Battle Of Ortona Research Paper
Introduction The Battle of Ortona was a battle fought between soldiers from the Canadian 1st Infantry Division and a battalion of German Fallschirmjäger from the German 1st Parachute Division. The battle lasted from December 20 – 28 1943, and took place in the small town of Ortona, Italy. The battle was part of the Italian Campaign, which was the Allied name for all operations in and around Italy that would help them invade Sicily and force the German troops in Italy to surrender. The Battle of Ortona was nicknamed “Little Stalingrad” because it mimicked the constant close-quarter combat that occurred at the Battle of Stalingrad. The battle ended in a Canadian victory, with the German forces withdrawing out of Ortona.
Background
The …show more content…
1st Canadian Infantry Division relieved the British 78th Division at the start of December 1943, during the Allied offensive on the Winter Line, which the Germans had set up in hopes of defending the line until spring weather came. The offensive had begun on November 23 1943 with the crossing of the Sangro River. By the end of the month, many of the defenses on the Winter Line had been breached, and the Allies were steadily fighting towards the Moro River. When they reached the river, the 1st Canadian Infantry Division replaced the exhausted British 78th Division, and were tasked with crossing the Moro River and capturing Ortana. On the night of December 5th, 1943, the Canadians attacked the German defences on the Moro River with artillery support to achieve surprise. However, by nightfall of the next day, all troops had been pushed back across the river, except for one battalion, from the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment. On the afternoon of December 8th, the 48th Highlanders quickly moved to the edge of San Leonardo, and prepared for their morning attack of the village. After the Germans eventually lost San Leonardo, they retreated to a low ridge overlooking a ravine, which the Canadians dubbed “The Gully”.
After an eight day stalemate, largely because the artillery and the topographic maps were inaccurate, the Canadians sent the Royal 22nd Regiment and a squadron of tanks around the German right flank to capture Casa Berardi. When the Van Doos captured their objective, the Canadians used Casa Berardi as a base for the rest of the attacks on “The Gully”. Chris Vokes, the divisional commander, was convinced by Corps commander Lieutenant-General Charles Allfrey to allow the Royal Artillery’s commander to create fire plans for two-large scale attacks out of Casa Berardi. The 48th Highlanders got accurate artillery support and reached their objectives quickly. However, the Royal Canadian Regiment got wildly inaccurate fire support, and so suffered heavy losses, and did not reach their objectives until the next morning.
After lengthy battles, the Canadians were finally in control of Ortona’s road outside of the town, but the Germans had used the time to prepare defenses and were ordered to fight for every house.
Battle As mentioned in the introduction, the Battle of Ortona was similar to Stalingrad because the combat was in very close quarters, and often between small groups of men. The roads and rubble had been booby-trapped with mines and time bombs, which meant that the Canadians had to clear their way through houses on the sides before moving forward. Ortona consisted of two sections; a more modern section in the south, which was where the Canadians were attacking from, and an older section. The modern section had wider streets, and the older section had narrower streets with well-built stone houses. Almost all combat occurred in houses, as Canadians blew holes into walls so that they could transfer from house to house. Generally, the Canadians would enter a house’s top floor and sweep it from the top downwards.
December 20th, 1943 The Loyal Edmonton Regiment advanced some 3000 yards behind a massive artillery barrage. All first day objectives were reached and held, allowing the artillery and engineers to move up. Some members of the Seaforth join the Edmonton Regiment, and eventually all of Seaforth is committed to the city. In the night, the Germans destroyed any dominating terrain features that could help Allied artillery, such as the Cathedrale San Tomasso, resulting in 34 civilian deaths.
December 21st, 1943 By the second day of fighting, the city had already dramatically changed because of the explosions and destruction that the battle had brought about.
The Seaforths managed to capture the Santa Maria di Constantinopoli Church, and at nightfall, the Germans retreated to the older part of the city.
