[Pete]

In addition to the release notes of the beta version I have also written a text with background information on the mod. This text is also included in the readme.txt.

Ortona 1943 mod for Close Combat 5.

The Ortona 1943 mod was conceived by PT11070 and his maps received a lot of well deserved praise. The project came to a standstill however. Over three years ago Buck_Compton approached PT to request to take over and he agreed. Adopting someone else’s pet project can be risky. First  there is the initial plan that has already shaped the contours of the mod. Then there is the choice between proceeding with the plan and to leave as little impact as possible or just do whatever suits your interpretation of the historical circumstances. Buck and I chose to do the latter. Some maps were removed, some were added, others were resized and the stratmap was redrawn several times. The data files have been redone. All battles, operations and campaigns were designed from scratch. The result is a significantly different mod than the one we started working on.
This episode of the Italian campaign is scarcely documented and to make matters worse most of the available documentation is written from the Allied and Canadian perspective. It seems also that 1. Fs.Div. and 90. Pz.Gr.Div. have destroyed their war diaries. Had they known that this would frustrate the post war amateur researcher more than their contemporary allied opponents they might have decided differently. The result is a ‘fog of war’ for the modmaker because the Canadian reports reveal few details on German units and their dispositions or movements. Internet sources mention vicious battles glorifying both sides’ efforts. A common myth is that a single paratrooper battallion battled an entire Canadian infantry division and armoured regiment at Ortona.
As my research progressed I found out that the Canadians had just taken over the front from a British division in an ongoing offensive and that they initially only fought against panzergrenadiers.
One should realize that “Ortona” encompasses only the Canadian sector of a much larger offensive of the British Eigth Army towards the end of 1943. Further inland the 8th Indian Division operated on the Canadian flank. Next to them the British 5th Infantry Division and still further inland, in front of Orsogna, operated the 2nd New Zealand Infantry Division.
After the landings in the south of Italy the British Eigth Army had moved north, fighting against an enemy that used delaying tactics with increasing skill. Before Ortona at the river Sangro was such a defensive line. However, the 65. ID was assigned a too ambitious task with holding that line and it quickly collapsed. As a result the inexperienced 90. Panzergrenadier Division was rushed to the front. Having 2 divisions in front of them, the Germans were clearly outnumbered. Their lines were spread thin but they had the advantage of terrain and prepared defenses as the Canadians soon would find out.

So, which units are pitted against each other in this mod?

The First Canadian Division
The First Canadian Armoured Brigade
The 8th Indian Division, operating on the Canadian’s left flank
90. Panzer Grenadier Division
1. Fallschirmjaeger Division, after 12th December 1943.


90. Panzer Grenadier Regiment.

This unit is often seen as the successor of the 90th Light Division that was active in North Africa. After the 90th Light Division was defeated those who managed to escape were incorporated in the newly formed 90. Pz.Gr. Division that was further replenished with convalescents and replacements. Officially this new division was formed in July 1943 by renaming the Sardinia Division that had been formed in May 1943.
The new formation switched to a “Panzer Grenadier Division 1943” organisation in October and from then on consisted of 2 motorised (soft skin) regiments with each 3 infantry battallions supported by 1 Panzer Battallion, 1 Panzerjaeger Battallion and 1 artillery regiment. The tank battallion switched from captured French Somua tanks to long barelled Panzers IV ausf. G.
Late 1943 it was rushed to the front on the Adriatic coast after it turned out the 65. Inf. Division was unable to stop the Allied advance. The sector they were to defend stretched from Ortona inland into the direction of Orsogna and therefore not only did they face the Canadians but also the 8th Indian Division. Both of its regiments faced an entire division and as a result their defenses were spread too thin. Yet this did not stop the Panzergrenadiers from vigorously counter attacking the Canadians at several occasions. These counter attacks proved very costly in men and matériel. As a consequence after only several days of fighting at the Moro the 90th was no longer able to maintain their positions and was forced to retreat to their next line of prepared defenses that was later to be known as “The Gully” .
At the gully the Germans were further depleted and when it became apparent that the 90th could face complete annihilation it was pulled out of the coastal sector and its positions were taken over by elements of the 1st Fallschirmjaeger Division. The 76 Corps war diary states on the 13th of December 1943: “A great fighting value can no longer be ascribed to 90. Pz. Gren. Div. The units have become badly mixed and the troops are exhausted. The fighting value of at least two battalions has been used up. The present positions can only be held by bringing in new battalions, which makes it necessary to bring new units into the old sector of 1 Para Div.”

