Mission #11
Mission 11: Ortona, Italy, 24 December 1943
Ortona became a slow, tedious and deadly campaign for the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade as they fought the German 3rd Fallschirmjaeger. On the 23rd of December, the 1 CIB was thrown back into the mix as the 1st Canadian Division Commander ordered them to conduct a sweeping left hook around Ortona which would threaten the rear of the German paratroopers holding the town. The H&Per and the 48th Highlanders were tasked with securing two high ridges West and North of Ortona. Once secured, the severely under strength RCR would pass through and advance cross-country towards the coast.
Both initial objectives were taken on the night of the 23rd on a very cold, rainy dark night. The next morning however brought an angry response by the Germans who brought both positions under constant assault through shelling, infiltration attempts and concerted counterattacks. By mid-morning on the 24th, the Royals moved through the H&Pers, A Coy leading, and immediately came under a horrific barrage of mortar and artillery fire.
The advance ground to a halt almost immediately. The acting CO decided to wait until nightfall before committing B Coy. That night in an icy drizzle, another attempt was made to move forward, however the mud, thick vineyards and intense machine gun fire from the Germans caused that attack to falter as well. The 1 CIB Commander then dropped his original plan. Instead he ordered his former Battalion to force open a corridor between the H&Pers and the 48th Highlanders.
At first light on Christmas Day, A Coy stepped off…
Type: Cautious Advance (1)
Mapboard Selection: As per Mission Card.
Weather: EC are Mud and Overcast with No Wind at start.
FRIENDLY: A Coy/RCR (ELR 4). FBE West.
ENEMY: 90th Panzer-Grenadier Division (ELR 4). EBE East.
Misc:
1. EN forces are from the 90th Panzer-Grenadier Division. Activation rolls that generate SS are rerolled.
2. At the beginning of every GE PFPh where this is not an EN FFE on the map, make a DR. If a 31 or 32 is rolled, conduct that RE (Table A11). EXC to RE#31 – 33 on table A11, EN OBA is 80+ Mortar. Number of Artillery Strikes is still rolled for as per RE Table.
…and almost immediately was hammered with a devastating barrage and machine gun fire that added 20 more casualties to the 15 they had suffered the day before. The CO ordered B Coy to flank the machine guns that were interfering with the advance and also ordered C Coy to push through. As a result they were able to push out their perimeter several hundred meters. They now adopted a defensive posture for the night. Finally on the 28th of December, the Germans pulled out of Ortona and the next day saw them break contact along the entire front as they took up positions along the Arielli River.
On 30 December the Regiment moved back to rest positions along the Villa Grande road. Of the approximately 750 all ranks who had landed at Pachino 5-months prior, over 550 of these ‘originals’ had become casualties or prisoners of war.
pp. 166-168