Max Power
11-09-05, 10:27 AM
I usually post a Canadian war story each remembrance day. Last year was the Newfoundland regiment in WWI France, this year I figured I?d post a forgotten story of Canadian on the road to Rome in 1943 ? 44. I had a chance to watch a historical recap on the History channel last night and thought it was a good one to post. One of the biggest battles was in the city of Ortona. Compared by historians being a mini Stalingrad, the battle of Ortona left the city in ruins. I?ve included the story with what led up to it below.
http://www.junobeach.org/e/2/can-eve-rod-ita-e.htm
One interesting bit that was described in the documentary last night was the rivalry between American and Commonwealth Generals in Italy. Patton and General Montgomery both wanted their respective troops to enter Rome first. This rivalry actually caused the Allies to split and effectively weaken them. The Canadians arrived in Rome first after Ortona but the American General (don?t think it was Patton but can?t remember his name) threatened to shoot at the Canadian soldiers if they attempted to enter Rome. The Canadian cleared the road to Rome but were forced to sit outside as the American troops glorious entered Rome.
I?ve heard many stories of Canadian vets being bitter of the way history was written of WWII and I guess this is just one chapter of it
Note: I'm note sure where the British troops were at this time as the documentery only spoke of the Canadians.
http://www.mayoff.com/battle5.jpg
The Objectives
In the mind of Allied strategists and military leaders, the campaign of Italy was not the logical continuation of the invasion of Sicily. Actually, there was a major disagreement between US President Roosevelt, who opposed the idea of further military operations in the Mediterranean, and British Prime Minister Churchill, who was convinced of the need to keep on attacking the soft underbelly of the Nazi beast. It was only in May 1943, at the Trident Conference, that the two men did come to an agreement on limited military involvement in Italy. It was well understood, however, that the Italian campaign should in no way interfere with the preparation of what was to be the war's major operation, the massive invasion of Northwest Europe planned for the spring of 1944.
The detail of the Italian campaign were discussed and decided at the August 1943 Quebec Conference. Its initial goals were the capture of Naples and of the Foggia and Rome airfields. Actually the Allies' objective was not so much to conquer Italy as to force Germany to divert some of its forces to a southern front. By dividing Nazi forces between several separate fronts, the Allies would prevent Hitler from striking a deadly blow at the USSR or from concentrating an invincible army along the coast of Normandy.
The Allied landing started on the morning of September 3rd, 1943; on September 8th, the Italian government announced its surrender. This development had been foreseen by Berlin and the Fuehrer immediately ordered German troops to take control of the country. Hitler feared that the Allies may use Italian airfields as bases for bombing raids against Germany. As a result, he reinforced the Wehrmacht divisions already stationed in southern Italy with orders to defend Rome at all costs. A major struggle was in the making.
The Liberation of Southern Italy
The 1st Canadian Division landed near Reggio di Calabria on September 3rd, 1943, and met no opposition whatsoever. Italian garrisons deserted their positions and fled to the hills; the only German unit in the area, part of the 29th Panzer Grenadier Division had retreated in the mountains two days earlier. For a couple of days, Canadian soldiers slowly made their way through the rugged Aspromonte region, their progression often slowed down by the collapse of bridges the Germans had sabotaged as they withdrew.
On September 9th, an Anglo-American force under the Fifth US Army, landed in Salerno. It met strong resistance from the German division, which tried to drive it back before the Eighth Army could intervene. Violent fighting took place around Salerno until September 14th.
Further south, the 1st Canadian Division was moving at good speed along the coast towards the Gulf of Tarento; it then turned up north to make its junction with the Fifth Army. Under Lieutenant-Colonel M.P. Bogert of the West Nova Scotia Regiment, a special force was put together to capture Potenza. The operation was a real obstacle race among mines and blown up bridges, extremely demanding on the engineers. On September 20th, the "Boforce", as it had been nicknamed after its commanding officer, entered Potenza where enemy resistance collapsed immediately. On September 21st, the Fifth US army and the Eighth British Army formed an uninterrupted front line that reached all across the Italian peninsula, from Salerno in the west to Bari in the east.
