Battle of Ortona facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Ortona
Part of the The Winter Line and the battle for Rome of the Second World War Italian Campaign
Canadian Armour Passing Through Ortona, by Charles Comfort. Canadian War Museum (CN 12245).
Date December 20–28, 1943 Location Ortona, Italy Result Canadian victory
Belligerents
Canada	Germany
Commanders and leaders
Chris Vokes	Richard Heidrich
Strength
2 Battalions	2 Battalions
Casualties and losses
1375	Unknown
1300 civilian deaths

The Battle of Ortona was a tough fight during World War II. It happened in Italy from December 20 to 28, 1943. Soldiers from Canada fought against German troops.

German paratroopers, led by General Richard Heidrich, defended the town. Canadian soldiers from the 1st Canadian Infantry Division, led by General Chris Vokes, attacked.

This battle took place in Ortona, a town in Italy by the Adriatic Sea. It was sometimes called "Little Stalingrad." This was because of the very close and fierce fighting.

Why the Battle Happened

The Eighth Army was a group of Allied soldiers. They started attacking the Winter Line defenses on November 23, 1943. By the end of November, they had broken through some German lines.

The Allied troops were moving towards the Moro River. This river was close to the town of Ortona. Ortona was important because it had one of the few deep-water ports on Italy's east coast. The Allies wanted to capture this port. The German army had built strong defenses inside the town.

Fighting in Ortona

A Canadian sniper during the Battle of Ortona.

The Canadian soldiers faced the German 1st Parachute Division. These German soldiers were very experienced. They had fought in many battles before. Adolf Hitler had ordered them to defend Ortona at all costs.

The Canadian attack on Ortona began on December 20. The Germans had hidden machine guns and anti-tank guns. These weapons were placed all over the town. This made it very hard for Canadian tanks and soldiers to move forward.

The fighting was extremely intense. Soldiers fought for every single house. They often had to clear buildings room by room.

After six days of fighting, more Canadian soldiers joined the battle. The Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry arrived. Tanks from the 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade also came to help.

On December 28, after eight days of hard fighting, the German forces finally left the town. The Canadians had won the battle. However, they suffered many losses. About 1,375 Canadian soldiers died or were wounded.

Images for kids

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  The battle saw house-to-house combat between the German 1st Parachute Division and the Canadian First Infantry Division.

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  A jeep ambulance of the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps (RCAMC) bringing in two wounded Canadian soldiers on the Moro River front, south of San Leonardo di Ortona, Italy, December 10, 1943.

See also

In Spanish: Batalla de Ortona para niños