Invasion of Italy Winter Line Gothic Line 1945 Spring Offensive The Battle of Ortona (20–28 December 1943)[1] was fought between two battalions of elite German Fallschirmjäger (paratroops) from the German 1st Parachute Division under Generalleutnant Richard Heidrich, and assaulting Canadian troops from the 1st Canadian Infantry Division under Major General Christopher Vokes.

[10] As one source indicates, "By dividing Nazi forces between several separate fronts, the Allies would prevent Hitler from striking a deadly blow at the USSR or from concentrating an invincible army along the coast of Normandy".

[11] The British Eighth Army's offensive on the Winter Line defences east of the Apennine mountains had commenced on 23 November with the crossing of the river Sangro.

[13] Some historians indicate that Ortona was of high strategic importance, as it was one of Italy's few usable deep water ports on the east coast, and was needed for docking Allied ships and to shorten Eighth Army's lines of supply which at the time stretched back to Bari and Taranto.

Ortona was part of the Winter Line defence system and the Germans had constructed a series of interlocking defensive positions in the town.

He quotes Field Marshal Albert Kesselring who said, "We do not want to defend Ortona decisively .. but the English have made it appear as important as Rome"; General Joachim Lemelsen, the temporary commander, replied, "It costs so much in blood, it cannot be justified".

[16] Nonetheless, the Allies believed it would be merely a minor battle and proceeded with the plan; the Germans then rose to the occasion, holding the town with great determination.

[19] The Germans had concealed various machine guns and anti-tank emplacements throughout the town, making movement by armour and infantry increasingly difficult.

[24] Throughout the battle, engineers on both sides also used the brutal but effective tactic of using demolition charges to collapse entire buildings on top of enemy troops.

On Christmas Day the Allies (who had by then occupied a smaller church), were ordered to destroy both the cathedral and the civilian hospital, but this was largely avoided.