Propaganda of the WWII Battle of Monte Cassino

Propaganda of the WWII Battle of Monte Cassino

SGM Herbert A. Friedman (Ret.)

The Abbey of Monte Cassino
I first became interested in the Battle of Monte Cassino about 60 years ago when I came across the German propaganda leaflet S.431 entitled POLES go to CASSINO! (See below). I was fascinated by the images of the bleeding skeleton in the torn uniform. I thought the image was striking. I studied the battle at that time and even wrote some short articles on it, but that was decades ago and for the most part they are forgotten.

Recently, Dr. Rod Oakland, the well-known British expert on propaganda passed away. Among his possessions were several German leaflets that mentioned Monte Cassino. This revived my interest and I wondered if it might be worthwhile to write a short story on the various propaganda items used in the battle.

As always, even though these stories are about the propaganda, it is important to give some background on the military situation at the time. Let me start with a quick synopsis. The reader should understand that this is an article about propaganda not strategy, so we will not delve too deeply into the military aspects of the battle.

"Didn't we meet at Cassino?"

Cartoon by Bill Maudlin

World War Two started poorly for the politically neutral United States. The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in a surprise attack and in a bout of what must have been temporary madness; Adolf Hitler declared war on the United States. America was unprepared but as the “Arsenal of Democracy” was able to supply both itself and other Allied countries with war material. U.S. forces were first defeated in North Africa, but with better training and the addition of General Patton, the U.S. and its British allies pushed the Germans and Italians out of North Africa, and soon afterwards, out of Sicily. The Allies hit the beaches of Italy and started what was expected to be a swift and powerful movement up the boot of Italy to Rome. Then it all went bad. This story is about one of the places where it went terribly bad.

Monte Cassino is a historic mountaintop abbey founded in AD 529. It dominated the nearby town of Cassino and the entrances to the Liri and Rapido valleys. The Allies made several attempts to drive the Germans off the mountaintop but when it became apparent that they were unable to take the high ground they concluded the abbey was being used by the Germans. A decision was made to destroy it. Later evidence indicates that the German were very careful not to use the abbey and in fact went to great pains to preserve its artifacts.

An American B-17 Bomber over Monte Cassino

On 15 February 1944, American bombers dropped 1,400 tons of high explosives, doing great damage to the abbey and the surrounding countryside. The funny or sad part of all this is the American bombers had produced a wonderful defensive position of stone and rubble that the Germans now did occupy. The American bombing strengthened the German position. What also made it more difficult to take the abbey was that it was occupied by German paratroopers, an elite force willing to fight to the bitter end.

The Abbey after the Allied Bombing

Between 17 January and 18 May 1944, there were four assaults by Allied troops. The Germans were eventually forced off the mountain but the victory was a pyrrhic one. The capture of Monte Cassino resulted in 55,000 Allied casualties, with German losses estimated at around 20,000 killed and wounded.

The Allied forces were made up of the United Kingdom, British India, the United States, the Free French, Poland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. As we will see, the German targeted several of these nations in its propaganda leaflets.

The Propaganda Campaign

The Germans loved propaganda. It has been said that they loved it so much that they misused it. Often their leaflets were insulting, antisemetic or pornographic. Early in the war their military was in charge of the propaganda campaign. After the attempt on Hitler’s life on 20 July 1944 the responsibility was given to Himmler’s Schutzstaffel (SS). As you might expect, the images and text quickly reached the lowest common denominator. In WWI they called the propaganda campaigns psychological warfare (PSYWAR) and later when they figured out that sometimes it was worth working on the mindset of the enemy even when not at war they started using the term psychological operations (PSYOP). I prefer the latter term so in this article I will use PSYOP. That can imply face-to-face meetings, leaflets, newspapers, and loudspeaker or radio messages.

Loudspeakers

British researcher Lee Richards reported on the British use of loudspeakers at Cassino by political/psychological warfare field units of the British Army. He said in part:

At the beginning of 1944 several more field units were created including the 815th Political Warfare Forward Units. The 815th was an entirely self-contained, wholly military mobile unit. Its sub-units were designed to be capable of independent action for a limited period. It was composed of 17 officers, some of which were parachute trained, and 54 other ranks. It was organized with a mobile headquarters and three Reconnaissance (or forward) Sections. It had its own radio communications and motorcycle dispatch riders for maintaining contact between the mobile headquarters and the Reconnaissance sections.

The recce sections, which could advance up 30 or 40 miles, were intended for the interrogation of captured German troops and could operate loudspeaker equipment for broadcasting purposes. The HQ Wing included typesetting facilities and printing presses for the production of leaflets. The 815th was sent to Italy but the personnel and its equipment were soon dispersed amongst other psychological warfare units being operated by the pre-existing Psychological Warfare Branch.

