Division (Major-General Bolesław Bronisław Duch) 1st Carpathian Rifle Brigade 2nd Carpathian Rifle Brigade 3rd Carpathian Rifle Brigade Polish 5th Kresowa Infantry Division (Major-General Nikodem Sulik) 5th Wilenska Infantry Brigade 6th Lwowska Infantry Brigade 4th Wolwyn Infantry Brigade Polish 2nd Armoured Brigade (Brigadier-General Bronislaw Rakowski) Germans XIV Panzer Corps German 26th Panzer Division German 65th Infantry Division I Parachute Corps (Richard Heidrich commanding) 1st Parachute Division 4th Parachute Division Battle The offensive on Bologna started on 9 April at 4:00 am local time, with a major air and artillery bombardment of 400 guns firing on German positions, followed by an advance of ground forces the same evening. Friendly fire caused casualties as American bombers killed 38 advancing Polish troops on that day. The American and British units engaged the German flanks, while the Polish units broke through to the city. On 10 April, Polish forces pushed the Germans away from the Senio River. From 12 to 14 April Polish forces fought the Germans at the Santerno River and captured Imola. From 15 to 16 April, the Poles fought at the Sillaro River and the Medicina Canal. On 17 April, the commander of the Eighth Army ordered the Polish forces to continue their push towards Bologna from the east. The town was to be taken initially by the American troops of the Fifth Army advancing from the south. On 21 Carpathian Rifle Brigade of the Polish 3rd Carpathian Infantry Division entered the city, where only isolated German units were still fighting. (Another source attributes the entrance to the Polish 5th Kresowa Division). By 6:15 am the Poles had secured the city, displaying Polish flags from the town hall and the Torre Asinelli tower, the highest tower in the city. The local Italian population welcomed the Poles as their liberators. At 8:00 am, American (South African) tanks arrived in the city, followed by Italian partisans and the "Friuli" division of the Italian Co-belligerent Army. Aftermath The Battle of Bologna was the last battle of the Polish II Corps, which was taken out of the front line on 22 April. American and British troops completed their encirclement of the Germans forces north of the Reno River, the 8th Indian Division crossed the Po River and the German forces in Italy capitulated on 29 April. The Polish II Corps, commanded by General Zygmunt Bohusz-Szyszko, suffered 234 dead and 1,228 wounded out of 55,780 front line