395 THE WINTER CAMPAIGN IN ITALY 1943: Orsogna, San Pietro and Ortona

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Focuses on several little-known late 1943 battles fought in Italy following the German withdrawal from the Salerno bridgehead and from Taranto. Maps and diagrams present an easy to follow overview of the multiple operations of this complex campaign. The forces of the opposing sides (including American, German, Canadian, New Zealand and British troops).

By October 1943, the US Fifth Army and British Eighth Army had reached the Volturno Line, forcing a critical decision in German strategy: a prolonged defense would be conducted in southern Italy, contesting the Allied advance using the complex terrain features. By mid-November, the two Allied armies were approaching the German defensive lines along the Garigliano and the Sangro rivers. Here, US 5th Army would attack through the Mignano gap towards San Pietro Infine, while British Eighth Army would seize Ortona on the Adriatic coast and Orsogna. A brutal struggle ensued, with the German defenders attempting to hold their positions. The fighting at Ortona in particular would be particularly grueling for the Canadian forces involved.