|
History |
|
Wars & Campaigns |
|
►Boer
War
►First
World War
►►Western
Front
►►►Trench
Warfare: 1914-1916
►►►Allied
Offensive: 1916
►►►Allied
Offensives: 1917
►►►German
Offensive: 1918
►►►Advance
to Victory: 1918
►►Siberia
►Second
World War
►►War
Against Japan
►►North
Africa
►►Italian
Campaign
►►►Sicily
►►►Southern
Italy
►►►The
Sangro and Moro
►►►Battles
of the FSSF
►►►Cassino
►►►Liri
Valley
►►►Advance
to Florence
►►►Gothic
Line
►►►Winter
Lines
►►North-West
Europe
►►►Normandy
►►►Southern
France
►►►Channel
Ports
►►►Scheldt
►►►Nijmegen
Salient
►►►Rhineland
►►►Final
Phase
►Korean
War
►Cold
War
►Gulf
War |
|
Operations |
|
|
|
Battle Honours |
|
Boer War
First World War
Western Front
Trench Warfare: 1914-1916
Allied Offensive: 1916
|
►Somme, 1916 |
1
Jul-18 Nov 16 |
|
►Albert |
.1-13
Jul 16 |
|
►Bazentin |
.14-17
Jul 16 |
|
►Pozieres |
.23
Jul-3 Sep 16 |
|
►Guillemont |
.3-6
Sep 16 |
|
►Ginchy |
.9
Sep 16 |
|
►Flers-Courcelette |
15-22
Sep 16 |
|
►Thiepval |
26-29
Sep 16 |
|
►Le Transloy |
.
1-18 Oct 16 |
Allied
Offensives: 1917
|
►Arras 1917 |
8
Apr-4 May 17 |
|
►Vimy, 1917 |
.9-14
Apr 17 |
|
►Arleux |
28-29 Apr 17 |
|
►Scarpe, 1917 |
.3-4
May17 |
|
►Hill 70 |
.15-25
Aug 17 |
|
►Messines, 1917 |
.7-14
Jun 17 |
|
►Ypres, 1917 |
..31
Jul-10 Nov 17 |
|
►Pilckem |
31
Jul-2 Aug 17 |
|
►Langemarck, 1917 |
.16-18
Aug 17 |
|
►Menin Road |
.20-25
Sep 17 |
|
►Polygon Wood |
26
Sep-3 Oct 17 |
|
►Broodseinde |
.4
Oct 17 |
|
►Poelcapelle |
.9
Oct 17 |
|
►Passchendaele |
.12
Oct 17 |
|
►Cambrai, 1917 |
20
Nov-3 Dec 17 |
German Offensive: 1918
|
►Somme, 1918 |
.21
Mar-5 Apr 18 |
|
►St. Quentin |
.21-23
Mar 18 |
|
►Bapaume, 1918 |
.24-25
Mar 18 |
|
►Rosieres |
.26-27
Mar 18 |
|
►Avre |
.4
Apr 18 |
|
►Lys |
.9-29
Apr 18 |
|
►Estaires |
.9-11
Apr 18 |
|
►Messines, 1918 |
.10-11
Apr 18 |
|
►Bailleul |
.13-15
Apr 18 |
|
►Kemmel |
.17-19
Apr 18 |
Advance to Victory: 1918
|
►Arras, 1918 |
.26
Aug-3 Sep 18 |
|
►Scarpe, 1918 |
26-30 Aug 18. |
|
►Drocourt-Queant |
.2-3
Sep 18 |
|
►Hindenburg Line |
.12
Sep-9 Oct 18 |
|
►Canal du Nord |
.27
Sep-2 Oct 18 |
|
►St. Quentin Canal |
.29
Sep-2 Oct 18 |
|
►Epehy |
3-5
Oct 18 |
|
►Cambrai, 1918 |
.8-9
Oct 18 |
|
►Valenciennes |
.1-2
Nov 18 |
|
►Sambre |
.4
Nov 18 |
|
►Pursuit to Mons |
.28 Sep-11Nov |
Second World War
War Against Japan
South-East Asia
Italian Campaign
Battle of Sicily
Southern
Italy
The Sangro and Moro
Battles of the FSSF
|
►Anzio |
22
Jan-22 May 44 |
|
►Rome |
.22
May-4 Jun 44 |
|
►Advance
|
.22
May-22 Jun 44 |
|
to the Tiber |
. |
|
►Monte Arrestino |
25
May 44 |
|
►Rocca Massima |
27
May 44 |
|
►Colle Ferro |
2
Jun 44 |
Cassino
|
►Cassino II |
11-18
May 44 |
|
►Gustav Line |
11-18
May 44 |
|
►Sant' Angelo in
|
13
May 44 |
|
Teodice |
. |
|
►Pignataro |
14-15 May 44 |
Liri Valley
|
►Hitler Line |
18-24 May 44 |
|
►Melfa Crossing |
24-25 May 44 |
|
►Torrice Crossroads |
30
May 44 |
Advance to Florence
Gothic Line
|
►Gothic Line |
25 Aug-22 Sep 44 |
|
►Monteciccardo |
27-28 Aug 44 |
|
►Point 204 (Pozzo Alto) |
31 Aug 44 |
|
►Borgo Santa Maria |
1 Sep 44 |
|
►Tomba di Pesaro |
1-2 Sep 44 |
Winter Lines
|
►Rimini Line |
14-21 Sep 44 |
|
►San Martino- |
14-18 Sep 44 |
|
San Lorenzo |
. |
|
►San Fortunato |
18-20 Sep 44 |
|
►Sant' Angelo |
11-15 Sep 44 |