One officer of the 815th did take part in a loudspeaker broadcast during the last battle of Cassino in mid-May 1944. The Public Address truck was parked up in the Cassino cemetery between two houses for cover. Ten loudspeakers were then installed over one mile away in a ruined house in Cassino town. The preparation took several days and the four sets of cables running to the loudspeakers were being continually cut by enemy shell fire. On the evening of 17 May, the officer in command was instructed to broadcast the message “If you wish to give up you most come over to us immediately, as long as it is light, if you wait till dark we will not be able to tell if you are surrendering or trying to break out, and will have to shoot at you”. The next day a longer message was repeatedly broadcast and 9 German parachutists, who had already been cut off, did surrender to the PA truck.

Leaflets

The Cassino Debacle - AI-058-3-44

This German leaflet depicts a smiling skull wearing a British military helmet was dropped in Italy about March 1944. The German Propaganda-Abschnitts-Offizier Italien organization printed the “AI” leaflets for use in Italy. Some were printed in Berlin, others in Italy. The “AI” code tells us that the organization in charge was the SS-Standarte Kurt Eggers for use against Allied troops in Italy. The back is a long message in English which says in part:

Cassino is still in German hands in spite of huge Allied losses. For weeks and weeks the Allies have been throwing all their resources into the battle for Cassino. But all in vain!

The heaviest bombardment of the Italian campaign, by artillery and from the air, was to blast away the German defenders. And in fact about 800 Allied bombers dropped more than 2500 tons of H.E.’s on the little town of Cassino in the space of a few hours…

There is a second version of this leaflet that is identical on the front but has very minor changes in the text on the back. I have read one statement that says AI-058 is the larger version to be dropped by airplane and AI-058a is the smaller version to be delivered by V1. However, I have seen no proof that this leaflet was ever disseminated by V1. The leaflet also mentions driving back New Zealand and Indian troops, and we will see that the German prepared specific leaflets for those forces too.

Paved with Skulls – AI-061-4-44

The gory German leaflet depicts a parade of skulls on the road to Rome and a prominent skull in the foreground with a bullet hole over the left eye. It was dropped on the Allies in April 1944 and is another SS-Standarte Kurt Eggers product. It actually is more about the amphibious attack on Nettuno but it does mention Cassino. It says in part:

The roads to Rome are paved with skulls. There is plenty of room for more of them.

The boys in the blood soaked Cassino Valley found it out at tremendous cost to themselves. Neither the heaviest artillery and aerial bombardment of the Italian campaign nor the mass attacks of Allied troops drove the Germans from Cassino. This road to Rome is blocked and so are the others!

Speaking of Time Tables – No Code

This uncoded German leaflet, dropped in May 1944 is quite intricate. It depicts Death as a skeleton on the front measuring the Allies forward movement up the boot of Italy. It shows the advance from Salerno to Cassino, a distance of 125 kilometers, took 8 months. It uses that length of time to imply that capturing all of Italy will take until April 1948. It then claims that getting to Berlin, another 650 kilometers, will be sometime in 1952. Of course, they Germans were quite wrong and by 1952 the Allies will be fighting Communist troops in Korea. Still, it does show a lot of imagination. The back is a long text that says in part:

After 8 months of murderous fighting the Allies have got as far as Cassino – altogether 123 kilometers from their starting point!

And the price? About 1000 casualties for each kilometer!

The bee line to Northern Italy is still more than 6 times 123 kilometers. That means a further advance of more than 6 times 8 months!

That means another 7 long years of bloodshed.

Cassino – AI-063-4-44

This German leaflet is almost cartoonish, showing snarling mountains with sharp teeth gobbling up American and British Troops. It was produced by the Propaganda-Abschnitts-Offizier Italien organization and disseminated in April, 1944. I was not going to add this leaflet because the entire message on the back is warning the Allies about the threat of the deadly mountains. But I was told that since it says “Cassino” on the front it must be added. The funny thing is that my copy does not say “Cassino.” Apparently, two versions of this leaflet were made. OK, so be it. As I said, the front depicts snarling mountains and the text:

CASSINO

The Mountains and valleys of “Sunny Italy” WANT TO SEE YOU…

The back has a cartoon of a Skeleton digging a grave in the center and an Allied soldier saying:

What a nice place for my weary bones.

There is a long text message that says in part regarding the mountains:

They want to see you for an APPOINTMENT WITH DEATH!

Every mountain and every valley in Sunny Italy has an enormous appetite. For weeks and weeks the allies have been feeding them with bombs, shells and streams of blood. And whichever way you turn, you only see more such mountain molochs waiting hungrily for you.

