Extracted from "Vol II Engineer History Mediterranean Theater, Fifth Army"
19th Engineer Combat Group (19th Engineer Combat Regiment) The Arno through the winter static phase.
On 31 August, the 2nd Battalion, 19th Engineer Retiment, had been relieved of all assignments and attached to IV Corps. A road net was assigned on both sides of the Arno in the Pontedera-Empoli area. Rubble was cleared from these towns and neighboring villages, bypasses were constructed, fills made and mines cleared. The battalion gave support to Task Force 45, 1st Armored Division and the 6th South African Armored Division while attached to IV Corps, and was detached 5 September and returned to regimental control. (This battalion later became the 402nd and the 1st Bn became the 401st Bn. 19th Engineer Group)
Heavy rains on the night of 7-8 September caused a treadway and a Bailey bridge over the Arno River just east of Florence to wash out. Both bridges had been constructed too low. Since the Bailey bridge was on a main supply route and the attack on the Gothic Line only a few days away, a 300 foot floating treadway bridge ws constructed as soon as bridging could be hauled to the site. The Bailey bridge was salvaged by dragging it out with blocks and truck winches.
As the Gothic Line was attacked on 11 September, the 19th Engineers had their usual job of supporting the division engineers. The 1st Battalion started the attack in support of the 91st Division, but on 13 September changed to support the 85th Division. The 2nd Battalion remained in the rear, taking over the roads and supporting the 1st Battalion where it required help until 21 September when it began giving direct support to the 88th Division Engineers.
The 19th Regiment advanced up Highway #65, then continued on #6524. On 18 September, the main defenses of the Gothic Line were borken and for some miles our forces moved forward rapidly. In a few places the enemy had failed to demolish bridges or side-hill cuts and the engineers were able to keep the roads open with little difficulty.
Near the end of September the havy rains started. They caused no end of trouble by washing out culverts and frills, making fords impassible and softening the roads until they could not stand up under the heavy traffic.
As the 19th advanced in September through Vaglia, Aan Piero, Acarperia, to Firenzuola and north, it operated three water points, constructed sixteen bailey bridges, totalling 2,000 lineal feet, and one 90 foot trestle treadwaybridge, in addition to filling craters, building revetments and construction of five cub strips. A the storms continued through October, the roads required more and more work to keep them open. Supply and evacuation became critical at times, and the move forward finally came to a standstill.
The 19th worked day and night to keep traffic moving. The deep mud and very rough roads soon began to show in the operation of vehicles and equipment. There were many break downs and spare parts were hard to get, until frequently units of the regiment were almost without vehicles and equipment and the efficiency of their work dropped proportionately.
During the latter part of October, the 19th received 2 1/2 ton cargo trucks from the Corps Quartermaster which helped materially in keeping the roads open. The work done in October was similar to that of the previous month. From Firenzuola the 19th Engineer Regiment moved north and east, up Route #6528, and across country to contact #6531 near S. Benedetto. The northeren boundry on these two roads was near the town of S.Clemente and Tazzola, respectively. Seventeen Bailey bridges totallying 1,600 feet were constructed, twelve cluverts installed, five minefields cleared and cratered, bypasses, fords, fills and a cub strip worked upon.
On 8 November, the 2nd Battalion turned Route #937 over to thte XIII Corps and moved to the regimental area near Frassineta, about two miles east of Monghidoro, and began construction of a road from that point to the southern end of Route #6531, which followie ith Idice Rive south from S.Benedetto to highway #65 at Filligare. "Easy Street" was finished on 29 November, a one-way, all-weather road. The 1st Battalion worked on the maintenance of roads in the interior area between Highway #65 and Route #937 in support of the 88th Division, which relieved the 85th on 18 November. the 34th Dividion in turn relieved the 88th on 13 January and the 91st followed on 11 February.
During the month all men of the regimeht had the opportunity to spend six days of rest in Montecatinin, the first rest period for the organizatin since June. Three snow posts and one sub-station were opened in December. On 22 December, the ground froze hard, and a day later five inches of snow fall. Sand and gravel that had been stockpiled alont the roads were spred on he snow and ice, and little difficulty was experienced in keeping the roads open. In January the snow was sometimes as deep as twenty-two inches.
The road maintenance work was easier from that time, as no new potholes developed. In January eight bridge sites were prepared for demolition and six minefields laid.
401st and 402nd Engineer Combat Battalions.
The latter part of February was spent in planning for the reorganization of the regiment into a group. The new unit was called the 19th Engineer Combat Group, with the old 1st Battalion named the 401st Engineer Combat battalion and the 2nd Battalion the 402nd Engineer Combat Battalion. The changeover officially took place at midnight between 28 February and 1 March. The road assignments on route #6531, the Quinzano road from Highway #6531 to Highway #65, and the tributary roads and trails remiained the same. During March, there were rest periods again, and bridge training was done on teh Arno with Baileys and M-2 treadways.
I will research the role of the 19th Engineer Combat Group during the Po Valley Campaign next.