Riva Ridge: How the 10th Mountain Division Climbed the Impossible Cliffs

On the night of February 18, 1945, U.S. soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division began a daring assault on Riva Ridge in Italy’s Northern Apennines, climbing steep, icy terrain in darkness to surprise German defenders guarding a critical observation position overlooking Mount Belvedere. This video follows the planning, silent infiltration, capture of the ridge, and the brutal struggle that followed as the Americans faced German counterattacks, artillery fire, ammunition shortages, difficult casualty evacuation, and the challenge of holding isolated peaks with limited access to supplies. The battle shows how specialized mountain warfare, reconnaissance, discipline, and an unexpected avenue of attack helped neutralize German observation over the battlefield and opened the way for the assault on Mount Belvedere during the final months of World War II in Italy.