The Battle of Cisterna occurred from January to February 1944 when, during the Battle of Anzio, the Germans repelled a German attack on Cisterna at the Anzio beachhead in Lazio, Italy.
On 22 January 1944, British and American Allied troops landed in the area of Anzio and Nettuno, outflanking the German Winter Line. By 29 January, there were 69,000 men in the beachhead, but Allied corps commander John P. Lucas chose a cautious strategy of consolidating the beachhead rather than pushing inland, enabling the Germans to reinforce their defensive positions with 71,500 troops. On 31 January, Lucas finally mounted his inland offensive, with the British 1st Infantry Division advancing up the Via Anziate toward Campoleone and the Alban Hills. Meanwhile, the US Army Rangers would infiltrate Cisterna and clear the Conca-Cisterna Road during the night to prepare the way for an attack by the US 15th Infantry Regiment, the US 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, and the US 7th Infantry Regiment. While the Allies believed that the main line of German resistance was behind Cisterna, the Wehrmacht had instead designated Cisterna as an assembly area for its reserve divisions and moved units into the area.
The Rangers' attempted nighttime surprise attack on Cisterna, carried out by 767 troops, took place along the Mussolini Canal. While the Rangers were able to bypass numerous German positions, they were caught crossing open ground at first light, and the German 715th Infantry Division and Hermann Goering Division attacked the Rangers. The Americans were quickly forced to surrender, and over 700 were taken prisoner. The 4th Ranger Battalion launched its own assault on Cisterna to rescue the trapped battalions, and the US 7th Infantry Regiment and US 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment joined in the attack. While the Allies advanced 3 miles, they were unable to achieve the desired breakthrough, and Cisterna remained in German hands until May 1944. German counterattacks on 1-2 February 1944 failed, and Axis forces suffered severe casualties.