Hard-Won Victory: The Canadians at Ortona, 1943

by Norm Christie

The invasion of Sicily and the battle for Italy were the first full-fledged fighting for the Canadian Army. They performed well, and in December 1943 they would be handed the mantle, to crush the German Line at the Moro River and take Ortona. This was to be their first great test. Against brilliantly designed defensive works the Canadians cracked the Moro River Line, and turned into Ortona, where they would have to beat the Germans in hand-to-hand, and house-to-house fighting. They would have to ‘Mousehole’ their way to victory, and that’s what they did. Ortona was the Canadian Army’s first great challenge and its first great victory.

42 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Norm Christie is the Canadian author of a number of historical books about the Canadians in WWI. He worked for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in England (1990-1993) and in France (1993-1996).