This tour visits battlefields of Kesselring’s last line of defence, the Gothic Line, and is the perfect epilogue to a study of the D-Day Dodgers! The coastal plain up which the Canadians and Poles tried to thrust near Ancona soon gives way to increasingly rugged foothills, each guarded by rushing streams and rivers, all of which required assault bridges to be put in place and under fire. The Germans battled toughly but elegantly for every yard, killing and wounding Allied troops as they tried to grind northwards from Florence towards the Po Valley and the dream of a breakout.

As Rome became the first Axis capital to fall in June 1944, the Germans pulled back towards the north, first delaying the 5th and 8th Armies either side of Florence before scuttling into their bunkers and tank turrets from Pesaro to Pietrasanta. For the US 5th Army, brilliant operations on the Giogo Pass and Mount Ceco were matched by the British 8th army at Gemmano and Coriano Ridge, before the Germans began to crumble and finally fall back.

The more mobile warfare around Bologna and Faenza led to punishing combat. The courage and daring of operations near Commachio make a grand backdrop to this often-forgotten campaign.

Day 1 –Fly London to Bologna or make your own arrangements to join the tour at the hotel. Cross the Apennines to Montemaggiore al Metaura where General Alexander took Churchill to view the start of Operation Olive. Visit the small museum “Winston Churchill” and spend the night in a hotel in the area. (D).

Day 2 – Our tour starts with the advance of the British 8th Army. We follow the First Canadian Corps advance across the Metauro River to the Foglio River and witness the break in battles on the Gothic Line. We then head west to the hilltop town of Gemmano and see the site of the highly successfully German delaying action. The town was eventually captured on 9 September 1944 by 46 Infantry Division in a fierce battle – the town was later known as “The Cassino of the Adriatic”. We spend the night in a hotel in the area. (B, D).

Day 3 - From San Clemente we understand the difficulties given the terrain that the 8th Army had in employing 1st Armoured Division. We then witness the eventual capture of Coriano by the Canadian Corps by full frontal assault. The heavy costs of these attacks are evident at the Coriano Ridge military cemetery which we then visit before moving to San Fortunato, the last German defensive position to fall west of Rimini. We spend the night in a hotel in the area. (B, D).

Day 4 – Leaving the 8th Army bogged down on the east of the Apennines in a sea of mud brought on by the Autumn rains, we move westward to assess the progress of the US 5th Army north of Florence. En route we visit Mussolini’s birthplace and burial crypt at Predappio. Our visit to the American Military Cemetery at Impruneta provides a poignant conclusion to the day. Hotel in Florence – 1 night. (B, D).

Day 5 – Today we follow the deeds of the 88th US Division (‘Blue Devils’) up the Santerno River Valley to Monte Battaglia. We also learn about the involvement of the 1st Welsh Guards Brigade in facing the last German assaults here. Our visit to the vast German Military Cemetery at the Futa Pass underlines the enormity of German losses in the area. The cemetery was only established in the 1960s and holds over 30,000 burials. We round off the day with a visit to the excellent museum at Castell del Rio which illuminates the dramatic events of the battles in this area. Hotel in Ravenna – 1 night. (B, D).

Day 6 – Today we trace the events of Operation Buckland (or the Battle of the Argenta Gap) in the Spring of 1945 when the Allies succeeded in breaking out onto the Po river plains to the north. At Lake Comacchio we learn about the preparations for the Operation and the VC won by Major Anders Lassen in a daring nocturnal assault across the lake. We also explore the final offensive action by 8th Army through the Argenta Gap and the use of Fantails – amphibious troop carriers - to get through the water obstacles towards the River Po. We also gain a better appreciation of the key role played by the New Zealand Expeditionary Force throughout the Italian Campaign. Hotel in Bologna – 1 night. (B, D).

Day 7 – This morning we drive to the site of the Marzobotto Massacre – reprisals conducted by the Nazis on the Italian people who had supported the Resistance. Our last visit is to the amazing Bologna military museum where we augment our knowledge of the Gothic Line battles through a series of excellent exhibits. Fly Bologna to London early evening or perhaps extend your stay in Italy. (B).