In late January 1944, during the brutal Italian Campaign of World War II, the U.S. 36th Infantry Division was ordered to launch a night river assault across the Rapido River near Cassino. Intended to support the Allied landings at Anzio and break through the German Gustav Line, the operation would instead turn into one of the most catastrophic failures the U.S. Army ever experienced.
With thousands of inexperienced replacements rushed to the front lines and facing a well-entrenched German defense, the men of the 36th Infantry Division encountered relentless machine-gun fire, artillery bombardments, and near-impossible terrain. Within just 48 hours, the Rapido River Crossing became a slaughterhouse—inflicting devastating casualties and sparking controversy that would last for decades after the war ended.