Ortona (81 page)

Calgary Highlanders,
13

Cape Breton Highlanders,
364

Carleton and York (C&Y),
19
,
362
–63,
379

attack The Gully,
190
–91,
195

delayed south of the Sangro,
34

drive toward Point 59,
356
,
359
–60

mop up north of The Gully,
238

mount final attack on Point 59,
367
–69

mount frontal assault on The Gully,
215
–17

and Orange Blossom friendly fire,
233

ordered to take Point 59,
352

Pangman relieved of command of,
358

throw back counterattacks,
214

and upper Sangro diversion,
16
,
28

Hastings and Prince Edward,
52
,
122
,
200
,
295
,
297
,
299
,
319
,
346

attack towards Riccio River,
272
–77

casualties of,
156
,
318

driven back by counterattacks,
213

first Moro River crossing,
67
–70

Highlanders' move through,
292
–93

and Moro River bridgehead,
102
,
109
–10,
135
,
143
–44,
149
–51,
153
,
160
,
175
,
238

move into Moro River line,
65

move to Sangro River,
21

and RCR pass through,
130
–31

second Moro River crossing,
97
–100

support C&Y Gully attack,
190
–92

and Tollo Road ridgeline,
278

Loyal Edmonton,
19
,
55
,
57
,
190
,
238
,
244
,
332
-34,
341
–43,
374
,
379
–81

advance to San Leonardo planned,
143
,
155
–56

attacks through PPCLI planned,
83
,
91
,
102
,
107

attacks toward Ortona,
241
–43

and battle aftermaths,
349
–52

breaks through to outskirts,
251
–55

Cape Bretoners reinforce,
364

Christmas of,
324
–25

Dec. 10 Gully attack,
167
–69,
171
–73,
215
–16

Dec. 22–23 fighting,
278
–290

Dec. 24 fighting,
301
–14

Dec. 26 fighting,
328
–30

house-to-house fighting starts,
265
–66

moves to Sangro River,
17
,
26

pushes into Ortona,
257

reserve at Villa Rogatti,
35

Stone's bold dash,
261
–65

strength of,
338
–39

and Vino Ridge,
165
–66,
176
,
184
,
190

Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI),
xi
,
12
–13,
56
,
137
,
146
,
213
,
374
–75,
382

advances through Ortona,
351
–52

assigned Villa Rogatti attack,
35
,
65
,
67

battles for Villa Rogatti,
76
–91,
96

committed to Ortona battle,
345
–46

extends lines,
215
–16

on Moro River line,
32

moves to Moro River,
9
,
17
,
20
,
25
,
29
,
53

mules, use of,
70

ordered to withdraw,
107
–8

as Ortona reserve,
256

resupply of,
104
–7

at San Leonardo,
155
–56

in Villa Rogatti,
102

and Vino Ridge,
165
,
168
–72,
176
,
184
–85,
190
–91,
200
,
238

Royal 22e (Van Doos),
197
,
213
–14,
281
,
352
,
374
,
376
,
379

assault on Casa Berardi,
203
–11

captures Tollo Road crossroads,
358

delayed by Sangro bridge washout,
34

siege of Casa Berardi,
217
–21,
225
,
227

stalled at Riccio River,
355
–56

supports C&Y Gully attack,
190

and upper Sangro diversion,
16
,
28

Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR),
142
,
147
,
213
,
215
–16,
325
,
335
,
339
–40,
376

attacks toward San Leonardo,
113
–14,
125
,
127
–29,
130
–35,
144
–45,
148
–49

casualties of,
156

Christmas Eve attack,
297
–99

defence of Sterlin Castle,
150
–54

Orange Blossom,
225
–26,
232
–34

plans attack toward Riccio River,
272

relieves Highlanders,
346

takes Cider Crossroads,
235
–37

tries to relieve Highlanders,
296
–99,
318
–20

Seaforth Highlanders of Canada,
24
,
88
,
107
,
148
,
266
,
343
,
361
,
374
,
380

A company's raid,
192
,
194
–96,
205

attack toward Ortona,
238
,
241
,
243
–46

bury dead,
363

capture San Leonardo,
136
,
138
–43

casualties of,
155
–56

Christmas dinner
320
–23

Dec. 22–23 fighting,
278
–90

Dec. 24 fighting,
300
–313

Dec. 26 fighting,
328
–33,
339

enter Ortona,
255
–59

first attack on San Leonardo,
35
,
65
,
67
,
70
–75,
92
–96,
108

at La Torre,
215
–16

move to Moro River,
17

and Ortona aftermath,
350
–52

rescue Currie-Smith,
344
–45

and Vino Ridge,
165
,
169
–71,
175
–76,
178
,
185
–86

withdrawn from San Leonardo attack,
101
–4

West Nova Scotia,
200
,
208
,
211
,
217
,
352

attacks The Gully,
178
–81,
190
–92

effect of casualties on,
214

final attack on The Gully,
224
–25

and German counterattack,
183
–84

Gully flanking raid of,
186
–87,
192
–94

stuck south of Sangro,
34

and Upper Sangro diversion,
16
,
28

Other Units

Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers,
71
,
137
,
251
,
257
,
275