Come to Italy - for a date with DEATH!

If you are romantic

You will be grateful to fate for giving you the chance of a free burial under some picturesque hillside under the blue skies of sunny Italy. Your grave will be in earth linked up with a glorious past and covered with the ruins of ancient temples and buildings.

If you are not romantic

Well, maybe you are saying, “I want to go home!” In any case, a 6’ plot has been reserved for you.

Come to Italy – for a date with death!

This leaflet might have actually worked to some extent. Ian Clive Appleton wrote a 2016 thesis for his Master of Arts in History at Massey University, New Zealand. He said about the leaflet:

The feelings and fears that this leaflet is aimed at can be seen surfacing at the time in the accounts of New Zealand soldiers. Artilleryman Martyn Uren ponders the implications of the Cassino battles and records in his journal “what if there are a hundred Cassinos, or a thousand?” On the same subject a few days later he writes of his fear that there might be “a hundred Cassinos! Five hundred Cassinos before we reach Berlin.”

A Damned Hard Nut - LwP-113a and AI-112a-3-77

We mentioned at the start of this article that the German targeted other troops as well as the Americans and British. Here they work on the morale of the troops from New Zealand. The front depicts Prime Minister Churchill and President Roosevelt looking at a nut labelled “Cassino” with the text:

A damned hard nut, just the right job for our New Zealand pals.

This leaflet has two code numbers and we know that the AI is from the Propaganda-Abschnitts-Offizier Italien. The LwP is more interesting. The German Wehrmacht (Armed Forces) originally used the leaflet code “LwP.” Later, when Hitler gave the propaganda function to the SS, some army personnel transferred to the SS to continue producing propaganda. The SS-Standarte Kurt Eggers continued to use the LwP code on some of their leaflets in Italy even after they replaced the army units about December 1943. Because so much was classified we do not know exactly what the LwP stood for, but suggestions have been Werhmachtpropagandaabetilung (Armed Forces Propaganda Section) or Luftwaffen Propagandaabteilung (Luftwaffe Propaganda Section). The leaflet was disseminated in March 1944.

The leaflet uses a “divide and conquer” theme to try and build ill-feeling toward the British from the New Zealand troops. On 17 February New Zealand’s 2nd Division attacked Cassino from the south while the 4th Indian Division attacked Cassino from the north. A German counter-attack was successful and the Kiwis were forced to withdraw with over 150 men killed, wounded or captured in this failed attack. The New Zealanders were sent in again on 15 March, and after weeks of fighting were withdrawn in early April with 343 deaths and over 600 wounded. In their time on the Cassino front line the 2nd New Zealand Division lost 1,600 men killed, missing and wounded.

Some of the text on the back of the leaflet is:

Hello Boys of the N.Z.E.F.!

You ought to have found out by now that you are facing German crack troops at Cassino! Months have passed and the Allies are still trying to break through this sector. The Americans have failed to – they were inflicted heavy bloody casualties. The British did not even dare to take their turn.

But you, the pluckiest soldiers of the British Empire, you’re just good enough to be thrown as cannon fodder into the hell of Cassino. And what is the result? A few yards of ground gained – soaked with precious New Zealand blood…

Tommies and Anzacs!

This strange uncoded leaflet targets the British, Australian and New Zealand troops. It has a long all-text message on both sides of the leaflet. Its theme is “divide and conquer” and claims that the Americans are not doing their fair share of the fighting at Monte Cassino. It is mentioned in the Falling Leaf, the journal of the Psywar Society, number 151, winter 1955.

POLACY idziecie do CASSINO! - S. 431.

As I mentioned above, this leaflet was what first enthused me about the study of the battle for Monte Cassino. During WWII many Poles escaped the Great Britain where they formed a Polish Free Corps. The Germans often targeted them in their propaganda, somehow hoping the Poles would forget that they had bombed, invaded and occupied their country. Why they believed any Pole might believe their message is beyond me. This leaflet depicts a skeleton pointing toward the battlefront and telling the Poles to advance; while four Poles are shown being blasted by German artillery. The language is Polish and translates to:

POLES, you are going to CASSINO!

The message on the back is rather long and entitled Polish Soldiers! It tells the soldiers that they were lucky that they were not in Poland when the Russians invaded or they would have been killed in the Katyn forest massacre or imprisoned in the “Soviet Paradise.” They do not mention that it was a deal between Hitler and Stalin that allowed the Soviets to take half of Poland. The leaflet does tell the Poles that if they come over to the Germans they will be immediately sent home and be free to work at whatever job they want. I had looked high and low for a translation of this leaflet with no luck. Then I found quite by accident that I had translated it back in 1968 and illustrated it in a British newspaper. Who remembers a short story written almost 50 years ago? The text says in part:

Polish Soldiers!

