Italian Mainland: The campaign to liberate Italy
In the year of 1942, Italy’s government was cracking under pressure. World War II’s intensity and endless fighting was proving to be too much for Mussolini's rule. The Allies, Canadian Regiments included, had taken control over Sicily that summer, and a month following their successful capture, they headed for the Italian Mainland. The Allied troops arrived North of Reggio Calabria on September 3rd, and captured that city on the same day. On September the 8th, the Italian Army surrendered to the Allies. The German army impeded the Allies’ advances and took the place of the Italian army. After two weeks of fighting in October, the Canadians made a 40 kilometre advance from Lucera to Campobossa. A pullback like this allowed the Germans enough time to make a strong defense south of Rome, and by the Sangro River. The British attacked the line by Sangro River, causing the German army to pull back to the Moro River.
The Canadian Army assaulted the Moro River defence, with only one regiment that headway by making Villa Rogatti a captured city. The Canadian troops made advancement before they had to pass through The Gully, a narrow pass. The Gully left both the Allies and Axis armies with limited space. The results were parlous, and caused the Germans withdrew from The Gully after six days of fighting. The intense fighting of Ortana, where the Germans withdrew to, involved three regiments of the Canadian Corps; The Loyal Edmonton Regiment, the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada and the tanks of the Three Rivers Regiment. For the next eight days there was continuous fighting in Ortana. The Highlanders were lucky enough to be pardoned by the quartermaster from fighting on Christmas day and having a pleasant Christmas dinner outside the city. Germany withdrew on the 28th, the Canadian casualties being 2,605 as well as over 5,000 pardons for sickness and exhaustion. This marked another victory for the Allies in Italy, unfortunately with heavy losses.
The beginning of a new Freedom
The winter months granted no breakage for the Allies in the German’s Gustav Line, until May when the Canadians aided an Indian Division, who broke into the Gustav line. The next test for the Canadian Corps proved to be the Hitler line, a line that was riddled with minefields, barbed wire, pillboxes and mounted turrets. The right side of the line suffered great casualties, while the left broke through the line and advanced. The furtherance of capturing Rome was not long, and it took the Allies’ three weeks to seize the city. 800 Canadian’s would not live through the capture of Rome, which was free of German rule by June 4.
The Italian campaign was no longer a large priority as had D-Day transpired. The Allies headed North to the city of Revanna. It took one month of fighting for the city to finally fall, but brutal fighting continued throughout the months. In February 1945, the Canadian Corps started to withdraw from Italy to focus more on Northern Europe. Benito Mussolini, the Fascist Dictator of Italy, was executed by the Italian people on April 28, 1945. It was only two days after, on April 30, that Adolf Hitler committed suicide. The Italian Campaign was over and victory in Italy prevailed for the Canadians. Germany surrendered Italy unconditionally that May to the Allies. Italy was finally liberated from the commanding hold of Nazi Germany.
The Italian campaign was no longer a large priority as had D-Day transpired. The Allies headed North to the city of Revanna. It took one month of fighting for the city to finally fall, but brutal fighting continued throughout the months. In February 1945, the Canadian Corps started to withdraw from Italy to focus more on Northern Europe. Benito Mussolini, the Fascist Dictator of Italy, was executed by the Italian people on April 28, 1945. It was only two days after, on April 30, that Adolf Hitler committed suicide. The Italian Campaign was over and victory in Italy prevailed for the Canadians. Germany surrendered Italy unconditionally that May to the Allies. Italy was finally liberated from the commanding hold of Nazi Germany.
"Today, it is announced that an armistice with Italy has been concluded. |
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Veteran Story: Howe Leonard Love
Howe Love was a man from Yorkton, Saskatchewan when he got involved in the War. He was among the first hundred of the Canadians that invaded Sicily in July 1943. Unfortunately, Love acquired an injury in the leg from this invasion. He went everyday to the dressing station and had a few friends help him bandage his leg. Love was a determined young fellow who would not let this injury force him to leave the regiment. His regiment was bombarded with shells and his major was badly wounded. Howe’s leg had a piece of a mortar shell in it, which was lucky in war.
"We were with the British infantry at the time. And they bandaged my knee to start with and then I just kept bandaging myself because I didn't want to leave the regiment. So I looked after my own wound." They crossed the Messina Strait to the very edge of Italy where they landed. The Canadians followed the Germans a quarter of the way up Italy until they stopped retreating at the Christmas of 1943. This was the brutal battle of Ortona, where the Germans had a strong line of defensive. The line of defensive extended past the borders of Ortona all across Italy. They were forced to rest after this intense battle until it was May, 1944. They had a journey across Italy to the Western side and participated in the Battle of Monte Cassino. The prelude to the Battle consisted of the Allies waiting around near the Monastery on the mountain, which the Germans had possession of. They waited until they attacked them, surprising their enemies. They carried on through the Sangro river and all the way up to the Hitler Line, the strong defense line that the Germans had between Cassino and Rome. Lowe was an artillery observer for the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada, and they had to have everyone in battle, even the cooks and drivers had to participate because the battle was so intense. The Allies went up to the Gothic line and broke through because it was not fortified very well all across the line. The Allies made their way up to Rome and liberated the Capital. It was joyous for the Allies and the people of Rome. Howe continued on with the rest of the regiments further North until the spring of 1945. He was awarded nine medals for his involvement in the war. |
Works Cited
Essay
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Veteran Story
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Photos
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"Canada - Italy 1943 -1945." Veteran Affairs Canada. Government of Canada, n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2016.
Franklin D. Roosevelt: "Fireside Chat.," September 8, 1943. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=16312. Zuehlke, Mark. "The Italian Campaign." The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada, 23 Apr. 2015. Web. 10 Nov. 2016. |
"Veteran Stories: Howard Leonard "Howe, Lion Heart" Love." The Memory Project. Historica Canada, n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2017.
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Canadian War Museum. Web.
Custermen. Web. 4 Jan. 2017. <http://custermen.com/>. Historica Canada. Mr. Howard Love. 2010. The Memory Project. Web. 23 Jan. 2017 Liberation Trilogy. Web. 4 Jan. 2017. <http://liberationtrilogy.com/>. Love, Howard. Mr. Howard Love's war medals. N.d. The Memory Project. Web. 23 Jan. 2017 1944. World War II in Photos, Rome. The Atlantic. Web. 8 Dec. 2016. |