The Canadian Army at War

From Pachino to Ortona

The Canadian Campaign in Sicily and Italy, 1943

With a Foreword by
Lieutenant-General J.C. MURCHIE, C.B., C.B.E.
Chief of the General Staff, Canada

Published by Authority of the Minister of National Defence

PRINTED BY THE KING'S PRINTER AT OTTAWA, CANADA


This booklet has been prepared by the Historical Section of the General Staff, Canadian Military Headquarters in Great Britain.

The illustrations consist mainly of paintings by Official War Artists of the Canadian Army and photographs by Canadian Army Overseas Film and Photo Units.

In this brief account of operations involving many thousands of men it has not been possible to make specific reference to every unit engaged, let alone to every individual officer or man who distinguished himself by acts of gallantry. A few such officers and men are mentioned, in order simply that their deeds may stand as types of many; had space permitted, the number might have been increased to hundreds.


Painting: Battleground before Ortona
Battleground Before Ortona
In the background German rocket projectiles make a pattern in the sky above the town.
(From an oil painting by Captain L.P. Harris.)


Foreword

This is the second booklet in a series designed to afford Canadians more information than has previously been published concerning the operations of their Army in the present war.

The previous booklet, "The Canadians in Britain, 1939-1944", dealt with our troops' experiences during the years when they helped to guard the British Isles against invasion. The present one tells the story of the first six months of Canadian fighting in the Mediterranean Theatre. It is the chronicle of Canada's contribution to a dramatic and significant phase of the war. This hard-fought campaign was very important, for in Sicily and Italy a large Canadian force was committed to protracted operations for the first time in this conflict, and in those countries our officers and men gained battle experience which was later turned to excellent account in the still greater operations in North-West Europe.

It is proposed to publish a similar booklet dealing with the Canadians' share in the decisive operations in Normandy in the summer of 1944.

/signed/
J.C. Murchie
Lieut.-General,
Chief of the General Staff.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. The Red Patch Goes to the Mediterranean
  Design for Victory--Training and Planning--Convoys to Sicily--Military Secret.
II. Operation HUSKY Goes In
  The Magician's Spell--The Pattern of Assault--Ashore in Sicily--The First Advance Inland.
III. Warfare in the Sicilian Hills
  The Canadians Meet the Germans--The Night Battle of Leonforte--The Escalade of Assoro--The Battles for Agira--Fighting Around Catenanuova and Regalbuto--Through the Hills to Aderno.
IV. The Assault on Italy
  Planning the Leap to the Mainland--Across the Straits--Pursuit to the North.
V. Approach to the Winter Line
  The Road to Campobasso--Across the Biferno--Scorched Earth on the Upper Sangro.
VI. The December Battles: The Moro and Ortona
  The Crossing of the Moro--The Battle of the Crossroads--Ortona--Six Months of Battle.


Maps

The Allied Invasion of Sicily--10 July 1943 29
Canadian Operations in Sicily, 10 July-6 August 1943 75
The Campobasso Country 119
Southern Italy: showing line of advance of 1st Canadian Division, September-December 1943 124
The Adriatic Sector, December 1943 133



Transcribed and formatted by Patrick Clancey, HyperWar Foundation