Canada and World War II
Italian Campaign
• Victory in the North African Campaign allowed Allies
to re-enter occupied Europe.
• The first logical step was to enter Italy.
– Italy was becoming less enthusiastic about participating in
the war. By invading Italy it would hopefully knock them
out of the war, providing at least a major propaganda
blow.
– The elimination of Italy as an enemy would also enable
the Royal Navy to completely dominate the Mediterranean
Sea, massively improving communications with Egypt, the
Far East, the Middle East and India.
– It would also mean that the Germans would have to
transfer troops from the Russian Front to defend Italy and
the entire southern coast of France, thus aiding the
Russians.
The San Tommaso Cathedral
in Ortona was literally gutted
during the December 1943
fighting.
• Its initial goals were the capture of
Naples and of the Foggia and Rome
airfields.
• The Allied landing started on the
morning of September 3rd, 1943; on
September 8th, the Italian government
announced its surrender.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/launch_ani_italy_campaign.shtml
From higher ground, a
14th Armoured
Regiment (Calgary)
Sherman tank covers
the progression of the
West Nova Scotia
Regiment towards
Potenza, September
20th, 1943.
~ Italian Campaign ~
September 3, 1943 - May 2, 1945)
• Sicily Campaign, July 9 – August 1943
• The Winter Line, Anzio and Monte
Cassino
– Spring Offensive & Capture of Rome,
May – June 1944
• Gothic Line in North Apennine
Mountains ~ Spring 1945
• Rapid advance into Po Valley Feb. –
April 1945
Tanks of the
Régiment de TroisRivières driving along
the corso Vittorio
Emanuele towards
the Piazza Municipale,
December 23rd, 1943.
Canadian Participation
• The 1st Canadian Division landed near Reggio di Calabria on
September 3rd, 1943, and met no opposition whatsoever.
– They then started moving along the coast towards the Gulf of Tarento;
then turned up north meet up with the Fifth Army.
• In October, Canadian troops harassed the enemy throughout
the area north of Potenza to the Fortore and Biferno rivers, near
the Adriatic Sea.
• Campobasso fell on October 14th. Enemy casualties were
heavy and the Germans learned to respect the soldiers of the
1st Canadian Division.
• The progression of the Canadian army had been rather troublefree to begin with; since September the German strategy was
simply to delay their progression as much as possible.
– Their commanders had orders to retreat until they could take solid
positions between the Bernhard Line that cut across the Italian Peninsula
from Gaeta in the west to Ortona in the east.
– That line protected Rome and the Germans had clear orders: They shall
not pass!
Soldier firing 6pounder anti-tank
gun at the end of a
street in Ortona,
Italy, 21 December
1943.
• http://archives.cbc.ca/IDD-1-711471/conflict_war/italian_campaign/