Wednesday, March 18, 2020

How to Conjugate the Verb Comprare in Italian

How to Conjugate the Verb Comprare in Italian Some definitions of â€Å"comprare† include, to buy, and to purchase. What to Know About â€Å"Comprare†: It’s a regular verb, so it follows the typical -are verb ending patternIt’s a transitive verb, so it takes a direct object.The infinito is â€Å"comprare†.The participio passato is â€Å"comprato†.The gerund form is â€Å"comprando†.The past gerund form is â€Å"avendo comprato†. Indicativo/Indicative Il presente io compro noi compriamo tu compri voi comprate lui, lei, Lei compra essi, Loro comprano Esempi Oggi compro un po’ di pane ed un etto di prosciutto. - Today I’m buying a bit of bread and an ounce of prosciutto. Il passato prossimo io ho comprato noi abbiamo comprato tu hai comprato voi avete comprato lui, lei, Lei, ha comprato essi, Loro hanno comprato Esempi Hai appena comprato un regalo per Stefano? - Have you already bought a gift for Stefano? L’imperfetto io compravo noi compravamo tu compravi voi compravate lui, lei, Lei comprava essi, Loro compravano Esempi Ogni sabato, compravo un gelato alla fragola. - Every Saturday, I bought a strawberry gelato. Il trapassato prossimo io avevo comprato noi avevamo comprato tu avevi comprato voi avevate comprato lui, lei, Lei aveva comprato essi, Loro avevano comprato Esempi Ti ricordi il libro di grammatica che avevi comprato due anni fa? L’ho ritrovato! - Do you remember the grammar that you bought two years ago? I found it! Il passato remoto io comprai noi comprammo tu comprasti voi compraste lui, lei, Lei compr essi, Loro comprarono Esempi Comprà ² delle bottiglie di vino. - He bought some bottles of wine. Il trapassato remoto io ebbi comprato noi avemmo comprato tu avesti comprato voi aveste comprato lui, lei, Lei ebbe comprato essi, Loro ebbero comprato TIP: This tense is rarely used, so don’t worry too much about mastering it. You’ll find it in very sophisticated writing. Il futuro semplice io comprer noi compreremo tu comprerai voi comprerete lui, lei, Lei comprer essi, Loro compreranno Esempi Comprerà ² una casa in Toscana!   - I will buy a house in Tuscany. Il futuro anteriore io avr comprato noi avremo comprato tu avrai comprato voi avrete comprato lui, lei, Lei avr comprato essi, Loro avranno comprato Esempi Avr comprato una nuova macchina! - He must have bought a new car! Congiuntivo/Subjunctive Il presente che io compri che noi compriamo che tu compri che voi compriate che lui, lei, Lei compri che essi, Loro comprino Esempi Preferisco che tu compri i girasoli invece dei mughetti. - I prefer that you buy the sunflowers instead of the lilies. Il passato io abbia comprato noi abbiamo comprato tu abbia comprato voi abbiate comprato lui, lei, Lei abbia comprato essi, Loro abbiano comprato Esempi Spero che abbiate comprato abbastanza vino per la festa. - I hope that you all bought enough wine for the party. L’imperfetto io comprassi noi comprassimo tu comprassi voi compraste lui, lei, Lei comprasse essi, Loro comprassero Esempi Era strano che lei non comprasse i libri per il corso. - It was strange that she didn’t buy the books for the course. Il trapassato prossimo io avessi comprato noi avessimo comprato tu avessi comprato voi aveste comprato lui, lei, Lei avesse comprato essi, Loro avessero comprato Esempi Pensavo che tu avessi gi comprato l’anello! - I thought you had already bought the ring! Condizionale/Conditional Il presente io comprerei noi compreremmo tu compreresti voi comprereste lui, lei, Lei comprerebbe essi, Loro comprerebbero Esempi: Comprerei tutto in questo negozio! - I would buy everything in this shop! Il passato io avrei comprato noi avremmo comprato tu avresti comprato voi avreste comprato lui, lei, Lei avrebbe comprato essi, Loro avrebbero comprato Se non ti dicevo che ero allergica,   avresti comprato le rose rosse vero? - If I didn’t tell you I was allergic, you would have bought the red roses, right?

