Battle of Ortona
Battle of Ortona | |||||||
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Part of the Moro River Campaign in the Italian Campaign during World War II | |||||||
Canadian Armour Passing Through Ortona, by Charles Comfort. Canadian War Museum (CN 12245). | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Canada | Germany | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Christopher Vokes | Richard Heidrich | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
1st Infantry Division | 1st Parachute Division | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
1,375 killed (including Moro River battles) 964 wounded[nb 1] | 867 killed, wounded or captured.[5] | ||||||
1,314 civilians dead[3]: 375 |
The Battle of Ortona (20–28 December 1943)
Background
By late 1943, the Allies did not intend the entire Italian campaign to win the war but only to remove Italian troops from other areas of Europe, divert German forces from France and reduce the strength of the German army; the
The
Some historians indicate that Ortona was of high strategic importance, as it was one of Italy's few usable deep water ports on the east coast, and was needed for docking Allied ships and to shorten Eighth Army's lines of supply which at the time stretched back to Bari and Taranto. Allied forces were ordered to maintain the offensive, and going through the built-up areas in and around Ortona was the only feasible option. Ortona was part of the Winter Line defence system and the Germans had constructed a series of interlocking defensive positions in the town. This—together with the fact that the Germans had been ordered to "fight for every last house and tree"[14][15]—made the town a formidable obstacle to any attacking force.
Other historians, including Rick Atkinson, assign lesser importance for Ortona. He quotes Field Marshal Albert Kesselring who said, "We do not want to defend Ortona decisively .. but the English have made it appear as important as Rome"; General Joachim Lemelsen, the temporary commander, replied, "It costs so much in blood, it cannot be justified".[16] Nonetheless, the Allies believed it would be merely a minor battle and proceeded with the plan; the Germans then rose to the occasion, holding the town with great determination.[17]
Battle
The Canadians faced elements of the German 1st Parachute Division.[Note 1] These soldiers were battle-hardened after many years of war, and defended doggedly.
The initial Canadian attack on the town was made on 20 December by Canadian 2nd Brigade's
Mouse-holing
The Germans had concealed various machine guns and anti-tank emplacements throughout the town, making movement by armour and infantry increasingly difficult.[20] The house-to-house fighting was vicious and the Canadians made use of a tactic that had previously infrequently been used: "mouse-holing". This tactic involved using weapons such as the PIAT or cumbersome Teller anti-tank mines to create a large aperture in the wall of a building, as houses within Ortona shared adjoining walls.[21][20] The soldiers would then throw in grenades and make their assault through the mouse holes, clearing the stairs to the top or bottom floor with grenades or machine guns; they would follow to reach any adversaries and struggle in repeated close-quarters combat.[15] Mouse-holing was also used to pierce through walls into adjoining rooms, sometimes catching enemy troops by surprise. The tactic would be used repeatedly as assaulting through the streets caused heavy casualties for both Canadian and German troops.[22]
Mouse-holing also allowed the soldiers to progress through the town, building by building, without entering the streets where they would face enemy fire.[23] While some sources attribute the strategy to the Canadian forces, a British training film of 1941 had already illustrated the concept. The Canadians were certainly early, effective and courageous users of the technique.[24] Throughout the battle, engineers on both sides also used the brutal but effective tactic of using demolition charges to collapse entire buildings on top of enemy troops.[25][26]
On 28 December, after eight days of fighting, the depleted German troops finally withdrew from the town. The Canadians suffered 1,375 dead[3]: 373 during the Moro River battles of which Ortona was one part. This represented almost a quarter of all Canadians killed during the entire Italian Campaign.[27] Other sources placed Canadian casualties as high as 2,300 (including 500 dead) before the town was won for the Allies.[28][16]
The battle has been examined post-war for lessons in urban fighting, drawing upon articles.[29][30] A detailed online account exists.[31]
Destruction
The Canadians destroyed the dome on the church of St Thomas in the town centre using tank fire, to prevent it being used for spotting. On Christmas Day the Allies (who had by then occupied a smaller church), were ordered to destroy both the cathedral and the civilian hospital, but this was largely avoided.[32]
Legacy
Ortona was successfully liberated but the month would be considered as "Bloody December" by Canadian forces because of the numerous casualties in and around the town.[27] As well, over 5,000 Canadians were evacuated due to battle exhaustion and illness. In addition to the Canadian losses, the German 1st Parachute Division and the 90th Light Infantry Division (Wehrmacht) also suffered numerous casualties. [33]
The contribution made by Canadian troops was summarized as follows by Major General Christopher Vokes in his report on the Ortona offensive: "We smashed the 90th Panzer Grenadier Division and we gave the 1st German Parachute Division a mauling which it will long remember".[34] Nonetheless, after the war, the significance of the battle in Ortona was minimized by others such as Rick Atkinson, perhaps because it did not have a significant impact on winning the war.
