Battle of Ortona

The Battle of Ortona was fought between two battalions of elite German Fallschirmjäger (paratroops) from the German 1st Parachute Division under Generalleutnant Richard Heidrich, and assaulting Canadian troops from the 1st Canadian Infantry Division under Major General Christopher Vokes. It was the culmination of the fighting on the Adriatic front in Italy during "Bloody December". The battle was known to those who fought it as the "Italian Stalingrad," and as "Little Stalingrad", for the brutality of its close-quarters combat, which was only worsened by the chaotic rubble of the town and the many booby traps used by both sides. The battle took place in the small Adriatic Sea town of Ortona (Abruzzo), with a peacetime population of 10,000.

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1943  Wikimedia, Wikidata
Little Stalingrad
battle, Italy, 

​ ​ ​ ​

Location: 42.3531, 14.4036, KML, Cluster Map, Maps,
3 places

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1943-12-20T00:00:00Z

1943-12-28T00:00:00Z

1943 Battle of Ortona

1943-12-04T00:00:00Z

1943-12-26T00:00:00Z

1943 Moro River Campaign

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Frameless

The Canadian Army in Italy 1944 NA10975

Ortona

RCAMCJeepOrtonaDec1943

Moro 48th counterattack

DeadGermanOrtona

LoyalEdmontonRegimentWithRadioOrtona1943

Loyal Edmonton Regiment soldier firing at German position Ortona December 1943

Loyal Edmonton Regiment infantry and Three Rivers Regiment Sherman tanks advancing in Ortona December 1943

SaskatoonLightInfantryFireMortarOrtona1944

Type	Subtype	Date	Description	Notes	Source
event	armed conflict		Battle of Orsogna	battle	Wikidata
event	armed conflict	1943	Moro River Campaign	military campaign	Wikidata
event	armed conflict	1943	Battle of Ortona	battle	Wikidata
commons	image		The Canadian Army in Italy 1944 NA10975		Commons
commons	image		Ortona		Commons
commons	image		RCAMCJeepOrtonaDec1943		Commons
commons	image		Moro 48th counterattack		Commons
commons	image		DeadGermanOrtona		Commons
commons	image		LoyalEdmontonRegimentWithRadioOrtona1943		Commons
commons	image		Loyal Edmonton Regiment soldier firing at German position Ortona December 1943		Commons
commons	image		Loyal Edmonton Regiment infantry and Three Rivers Regiment Sherman tanks advancing in Ortona December 1943		Commons
commons	image		SaskatoonLightInfantryFireMortarOrtona1944		Commons