Monday, March 2, 2020

Battle of Monte Cassino in World War II

Battle of Monte Cassino in World War II The Battle of Monte Cassino was fought January 17 to May 18, 1944, during World War II (1939-1945). Fast Facts: Battle of Monte Cassino Dates: January 17 to May 18, 1944, during  World War II  (1939-1945).Allies Armies and CommandersGeneral Sir Harold AlexanderLieutenant General Mark ClarkLieutenant General Oliver LeeseUS Fifth Army British Eighth ArmyGerman Armies and CommandersField Marshal Albert KesselringColonel General Heinrich von VietinghoffGerman 10th Army Background Landing in Italy in September 1943, Allied forces under General Sir Harold Alexander began pushing up the peninsula. Due to the Apennine Mountains, which run the length of Italy, Alexanders forces advanced on two fronts with the Lieutenant General Mark Clarks US Fifth Army on the east and Lieutenant General Sir Bernard Montgomerys British Eighth Army on the west. Allied efforts were slowed by poor weather, rough terrain, and a tenacious German defense. Slowly falling back through the fall, the Germans sought to buy time to complete the Winter Line south of Rome. Though the British succeeded in penetrating the line and capturing Ortona in late December, heavy snows prevented them from pushing west along Route 5 to reach Rome. Around this time, Montgomery departed for Britain to aid in planning the invasion of Normandy and was replaced by Lieutenant General Oliver Leese. To the west of the mountains, Clarks forces moved up Routes 6 and 7. The latter of these ceased to be usable as it ran along the coast and had been flooded at the Pontine Marshes. As a result, Clark was forced to use Route 6 which passed through the Liri Valley. The southern end of the valley was protected by large hills overlooking the town of Cassino and atop which sat the abbey of Monte Cassino. The area was further protected by the fast-flowing Rapido and Garigliano Rivers which ran west to east. Recognizing the defensive value of the terrain, the Germans built the Gustav Line section of the Winter Line through the area. Despite its military value, Field Marshal Albert Kesselring elected not to occupy the ancient abbey and informed the Allies and Vatican of this fact. First Battle Reaching the Gustav Line near Cassino on January 15, 1944, the US Fifth Army immediately began preparations to assault the German positions. Though Clark felt the odds of success were low, an effort needed to be made to support the Anzio landings which would occur further north on January 22. By attacking, it was hoped that German forces could be drawn south to allow Major General John Lucas US VI Corps to land and quickly occupy the Alban Hills in the enemy rear. It was thought that such a maneuver would compel the Germans to abandon the Gustav Line. Hampering Allied efforts was the fact the Clarks forces were tired and battered after a fighting their way north from Naples (Map). Moving forward on January 17, the British X Corps crossed the Garigliano River and attacked along the coast putting heavy pressure on the German 94th Infantry Division. Having some success, X Corps efforts forced Kesselring to send the 29th and 90th Panzer Grenadier Divisions south from Rome to stabilize the front. Lacking sufficient reserves, X Corps was unable to exploit their success. On January 20, Clark launched his main assault with the US II Corps south of Cassino and near San Angelo. Though elements of the 36th Infantry Division were able to cross the Rapido near San Angelo, they lacked armored support and remained isolated. Savagely counterattacked by German tanks and self-propelled guns, the men from the 36th Division were ultimately forced back. Four days later, an attempt was made north of Cassino by Major General Charles W. Ryders 34th Infantry Division with the goal of crossing the river and wheeling left to strike Monte Cassino. Crossing the flooded Rapido, the division moved into the hills behind the town and gained a foothold after eight days of heavy fighting. These efforts were supported by the French Expeditionary Corps to the north which captured Monte Belvedere and assaulted Monte Cifalco. Though the French were unable to take Monte Cifalco, the 34th Division, enduring incredibly harsh conditions, battled their way through the mountains towards the abbey. Among the issues faced by Allied forces were large areas of exposed ground and rocky terrain that precluded digging foxholes. Attacking for three days in early February, they were unable to secure the abbey or the neighboring high ground. Spent, II Corps was withdrawn on February 11. Second Battle With the removal of II Corps, Lieutenant General Bernard Freybergs New Zealand Corps moved forward. Pushed into planning a new assault to relieve pressure on the Anzio beachhead, Freyberg intended to continue the attack through mountains north of Cassino as well as advance up the railroad from the southeast. As planning moved forward, debate began among the Allied high command regarding the abbey of Monte Cassino. It was believed that German observers and artillery spotters were using the abbey for protection. Though many, including Clark, believed the abbey to be vacant, increasing pressure ultimately led Alexander to controversially order the building to be bombed. Moving forward on February 15, a large force of B-17 Flying Fortresses, B-25 Mitchells, and B-26 Marauders struck the historic abbey. German records later showed that their forces were not present, through the 1st Parachute Division moved into the rubble after the bombing. On the nights of February 15 and 16, troops from the Royal Sussex Regiment attacked positions in the hills behind Cassino with little success.  