December 22nd, 1943 The Canadians prioritized the clearing of the main streets to allow their tanks to manoeuvre in the city. They reach Ortona’s Piazza Municipali (Town Square), around 2/3 into the city. The Associated Press released their story about the Battle of Ortona today, including the reference to Stalingrad. The story is ran by many different newspapers, including The New York Times.
December 23rd, 1943 Troops sent to the northwestern parts of the city suffered heavy losses, because they went too far and ended up cut off from communications, reinforcements, and supplies. The southeast quadrant of Ortona was now under complete Canadian control, but the Germans destroyed buildings, block exits, and set booby traps on their way out.
December 24th, 1943 Fighting in the west of Ortona intensified around a school. When the Canadians learned of the hundreds of civilians taking shelter there, the attack was suspended to protect the civilians’ lives. The 48th Highlanders also managed to break through Germans lines towards the
northwest.
December 25th, 1943 The Canadians attacked towards the third city square, but progress is slow because of enemy sniper fire and grenade throwers. A Christmas dinner was also hosted by the Seaforths, and companies were relieved one by one so that they could enjoy a rare light moment during the battle.
December 26th, 1943 The Canadians discovered tunnels inside the houses that the Germans were using to change positions quickly. The discovered tunnels were quickly destroyed by Canadian pioneers, and the Canadians made progress to the point where they controlled all the entrances to the third and final city square. On this day, the Germans also collapsed a house containing a Canadian platoon, killing 23 men. The Canadians soon retaliated by similarly destroying a house on top of 50 German troops.
December 27th, 1943 German troops were now trapped in between the demolished San Tommaso cathedral and the Castle that dominates the north side of Ortona. German positions in the Cemetery are finally reduced by the Seaforths, and the Germans are given instructions to save their remaining troops in the nighttime. December 28th, 1943 Canadian patrols advanced to the Castle, only to find that it was apparently clear of enemies. The Germans had slipped out of the city to the north, and the city was soon declared clear of Germans, ending the Battle of Ortona in a Canadian victory.
Canadian Weapons & Tactics During the Battle of Ortona, the Canadians were forced to fight for an extended time in an urban location, which also made the Canadians improvise some new tactics on the spot. The experience of Ortona veterans was eventually used to create a training film on urban warfare titled “Fighting in Built-up Areas”.
Mouseholing This was the use of explosives to blow holes in the sides of buildings so that they could easily move from building to building. This was a required adaption, because to show oneself in the street was basically suicide, as the Germans always had machine guns aiming at the streets. Canadian troops went as far as to make an improvised ‘mouseholing’ charge that was designed to make a hole in a wall just large enough for a man to fit through.
Indirect Fire Artillery was generally used for harassment and to delay and disrupt movement of enemy troops outside of the city. The big 25-pounder guns were very ineffective because of the close quarters. However, the smaller guns were used to good effect, because they could be aimed out of windows and fired across streets.
Tanks Tanks were used in versatile ways, from being mobile pillboxes to transporting materials such as ammunition and mortars. They were also used to evacuate wounded soldiers, and armour piercing tank shells were used to knock holes into the walls of houses.
Anti-tank Guns Anti-tank guns were also used effectively, both to protect their own tanks and also provide direct fire capabilities. Together, anti-tank guns and tanks proved to be a dangerous combo.
Aftermath & Significance to Canada In the December in Italy, the Canadians suffered from 1375 killed and 964 wounded. The German casualties are unknown precisely, but were extremely heavy. After Ortona, the entire 1st Division went into winter positions on the south side of the Arielli River Valley, absorbing reinforcements to increase their manpower. Also, both sides were waiting for spring to come, so that the weather would improve. Two German divisions were also seriously depleted in the Moro River campaign; 90th Light and 1st Paratroop. Both divisions needed many months to rebuild; one German battalion had only 12 members remaining. The media coverage of the Battle of Ortona turned the battle into a matter of national prestige. Throughout the world, headlines were running about the battle, and Ortona became a symbol, almost as important as Rome. This was a battle that Canada had waged against the Germans, and won, fueling their national pride. As Canadian reinforcements moved north to join their new units, they passed a small sign left behind by fellow proud Canadians that read “THIS IS ORTONA. A WEST CANADIAN TOWN.” Also, Ortona was the location of one of Italy’s few usable deep water ports on the east coast, and was needed for docking Allied ships to shorten lines of supplies.
