Military intelligence reported a small American garrison at the abbey. Klein was ordered to take 7 platoons of Gebirgsjäger infantry with MG42 machine gun support to capture the abbey. Utilizing their mountaineering training they quickly advanced on the Allied position. However once the abbey was in sight the garrison was twice as strong as originally thought. The Americans had dug themselves in and set a trap for the advancing German forces! This was to be no easy task. Klein took three platoons and occupied a large building central to the town close to the abbey. He sent two platoons on each flank to encircle the Americans probing for any weaknesses. The MG42s quickly dug in on a small hill overlooking the abbey and surrounding town.
The German force lacking any artillery or mortar support quickly started laying suppressing fire. The Americans were well entrenched and were undeterred. The Allies quickly brought up light machine gun reserves to cover their eastern flank. Identifying these guns as the main threat to thwarting the eventual assault on the abbey, Klein quickly commanded his troops to direct all fire to the eastern building containing the machine guns. The Allies did not return fire, electing to use the buildings in the town to go to ground while waiting for mortar support.
The US machine gun teams under a hail of fire eventually succumbed to the torrent of German bullets. Klein had two platoons on the eastern flank advance into a set of buildings east of the abbey. The Mortar support anticipated by the Allied forces finally arrived. However the US commander sensing a weak the eastern flank after the fall of the machine gun teams sent his reserve of two rifle platoons from behind the abbey to meet the German threat. However the path taken exposed the infantry to fire from the German MG42s. Hitler's buzz-saw's did terrible damage to the advancing riflemen. The two platoons were forced to retreat back behind the abbey.
Sensing an opportunity now the Axis forces advanced on the west side of the town to assault the main garrison now that the reserve platoon was pulled to the east. Initially they took the western building in the town driving out a small number of American soldiers. In a desperate attempt to hold back the Germans, the US forces bombarded the Germans holding the western building allowing the reserve riflemen to assault. The bloody affair saw the Americans retake the western flank. The cost however was high. The main garrison was now thin. Klein then ordered the eastern platoons to assault the abbey itself. With a hail of fire from machine guns and the three platoons holding the building across the courtyard the Americans were pinned, assaulted and driven out of the abbey.
The Allies were not finished however. One last charge from the remaining infantry were able to briefly retake the abbey. However the cost was high. Less than a half dozen soldiers now occupied the key objective. Delivering the final blow Klein then ordered an all out attack from his last three platoons of grenadiers. The US forces were hopelessly outnumbered and had to withdraw from San Germano. For now....
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