In November 2000, the Government of Canada erected a plaque at the Piazza Plebiscito in Ortona, in recognition of the battle as a National Historic Event of Canada that "symbolized the efforts of the Canadian Army in the Italian Campaign during World War II". The plaque reads as follows: "In early December 1943 the 1st Canadian Infantry Division and 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade began their most savage battle of the Italian Campaign. In the mud and rain troops attacked from the Moro River to Ortona. Then, from house to house and room to room there raged a ferocious battle against resolute German defenders. With extraordinary courage the Canadians prevailed, and just after Christmas finally secured the town".[35]
Military cemetery
1375 Canadian soldiers are buried at the Ortona Canadian Military Cemetery south of Ortona.
Notes
Footnotes
- ^ Mainly Canadian. Includes losses to the Loyal Edmonton Regiment of 172 casualties, of which 63 killed; the Seaforth Highlanders 103, of which 41 killed.[2] Sources are often confused between figures for the eight days of fighting at Ortona and those for the whole of the December campaign. Zuehlke gives Canadian losses for this period of 1375 dead and 964 wounded[3]: 373–375 while the Canadiansoldiers.com website says casualties for Canadian 1st Infantry Division in December (including 1st Brigade's crossing of the Moro, 2nd Brigade's fighting in the town and 3rd Brigade's attempted outflanking attack) totaled 4,206 including 695 killed.[4]
Citations
- ^ a b "Canada at War website: Battle of Ortona". Archived from the original on 6 February 2012. Retrieved 17 December 2006.
- ^ Landry, Pierre (2003). Beauregard, Marc (ed.). "Juno Beach Center: The Capture of Ortona". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 27 September 2007.
- ^ a b c d Zuehlke (1999)
- ^ "Canadiansoldiers.com: Ortona". Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 27 September 2007.
- ^ Fabio Toncelli. Sd Cinematografica (ed.). "ORTONA 1943: UN NATALE DI SANGUE, Page 10" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
- ^ Atkinson, p. 305
- ^ Six, Ronald (6 December 2016). "Little Stalingrad: The Struggle for Ortona". Warfare History Network. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
- ^ Spencer, John; Geroux, Jayson (26 February 2022). "Urban Warfare Project Case Study #5: Battle of Ortona". Modern War Institute. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
- ^ Spencer, John; Geroux, Jayson (26 February 2022). "Urban Warfare Project Case Study #5: Battle of Ortona". Modern War Institute. Archived from the original on 13 August 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
- ISBN 1550545574. Archivedfrom the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
- ^ "CANADA IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR – The Italian Campaign". Juno Beach Centre. 11 October 2011. Archived from the original on 27 December 2018. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
- ^ Zuehlke (1999), p. 14
- from the original on 28 December 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
- ^ Farley Mowat, And No Birds Sang.
- ^ a b c Zuehlke (1999), p. 160
- ^ ISBN 9780805088618. Archivedfrom the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
- ISBN 1550545574. Archivedfrom the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
- ^ Atkinson 2013, p. 303
- ^ "Mouse Holing at Ortona". Danube Travel. 26 October 2016. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
- ^ a b Bercuson, p. 175
- ISBN 1550545574. Archivedfrom the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
- ^ Atkinson, p. 305-6.
- ISBN 978-1460201992. Archivedfrom the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
- ISBN 1550545574. Archivedfrom the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
- ^ Zuehlke (1999), p. 343
- ISBN 1550545574. Archivedfrom the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
- ^ a b "Remembering a bloody Christmas in Ortona". Veterans Canada. 27 April 2005. Retrieved 26 December 2018.[permanent dead link]
- ISBN 9780802046918. Archivedfrom the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
- ^ "Military History". Archived from the original on 25 August 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
- ^ "Analyzing Ortona". 3 December 2013. Archived from the original on 23 July 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
- ^ "Military History". Archived from the original on 25 August 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
- ^ World War 2, episode 2/7, Bloody Ortona December 1943
- ISBN 978-1553652090. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
- ^ "The Canadians in Italy 1943–1945 Volume II" (PDF). Publications Canada: 339. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 August 2022. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
- ^ "Battle for Ortona National Historic Event of Canada". Parks Canada. 15 November 2000. Archived from the original on 27 December 2018. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
Sources
- ISBN 978-0-349-11635-8.
- Bercuson, David (2001) [1996]. Maple Leaf Against the Axis. Red Deer Press. OCLC 55973783.
- ISBN 978-0-7710-6618-4.
- ISBN 1-55054-557-4.
External links
- ortonaamare.it
- Remembering Ortona - 65th Anniversary
- Ortona and the Italian Campaign – 65th Anniversary
- The Battle of Ortona (The "Italian Stalingrad") – Complete overview, video / audio and a large picture gallery. Archived 8 March 2018 at the Wayback Machine
- CdnMilitary.ca Battle of Ortona website for Veterans Week 2004
- CBC history on the Battle of Ortona
- "Battle of Ortona". The Canadian Encyclopedia.
- "How the Enemy Defended the Town of Ortona", Intelligence Bulletin, July 1944, Vol. II, No. 11, MIS 461, US War Department (HTML version)
- Juno Beach center: Ortona Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- canadiansoldiers.com article on Ortona