THE WEASEL, officially cargo carrier M29, came into its own during the campaign in the northern Apennines. It operated satisfactorily off the roads under mud or snow conditions and helped to provide lateral communications. Most roads in the Fifth Army sector of the Apennines ran more or less parallel in a northerly direction; the area of the winter fighting was almost completely devoid of east-west roads. The Weasel, originally designed for use over snow and ice, had low ground pressure and proved suitable for operation across fields or poor trails. It had a crew of two and a pay load of approximately 1,000 pounds.] [Illustration: ITALY JEEPS ALONG THE SUPPLY ROADS in the northern Apennines. This vehicle was capable of operating over unimproved roads and trails and could be shifted into four-wheel drive for steep grades and muddy or sandy terrain. It could climb a 60 percent grade and attain a speed of 65 miles per hour over level highways. The jeep could also ford a stream 18 inches deep while fully loaded and a deeper stream when especially equipped with exhaust and air-intake extensions. The jeep, truck, and pack mule were always important in the advances made.] [Illustration] [Illustration: ITALY APPROACH TO LIVERGNANO ON HIGHWAY 65, looking from the south along the highway. The village is the small cluster of ruined houses below cliff on left. The Germans occupied the houses as well as the tops and sides of the two hills. The latter were honeycombed with caves which the enemy had enlarged and strengthened. The fighting lasted from 9 to 14 October. On the 14th the enemy was still in possession of most of the village and the two hills but retreated because he had been outflanked from the west.] [Illustration: ITALY THE RUINS OF LIVERGNANO. The main highway through the village runs to Florence (upper right), and to Bologna (center left). Livergnano, taken in a five-day fight, became known as “Liver and Onions.” During the final attack of this fall offensive toward Bologna, which started on 16 October and bogged down in mud toward the end of the month, the enemy concentrated his artillery fire on this village in an attempt to demolish the houses along the road and thus block the highway, the supply road for the area. The enemy managed to knock down some of the houses but did not succeed in stopping traffic. Bulldozers filled the craters in the road and pushed aside the rubble.] [Illustration: ITALY MONTE BELLA FORMICHE, taken after a three-day fight starting on 10 October. This mountain, located east of Highway 65, is 2,092 feet high, the highest of the terrain features in the chain of enemy defenses stretching east and west across Highway 65 through the village of Livergnano.] [Illustration: ITALY