In October, Canadian troops harassed the enemy throughout an area that stretched from north of Potenza to the Fortore and Biferno rivers, near the Adriatic Sea. Campobasso fell on October 14th. Enemy casualties were heavy and the Germans learned to respect the soldiers of the 1st Canadian Division.
Until then the progression of the Canadian army had been rather trouble-free; since September the German strategy was simply to delay that progression as much as possible. Their commanders had orders to retreat until they could take solid positions between the Bernhard Line that cut across the Italian Peninsula from Gaeta in the west to Ortona in the east. That line protected Rome and the Germans had clear orders: They shall not pass!
Towards Ortona
In mid-November, the Fifth Army and the Eighth Army got closer to the Bernhard Line. Under General Montgomery the British column moved on the right flank, along the Adriatic Sea with a view to reach Pescara before turning west along the Pescara-Rome road. Between November 28th and 30th, the Eighth Army took the ridge overlooking the Sangro River valley. The 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade supported the 8th Indian Division tasked with maintaining a steady base on the ridge. Two divisions were to move towards Pescara: the 2nd New Zealander Division along an inland route, and the 1st Canadian Division along the coast. The first obstacle was the Moro River, beyond which German troops were waiting.
The attack was launched on December 6th. The slopes were steep; heavy winter rains had swollen the river and turned the ground into thick mud that bogged down armoured vehicles. The enemy was well entrenched and each inch of ground had to be gained the hard way. Counter-attacks followed and the Canadians were forced to retreat. It took two days, December 8th and 9th, to capture San Leonardo. In spite of numerous obstacles, the Seaforth Highlanders, riding on the tanks of the Calgary Regiment, were able to get close to the village. On the narrow road, two tanks plunged down ten metres into the ravine after missing a sharp turn. Violent artillery and mortar fire hit the armoured column and the infantry as they were approaching the Moro River. On the other side, the lead tank struck a mine as it was climbing towards San Leonardo and was stalled, blocking the road and forcing the other vehicles to find their way through the olive groves. Only five tanks were left when the Canadians entered San Leonardo. The Seaforth Highlanders engaged the enemy and silenced their machine gun positions, killing or capturing many German soldiers. Twelve enemy tanks drove into town from the east but in spite of the difference in strength, the Calgarys held fast and destroyed or drove back the German tanks. On December 9th at 1740, the Canadians were solidly positioned in San Leonardo.
After San Leonardo, the Canadian Division faced what seemed to be a dead-end: a deep and narrow gully that tanks could not cross. In addition, the 90th Panzer Division was entrenched in it, with gunner foxholes dug into the steep slopes, out of the reach of shells. After several ill-fated attempts to cross the gully, the Canadians faced with heavy machine gun and mortar fire were forced to retreat.
In the morning of December 13th, the Royal 22e Regiment and the tanks of the Ontario Regiment launched an attack on the enemy's flank, towards the Casa Berardi. The resistance was formidable and the infantry found itself facing artillery fire; only 50 men survived. The sole remaining officer, Captain Paul Triquet told his men: "There are enemy in front of us, behind us and on our flanks. There is only one safe place-that is on the objective." Triquet captured Casa Berardi at the end of the afternoon but the situation was desperate: only 15 men were left of the Royal 22e and Squadron "C" of the Ontario Regiment was reduced to four tanks! Triquet told his troops "They shall not pass!". As the night fell, Company "B" of the Royal 22e provided some relief and the Canadians were able to hold the position. Paul Triquet was awarded the Victoria Cross.
This was the breach the Canadians needed to move on but several days of violent and costly fighting against enemy defence positions were to follow until, on December 19th, they took control of the strategic crossroad on the Ossogna to Ortona road. On December 20th, the troops reached Ortona; it took eight more days of desperate fighting before the city could be captured, as the Canadians moved in slowly, disputing every house and every street with an enemy determined to defend its positions.