|
in Salute |
. |
|
►Bulgaria Village |
13-14 Sep 44 |
|
►Pisciatello |
16-19 Sep 44 |
|
►Savio Bridgehead |
20-23
Sep 44 |
|
►Monte La Pieve |
13-19
Oct 44 |
|
►Monte Spaduro |
19-24 Oct 44 |
|
►Monte San Bartolo |
11-14
Nov 44 |
|
►Lamone Crossing |
2-13
Dec 44 |
|
►Capture of Ravenna |
3-4
Dec 44 |
|
►Naviglio Canal |
12-15 Dec 44 |
|
►Fosso Vecchio |
16-18 Dec 44 |
|
►Fosso Munio |
19-21 Dec 44 |
|
►Conventello- |
2-6 Jan 45 |
|
Comacchio |
. |
Northwest Europe
Battle of Normandy
|
►Quesnay Road |
10-11 Aug 44 |
|
►St. Lambert-sur- |
19-22 Aug 44 |
Southern France
Channel Ports
The Scheldt
Nijmegen Salient
Rhineland
|
►The
Reichswald |
8-13 Feb 45 |
|
►Waal
Flats |
8-15 Feb 45 |
|
►Moyland
Wood |
14-21 Feb 45 |
|
►Goch-Calcar
Road |
19-21 Feb 45 |
|
►The
Hochwald |
26
Feb- |
| . |
4
Mar 45 |
|
►Veen |
6-10 Mar 45 |
|
►Xanten |
8-9
Mar 45 |
Final Phase
|
►The
Rhine |
23
Mar-1 Apr 45 |
|
►Emmerich-Hoch
|
28
Mar-1 Apr 45 |
|
Elten |
. |
Korean War
|
|
Domestic Missions |
|
►FLQ
Crisis |
|
International
Missions |
|
►ICCS
Vietnam 1973
►MFO
Sinai 1986- |
|
Peacekeeping |
|
►UNTEA |
W. N. Guinea 1963-1964 |
|
►ONUCA |
C. America
1989-1992 |
|
►UNTAC |
Cambodia
1992-1993 |
|
►UNMOP |
Prevlaka
1996-2001 |
|
|
Exercises |
|
|
Castel di Sangro
Castel di
Sangro was a Battle Honour
granted for fighting at this Italian feature on the Sangro River in
November 1943.
Background
For detailed
background see The Sangro article
In November 1943, the 1st
Canadian Infantry Division had been withdrawn from the line for a rest
following arduous fighting in October on the Biferno River. The 3rd
Canadian Infantry Brigade, having seen comparatively less action than
the other two brigades of the division, were sent to the Sangro in order
to participate in a major deception plan intended to draw attention away
from a major 8th Army offensive planned on the coast. |
|
By 22 November, the 3rd
Brigade, tasked with clearing German outposts east of the Sangro, had
been successful in its mission with one exception: German troops still
held out on the heights of Point 1009. A planned brigade attack,
postponed due to heavy rains drenching the entire 8th Army front, could
not go forward until all forces east of the Sangro were cleared.
On 22 November, Brigadier
Gibson, commanding the 3rd Canadian Brigade, and Lieutenant-Colonel
Bogert of the West Novas observed Point 1009 from a height called the
Raven's Nest and decided on a one-company assault by "B" Company of the
West Novas. Captain F.H. Burns was ordered to make his attack at 0100 on
23 November. Radio communication was lost with the company almost
immediately and it was seven hours, after they returned, before
Battalion Headquarters was able to learn what happened during their
attempt to reach their objective.1
After descending
the west side of the San Pietro ridge the company began climbing the
muddy slopes to the great rock which rose sheer out of the hilltop.
It rained continually. Breathless and soaked, the leading platoon
reached the summit by the only possible route, a narrow path
ascending the west side. Without delay the Canadians streamed across
the plateau to attack the monastery, firing their Brens and hurling
grenades through the windows.
