Battle of Ortona

E20708

World War II battle battle

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.

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 Infantry Division → German 1st Parachute Division →
commemoratedBy	Canadian War Cemetery at Ortona → Ortona museum exhibits →
conflictIn	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 → Eastern Italian front operations →
place	Ortona →
precededBy	Battle of the Moro River →
primaryOpposingForce	Canadian infantry → 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 (3)

Subject (surface form when different)	Predicate
1st Canadian Division → Royal 22e Régiment →	notableEngagement
Italian campaign →	includesBattle