▁September , ▁the ▁ 3 4 th , ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁VI ▁Corps ▁under ▁Major ▁General ▁John ▁Lucas , ▁rel ent lessly ▁drove ▁north ▁to ▁take ▁B ene vent o , ▁crossed ▁the ▁w inding ▁Vol turn o ▁three ▁times ▁in ▁October ▁and ▁November , ▁assault ed ▁Monte ▁Pat ano , ▁and ▁took ▁one ▁of ▁its ▁four ▁pe aks ▁before ▁being ▁rel ieved ▁on ▁ 9 ▁December . ▁ ▁In ▁January ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁the ▁division ▁was ▁back ▁on ▁the ▁front ▁line ▁batter ing ▁the ▁Bern hardt ▁Line ▁def enses . ▁Per se ver ing ▁through ▁bitter ▁fighting ▁along ▁the ▁M ign ano ▁G ap , ▁the ▁ 3 4 th ▁used ▁go at ▁her ds ▁to ▁clear ▁the ▁mine fields . ▁The ▁ 3 4 th ▁took ▁Monte ▁Tro c chio ▁without ▁resistance ▁as ▁the ▁German ▁def enders ▁with d rew ▁to ▁the ▁main ▁prepared ▁def enses ▁of ▁the ▁Gustav ▁Line . ▁On ▁ 2 4 ▁January ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁during ▁the ▁First ▁Battle ▁of ▁Monte ▁Cass ino ▁they ▁pushed ▁across ▁the ▁G ari ▁River ▁into ▁the ▁hills ▁behind ▁and ▁attacked ▁Mon aster y ▁Hill ▁which ▁domin ated ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Monte ▁Cass ino . ▁While ▁they ▁nearly ▁captured ▁the ▁objective , ▁in ▁the ▁end ▁their ▁attacks ▁on ▁the ▁monaster y ▁and ▁the ▁town ▁failed . ▁The ▁performance ▁of ▁the ▁ 3 4 th ▁Infantry ▁Division ▁in ▁the ▁mountains ▁has ▁been ▁called ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁fin est ▁fe ats ▁of ▁arms ▁carried ▁out ▁by ▁any