But the platoon
had been lured into a trap. The defenders, some of the 1st Parachute
Regiment's 3rd Battalion, had held their fire, apparently feigning
weakness to avoid engagement by Allied artillery. Now machinegun
posts skilfully sited around the perimeter of the plateau caught the
West Novas in a severe cross-fire. A few managed to escape; the
others, not hearing the dying platoon commander's orders to
withdraw, were killed, wounded or captured.2
In darkness and rain, the
Canadian company commander deployed two platoons to give covering fire
from below and Lieutenant J.B. "Blackie" Blanchard's platoon rushed the
building. Blanchard was wounded fatally, living long enough only to
order his men back. "Only a handful escaped despite the desperate
efforts of the rest of the company to come to their rescue." Lieutenant
Gordon Romkey, recently returned after recovering from wounds suffered
on Sicily, was ordered to try a right flanking with his platoon. His
batman was killed, and he found the cliff face too steep, Germans above
raining hand grenades down on them.3
With the approach
of daylight a thick mist coming up from the valley provided a screen
which aided escape, although several men of one section broke arms
and legs in jumping from the high ledge. The cost had been heavy.
Four men and their platoon commander had been killed and ten others
wounded. Evacuation of the casualties from the plateau involved a
long and arduous descent through mud and slipping rock, and several
wounded had to be left behind. In all 16 of the battalion were taken
prisoner.4
Castel di Sangro photographed in 2005.
Wikipedia photo
On the 24th, several
regiments of field and medium artillery began its own part in the
simulated attack, an attempt to fool the Germans the entire Canadian
division was assaulting across the Sangro. Major-General Vokes,
commanding the 1st Division, ordered Point 1009 to be taken that day,
and Rocca Cinquemiglia on 25 November. Artillery duels raged all day on
the 24th, and the men of the West Novas again went up Point 1009 using
the day-long bombardment as cover. One concentration on Point 1009
consisted of 5,000 rounds of gunfire in just half an hour.5
This time it was
no stealthy foray against an enemy feigning weakness. Five thousand
rounds from eight of the artillery regiments fell on the position
within half an hour. The plan was for a flanking assault by "A"
Company, while "C" provided fire cover from the front. Mules
carried the battalion's three-inch mortars and the medium
machine-guns of a platoon of the Saskatoon Light Infantry down the
muddy slopes, Lt.-Col. Bogert's headquarters moving with the
attacking force to direct operations. By three in the afternoon,
after the column's progress had been considerably delayed by enemy
shelling, "C" Company was in position on a crest 800 yards east of
the objective. An hour later, "A" Company had reached the top of the
plateau without firing a shot: the enemy had withdrawn the previous
night. In the cellar of the monastery the West Novas found three
wounded men of their "B" Company, left behind by the Germans.
Protected by walls four feet thick they had safely survived the
artillery bombardment. At last the enemy had been driven north of
the Sangro, and the Canadians held an excellent observation post
which commanded long stretches of the river valley.
Throughout the
night of the 24th and all the following day the artillery kept up
harassing fire, and as a result the attack on Rocca Cinquemiglia by
the Royal 22e which had been scheduled for the 25th was cancelled. A
reconnaissance patrol across the river on the following morning
found the enemy well dug in on the steep approaches to the town. The
party fell foul of an "S" mine,* and came under severe machine-gun
fire, so that before it finally rejoined the battalion every member
had become a casualty.6
Aftermath
The fall of Point 1009
completed operations east of the Sangro, and with these operations
complete, and simultaneously the other preparations for the 8th Army's
main drive along the Adriatic coast also being completed by 27 November,
the diversionary operations by the 3rd Canadian Brigade and other
formations alongside ceased. The 5th Corps had secured a six-mile long
bridgehead over the Sangro up to 2,000 yards deep in "disgusting
conditions" (in the words of the Army commander) and held it against
numerous German counter-attacks. The readiness of the New Zealanders to
begin their own assault negated the need for further deception on the
left flank of the 8th Army. The main attack went ahead on 28 November,
gaining the heights over the Sangro flats, and in their wake the 1st
Canadian Infantry Division were ordered up to begin their own operations
on the Moro River.
The 3rd Brigade was still
handing over its positions on the Upper Sangro by the time the rest of
the 1st Division had moved to the Adriatic coast, the 2nd Brigade
leaving Campobasso on 30 November to stage north-west of Termoli and the
1st Brigade crossing the Sangro on 1 December to relieve the 11th
Brigade at Fossacesia. The fighting on the Moro, consuming the month of
December both at Ortona and by the New Zealanders at Orsogna, was in the
event every bit as difficult as it promised to be.
Battle Honours
The following Canadian
unit was awarded the Battle Honour "Castel di Sangro" for participation in these
actions:
3rd Canadian Brigade
Notes
-
Nicholson, Gerald The Canadians in Italy, 1943-1945
(Queen's Printer, Ottawa, ON, 1957), pp.281-283
-
Ibid, pp.282-283
-
Dancocks, Daniel G.
D-Day Dodgers: The Canadians in Italy 1943-1945 (McClelland
& Stewart Inc., Toronto, ON, 1991) ISBN 0771025440 pp.144-145
-
Nicholson, Ibid, p.284
-
Nicholson, G.W.L. The Gunners of
Canada: The History of the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery Volume
II 1919-1967 (Royal Canadian Artillery Association, 1972) p.165
-
Nicholson, Canadians in Italy, Ibid,
pp.284-285
Photo of Castel di Sangro taken 10 November
2005 by Carmine Riccio, uploaded to Wikipedia under the terms of the
GNU Free Documentation License. |