Why would the Germans defend with inordinate fierceness - matched only by the determination of the Canadians - a small coastal town of little strategic value? Throughout the world, the showdown made the headlines?"
- The Capture of Ortona
The Capture of Ortona
Company "B" of the Seaforth Highlanders moving along a mined coastal path December 21st, 1943; Ortona can be seen in the distance.
Photo by Frederick G. Whitcombe. Department of National Defence / National Archives of Canada, PA-152749.
http://www.canadianbattleofnormandyfoundation.ca/images/streetfighting_ortona.gif
Battle of Ortona
General Montgomery believed that the Germans would retreat north of Ortona, in an area where the terrain provided good natural defence positions; and that the coastal city would therefore be an easy prey. Things did not turn out that way? On December 20th, the 2nd Brigade arrived near Ortona; the following day the Loyal Edmonton Regiment got as far as Piazza Vittoria at the entrance of the town. In front of them, the corso Vittorio Emanuele leading to the Piazza Municipale, the heart of the city. Narrow side streets were blocked by barricades and rubble left by the Germans. The wide-open corso, the only street that tanks could use was booby-trapped. The Canadian infantry had to clear its way through houses on the side before moving forward, a dangerous and difficult task.
The Canadians were facing a unit from the 1st Parachute Division, well-rested, well-trained and well-equipped troops, and ideological fanatics. Fighting was fierce. The Germans had planted mines, time bombs, and other booby-traps throughout the abandoned houses and amid the rubble. Machine gun positions and antitank artillery were concealed behind walls and among the ruins. Canadian soldiers used their short-ranged 6-pounder guns to take down walls or roofs where paratroopers might be hiding. When shells could not pierce the thick stone walls, gunners aimed for the windows and the shells bouncing inside the houses caused terrible destruction.
Canadian infantrymen moved from house to house without ever showing up in the streets. Using pickaxes and explosives, they pierced the upstairs walls between buildings, dashing forward through smoke and dust, pouncing down on their opponents. Grenades thrown by the Germans would fall back on them before exploding. The tanks moved slowly along, providing ammunition and evacuating the wounded.
Why would the Germans defend with inordinate fierceness - matched only by the determination of the Canadians - a small coastal town of little strategic value? Throughout the world, the showdown made the headlines and Ortona became a household word: "This is Matthew Halton from the CBC, speaking from Italy? ". Canadian radio war correspondents made this bloody episode world-famous. Ortona became a symbol, as important as Rome. To capture the city or to keep it, it all became a matter of national prestige.
http://www.lermuseum.org/ler/cof/sacrifice/wwii/images/destroyedcity.jpg
Fighting raged for days. The Loyal Edmonton Regiment and the Seaforth Highlanders Regiment were relentless and suffered heavy casualties. At Christmas, against all expectation, the Seaforth Highlanders fusiliers were treated to a real holiday dinner in the Church of Santa Maria di Constandinopoli.
Meanwhile, shells and machine gun fire could be heard not far from the church. Through dust and the acrid smell of cordite, the Loyal Edmonton soldiers were involved in one of the fiercest battle so far. They were relieved in small
groups to go get some Christmas dinner. As to the Italians, for there were still civilians in town, mostly elderly people and children, the atmosphere was one of anxiety and fear.