These efforts were hampered by friendly fire incidents involving Allied artillery due to the challenges of aiming accurately in the hills. Mounting his main effort on February 17, Freyberg sent forward the 4th Indian Division against German positions in the hills. In brutal, close-in fighting, his men were turned back by the enemy. To the southeast, 28th (MÄ ori) Battalion succeeded in crossing the Rapido and captured the Cassino railroad station. Lacking armor support as the river could not be spanned, they were forced back by German tanks and infantry on February 18. Though the German line had held, the Allies had come close to a breakthrough which concerned the commander of the German Tenth Army, Colonel General Heinrich von Vietinghoff, who oversaw the Gustav Line. Third Battle Reorganizing, Allied leaders began planning a third attempt to penetrate the Gustav Line at Cassino. Rather than continue along previous avenues of advance, they devised a new plan which called for an assault on Cassino from the north as well as an attack south into the hill complex which would then turn east to assault the abbey. These efforts were to be preceded by intense, heavy bombing which would require three days of clear weather to execute.  As a result, the operation was postponed three weeks until the airstrikes could be executed. Moving forward on March 15, Freybergs men advanced behind a creeping bombardment. Though some gains were made, the Germans rallied quickly and dug in. In the mountains, Allied forces secured key points known Castle Hill and Hangmans Hill. Below, the New Zealanders had succeeded in taking the railroad station, though fighting in the town remained fierce and house-to-house. On March 19, Freyberg hoped to turn the tide with the introduction of the 20th Armoured Brigade. His assault plans were quickly spoiled when the Germans mounted heavy counterattacks on Castle Hill drawing in the Allied infantry. Lacking infantry support, the tanks were soon picked off one by one. The next day, Freyberg added the British 78th Infantry Division to the fray. Reduced to house to house fighting, despite the addition of more troops, Allied forces were unable to overcome the resolute German defense. On March 23, with his men exhausted, Freyberg halted the offensive. With this failure, Allied forces consolidated their lines and Alexander began devising a new plan for breaking the Gustav Line. Seeking to bring more men to bear, Alexander created Operation Diadem. This saw the transfer of the British Eighth Army across the mountains. Victory at Last Redeploying his forces, Alexander placed Clarks Fifth Army along the coast with II Corps and the French facing the Garigliano. Inland, Leeses XIII Corps and Lieutenant General Wladyslaw Anders 2nd Polish Corps opposed Cassino. For the fourth battle, Alexander desired II Corps to push up Route 7 towards Rome while the French attacked across the Garigliano and into the Aurunci Mountains on the west side of the Liri Valley. To the north, XIII Corps would attempt to force the Liri Valley, while the Poles circled behind Cassino and with orders to isolate the abbey ruins. Utilizing a variety of deceptions, the Allies were able to ensure that Kesselring was unaware of these troop movements (Map). Commencing at 11:00 PM on May 11 with a bombardment using over 1,660 guns, Operation Diadem saw Alexander attack on all four fronts. While II Corps met heavy resistance and made little headway, the French advanced quickly and soon penetrated the Aurunci Mountains before daylight. To the north, XIII Corps made two crossings of the Rapido. Encountering a stiff German defense, they slowly pushed forward while erecting bridges in their rear. This allowed supporting armor to cross which played a key role in the fighting. In the mountains, Polish attacks were met with German counterattacks. By late on May 12, XIII Corps bridgeheads continued to grow despite determined counterattacks by Kesselring. The next day, II Corps began to gain some ground while the French turned to strike the German flank in the Liri Valley. With his right wing wavering, Kesselring began pulling back to the Hitler Line, approximately eight miles to the rear.  On May 15, the British 78th Division passed through the bridgehead and began a turning movement to cut off the town from the Liri Valley. Two days later, the Poles renewed their efforts in the mountains. More successful, they linked up with the 78th Division early on May 18. Later that morning, Polish forces cleared the abbey ruins and hoisted Polish flag over the site. Aftermath Pressing up the Liri Valley, the British Eighth Army immediately attempted to break through the Hitler Line but was turned back. Pausing to reorganize, a major effort was made against the Hitler Line on May 23 in conjunction with a breakout from the Anzio beachhead. Both efforts were successful and soon the German Tenth Army was reeling and facing being surrounded. With VI Corps surging inland from Anzio, Clark shockingly ordered them to turn northwest for Rome rather than cut off and aid in the destruction of von Vietinghoff. This action may have been the result of Clarks concern that the British would enter the city first despite it being assigned to Fifth Army. Driving north, his troops occupied the city on June 4. Despite the success in Italy, the Normandy landings two days later transformed it into a secondary theater of the war. Selected Sources BBC: Battle of Monte CassinoHistory: Battle of Monte Cassino