Battle of Ortona

E20708

The Battle of Ortona was a brutal, house-to-house engagement in December 1943 between Canadian and German forces in the Italian town of Ortona, often called “Little Stalingrad” for its intensity and high casualties.

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All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Battle of Ortona canonical 13

Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf World War II battle
battle
alsoKnownAs Little Stalingrad
belligerent Canada
Nazi Germany
campaign Winter Line operations
casualties heavy on both sides
combatant 1st Canadian Division
surface form: 1st Canadian Infantry Division

German 1st Parachute Division
commemoratedBy Canadian War Cemetery at Ortona
Ortona museum exhibits
conflictIn Italian campaign
surface form: Italian Campaign
conflictType urban warfare
country Italy
describedAs one of the bloodiest battles for Canadian forces in Italy
endDate 1943-12-28
followedBy advance toward the Gustav Line
front Adriatic front in Italy
historicalPeriod 20th century
involves close-quarters combat
demolition of buildings
street fighting
notableFor high casualties
house-to-house fighting
intense urban combat
notableParticipant Loyal Edmonton Regiment
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
Seaforth Highlanders of Canada
objective capture of Ortona
opponentCommander Christopher Vokes
Richard Heidrich
partOf Allied efforts to push north through Italy
Allied invasion of Italy
Spring 1945 offensive in Italy
surface form: Eastern Italian front operations
place Pescara
surface form: Ortona
precededBy Battle of the Moro River
primaryOpposingForce Canadian Army (pre‑1968)
surface form: Canadian infantry

Fallschirmjäger division
surface form: Fallschirmjäger (German paratroopers)
relatedTo Bernhardt Line
Gustav Line
result Canadian victory
startDate 1943-12-20
strategicImportance Adriatic Sea port
tacticUsed mouse-holing
theater Mediterranean Theater of Operations
year 1943

Referenced by (13)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Italian campaign includesBattle Battle of Ortona
1st Canadian Division notableEngagement Battle of Ortona
Royal 22e Régiment notableEngagement Battle of Ortona
Little Stalingrad refersTo Battle of Ortona
Little Stalingrad usedFor Battle of Ortona
Little Stalingrad relatedEvent Battle of Ortona
Canadian War Cemetery at Ortona conflict Battle of Ortona
Battle of the Moro River followedBy Battle of Ortona
Battle of the Moro River relatedTo Battle of Ortona
Canadian I Corps notableEngagement Battle of Ortona
PPCLI notableEngagement Battle of Ortona
Ortona hasHistoricalEvent Battle of Ortona