On December 27th, the Princess Patricias were ordered to join in, together with a support squadron from the R?giment de Trois-Rivi?res. The battle for Ortona was already drawing to an end. German paratroopers could
not keep on fighting without relief and on December 28th, they abandoned the city to the Canadians. The victory was a costly one: the Loyal Edmonton Regiment had 172 casualties, including 63 killed; the Seaforth Highlanders 103, including 41 killed. Taking into account losses by support units, the total number of Allied casualties reached 650 officers and men of all ranks.
http://www.youthsource.ab.ca/hyl/images/ortona/ortona9.jpg
This image is actually from a video game but all are from the actual battle
http://www.closecombatseries.net/CCS/modules/coppermine/albums/userpics/10006/ortona02.jpg
http://www.junobeach.org/e/2/can-eve-rod-ita-e.htm
One interesting bit that was described in the documentary last night was the rivalry between American and Commonwealth Generals in Italy. Patton and General Montgomery both wanted their respective troops to enter Rome first. This rivalry actually caused the Allies to split and effectively weaken them. The Canadians arrived in Rome first after Ortona but the American General (don?t think it was Patton but can?t remember his name) threatened to shoot at the Canadian soldiers if they attempted to enter Rome. The Canadian cleared the road to Rome but were forced to sit outside as the American troops glorious entered Rome.
I?ve heard many stories of Canadian vets being bitter of the way history was written of WWII and I guess this is just one chapter of it
Note: I'm note sure where the British troops were at this time as the documentery only spoke of the Canadians.
http://www.mayoff.com/battle5.jpg
The Objectives
In the mind of Allied strategists and military leaders, the campaign of Italy was not the logical continuation of the invasion of Sicily. Actually, there was a major disagreement between US President Roosevelt, who opposed the idea of further military operations in the Mediterranean, and British Prime Minister Churchill, who was convinced of the need to keep on attacking the soft underbelly of the Nazi beast. It was only in May 1943, at the Trident Conference, that the two men did come to an agreement on limited military involvement in Italy. It was well understood, however, that the Italian campaign should in no way interfere with the preparation of what was to be the war's major operation, the massive invasion of Northwest Europe planned for the spring of 1944.
The detail of the Italian campaign were discussed and decided at the August 1943 Quebec Conference. Its initial goals were the capture of Naples and of the Foggia and Rome airfields. Actually the Allies' objective was not so much to conquer Italy as to force Germany to divert some of its forces to a southern front. By dividing Nazi forces between several separate fronts, the Allies would prevent Hitler from striking a deadly blow at the USSR or from concentrating an invincible army along the coast of Normandy.
The Allied landing started on the morning of September 3rd, 1943; on September 8th, the Italian government announced its surrender. This development had been foreseen by Berlin and the Fuehrer immediately ordered German troops to take control of the country. Hitler feared that the Allies may use Italian airfields as bases for bombing raids against Germany. As a result, he reinforced the Wehrmacht divisions already stationed in southern Italy with orders to defend Rome at all costs. A major struggle was in the making.
The Liberation of Southern Italy
The 1st Canadian Division landed near Reggio di Calabria on September 3rd, 1943, and met no opposition whatsoever. Italian garrisons deserted their positions and fled to the hills; the only German unit in the area, part of the 29th Panzer Grenadier Division had retreated in the mountains two days earlier. For a couple of days, Canadian soldiers slowly made their way through the rugged Aspromonte region, their progression often slowed down by the collapse of bridges the Germans had sabotaged as they withdrew.
On September 9th, an Anglo-American force under the Fifth US Army, landed in Salerno. It met strong resistance from the German division, which tried to drive it back before the Eighth Army could intervene. Violent fighting took place around Salerno until September 14th.
Further south, the 1st Canadian Division was moving at good speed along the coast towards the Gulf of Tarento; it then turned up north to make its junction with the Fifth Army. Under Lieutenant-Colonel M.P. Bogert of the West Nova Scotia Regiment, a special force was put together to capture Potenza. The operation was a real obstacle race among mines and blown up bridges, extremely demanding on the engineers. On September 20th, the "Boforce", as it had been nicknamed after its commanding officer, entered Potenza where enemy resistance collapsed immediately. On September 21st, the Fifth US army and the Eighth British Army formed an uninterrupted front line that reached all across the Italian peninsula, from Salerno in the west to Bari in the east.
