The Battle Of Ortona

December 20th- to gain positions on the outskirts the town. A heavy artillery barrage

covers the advancing Canadians’ flanks with a smoke screen.

 

Ortona is split into sectors and each battalion is given a sector to clear enemies.

One Canadian Infantry Brigade moves into the northwest of Ortona to cut off the

German supply routes. Canadians had to fight through narrow streets with

German land mines buried in the ground, machine guns, and anti-tank artillery

hidden behind the ruins of the town

 

The Loyal Edmonton Regiment (AKA the Loyal Eddie’s) and the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada fight house-to-house battles because there is no cover on the streets, making “mouse holes” in the walls to advance through the houses under cover. This tactic is still used today in modern warfare

 

On Christmas day fighting does not stop but Canadians take turns going to a destroyed church to eat Christmas dinner. Some are killed on the way over.

 

The German engineers had a basements packed with explosives which could be remotely detonated.  A Canadian Platoon in was in one of these houses and 23 men were killed and 1 was buried alive for 3 days. The Canadians retaliated by destroying a house with around 50 Germans in it. Later, naval gunfire is used in support of the troops in Ortona as Allied warships arrive off the coast.

 

Canadians soon have control over 2/3’s of Ortona and Germans make their retreat out of the town during the night. The battle of Ortona is won by the Canadians and ends December 28th - Two Canadian Infantry Brigades force their way through German defences in order