Background
The …show more content…
1st Canadian Infantry Division relieved the British 78th Division at the start of December 1943, during the Allied offensive on the Winter Line, which the Germans had set up in hopes of defending the line until spring weather came. The offensive had begun on November 23 1943 with the crossing of the Sangro River. By the end of the month, many of the defenses on the Winter Line had been breached, and the Allies were steadily fighting towards the Moro River. When they reached the river, the 1st Canadian Infantry Division replaced the exhausted British 78th Division, and were tasked with crossing the Moro River and capturing Ortana. On the night of December 5th, 1943, the Canadians attacked the German defences on the Moro River with artillery support to achieve surprise. However, by nightfall of the next day, all troops had been pushed back across the river, except for one battalion, from the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment. On the afternoon of December 8th, the 48th Highlanders quickly moved to the edge of San Leonardo, and prepared for their morning attack of the village. After the Germans eventually lost San Leonardo, they retreated to a low ridge overlooking a ravine, which the Canadians dubbed “The Gully”.
After an eight day stalemate, largely because the artillery and the topographic maps were inaccurate, the Canadians sent the Royal 22nd Regiment and a squadron of tanks around the German right flank to capture Casa Berardi. When the Van Doos captured their objective, the Canadians used Casa Berardi as a base for the rest of the attacks on “The Gully”. Chris Vokes, the divisional commander, was convinced by Corps commander Lieutenant-General Charles Allfrey to allow the Royal Artillery’s commander to create fire plans for two-large scale attacks out of Casa Berardi. The 48th Highlanders got accurate artillery support and reached their objectives quickly. However, the Royal Canadian Regiment got wildly inaccurate fire support, and so suffered heavy losses, and did not reach their objectives until the next morning.
After lengthy battles, the Canadians were finally in control of Ortona’s road outside of the town, but the Germans had used the time to prepare defenses and were ordered to fight for every house.
Battle As mentioned in the introduction, the Battle of Ortona was similar to Stalingrad because the combat was in very close quarters, and often between small groups of men. The roads and rubble had been booby-trapped with mines and time bombs, which meant that the Canadians had to clear their way through houses on the sides before moving forward. Ortona consisted of two sections; a more modern section in the south, which was where the Canadians were attacking from, and an older section. The modern section had wider streets, and the older section had narrower streets with well-built stone houses. Almost all combat occurred in houses, as Canadians blew holes into walls so that they could transfer from house to house. Generally, the Canadians would enter a house’s top floor and sweep it from the top downwards.
December 20th, 1943 The Loyal Edmonton Regiment advanced some 3000 yards behind a massive artillery barrage. All first day objectives were reached and held, allowing the artillery and engineers to move up. Some members of the Seaforth join the Edmonton Regiment, and eventually all of Seaforth is committed to the city. In the night, the Germans destroyed any dominating terrain features that could help Allied artillery, such as the Cathedrale San Tomasso, resulting in 34 civilian deaths.
December 21st, 1943 By the second day of fighting, the city had already dramatically changed because of the explosions and destruction that the battle had brought about.
The Seaforths managed to capture the Santa Maria di Constantinopoli Church, and at nightfall, the Germans retreated to the older part of the city.
December 22nd, 1943 The Canadians prioritized the clearing of the main streets to allow their tanks to manoeuvre in the city. They reach Ortona’s Piazza Municipali (Town Square), around 2/3 into the city. The Associated Press released their story about the Battle of Ortona today, including the reference to Stalingrad. The story is ran by many different newspapers, including The New York Times.
