start line at midnight, B Company leading with Tac HQ behind, and advanced in the dark over unreconnoitred ground towards enemy positions that had not been located. After half an hour the fusiliers waded across the [River Conca](/wiki/Conca_%28river%29 "Conca (river)"), but B Company became separated from the rest of the battalion, and Tac HQ had no protective screen. It reached Croce just after 04\.00 and came across Germans digging in; immediately a firefight broke out. Lieutenant\-Col Cleghorn ordered B Company to work its way round Croce, but the Germans were in force, and the whole brigade had to deploy in a hurry. At dawn, A Company with platoon of B Company and a troop of tanks was about halfway to its objective, with B and D Companies in rear and C Company in reserve. Little could be done in daylight, and the battalion's positions were shelled all day. A new attack was organised for the evening, with D Company and the battle patrol to go in with artillery support at 21\.00\. They managed to enter the town but were driven out again. B and C Companies attacked at 03\.30 on 6 September, but B was driven out and C pinned down. Some tanks of the [7th Hussars](/wiki/7th_Hussars "7th Hussars") arrived at 08\.00 and supported C Company into the town, which was captured by 11\.40\. B Company was still fighting on the left, so the brigade commander sent up two companies of 8th Royal Fusiliers to bolster the 9th's slender garrison. The town was under constant shellfire and sniping, and several tanks were knocked out. At 14\.00 9th Royal Fusiliers had to request help and it was joined by the whole of 8th Bn. The Germans counter\-attacked in strength after dark. There followed a night of confused fighting, in which the enemy tanks and infantry slowly regained most of Croce: A Company was withdrawn at 05\.00 and the remnants of C Company at 11\.15\. Both battalions were then withdrawn so that the so that the artillery could bombard the town, and 8th Royal Fusiliers attacked again. They found themselves in a fight with German armour and suffered heavy casualties before British tanks and other units arrived to complete the capture. Both battalions were finally relieved n the night of 8/9 September.Jackson, Vol VI, Pt II, pp. 225–6, 231, 251–2, 260–1, 267–8, Map 19\.Parkinson, pp. 209–15\.

The next task was to penetrate the Germans' reserve position, the Rimini Line. On 13 September 9th Royal Fusiliers took over a defensive position and the rest of 167 Bde passed through to attack the Sensoli Ridge that night. Even 9th Bn's static role was difficult, with numerous pockets of Germans to be rounded up and heavy enemy shellfire on the line when the brigade's attack began. Two nights later the 9th Royal Fusiliers took part in the second phase of the operation, to clear the Mulazzano ridge. The battalion attacked on the brigade's left to capture a spur and then exploit towards Cerasola some  beyond. It moved off at 22\.00 and D Company established a bridgehead over the [River Marano](/wiki/Marano_%28river%29 "Marano (river)"). However, A Company then set off up the wrong spur followed by B Company, while Tac HQ advanced up the correct spur. At daybreak A and B Companies were stuck half\-way up the right spur with 8th Royal Fusiliers, while the left spur was uncleared. The tank support having arrived, they were sent with D Company to clear the left spur, then crossed to help A and B Companies. Plans for exploitation to Cerasola were dropped, and 9th Royal Fusiliers consolidated the Mulazzano ridge until they were relieved on 21 September.Jackson, Vol VI, Pt II, p. 277, Map 20\.Parkinson, pp. 216–20\.


How did the Germans' reserve position, the Rimini Line, impact British operations?