You are facing great danger. You have missed Katyn and you have escaped alive from the Bolshevik paradise. You have been lucky so far – but now you are wanted no more. United Polish troops are not admired by Stalin who is going to destroy your Fatherland. Your leaders in London have received orders from Moscow to destroy you in the least complicated way.

You have stayed till now in quiet positions in the central part of the Italian Front. Now you are going to be thrown into Cassino Hell. Some years ago Stalin sent a group of murderers to liquidate your colleagues at Katyn. The English are smarter. You are going to die at Cassino as great heroes…

The Polish II Corps took parts in the attacks on Monte Cassino. The Poles lost 281 officers and 3,503 other ranks in assaults on the German 4th Parachute Regiment. On 12 May, the Polish infantry divisions were met with such devastating mortar, artillery and small-arms fire that the leading battalions were all but wiped out. On 17 May, Polish II Corps launched their second attack on Monte Cassino. Under constant artillery and mortar fire the fighting was fierce and at times hand-to-hand. On 18 May a patrol of Polish 12th cavalry Regiment finally made it to the heights and raised a Polish flag over the ruins. Immediately after the cessation of fighting at Monte Cassino, the Polish government in Exile (in London) created the Monte Cassino campaign cross to commemorate the Polish part in the capture of the strategic point. During the Italian Campaign, the Polish II Corps lost 11,379 men. Among them were 2,301 killed in action, 8,543 wounded in action and 535 missing in action.

Go Home! – S.421

German leaflet S.421 targets Polish soldiers. We know that by the code “S” which was always for Poles. I selected this leaflet because I think the artwork is really interesting. We see a Polish soldier marching forward though blindfolded, presumably by his British masters. At his left is a member of the Indian Division who has been injured by an exploding shell fragment. On the ground with a head wound is a savage looking black North African colonial soldier. The Germans often tried to drive a wedge between Allied black and white soldiers pretending that they alone were socially conscious, but to their own people and their Italian allies they mocked blacks and always pictured them as uncultured savages. In the foreground we see the Monastery of Monte Cassino, wrecked by Allied bombardment. The text reminds the Poles of how the British come begging when times are hard. It ignores the fact that the Poles are with the British because the Germans drove them there by an overwhelming sneak attack. The text says in part:

Polish soldiers! Have you thought about who you are fighting with jointly in Italy? The English could always manage problems by themselves until the situation got serious. When it became about their skin, they tried to get others to fight for them. Then they brought in Americans, then Canadians, then French troops from General De Gaulle’s camp, and Moroccans and Hindus. And finally it was the turn of you and the Hindus! And, you were treated worse than the colored colonial army.

The Germans also broadcast radio messages to the Poles. The order to put a Polish-language radio station on the air called Wanda was signed by Hitler in February 1944. The station was broadcast from two rooms in the Italian State Broadcasting Service in Rome. Wanda told the Polish soldiers that any soldier who defected to the Germans would immediately be sent home. One program was taped and the announcer said to the Polish troops at Cassino:

Your land has been delivered to Stalin’s hands by Churchill. You have no place to return to when the war is done.

A great number of the German leaflets reminded the Poles to listen to Wanda, and many also added the phrase Do Domu (Go Home), which they hoped the Poles would easily remember and encourage them to defect. The radio propaganda leaflets were first written in German, then translated to Polish. They were printed in Sulmona. Wanda made her last broadcast on 23 April 1945.

Poster - M. Cassino – For your Freedom and Ours

Stanislaw Westwalewicz produced this propaganda poster for the Polish Public Relations Unit in London in 1944. The text is in English and Italian. The Polish soldier wears a British-type uniform with a Polish shoulder patch. He belongs to the II Polish Corps equipped by the British army. Monte Cassino is at the top of the poster.

There were many more leaflets dropped on the Allied troops at Monte Cassino that do not mention the monastery but were picked up off the ground. Many are mentioned in Peter Batty’s 2005 book Paper War – Nazi Propaganda in one Battle, on a Single Day, Cassino, Italy, May 11, 1944. Batty breaks up the leaflets he found that day into several languages and targets. He says that the German thought he was with a British division so mortared two English-language leaflets at his troops. The Polish division was to his right and that confused the Germans and they then fired nine Polish leaflets at his men. In fact, he was with the Indian division, and the Germans finally figured it out and then mortared three Indian-language leaflets to his troops. We will illustrate two from each group:

English Language:

Indeed an Amusing war

A cartoon of a British woman fleeing with the pants of an American officer who thought he would have sex with her.

