Captured German soldier getting searched by Canadian soldier in Italy, 1943

Captured German soldier getting searched by Canadian soldier in Italy, 1943

On this day in 1943, during the Second World War, Canadian soldiers started their courageous fight to capture the German-occupied city of Ortona. One of the most important events of the Italian campaign, the rubble-filled streets of Ortona saw fierce hand-to-hand fighting throughout this battle.

The Germans had prepared to defend Ortona a week earlier, using explosives to blow up houses and create rubble piles where they dug defensive fighting positions. When the Canadian soldiers reached the town, it was littered with rubble and scattered mines.

With adjoining buildings composing the city, a “Mouseholing” tactic was widely used by Canadian soldiers to advance through the rubbles while avoiding the deadly streets. The soldiers would blast the connecting walls of two buildings and then battle any Germans on the other side.

Ortona was liberated in eight days from some of the German army’s best combat troops. On the morning of December 28, Canadian soldiers of an Edmonton patrol discovered that the German troops had pulled out during the night and surrendered the city to the Canadians.

Although the actual number of Canadians killed inside Ortona was never determined, the cost of the December battles in Italy was enormous, including at least 2,605 Canadian casualties.

We remember their selfless sacrifice and tremendous bravery.

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