3rd Field Company,
72

4th Field Company,
241

bridge the Moro,
125
,
128
–30

and “impossible bridge,”
101
–2,
108

and Moro River bridging,
32
,
35
,
93

Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps,
146

Royal Canadian Artillery 1st Antitank Regiment (90th Battalion),
278

1st Field Regiment (Royal Canadian Horse Artillery),
114
,
122
,
157
,
178
,
181
–83,
191
,
203
,
218
–20,
227
,
374

2nd Field Regiment,
72
,
75
,
93
,
98
,
102
,
114
,
157

3rd Field Regiment,
114
,
157

Saskatoon Light Infantry (SLI),
18
,
53
,
81
,
105
,
114
,
123
,
169
,
227
,
292

deploys on Moro River line,
32

and Moro River barrage,
93
,
97

resupplies Highlanders,
325
–26

unit described,
26
–27

BRITISH AND COMMONWEALTH

Desert Air Force,
10

Eighth Army,
4
,
26
,
44
,
50
,
180
,
260
,
262
,
339
–40,
366
,
377
–78

in Africa,
40
,
48

artillery tactics of,
67

and “colossal crack” plan,
9
–11

and German strategy toward changes,
162

and Moro River barrage,
115
,
157

mules, use of,
70

password protocol of,
105

Pescara-to-Rome attack strategy of,
15
,
30
–31,
188
–89

plans for Ortona port,
238

and snipers,
281

strength of,
268
–69

V Corps,
15
–16,
30

Divisions

2nd New Zealand,
15
–16,
30
,
340

5th Infantry Division,
16
,
28

8th Indian Division,
15
–16,
33
,
114
,
136
–37,
157
,
227
,
231
,
340

78th Infantry Division,
15
–17,
22
,
25
–26,
28
–29,
32
,
48
,
65

Regiments and Brigades

4th Armoured Brigade,
16

4th Royal Artillery Regiment,
114

38th Brigade,
32
,
35

44th Royal Tank Regiment,
76
–77

57th Field Regiment,
114

70th Royal Artillery Medium Regiment,
114

98th Army Field Regiment,
114

Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers,
29

Royal West Kent Regiment,
108

UNITED STATES

5th Army,
4
,
10
–11,
15

82nd American Airborne Division,
41

GERMAN

1st Parachute Division,
315

1st Para Regiment at Point 59,
356
,
358
,
369

3rd Para Regiment,
160
,
161
,
197
,
200
,
268
,
275
,
312

4th Para Regiment,
313

casualties of,
366
–67

Dec. 22–23 fighting in Ortona,
279
–91

Dec. 24 fighting in Ortona,
303
–14

defends Casa Berardi,
205
–11

described,
160
–61

destroys Cattedrale San Tomasso,
246

Fretz joins,
199
–200

Illi's service in,
197
–99

initial defence of Ortona,
252
–74

reinforce 90th,
205
,
211
–13

relieves 90th,
200
–201

siege of Highlanders broken,
334
–39

snipers, use of,
282
–83

tactical doctrine of,
269
–70,
275

warned against looting,
350

withdraw from Ortona,
347
–48

withdraw from The Gully,
238
–41

26th Panzer Division,
16

26th Panzer Regiment,
89
–91

65th German Division,
48
,
160

76th Panzer Korps,
51
,
201
,
212
,
338
,
347

90th Panzer Grenadier Division,
67
,
101
,
133
,
135
,
172
,
187
,
205
,
376

200th Regiment,
50
,
84
–85,
87
,
89
,
101
,
114
,
126
,
130
,
176

361st Regiment,
51
,
101
,
113
–14,
126
,
270

blamed by Kesselring,
211
–12

and boobytraps,
158
–59

casualties of,
101
,
365
–67,
269
–70

counterattack at Sangro River,
16

counterattack Hasty P's,
112

defects of tactics of,
160
,
214
,
275

defence of The Gully,
166
,
177
–79,
183
–85,
190
,
192
–94,
215