In October, Canadian troops harassed the enemy throughout an area that stretched from north of Potenza to the Fortore and Biferno rivers, near the Adriatic Sea. Campobasso fell on October 14th. Enemy casualties were heavy and the Germans learned to respect the soldiers of the 1st Canadian Division.
Until then the progression of the Canadian army had been rather trouble-free; since September the German strategy was simply to delay that progression as much as possible. Their commanders had orders to retreat until they could take solid positions between the Bernhard Line that cut across the Italian Peninsula from Gaeta in the west to Ortona in the east. That line protected Rome and the Germans had clear orders: They shall not pass!
Towards Ortona
In mid-November, the Fifth Army and the Eighth Army got closer to the Bernhard Line. Under General Montgomery the British column moved on the right flank, along the Adriatic Sea with a view to reach Pescara before turning west along the Pescara-Rome road. Between November 28th and 30th, the Eighth Army took the ridge overlooking the Sangro River valley. The 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade supported the 8th Indian Division tasked with maintaining a steady base on the ridge. Two divisions were to move towards Pescara: the 2nd New Zealander Division along an inland route, and the 1st Canadian Division along the coast. The first obstacle was the Moro River, beyond which German troops were waiting.
The attack was launched on December 6th. The slopes were steep; heavy winter rains had swollen the river and turned the ground into thick mud that bogged down armoured vehicles. The enemy was well entrenched and each inch of ground had to be gained the hard way. Counter-attacks followed and the Canadians were forced to retreat. It took two days, December 8th and 9th, to capture San Leonardo. In spite of numerous obstacles, the Seaforth Highlanders, riding on the tanks of the Calgary Regiment, were able to get close to the village. On the narrow road, two tanks plunged down ten metres into the ravine after missing a sharp turn. Violent artillery and mortar fire hit the armoured column and the infantry as they were approaching the Moro River. On the other side, the lead tank struck a mine as it was climbing towards San Leonardo and was stalled, blocking the road and forcing the other vehicles to find their way through the olive groves. Only five tanks were left when the Canadians entered San Leonardo. The Seaforth Highlanders engaged the enemy and silenced their machine gun positions, killing or capturing many German soldiers. Twelve enemy tanks drove into town from the east but in spite of the difference in strength, the Calgarys held fast and destroyed or drove back the German tanks. On December 9th at 1740, the Canadians were solidly positioned in San Leonardo.
After San Leonardo, the Canadian Division faced what seemed to be a dead-end: a deep and narrow gully that tanks could not cross. In addition, the 90th Panzer Division was entrenched in it, with gunner foxholes dug into the steep slopes, out of the reach of shells. After several ill-fated attempts to cross the gully, the Canadians faced with heavy machine gun and mortar fire were forced to retreat.
In the morning of December 13th, the Royal 22e Regiment and the tanks of the Ontario Regiment launched an attack on the enemy's flank, towards the Casa Berardi. The resistance was formidable and the infantry found itself facing artillery fire; only 50 men survived. The sole remaining officer, Captain Paul Triquet told his men: "There are enemy in front of us, behind us and on our flanks. There is only one safe place-that is on the objective." Triquet captured Casa Berardi at the end of the afternoon but the situation was desperate: only 15 men were left of the Royal 22e and Squadron "C" of the Ontario Regiment was reduced to four tanks! Triquet told his troops "They shall not pass!". As the night fell, Company "B" of the Royal 22e provided some relief and the Canadians were able to hold the position. Paul Triquet was awarded the Victoria Cross.
This was the breach the Canadians needed to move on but several days of violent and costly fighting against enemy defence positions were to follow until, on December 19th, they took control of the strategic crossroad on the Ossogna to Ortona road. On December 20th, the troops reached Ortona; it took eight more days of desperate fighting before the city could be captured, as the Canadians moved in slowly, disputing every house and every street with an enemy determined to defend its positions.
Why would the Germans defend with inordinate fierceness - matched only by the determination of the Canadians - a small coastal town of little strategic value? Throughout the world, the showdown made the headlines?"
