Newspaper Article

Battle For Ortona
With a brilliant victory behind them, .
the First Division of the Canadian Army
is . now winning the heights of the seacoast
' fawn of Ortona . The Moro river .
has been crossed and the summits around
the Italian town are . falling to Canadian
hands. Fresh ,honours were won by the
"Red' ,patch devils," as the enemy names
our heroes, . when they forced the passage
~of th'e Moro, leading the-8th'Army to the
further bank, where a new and still dangerous
task awaited them.
'The Germans are masters of trick and
treachery. It, is a commonplace ;with I
!them to feign defeat and then, when -a
generous ~ foe advances, to shoot him
down. ~ In this way a Canadian platoon
vvas wiped out. Every pass through the
¢nountains is .mined and, worse, by mines `
tivhieh are . non-metallic and cannot be .
detected' Every vantage point conceals a
triaehzne-gun nest or- a sniper. Cautiously
and courageously the Canadians have to
mnake their way through defiles and scale
;the steeps, dealing with each hidden
enemy .in turn. But more and more of -
~ae anrntntain fps axe coming into 'their. _
hands. They look down upon Ortona
and debouch upon the road to Guardia
grele, where, on more level surface, enemy
tanks strive in vain to drive them from
the bitterly won positions. The opposition
the First Division faces is said to be
the sternest yet encountered. .
The - determination of the Germans
testifies to the importance given by the
- enemy to the- holding of the Italian line.
The advantages are with the Hitlerites,
but the Allies continue their steady
pressure, slow - defeat to the enemy as
slow paralysis creeps over the cities of
the Reich. The thing of evil is dying. by
inches, and in its destruction Canadians
have a noble part, in the air aver Europe,
and among the mountains, and rivers of
Italy.
The success of th.e 8th Army's
present ;thrust depends upon the capture
~of Ortona, and the Canadians will not
fail. Dominion regiments are adding
lustre to names already bright with
triumphs won in the, face, of death. Well
may General Sir Bernard L. Montgomery,
commander of the British 8th Army,
say, "There - is no need to ask how the
Canadians are fighting, because they
always fight well." Hamiltonians will'be
proud that soldiers fxom their city are
taking part in the present glorious engagement