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"THEN WE BUMPED TEDESCHI"

From The Loyal Edmonton Regiment Song O'er The Hills Of Sicily
Sung To The Tune Of Waltzing Matilda

The Tenor Of The Fighting Changes

The Canadians were attacking along a coastal plain, mostly flat land but hilly in parts, often with a lot of tree cover, and cut across from place to place with streams or ravines running east to the sea. This gave the German soldiers plenty of cover in which to set up defensive positions, and they took full advantage of the terrain. They were from the 90th Panzergrenadier Division; many were seasoned combat veterans.

The first obstacle was the Moro River itself. Then came what Canadians called Vino Ridge. And just behind the ridge was a deep ravine Canadians dubbed The Gully.

Pushing the Germans out of their well dug in positions in the field, or out of small centres like San Leonardo Di Ortona, was a gruelling business. The fighting was a succession of section, platoon, company, and battalion size attacks, frontal or flanking. They were supported by considerable fire from artillery, tanks, large mortars, and heavy machineguns. The attacks cost the Canadians many casualties.

Gradually the eight mile stretch from the Moro River to the outskirts of the town of Ortona was cleared of the enemy. Getting there took another 29 lives of men of The Loyal Edmonton Regiment.

Defending the approach to Ortona effectively destroyed Germany's 90th Panzergrenadier Division as a fighting force. In the latter stages troops from the 1st Parachute Division took their place and continued the fight. The Fallschirmjäger too came to accept that they could not continue to hold. They pulled back from The Gully on the night of December 18.

The Canadians' next intention was to take Ortona itself. On December 20 troops from 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade moved towards it. German resistance was light. That evening a reconnaissance by two experienced officers of The Loyal Edmonton Regiment did not detect evidence of any substantial German presence. Taking the city looked like it would be easy. It would not be.

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Artillery barrage
December, 1943
Italy

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Cautious
December, 1943
Italy

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The commanders
December, 1943
Italy

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Casualties
December, 1943
Italy

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Tank recovery
December, 1943
Italy

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Moro River crossing
December, 1943
Italy