|
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 |
|
Piazza Armerina
|
Piazza Armerina
was a Battle Honour granted to Canadian regiments that fought at
that town during the Battle of Sicily, a phase of the Italian
Campaign during the Second World War.
Background
Early on 16 July, The
Loyal Edmonton Regiment and a squadron of tanks from The Three
Rivers Regiment led the 2nd Brigade Group up Highway 124 from
Caltagirone, passing through San Michele di Ganzeria which was not
occupied by the enemy, and turned north onto Highway 117, the
Gela-Enna highway. The battle group found itself three miles south
of Piazza Armerina by noon; this was yet another small rural town of
22,000 people, and at 2,366 feet above sea level was the highest in
altitude of any town yet encountered by Canadian troops on Sicily.
|
|
The Battle
As the lead elements approached a sharp bend
in the road, descending from a long level ridge to where it skirted a
narrow and steep gully, they came under fire from machine guns, mortars
and artillery. The road to Piazza Armerina was exposed all the way to
the town, where the Germans had once again selected good positions with
a commanding view. Two companies of the Edmontons worked forward to high
ground on each side of the road, but mortars sited on two prominences a
mile north and north-east continued to fire accurately on them.
The Edmontons, less “D” Company, still in
Ragusa, were ordered to move against the hills, with “A” and “B”
Companies making the initial attack and “C” in reserve. “A” Company
managed to fight onto its objective through enemy fire, and “C” was sent
to reinforce this success. The battle had been an infantry-only
engagement, as the tanks were unable to elevate their guns to reach the
German positions; only the battalion’s integral 3-inch mortar platoon
had been available for fire support. Later in the day, the Royal Devon
Yeomanry were able to provide indirect artillery fire, and the 5.5-inch
guns of the 7th Medium Regiment also added weight to artillery support.
“B” Company, however, faced more trouble as
it attempted to fight uphill during the course of the afternoon, and
lost contact with battalion headquarters. Part of the company was pinned
down in an orchard, but eventually a single platoon crested the hill and
precipitated a German withdrawal.
The 2nd Battalion of the 104th Panzer
Grenadier Regiment was not yet ready to leave the town of Piazza
Armerina itself, and 7.5cm artillery fire continued to hit the Canadian
positions until the British 5.5-inch medium guns silenced the German
batteries. It wasn’t until after nightfall that the Germans pulled out
of the town, which was declared secure by 0600 the next morning.
It was the first combat action for The Loyal
Edmonton Regiment, and had cost them 27 casualties. The town itself had
served as the location of an Italian corps headquarters, and signal
equipment and gasoline were obtained in large quantities from enemy
stocks.
Once again, the enemy had fought an
effective delaying action, holding the 1st Canadian Division up for 24
hours; it was noon on the 17th before the 3rd Brigade was able to pass
through the 2nd in Piazza Armerina and resume the advance on Enna,
taking the lead in the Canadian vanguard for the first time on Sicily.
There was a real need for urgency for the
1st Division to make progress, on the left wing of the 8th Army, as the
13th Corps on the right wing was facing determined resistance at the
Simeto River. General Alexander, commanding the 15th Army Group to which
both Allied armies on Sicily belonged, issued a new directive on 16 July
laying out three axes of advance for the 8th Army; firstly north from
Catania, secondly from Leonforte to Adrano, in order to “sever
communications this side of Etna” and finally via Nicosia-Troina-Randazzo
to sweep around the northern slopes of Mount Etna.
The general plan was thus to move quickly
before the Germans could crystallize an effective defence, with the
Canadians moving behind Mount Etna from the west. Enna itself passed
into the planned American area of operation, with the 7th Army tasked to
protect the rear of the 8th Army.
None of these plans would be effective
without the fall of Catania, and even by 17-18 July, British operations
continued to falter. According to the Canadian official historian:
It will be observed that the
directive based future operations for the Eighth Army upon the
capture of Catania. Enemy resistance before the port, however,
showed little sign of diminishing; a costly attack by the 50th
Division on the night of 17-18 July to enlarge the
Simeto bridgehead achieved little.
This stalemate in the east heightened the
importance of the
Eighth Army's other axes of advance, and caused a modification of
Montgomery's plans for the proposed northern sweep by the 30th Corps
on the left flank. In a signal to Alexander on the 17th he reported
that the 51st Highland Division was moving north from Scordia to
"capture Paterno to-morrow with luck", and declared his intention of
sending the Canadians--whom he expected to reach Enna that
night-eastward from Leonforte to Adrano, rather than along the wider
arc through Nicosia and Troina. "I will then operate with 30 Corps
round the west and north of Etna and will cut off any enemy who stay
east of Etna and about Catania." He further suggested that the
Americans after capturing Petralia should drive to the coast road
and "make faces eastwards" along the coast, thereby completing the
bisection of the island and hemming the enemy within the Messina
peninsula.
For the Canadian
Division this programme in the main was to remain unchanged.
The 3rd Brigade, setting off for Enna, could
see that the distance from Piazza Armerina, even over winding hillside
roads, was only 22 miles. However, the initial goal of reaching Enna on
17 July fell out of reach after only four miles, when a blown bridge was
found and sappers of the 4th Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers,
were brought forward to build a diversion. When the 3rd Brigade was just
eight miles from Piazza Armerina, they reached a junction branching off
of Highway 117, towards Valguarnera. The Germans were in a position to
delay advance in two directions by obstructing the junction, both
northwest towards Enna, and northeast to Valguarnera, which looked out
over the Dittaino valley and the western flats of the Catania plain.
Troops of the 2nd Battalion, 104th Panzer
Grenadier Regiment, having just withdrawn from Piazza Armerina, now lay
in ambush here just before the junction, at a spot that Highway 117
stretched through a narrow gap in a long ridge. The Canadian historian
surmised that troops of their 1st Battalion, pulling back from the
American front, joined them here. They set up outposts on the hill tops,
including the Monte della Forma, 2,700 feet high on the west side of the
pass, and sited mortars on the reverse slope.
In the action that followed the enemy
demonstrated that two determined battalions by exploiting naturally
strong positions could effectively hold up two brigades for more
than twenty-four hours.
The first Carleton and York Regiment,
travelling in the lead of the 3rd Brigade column, cane under fire
shortly after 0430, having traversed the bypass and come into the ambush
zone. Under mortar and machine gun fire, the Carleton and York infantry
dismounted, while tanks of the Three Rivers Regiment fired on the
Germans from one and a half miles south. The enemy was driven back to
their main line of defence, and the Carleton and York proceeded to
within a mile of Grottacalda pass.
Battle Honours
The following Canadian
units were awarded the Battle Honour "Piazza Armerina" for participation in
these actions:
1st Canadian Armoured Brigade
2nd Canadian Brigade
References
|