The text is very long on the back and says in part:

Before trying to breakthrough at Cassino, your command withdrew all American troops from the main fighting line, because – as was stated by the B.B.C on 23.3.44, only picked Allied troops could be used against the German parachutists…Is it worthwhile thinking over why London has such a bad opinion about your American pals. Possibly because 70% of all Americans who came across are still hanging about in England?

Italy wants to see you

This is a very attractive leaflet in the form of a tourist guide. There is very little text. The folded leaflet depicts a ghostly image of a girl on the beach and the scene of a villa and trees and fruit. The text is:

Italy wants to see you

The back of the leaflet when unfolded shows a skull at the right over a field of crosses and the text:

But did you expect to find it like this?

Polish language:

Polish friend – Do you want to die here?

Polish friend – do you want to die here? – This leaflet mentions several Polish soldiers who have defected to the Germans. The code is S.414. Some of the text on the back is:

Jan Lubszynski came to us on Easter Monday. Anxiety over Poland’s future and his family’s happiness made him return home…In the next 14 days Jan Lubszynski will find himself home. He’s asked us to send you his regards. Things are going well for him and he’s in good spirit. He’ll tell you himself his opinions of the Germans and how he has been treated. So listen to the “Wanda” broadcast to hear your friend Jan Lubszynski

Polish Friends! Do you want to die for these?

Polish friends! Do you want to die for these? – An anti-Semitic and pornographic leaflet depicting a naked woman on the lap of a caricatured Jew. The code is S.415. Some of the text on the back is:

THE JEWS ARE GETTING THE BEST OF IT

You are wandering far from your close ones, in a far-away country. The swindlers and imposers of the war are away from the front, enjoying every comfort, surrounded by their families…Would you like to know how your nearest and dearest are, what they think of the war, and how they are yearning for you? If you do, come to us. We assure you an instant return to your Fatherland. Your wives, children and beloved Fatherland await you!

SLOGAN: GO HOME!

Leaflet XP-2

I add this leaflet because it mentions Monte Cassino. On the front of this British (PWE) and American (OWI) leaflet we see the British, Polish and American flags. The code "X" shows it was for civilians, and the "P" mean "Polish." The text is:

POLES!

The Allied Air Forces of the West are now operating in the skies of Poland. We who bring you this message are flying on to bases in Russia. We will return to attack the German war machine wherever it may hide.

The flag of Poland floated over Monte Cassino, where the heroic soldiers of Poland gave their lives to win the victory which helped to save Rome from German destruction.

The flag of Poland is carried triumphantly in the pursuit of the retreating German armies through Italy.

Great Allied forces have attacked the European fortress from land, sea and air. The Polish Air Force took part in this attack and shot down a record number of German airplanes.

In this hour, when Polish arms are winning glory on the field of battle, the United Nations are mindful also of the other unceasing battle which for four years you have been courageously waging on the soil of Poland,

Today, we of the Allied Air Forces come to help the Polish Underground Army in the destruction of the hated German oppressor.

By bombing from the air, we are helping you who fight on the ground. We are both attacking the same targets, German armed forces, transport, factories, and stores of war material.

Despite the care we shall take to avoid civilian suffering, there will be casualties from our air attacks. By taking precautions you can help to reduce these casualties.

Save your families and yourselves by getting away from military targets.

Take shelter whenever the alarm is given.

LIVE FOR POLAND.

We of the Allied Air Forces now operating over Poland from bases in Britain, Italy and Russia, fight under the slogan which Poland was first to carry on her banners:

FOR YOUR FREEDOM AND FOR OURS.

Indian languages:

Some of the recruiting of Indian troops is mentioned by Gurbachan Singh Mangat in Indian National Army, Gagan Publishers, New Delhi, 1991. He says that a party of 27 men under command of a Lieutenant Jamil Ahmed Khan was sent to Italy to interview Indian POWs captured by the Axis. The group also produced loudspeaker messages and propaganda leaflets to drop over Indian troops fighting with the British forces. Leaflets were also fired to the Indian troops by mortar and rocket (propagandawerfer).

In 2009, author Martin Bamber sent me a letter asking permission to use some of the Indian leaflet images and sending some further data on Jamil Ahmad Khan:

The rocket used was most likely the 7.3-centimeter PgGr41 rocket that could carry .5 kilogram of paper leaflets. Another squad led by Feldwebel Banta Singh used the 8.1-centimeter rocket. One of these leaflets was later recovered by an Italian farmer in the town of Faenza, near where the British 8th Indian Division operated in early 1945. On one side it pictured Indian soldiers (quoting their names, ranks, service numbers and former Indian Army units) receiving exemplary hospital care. The back had a Hindustani propaganda message:

MY INDIAN FRIENDS

What do you think? Do you still believe the English Propaganda that Germans kill their prisoners?

