The Battle of Monte Cassino in Italy finally ended after months of heavy fighting with an Allied breakthrough in May 1944. This, plus the Allied landings at Anzio enabled the Allies to make the push to Rome. In the Pacific, U.S. forces take Kwajalein and Eniwetok for a major victory in the Marshall Islands opening a beach in Japan's defensive perimeter opening the way to the Marianas with victories at Guam, Saipan and Tinian bringing the Japanese home islands in range of U.S. heavy bombers.