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BNPS.co.uk (01202 558833)<br />
Pic: FonthillMedia/BNPS<br />
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A New Zealander sniper in the ruins of Cassino, 26 March 1944.<br />
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These harrowing images of Monte Cassino feature in a new book about the military offensive which sheds fresh light on atrocities committed by French forces after the famous battle.<br />
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The monumental four-month battle saw the Allies launch four assaults against the Winter Line in Italy held by Axis forces as they sought the breakthrough to clear the path to Rome.<br />
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However, the route was blocked by the rugged Monte Cassino massif with its hilltop medieval monastery. <br />
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The Allies were confronted by barren, rocky slopes and inaccessible mountains where German soldiers with machine guns lay in wait.<br />
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Historian Angelos Mansolas has researched the Battle of Monte Cassino for his new book Monte Cassino, January - May 1944, The Legend of the Green Devils, which includes haunting first-hand accounts of soldiers on both sides.