- The Capture of Ortona
The Capture of Ortona
Company "B" of the Seaforth Highlanders moving along a mined coastal path December 21st, 1943; Ortona can be seen in the distance.
Photo by Frederick G. Whitcombe. Department of National Defence / National Archives of Canada, PA-152749.
http://www.canadianbattleofnormandyfoundation.ca/images/streetfighting_ortona.gif
Battle of Ortona
General Montgomery believed that the Germans would retreat north of Ortona, in an area where the terrain provided good natural defence positions; and that the coastal city would therefore be an easy prey. Things did not turn out that way? On December 20th, the 2nd Brigade arrived near Ortona; the following day the Loyal Edmonton Regiment got as far as Piazza Vittoria at the entrance of the town. In front of them, the corso Vittorio Emanuele leading to the Piazza Municipale, the heart of the city. Narrow side streets were blocked by barricades and rubble left by the Germans. The wide-open corso, the only street that tanks could use was booby-trapped. The Canadian infantry had to clear its way through houses on the side before moving forward, a dangerous and difficult task.
The Canadians were facing a unit from the 1st Parachute Division, well-rested, well-trained and well-equipped troops, and ideological fanatics. Fighting was fierce. The Germans had planted mines, time bombs, and other booby-traps throughout the abandoned houses and amid the rubble. Machine gun positions and antitank artillery were concealed behind walls and among the ruins. Canadian soldiers used their short-ranged 6-pounder guns to take down walls or roofs where paratroopers might be hiding. When shells could not pierce the thick stone walls, gunners aimed for the windows and the shells bouncing inside the houses caused terrible destruction.
Canadian infantrymen moved from house to house without ever showing up in the streets. Using pickaxes and explosives, they pierced the upstairs walls between buildings, dashing forward through smoke and dust, pouncing down on their opponents. Grenades thrown by the Germans would fall back on them before exploding. The tanks moved slowly along, providing ammunition and evacuating the wounded.
Why would the Germans defend with inordinate fierceness - matched only by the determination of the Canadians - a small coastal town of little strategic value? Throughout the world, the showdown made the headlines and Ortona became a household word: "This is Matthew Halton from the CBC, speaking from Italy? ". Canadian radio war correspondents made this bloody episode world-famous. Ortona became a symbol, as important as Rome. To capture the city or to keep it, it all became a matter of national prestige.
http://www.lermuseum.org/ler/cof/sacrifice/wwii/images/destroyedcity.jpg
Fighting raged for days. The Loyal Edmonton Regiment and the Seaforth Highlanders Regiment were relentless and suffered heavy casualties. At Christmas, against all expectation, the Seaforth Highlanders fusiliers were treated to a real holiday dinner in the Church of Santa Maria di Constandinopoli.
Meanwhile, shells and machine gun fire could be heard not far from the church. Through dust and the acrid smell of cordite, the Loyal Edmonton soldiers were involved in one of the fiercest battle so far. They were relieved in small
groups to go get some Christmas dinner. As to the Italians, for there were still civilians in town, mostly elderly people and children, the atmosphere was one of anxiety and fear.
On December 27th, the Princess Patricias were ordered to join in, together with a support squadron from the R?giment de Trois-Rivi?res. The battle for Ortona was already drawing to an end. German paratroopers could
not keep on fighting without relief and on December 28th, they abandoned the city to the Canadians. The victory was a costly one: the Loyal Edmonton Regiment had 172 casualties, including 63 killed; the Seaforth Highlanders 103, including 41 killed. Taking into account losses by support units, the total number of Allied casualties reached 650 officers and men of all ranks.
http://www.youthsource.ab.ca/hyl/images/ortona/ortona9.jpg
This image is actually from a video game but all are from the actual battle
http://www.closecombatseries.net/CCS/modules/coppermine/albums/userpics/10006/ortona02.jpg