THE URBAN BATTLE OF ORTONA by Jayson Geroux B.A. Degree (Honours History), Wilfrid Laurier University, 1993 A thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in the Graduate Academic Unit of History Supervisor(s): Lee Windsor, PhD, History Examining Board: Cindy Brown, PhD, History David Hofmann, PhD, Sociology This thesis is accepted by the Dean of Graduate Studies THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK September, 2020 © Jayson Geroux, 2020 Abstract This thesis closely examines 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade’s day-by-day decisions and combat actions during the urban battle for Ortona in December 1943. Ortona stands among the most famous historical cases of urban warfare that have been harvested for lessons and doctrinal formulas for modern armies. Existing histories reveal how the story is often simplified into glimpses of its most dramatic moments that are seldom cross-referenced or connected chronologically. This study links the tangled nest of dramatic stories in time and space to reveal the chain of historical cause and consequence. Additionally, this study considers how geography, force composition, weapons systems, and the presence of substantial numbers of Italian civilians all factored in the outcome. The thesis follows 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade’s day-to-day struggle through Ortona’s streets to understand how they attempted to impose order on what has historically been labelled as chaos. ii Acknowledgements There were many people that made this thesis possible. First and foremost, I will be eternally grateful to my beautiful wife Courtney Charlotte, who gave me the nudge when she realized that although I was a full time Regular Force career infantry officer with The Royal Canadian Regiment, it was time to follow through with my dream of acquiring a history degree beyond just a Bachelor of Arts. The timing was right: I had a fairly routine job at the Combat Training Centre's Tactics School at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown; a supportive chain of command that allowed me to attend weekly seminar classes and conduct research trips; an outstanding thesis advisor who was available; and the University of New Brunswick was a very short drive away. When in 2016 we both realized that it was now or never, Courtney supported me wholeheartedly to pursue the thesis and did it knowing that I would be spending even less time with our family. She was now bearing more weight on her shoulders, taking care of our daughters and a house with way too many pets while I departed for days on research trips and military conferences (that took me to places far more exciting and interesting than Fredericton) and spending countless days in our basement conducting the research and the writing. To voluntarily support a project that would see me away from the house demonstrated even more her strength and love as a military spouse, wife, best friend and wonderful mother. I must also thank our two beautiful daughters, Lily Victoria Aurora and Phoenix Charlotte Patricia, who also had to bear with daddy's absence for many days. I must of course thank Dr. Lee Windsor, my thesis advisor and now close friend. He has been knowledgeable, intellectual, thought-provoking, extremely humorous, provided a number of sources and resources, and, due to my being out of the university iii environment for almost two-and-a-half decades while concurrently being a grumpy old senior officer, incredibly patient with me. Thank you for making me a better and more critical student of military history. I must thank two of the previous Commandants of the Tactics School, Lieutenant- Colonel Robbin Dove and Lieutenant-Colonel Christian Caron. Both of them supported me at a level that went far beyond the normal. Although it had been almost twenty-five years since I had walked Wilfrid Laurier University’s history department’s hallways my two former military history professors there, Professor Terry Copp and Dr. Barry Gough, immediately reacted to my request for their support in my pursuit of a Masters degree, a speed of reply that would have made most militaries around the world envious. Three family members were very influential in initiating my interest in military history and the military at a young age. Both of my grandfathers, Sergeant Jack Gilchrist of the United States Marine Corps, and Naval Firefighter Edward Geroux Sr of the Royal Canadian Navy, participated in the Second World War (1939-1945) which began the initial interest. My uncle Martin Wakeford, also a passionate military history student, also contributed to my interest in the subject in my developing years. There are countless other family members, friends, UNB professors and graduate students, Canadian Armed Force officers and senior non-commissioned officers who I could list here, but their names would take up numerous pages. Please know that you were all important to the creation of this work and although you may not be named, you are certainly remembered by me. iv Table of Contents Abstract..............................................................................................................................ii Acknowledgements...........................................................................................................iii Table of Contents...............................................................................................................v List of Illustrations...........................................................................................................vii List of Abbreviations / Acronyms / Definitions.................................................................x List of Appendices…………………………………….…………………………..……xii Introduction – Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, Alberta, November 2017..........................................1 Chapter 1 – Battle of Ortona: A Historiography..............................................................10 Chapter 2 – Setting the Stage: The Green Devils: The German Fallschirmjager Geographic Factors The Ortonesi: Ortona’s Civilians The Red Patch Devils: The Canadians of 1 CID 2 CIB Situation Report: 19 December 1943....................................................................28 Chapter 3 – 20-22 December 1943 Day 1 – 20 December 1943: The Approach Day 2 – 21 December 1943: The Break-In into New Town Day 3 – 22 December 1943: Advance into Old Town…….............................................53 Chapter 4 – 23-24 December 1943 Day 4 – 23 December 1943: The Slow Advance Through Old Town Day 5 – 24 December 1943: Hard Fighting Around Piazza Municipali and “Dead Horse Square”…………………………………….90 Chapter 5 – 25-26 December 1943 Day 6 – 25 December 1943: Christmas Day Day 7 – 26 December 1943: A Glimmer of Hope..........................................................121 Chapter 6 – 27-28 December 1943 Day 8 – 27 December 1943: The Violent Climax Day 9 – 28 December 1943: “Tedesci” had “Avanti’d”……………..............................148 v Chapter 7 – Making Sense of the Aftermath: The Ortonesi Post-Battle Events Leadership Analysis………………...............................................................................164 Chapter 8 – Conclusion – Why Ortona Matters: Past, Present and Future....................192 Bibliography……………………...………………........................................................198 Appendix I – Ortona’s Urban Geography………...………………………………205-213 Appendix II – Curriculum Vitae vi List of Illustrations Description Page(s) 1: Tanks from the Three Rivers Regiment and dismounted Canadian infantry, Ortona...8 2: Canadian soldiers with Ortona in the distance............................................................43 3: 2 x Ortona elevation profiles (north and south)……………………………………..44 4: 2 x photos, Brigadier Bertram “Hoffy” Hoffmeister………...…………………..…..53 5: Soldiers from B Company, the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada, approach Ortona...57 6: 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade “Progression Map” 20 December 1943……….….…60 7: On the outskirts of Ortona soldiers from the Loyal Edmonton Regiment engage German troops..................................................................................................................66 8: 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade “Progression Map” 21 December 1943 (morning)....68 9: Soldiers from the Loyal Edmonton Regiment advance up an Ortona sidestreet, and 3 x photos of German prisoners of war.....................................................................70 10: 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade “Progression Map” 21 December 1943 (afternoon / evening)……………………………..…………………………………………………..73 11: "Via Dolorosa, Ortona" by Charles Comfort............................................................76 12: 3 x photos of Sgt Marchand wounded in action / Piazza Vittoria.............................79 13: Two M-4 Medium "Sherman" tanks from the Three Rivers Regiment provide support to the dismounted soldiers in Piazza Vittoria, Ortona.........................................79 14: Soldiers from the Loyal Edmonton Regiment, engineers and a Sherman Tank from the Three Rivers Regiment, Corso Vittorio Emmanuele, 22 or 23 December 1943........81 15: Two Sherman tanks of the Three Rivers Regiment in the Piazza Vittoria...............84 16: The Seaforths’ anti-tank platoon’s ammunition truck and the Intelligence Officer’s jeep burns.........................................................................................................................85 17: 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade “Progression Map” 22 December 1943…………...89 18: Three Rivers Regiment M-4 Medium Sherman Tanks