& Canada’s D-Day Dodgers

1943 - 1944

& Canada’s D-Day Dodgers

1943 - 1944

The Italian CampaignThe Italian Campaign

J. Marshall 2007

Outline

1) Training in England

2) Sicily

3) ORTONA

4) North-West Europe

• Defense of Britain - attack never came• Long months of fitness/drills/training• Itching for a chance to prove

themselves (Hong Hong, 1941 and Dieppe, 1942)

• 8th Army victory over Afrika Korps• Appease Stalin/delay 2nd front

(Soft under-belly of Europe)

1) Training in England

2) Sicily: July 10, 1943

3) Ortona, ItalyDec 20 -28, 1943• 1st Cdn Division (Brit 8th Army) fighting crack

German 1st Paratroop Division at the end of the Adriatic front for a non-strategic town

• Deadliest close-quarter fighting of the war - Cdns invent “mouse holing”

• Bloody December, Little Stalingrad• In one week: 1375 Cdn dead; almost 25% of

all Canadians killed in the whole Italian campaign!

• Everything before Ortona was a “nursery tale”

2nd Infantry Brigade, 1st Cdn Infantry Division

• P.P.C.L.I., Seaforth Highlanders of Cda,

49th Loyal Edmonton Regiment

• Eddies and Seaforths up; Patricias in reserve

Brigade of the WEST

The Seaforth Highlanders from Vancouver move along a mined path towards the fishing town. The Cdns hit the paratroops’ “winter line.”

The Approach: Dec 21, 1943

Tactics:Tactics:

Streets and alleys became killing zones

Every window is a possible risk for the attackers.

In towns, the defenders have a HUGE advantage.

KILLING

ZONE

Command-detonated Booby TrapsNote: interlocking

arcs of fire

The InfantrySteel helmetWeb belt and harnessAmmo pouch(120 rounds)

Gas capeWater bottleMills bombBayonetEntrenching toolWool battledressWeb gaitersSteel-shod boots

WW2 soldiers were even more

encumbered than th

ose in WW1,

even though th

e battles were far

more mobile!

Evidence: What do you see?

Prep for Battle:Prep for Battle:Putting fuses in grenades

(Mills Bombs)

The Threats:• Collapse

• Booby traps

• Snipers

• Heavy weapons

• Mines

• Blocked tank support

Ortona, 1943

Pte Boyd: 49 L Edm R

Rescued after being buried 3 1/2 days in rubble at Ortona (sole survivor in his platoon)

Tactics: armour support

• Paratroops are generally lightly armed with machine guns, rifles, light mortars and grenades.

Close Support of the Infantry

• The Sherman’s 75 mm gun could be used to knock out paratroop strong points

Using the 6 lb Anti-tank Gun

The Canadians employed all heavy weapons available to breach buildings that concealed the paratroops

• Range 90 yds

• 75 mm armour

• Awkward to load

• Intense recoil

PIAT: Projector Infantry Anti-Tank

Canadians inspect a captured belt fed MG 34 - at 900 rpm/15 rps its rate of fire was superior to the magazine fed British Bren Gun.

Canadians inspect a captured belt fed MG 34 - at 900 rpm/15 rps its rate of fire was superior to the magazine fed British Bren Gun.

mouse holes?

Many civilians did not leave prior to the attack

Many civilians did not leave prior to the attack

This German paratrooper had dressed in civilian clothing to escape detection as he entered Ortona, Dec 13, 1943

Evidence: what do you see?

Lead-up to Christmas EveLead-up to Christmas Eve

• Field Marshal Kesselring ordered Ortona reinforced - the Allies had made “Ortona as important at Rome”

• The paratroops staged an intense counterattack on Dec 24. The Cdns held on.

Christmas, 1943Christmas, 1943

• First Christmas in battle - Captain Cameron QM of the Seaforths - scrounged roast pork, 2 beer and chocolate served to each company in turn.

• Sergeant “Smokey” Smith VC-

a dinner ain’t worth dyin’ for.

Church of Santa Maria di

Constantinopoli

• Followed Dec 24 German counter-attack• LCol Syd Thomson• Padre Roy Durnford• Pork dinner and carols under wet skies and a “hole”y roof

Mopping Up: Dec 28, 1943

Utter DestructionUtter DestructionCanadian soldiers experienced a high rate of “battle shock” during this operation and morale suffered due to the high casualty rate.

“Everything before Ortona was a fairy tale”: GeneralChris Volkes

After Ortona: the road to Rome

4. North-West Europe4. North-West Europe

• The Italian campaign ended in February, 1945.

• The British 8th Army, with the 1st Canadian Infantry Division, moved to NW Europe after the D-Day landings and fought in the Netherlands.

Ortona Conclusions = Must Knows:Ortona Conclusions = Must Knows:

• Fought by 1st Div - “D-Day Dodgers”

• Ortona is remembered as “Little Stalingrad,” Christmas, 1943

• Vicious street fighting with many threats

• Mouse-holing invented

• Almost 1/4 of all Cdn casualties in Italy