1. Fallschirmjaeger Division.

As soon as the paratroopers arrived at the scene around the 13th of December 1943, the nature of the battle changed. Where the Grenadiers had attempted several counter attacks aimed at throwing back the Canadians behind the Moro river, the paratroopers were content to sticking to their usual defensive and delaying tactics. Initially 3 battallions were rushed to the front, later on reinforced in Ortona by a second battallion and north of Ortona by even more elements of the 1st FJ Division.
A Canadian report mentions at some point that between Orsogna and Ortona 5 Fallschirmjaeger battallions had been identified. However, from German documents  it becomes clear that at one point as many as 7 paratrooper battalions were positioned at the front which in fact meant that the whole division was committed to the coastal frontsector.The Canadians had already been in contact with the paratroopers before Ortona. After the invasion of mainland Italy they repeatedly fought vicious fire fights with paratroopers conducting defensive actions aimed at delaying the Allied advance as much as possible.
The Canadians’ assessment of the paratroopers was as follows :
“From the manner in which they are employed, it is evident that the
Germans consider their "Fallschirmjaeger" as specialist inf. They have
nearly always been used to hold and delay until a suitable defensive
posn further back can be organized and manned by inf or Panzer
Grenadiers. Often, they are thrown in to help restore a critical
situation.” “The fact that these "Specialists" have appeared on our front to relieve the exhausted 90 PG Div gives us a clue to the enemy's ntentions and fears.”



And:
“The most noteworthy characteristics of para tp defensive tactics are: dogged tenacity, extreme economy in manpower (evidenced by their reluctance to counter-attack), skill in timing a withdrawal, and skill in  concealment.”  

Roughly two types of paratroops could be distinguished: the younger and inexperienced men who had been trained for some months but without the jumps and the veterans who had seen action on one or more fronts such as Crete, Sicily and even Russia.
What the paratroopers further set apart from the Panzergrenadiers was that they were volunteers as opposed to conscripted men.

First Canadian Infantry Division.

Mobilized in September 1939 before the war was formally declared it was transported to Great Britain by the end of the same year. As Canada had decided not to impose general conscription for service overseas the division consisted solely of volunteers just like the German paratroopers they would so often meet. It spent its time in Great Britain training, training and training even more to the extent that its lack of combat action became a concern for the Canadian people.
Finally in 1943 it was deployed to the Mediterranean. It took part in the Sicily campaign where it saw combat for the first time. After Sicily it landed in Calabria in the South of Italy and gradually fought its way north against increasing German resistance. The Italian campaign allowed the Canadians to gradually gain more experience. They were also supported by a most effective artillery branch and entire armoured division. Outnumbering the Germans the battle at the Moro was effectively over after the panzergrenadiers had wasted their men on ill-conceived counter atacks. Yet the Canadians moved on cautiously on a narrow front that left little room for large manoeuvers. Sometimes it seemed that they were hampered more by the terrain than by their opponents. The lack of understanding of the terrain by the Canadian command resulted in impossible orders. The repeated frontal assaults on a well dug-in enemy in steep gullies is perhaps the best example. Taking the town of Ortona was yet another such plan. Canadian command did not seem to appreciate the defensive tactical advantage of a town perched on a steep cliff. In fact, it was presumed that the Germans would yield the town and retreat to the next ravine. Had the Canadians simply focussed all their efforts on bypassing the town and approaching it from the rear many lives would have been saved. As a result, the Canadian footsoldier was able to leave his mark on this battlefield. With resourcefullness, creativity, determination and armoured support two understrength battallions defeated two paratrooper battallions. Considering the odds it is perhaps the Canadian performance in the town of Ortona that has not been put in the right perspective yet.

Enjoy the mod!

Pete and Buck_Compton

Note:
Also featured in this mod is a company sized battle group of the 26th Panzer Regiment. This Panzer Regiment supported both the 26th Panzer Grenadier Division at Orsogna as well as the Panzergrenadiers near Ortona before the 90th own Panzerbataillon arrived at the front.
It counter-attacked once at Villa Rogatti against a Canadian unit that had just occupied the town. The Germans were defeated with heavy losses.

The 8th Indian Division needs to be incorporated as well because on the left flank of the Canadians the area that is covered by the maps Villa Rogatti, Villa Jubatti, Orsogna Road and Villa Grande was assigned to the 8th Indian Division’s sector from 8 Dec. 1943 onwards.

[Bungarra]

Great work Pete & Buck and a terrific narration too.

You know we really do appreciate all the work and valuable time that you guys have put into this.

Cannot wait to play it

Cheers men and again thanks

[Pete]

Thanks Bungarra. I hope you enjoy this mod.

[Tejszd]

Great background information, thank you!

[kweniston]

Thanks for the background info, looking forward to playing.