To break the stalemate at Anzio, the U.S. Army Rangers were tasked with infiltrating the German lines at night to seize the critical town of Cisterna. The plan relied on speed and surprise to exploit a perceived gap in the enemy defenses—a daring move intended to open the road to Rome.
To open the final road to the Alps, the U.S. Army 10th Mountain Division had to break Field Marshal Kesselring's fortress. The German positions on the jagged spine of Riva Ridge and the dominant peak of Mount Belvedere were considered unscalable, commanding the entire valley floor and blocking the Fifth Army's advance.