Today, the battle is mainly remembered for the destruction of the abbey of Monte Cassino (which was sheltering civilians) by more than 100 B-17 Flying Fortresses, when the Allies mistakenly believed the abbey to be a German artillery observation position.
The fight resembled a WWI battle, with artillery bombardments preceding bloody infantry assaults on fixed positions. Success was bought at the cost of more than 50,000 casualties on the Allied side. Today, the battle is mainly remembered for the destruction of the abbey of Monte Cassino (which was sheltering civilians) by more than 100 B-17 Flying Fortresses, when the Allies mistakenly believed the abbey to be a German artillery observation position.