December 21, 1943: Two Canadian soldiers from the Loyal Edmonton Regiment—Corporal Jim Henderson and Private Paul Cormier—faced eight German Panzers in the rubble-choked streets of Ortona, Italy. Armed only with the PIAT anti-tank launcher, a weapon most infantry hated, they achieved one of the most remarkable anti-tank actions of World War Two. This is the documented story of how two men held a critical intersection, destroyed an entire German tank platoon, and changed the course of the Battle of Ortona. Featuring detailed accounts of the PIAT weapon system, urban warfare tactics, and the brutal house-to-house fighting that earned Ortona the nickname "Little Stalingrad." Canadian military history at its finest.
*Hashtags:*
#CanadianHistory #WW2 #BattleOfOrtona #MilitaryHistory #CanadianArmy #PIAT #TankDestroyer #ItalianCampaign #LoyalEdmontonRegiment #ForgottenHeroes #UrbanWarfare #1943 #WorldWar2 #CanadianMilitary #HistoryDocumentary
---
SOURCES & REFERENCES
*Primary Sources:*
War Diary, Loyal Edmonton Regiment, December 1943 (Library and Archives Canada, RG24)
Distinguished Conduct Medal Citation, Corporal J. Henderson, London Gazette, March 1944
Military Medal Citation, Private P. Cormier, London Gazette, March 1944
After-Action Reports, 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade, December 20-28, 1943
1st Canadian Division Intelligence Summaries, December 1943
*Secondary Sources:*
Dancocks, Daniel G. *The D-Day Dodgers: The Canadians in Italy, 1943-1945*. McClelland & Stewart, 1991
Zuehlke, Mark. *Ortona: Canada's Epic World War II Battle*. Douglas & McIntyre, 2003
McAndrew, Bill. *Canadians and the Italian Campaign, 1943-1945*. Art Global, 1996
Nicholson, G.W.L. The Canadians in Italy, 1943-1945 (Official History). Queen's Printer, 1956
Stevens, G.R. *A City Goes to War: History of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment*. Loyal Edmonton Regiment Association, 1964
*Technical References:*
War Office. *Projector, Infantry, Anti-Tank (PIAT): Pamphlet No. 13*. HMSO, 1943
Hogg, Ian V. *British and American Artillery of World War 2*. Greenhill Books, 1998
Chamberlain, Peter & Ellis, Chris. *British and American Tanks of World War II*. Arco Publishing, 1969
*Archival Collections:*
Loyal Edmonton Regiment Museum Archives, Edmonton, Alberta
Canadian War Museum, Military History Research Centre, Ottawa
Moro River Canadian War Cemetery Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Информация по комментариям в разработке