LOOK!

Overleaf are photographs of some of your comrades who were wounded in battle. They have been sent to a hospital and are receiving excellent care.

GERMANS ARE HUMAN

And they know how to act in a humane way.

AND

Prisoners of war can spend their time in camps in comfort and will return home after the war is ended.

WAIT!

For the second edition where we will publish photographs of your friends who have been captured recently.

Lieutenant Jamil Ahmed Khan also operated in then Monte cassino sector where the British 4th Indian Infantry Division was engaged. A radio propaganda station named �BHAIBAND� (�Comrade�) was also set up in Rome. Two 30-minute transmissions were made each day. It was reported that Indian prisoners-of-war and defectors had both heard the radio programs and read the propaganda leaflets, but the results were meagre. The British Indian soldiers had not even been forbidden to listen to Radio Station Bhaiband, which gives some indication as to how seriously the British military authorities looked upon the effects of Indian nationalist propaganda upon their own Indian troops.

One mouse is the head of an elephant

One mouse is the head of an elephant – A story of how a mouse (England) rules India (the elephant). The text is:

A mouse is the leader of the Elephant

Once upon a time when an elephant was sleeping, a mouse came up to him and saw him sleeping so soundly that he tied the elephant with a chain. Even since the elephant has remained a slave of the mouse. One day a cat came by and wanted to eat the mouse. The mouse ran to the elephant and asked for help. He promised the elephant that if he helped the mouse would set him free. The innocent elephant helped the mouse against the cat and then asked him to release the chains. The mouse laughed at the elephant and replied, “You don’t deserve to be set free; you are not fit for it.” After a few days the same cat came again and attacked the mouse. The mouse once again went to the elephant for help. The elephant replied, “You are dishonest; a traitor and deceiver! I won’t help you. I’ll try to break my chains by myself. It is good for the cat to eat you.” And that is exactly what happened, the cat ate the mouse and the elephant applied a bit of strength to break his own chains and was free.

This is your state! A big country like India is a slave to a small country like Britain. The Indian soldiers should be fighting for their freedom which can only be achieved if England is destroyed. You are only fighting to remain enslaved.

Boycott foreign goods

This leaflet depicts Mahatma Gandhi and the trials the British put him through. The code number is 163/914, which indicates that it was printed by the Propaganda-Einsatz Fuehrer organization. Text on the front is:

Boycott foreign goods

The text on the back is in part:

The Mahatma’s life is full of sorrow, with many problems and sacrifices.

His thousands of companions also had to face the hardships of being a political prisoner. This is all for love of their country! They are doing all this for their country, for their Indian brothers, for you.

Yes for you! And your children too!

They should not have to join the army to fulfill their hunger and earn a living, and they shouldn’t have to give up their life for free for another country and race. Like you! And if you lose your life for this army all of the sacrifices of Mahatmas will go to waste.

This ends our look at German propaganda. There were dozens of different leaflets fired at the Allies by artillery and mortar and we have depicted just a few of them. Perhaps in the future we will add more leaflets to this article if we find any particularly interesting ones.

The German Explanation and Postcard Blitz

German Postcard 184 - The Abbey Destroyed

Immediately after the destruction of the abbey, the Germans did a propaganda blitz where they produced a set of 10 propaganda postcards coded 184 to 193, showing Monte Cassino before and after the bombing. The cards were issued at the end of February 1944. They were offered in an envelope coded PAJ 1/94. “PAI” is equivalent to “PAJ”, and stands for Propaganda Abteilung Italien Gruppe Kampfpropaganda – the War Propaganda Group of the Italian Propaganda Department of the German Abwehr. The Abwehr was the intelligence unit for the German Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW). The cards were coded and entitled:

Code 184. The abbey destroyed.
Code 185. Picture of the main altar.
Code 186. A courtyard in the abbey.
Code 187. The abbey.
Code 188. Smoking ruins of the abbey.
Code 189. The destroyed abbey.
Code 190. A courtyard within the abbey.
Code 191. The abbey library
Code 192. The abbey’s sacristy.
Code 193. The declaration released by the abbot after the destruction, attesting in Italian and German that there had never been any German soldiers in the monastery. The statement by the Bishop of the abbey written in German and Italian said:

This is the statement given out by the Abbot of Monte Cassino after the destruction of the monastery by Anglo-American aircraft of 15 February 1944.

15 February 1944

I testify that the whole truth is that German soldiers have never been within the precincts of the holy monastery of Cassino. For a certain time there were three police with the task of carrying out an inspection of the neutral zone which was established around the monastery, but they were withdrawn 20 days ago. Of my own free will I state that there are not now, and never have been any German soldiers in the Monastery of Monte Cassino.

