On This Day ... in 1940 & 1943
The Australian 6th Division took its place in the front line in the Western Desert, relieving 4th Indian Division which was needed for the East African campaign. The 6th Division soon proved as effective as the very experienced Indian formation, leading the successful attack on Bardia, an Italian frontier fortress
1943: Canadian troops liberated the port of Ortona on Italy's Adriatic coast after intense street fighting.
In the Bay of Biscay, the cruisers HMS Enterprise
and HMS Glasgow
caught a force of ten German destroyers, which had sortied in an effort to escort home a German blockade-runner, Alsterufer.
Alsterufer had, however, been sunk the previous day by Coastal Command aircraft. Enterprise and Glasgow sank three of the destroyers (T 25, T 26 and Z 27) and left a further four damaged.
The cruisers then survived retaliatory strikes by the Luftwaffe.
Comments
Ortona considered by the canadians and the enemy to be as tough as stalingrad and Caen with some Arnhem thrown in. oddly enough the majority of casualties occurred outside the town, survivors were shipped back to the UK to train other allied troops in FIBUA!
Posted by: Tim C | December 29, 2006 8:22 PM
"FIBUA" Fighting In Barely Understood Areas?
Explanation, please.
Posted by: FrankC | December 28, 2008 10:38 PM
FIBUA … “Fighting in Built Up Areas”. Not to be confused with FIBAR … “Fighting in Bars and Restaurants”
Posted by: Mr Free Market | December 28, 2008 10:45 PM
Thanks for the clarification.
Posted by: FrankC | December 30, 2008 8:45 PM