TROOPS IN A DEFENSE POSITION near Highway 65. This area was thinly populated and houses were few and far between. Those still standing drew fire, and troops in support or reserve positions would dig in on the reverse slope of hills and make their foxholes as comfortable as possible. Roofs and walls were constructed from empty shell cases, food containers, and the like and reinforced with sand bags. Keeping warm was a problem: the area is almost bare of trees; most of the heating of the foxholes was done by gasoline stoves, sometimes issued, often improvised.] [Illustration: ITALY SOLDIERS AT THE ROMAN FORUM during a rest and recreation period away from the front. The rest-center idea, which had proved highly successful during the winter fighting of 1943–44, was carried out on a much larger scale in Rome and in the cities of the Arno Valley in the fall and winter of 1944–45. Hundreds of thousands of troops were rotated through the rest and leave centers set up under military supervision to provide a place of relaxation where men could forget the rigors and dangers of the front line, sleep in beds, take baths, visit places of historic interest, and generally indulge in the pleasures and entertainment of civilization, if only for a brief period.] [Illustration: ITALY FIRING ROCKET PROJECTILES from a tank mount. Experiments were carried out in January 1945 in the Arno Valley. Of the several different mounts tested, one had 54 tubes placed on top of a medium tank turret, another had 18 tubes mounted on the same carriage as a towed 37-mm. gun. Because of the great variation in deflection and range the weapon was not practical against a point target and the smoke and flame given off when fired tended to disclose its position. It proved effective for a heavy concentration over a wide area for a short period. The short range of the rocket, slightly less than 4,000 yards, was a limiting factor. (Each cluster of 3 magnesium tubes is a rocket launcher, aircraft M15, mounted on M17 (T40) modified rocket launcher frame. 4.5-inch rockets were used.)] [Illustration: ITALY AN INFANTRY COMPANY moves into the line under a smoke screen to relieve another company. During the five-month static period starting at the beginning of November 1944, rotation of units for rest and recreation was a regular procedure.] [Illustration: ITALY