Gregorio Diamare
Bishop and Abbot

VI Corps G2 (Intelligence) German Propaganda Leaflet Souvenir Booklet

Before we leave all the German leaflets used against U.S. forces during the Italian campaign from 2 January to 6 June 1944 when the Allies invaded mainland Europe. I want to show you a booklet that was prepared by the VI Corps and issued to some troops as a souvenir of the campaign. This 51-page booklet depicts many of the leaflets dropped from aircraft and fired by artillery, mortar, and rocket by the Germans. I would not have added it, except on the cover we do see �The Cassino Debacle,� and that qualifies this booklet as a Monte Cassino item. The booklet points out:

The leaflets that follow are only a sampling of the total encountered, but they serve to illustrate the many different themes used by the Germans. Many are an attempt to split the Allies, while others attempt to destroy the soldier�s faith in the home front, his Commander-in-Chief, his girl, his friends, and his country. Much of the propaganda is antisemitic which was a favorite Nazi theme, while a good deal of it appealed directly to the soldier in telling him that �Death awaited him as long as he continued to fight.�

In addition to the small pamphlets, a bi-monthly paper, dubbed �The Lightning News,� was used by the Germans. Also, there were daily broadcasts by �Sally� over Jerry�s radio station and the frequent use of front-line loudspeakers. But whatever the method, and regardless of the words used, the idea behind the entire program was to make the soldier soft, unhappy, lose the desire to fight, and desert.

Allied Leaflets

American forces in the Pacific were telling the Japanese which cities would be bombed. It was believed that the people knowing that they had been warned and yet being unable to stop the American bombers would be demoralizing to the civilians. Later, in Korea, the Americans again would tell the enemy what cities were about to be bombed.

Attenzione!

In the case of Monte Cassino, the Allied did tell those on the mountain top that the abbey was about to be bombarded. This is not a fancy strategic leaflet with colorful images and broad concepts. It is a tactical leaflet put together quickly in an attempt to save some lives. Notice that the text is Italian. The American Fifth Army is warning the monks and Italian civilians on the mountain. The Germans certainly read the leaflets too, but no attempt was made to specifically warn them with German-language leaflets. 11,000 of these leaflets were fired by artillery leaflet shell on 14 February 1944. A second source says that they were air-dropped, so they might have also been disseminated by aircraft. The text is:

Italian Friends Attention!

We have been especially careful until now to avoid shelling Monte Cassino Monastery. The Germans know how to benefit from this. But now the fighting has swept closer and closer to its sacred precincts. The time has come when we must train our guns on the monastery itself. We give you warning so that you might save yourselves. We warn you urgently; Leave the monastery. Leave it at once. Respect this warning. It is for your benefit.

The Fifth Army

Carl Berger mentions the warning by artillery in An introduction to Wartime Leaflets, Special Operation Research Office, The American University, Washington D.C., 1959:

Artillery-disseminated propaganda leaflets not only played an important role in the psychological campaign against enemy troops in Italy, but were also used in special situations against civilian targets. For example, prior to the bombing of the Cassino monastery in 1944, an attempt was made to warn the Italian civilian inhabitants of the imminent air attack on the German-held monastery. Special leaflets bearing a warning in Italian from the Fifth Army, telling the people the Allies had at last found themselves compelled to attack the sanctuary, urged the Italians to leave the buildings at once. The leaflets were loaded into 25-pounder shells and fired over the famous buildings. Both artillery and propaganda personnel saw the leaflets shower down on the abbey. Subsequently, some Italians who escaped from the abbey reported that leaflets had reached the target and the message had been received by all civilians in the monastery.

Safe Conduct Pass

This safe conduct pass was signed by Field Marshall Alexander and fired or dropped on German troops at Monte Cassino. Notice that the text in back is in German, Italian (for any Fascist collaborators) and Polish (some Poles were thought to be fighting with the Germans). Since the Allies believed that the regimented Germans were more impressed by fancy diploma-like leaflets, notice that this one bears the seals of the United States and United Kingdom as well as a prominent signature.

Where is Hitler? – Hail Himmler

We don’t know much about Allied propaganda leaflets prepared for Monte Cassino. It seems likely that most that were fired to the top of the mountain were destroyed, burnt for heat or used as toilet paper. We do know that the above leaflet was part of a propaganda campaign to try and convince the Germans that Himmler was taking power from Hitler. It was found on the ground at the base of the mountain. There were variations of this theme in several black operations. We believe this leaflet was prepared by the Psychological Warfare Branch of the Allied Forces Headquarters, 8th Army (UK). The AFHQ controlled all Allied operational forces in the Mediterranean Theatre of World War II from late 1942 until the end of the war in Europe in May 1945.