December 23rd, 1943 Troops sent to the northwestern parts of the city suffered heavy losses, because they went too far and ended up cut off from communications, reinforcements, and supplies. The southeast quadrant of Ortona was now under complete Canadian control, but the Germans destroyed buildings, block exits, and set booby traps on their way out.
December 24th, 1943 Fighting in the west of Ortona intensified around a school. When the Canadians learned of the hundreds of civilians taking shelter there, the attack was suspended to protect the civilians’ lives. The 48th Highlanders also managed to break through Germans lines towards the
northwest.
December 25th, 1943 The Canadians attacked towards the third city square, but progress is slow because of enemy sniper fire and grenade throwers. A Christmas dinner was also hosted by the Seaforths, and companies were relieved one by one so that they could enjoy a rare light moment during the battle.
December 26th, 1943 The Canadians discovered tunnels inside the houses that the Germans were using to change positions quickly. The discovered tunnels were quickly destroyed by Canadian pioneers, and the Canadians made progress to the point where they controlled all the entrances to the third and final city square. On this day, the Germans also collapsed a house containing a Canadian platoon, killing 23 men. The Canadians soon retaliated by similarly destroying a house on top of 50 German troops.
December 27th, 1943 German troops were now trapped in between the demolished San Tommaso cathedral and the Castle that dominates the north side of Ortona. German positions in the Cemetery are finally reduced by the Seaforths, and the Germans are given instructions to save their remaining troops in the nighttime. December 28th, 1943 Canadian patrols advanced to the Castle, only to find that it was apparently clear of enemies. The Germans had slipped out of the city to the north, and the city was soon declared clear of Germans, ending the Battle of Ortona in a Canadian victory.
Canadian Weapons & Tactics During the Battle of Ortona, the Canadians were forced to fight for an extended time in an urban location, which also made the Canadians improvise some new tactics on the spot. The experience of Ortona veterans was eventually used to create a training film on urban warfare titled “Fighting in Built-up Areas”.
Mouseholing This was the use of explosives to blow holes in the sides of buildings so that they could easily move from building to building. This was a required adaption, because to show oneself in the street was basically suicide, as the Germans always had machine guns aiming at the streets. Canadian troops went as far as to make an improvised ‘mouseholing’ charge that was designed to make a hole in a wall just large enough for a man to fit through.
Indirect Fire Artillery was generally used for harassment and to delay and disrupt movement of enemy troops outside of the city. The big 25-pounder guns were very ineffective because of the close quarters. However, the smaller guns were used to good effect, because they could be aimed out of windows and fired across streets.
Tanks Tanks were used in versatile ways, from being mobile pillboxes to transporting materials such as ammunition and mortars. They were also used to evacuate wounded soldiers, and armour piercing tank shells were used to knock holes into the walls of houses.
Anti-tank Guns Anti-tank guns were also used effectively, both to protect their own tanks and also provide direct fire capabilities. Together, anti-tank guns and tanks proved to be a dangerous combo.
Aftermath & Significance to Canada In the December in Italy, the Canadians suffered from 1375 killed and 964 wounded. The German casualties are unknown precisely, but were extremely heavy. After Ortona, the entire 1st Division went into winter positions on the south side of the Arielli River Valley, absorbing reinforcements to increase their manpower. Also, both sides were waiting for spring to come, so that the weather would improve. Two German divisions were also seriously depleted in the Moro River campaign; 90th Light and 1st Paratroop. Both divisions needed many months to rebuild; one German battalion had only 12 members remaining. The media coverage of the Battle of Ortona turned the battle into a matter of national prestige. Throughout the world, headlines were running about the battle, and Ortona became a symbol, almost as important as Rome. This was a battle that Canada had waged against the Germans, and won, fueling their national pride. As Canadian reinforcements moved north to join their new units, they passed a small sign left behind by fellow proud Canadians that read “THIS IS ORTONA. A WEST CANADIAN TOWN.” Also, Ortona was the location of one of Italy’s few usable deep water ports on the east coast, and was needed for docking Allied ships to shorten lines of supplies.