Soldiers of Cassino - 8-23

Researcher Lee Richards found two Cassino leaflets in the British National Archives, reference WO 204/6444. Both are from PWB/AFHQ 8th Army and addressed to Soldiers of Cassino. Both have a safe conduct pass on the back. The text of 8-23 is:

SOLDIERS OF CASSINO!

The game is over! CASSINO is lost for Germany. Look to the Abbey - there you can see the Poles! Look around you: Our troops are approaching from your left and right. You fought bravely. Fighting is futile! You are encircled on all sides - if you do not believe this, send out observers! Nobody forces you to fight until the end. Each of you has the choice:

EITHER - lay down your weapons now! OR - wait until we come; we and the Poles, whose land you attacked in 1939.

GIVE IT UP!

Prisoners of War are treated as soldiers.

Soldiers of Cassino - 8-25

This leaflet is very similar to 8-23 except the message is a good deal shorter. The text is:

SOLDIERS OF CASSINO!

THERE IS NO MORE TALKING!

If you want to be taken prisoner come down Via Casilina, through CASSINO.

Hands Up! Without weapons!

Wave something white over your head!

Prisoners of War are treated decently!

An Allied Propaganda Newspaper

Frontpost South

This Allied newspaper is not propaganda that was used during the battle. It is the U.S. 5th Army Psychological Warfare Branch newspaper Frontpost South announcing the fall of Cassino. It was meant to tell the German military and civilians of another defeat and attack their morale. It is dated 18 May 1943 and shows a map of the battlefield at the upper right. Some of the Cassino-oriented article is:

Cassino Falls

A substantial part of the 1st Parachute Division no longer exists.

On May 18th a special communique from Allied Advanced Headquarters announced that the final assault on Cassino had been carried out by British troops of the 8th Army and a substantial part of the German 1st Parachute Division had been destroyed in efforts to escape. The division is one of the best in the German Army.

The same Allied special communique reported: The Gustav Line has ceased to exist…Up to May 17th about 4,500 Germans were taken prisoner in all sectors…On May 17th the Mediterranean Air Force flew over 2,500 sorties. During the same day, one German aircraft was observed over the battle area.

Allies warn Italian Civilians to Abandon Monte Cassino

US soldiers of the Allied Fifth Army load 155mm shells with leaflets urging Italian civilians to abandon Monte Cassino monastery because Germans were using the ancient abbey in Western Italy as an artillery and observation post. The pamphlets were fired into the monastery area by artillery before the Allies bombed Mount Cassino to dislodge the German forces.

The Germans drop leaflets on the Monastery.

Sometime after the end of the war a series of short news films called Battle Line were produced to tell Americans the history of WWII. One of the battles depicted in the series was Monte Cassino. It told about the Allied push up the Italian boot and ended with the bombing of the monastery.

The narrator tells us that on 14 February, leaflets were dropped on the abbot, five monks, and the refugees living in the monastery, warning that Monte Cassino will soon be bombed. No date is given for the leaflet drop. We are told that the 80-year-old abbot requested that German escorts be provided to lead them all to safety. He is assured by the Germans that they will have an escort within two days. On 15 February, just one day later, the brothers and refugees are still in the monastery when an ominous sound turns the German eyes toward the sky. It is American bombers.

We were told that no German troops were inside the monastery, but it was believed that they might go behind the 12-foot walls once the allies start advancing up the mountain. It was stated that everyone believed the monastery must be destroyed, even the local Italians. The makers of the film probably believed they must find a way to justify the bombing. After the explanation, the film depicts a squadron of B-17 Flying Fortress bombers destroying the monastery. Later the film shows 500 B-17s also bombing the occupied town of Monte Cassino.

After the battle, the German commander of the airborne defenders, Major Rudolf Bamber, said that:

Now that the monastery was turned into rubble, I decided to move my headquarters inside the area that was once the monastery.

If his story is accurate, it implies that the bombing of the monastery benefited the Germans and gave them a wonderful defensive position to pour fire down on the allied forces.

The Germans fight on and on 11 May, three months later, the final assault begins which leads to an Allied victory. The fate of the German airborne defenders? They simply retreated five miles to another defensive line to continue the battle.

25 Years after the Battle, the Poles Commemorate
Monte Cassino with a Postage Stamp

This ends our short look at the propaganda used in the battle for Monte Cassino. The article could easily be three or four times larger if we added all the leaflets we are aware of, but this is just meant to whet the appetite of the reader. It is a wonderful subject for further research. Any readers that care to comment on this article are encouraged to write to the author at Sgmbert@hotmail.com.

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