The River Battles: Canada's Final Campaign (Italy WWII)

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The River Battles: Canada's Final Campaign (Italy WWII)
With Mark Zuehlke
More Canadian content on WW2TV
• Canada in WWII
Please note: We get the audio Gremlins sorted out after a few minutes
The Canadians called it the Promised Land. In late September 1944, the Emilia-Romagna plain before I Canadian Corps stretched to the far horizon-a deceptively wide-open space where the tanks could run free. Throughout the British Eighth Army, hopes ran high that once it entered the plain, the Germans could be driven from Italy. As soon as the advance began, however, the plain’s true nature was revealed: the land was criss-crossed by rivers, canals and drainage ditches over which all bridges had been demolished.
With higher command urging haste, the Canadians entered a long and nightmarish series of battles to win crossings over each waterway, whose high banks provided the Germans with perfect defensive positions. Early fall rains caused rivers to spill their banks and transformed the countryside into the worst quagmire the soldiers had ever seen.
More than five months of battle followed, with weeks of hard fighting required to advance from one river to the next. Each month, conditions only worsened, and the casualty rates rose appallingly. As their comrades fell one by one, most soldiers sought merely to survive. Doing that much required every measure of stamina, courage and fighting skill they possessed.
Mark Zuehlke is the author of the critically acclaimed Canadian Battle Series and many other books. He has worked as a journalist, been educated as a historian and written award-winning fiction. The Canadian Battle Series is the most detailed accounting of any army during World War II ever written by a single author. In recognition of his work, Mark Zuehlke was awarded the 2014 Governor General's History Award for Excellence in Popular Media (Pierre Berton Award).
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Опубликовано:

29 янв 2023

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Комментарии : 37

@davidlavigne207 Год назад

I can't think of any other nation (maybe Australia) during WW2 whose soldiers seemed to always draw the worst assignments than the Royal Canadian Army. From Dieppe, to Normandy and Italy as well, these soldiers continued to be assigned the most FUBAR and difficult tasks. That these men continued to serve on honorably, without complaint (at least not openly) with their missions has always astounded me. I have great respect for my neighbors to the north and would have been proud to serve alongside of them. Great and informative presentation!

@HaloFTW55 7 месяцев назад

Quick note. The Canadian Army does not have an overall “Royal” designation. Each regiment had to earn their royal designations. Where as the Air Force and Navy were given the Royal designations, the Army had to earn it. You’ll also see this with the rest of the Commonwealth Armies, the British Army today is still just “British Army”.

@randyarmstrong1198 2 месяца назад

My father was Royal Candian Engineers and was in Ortona which was pure hell for him and , of course, the others. He spent Christmas behind lines in a culvert with water up to his knees. The stuff they went through because of horrible assignments. Dad hated Montgomery for what he did to the Canadians but never complained out loud and I only found out because he told mother. Canada never got the fame the others did but certainly deserved it. Dad;s famuly had had 6 serve in the war which was noted in the Toronto Star and, if not a record, was certainly close.

@davidlavigne207 2 месяца назад

@@randyarmstrong1198 Thanks for sharing the story. Your family certainly has done their bit for "King and Country."

@BBruno1961 18 дней назад

Thank you for this excellent program. I look forward reading Mark's book now as I was born and raised in Cesena and listened so many stories from my parents, relatives and many others growing up. Thanks again for shedding light on what happened during that timeframe (fall-44;winter45) in that region of Italy. Bruno

@philbosworth3789 Год назад

First episode I've seen from Mark; hope there are more soon, because it was so informative & contained so many good photos. Mark really needs to come on again soon Woody @WW2TV

@WW2TV Год назад

Yes, I have no idea why I left it so long

@ErrolGC Год назад

Great show, many parallels with the NZ experience in Italy (although they got more coverage at home without NZ troops in NW Europe). Excellent illustrations and explanation.

@amnucc Год назад

I recall someone summing up the Italian campaign by saying "Italy, like a boot is best entered from the top"

@davelauerman6865 Год назад

Mark Zuehlke isTHE MAN on Canadian forces in WWII. I own six of his books and I plan to keep collecting them.

@Canadian_Skeptical 7 месяцев назад

Mark's books illustrate just how great the Canadian infantry was in WW II. Every time I read one of Mr. Zuehlke books, it makes me proud to be Canadian!!

@TheVigilant109 Год назад

Brilliant episode from Mark. Very informative and and enlightening. Great photos. Many thanks

@nonofinn7136 Год назад

My dad was sent to Italy in 1943, trying to get his records, but the backlog is deadly. Thank you for bringing this forward, I have a lot of Mark’s books.

@TheErebusGaming Год назад

I'm trying to get family records as well. I'm THREE YEARS into the wait, and still no sign of them getting to me any time soon.

@michael_nelson Год назад

Gremlins aside - this was a great show, so many awesome photos.

@reiniergroeneveld7801 6 месяцев назад

Fantastic episode.

@worldoftone Год назад

Once again great show. I knew nothing about these battles. Fabulous presentation.

@WW2TV Год назад

Yep, Mark is very professional

@SpiritOfMontgomery Год назад

Very happy to see my Seaforths mentioned, being a Vancouver boy it always makes me happy 😊

@SpartansAndHeroes Год назад

Great episode!!

@hughbeastodonnell3733 Год назад

RIP Frederick, you'll sure be missed here in Winnipeg.

@6060don 10 месяцев назад

Thank you for telling this story about our young men. A wonderful presentation.

@kegan51 Год назад

Excellent.

@SpiritOfMontgomery Год назад

Missed this!! Was out grocery shopping 😅 Already a few mins in and I hear 5th Armoured Division mentioned, so it’s a promising start. Hopefully there’s mention of Bert Hoffmiester (peace be upon him), the best general of the war.

@effbee56 Год назад

Forces from the dominions and colonies were from selected populations of people who had the guts and ambition and gumption to leave the mother country and face the challenges of succeeding in new lands. They were therefore more self reliant and made better soldiers than those that remained behind in Great Britain. Canadians Australians, New Zealanders and Rhodesians all fitted in this category. Also professional soldiers from the Empire such as the Indian Army and some African units also played an important role- especially the Indian Army.

@patlittle4642 6 месяцев назад

Gen. Burns and Vokes were the only Canadian Sappers, that commanded at that level, I think?

@barriereid9244 Год назад

I have a theory about the adverse weather effects during WW2. Perhaps owing to the millions of tonnes of explosives used, had an effect upon the weather systems and stratosphere. I have picked this up from the various programmes you have held and this point is raised over and over again. ' It wasn't the norm for the time of year.'

@WW2TV Год назад

You're not the first to think this, I believe it came up once on a show

@barriereid9244 Год назад

Air pollution caused by war activity. C Protopsaltis. Chamber of Technology. Greece. AIR12009FU1.pdf WIT Press...if you are interested. There isn't much else that I could see when this arrived, but for my own OCD nature I will look further into it.

@dwaynelthompson 5 месяцев назад

My grandfather died on the 17th of sep and is buried in the Canadian cemetery in Italy ( Norman Leslie pretty) How can I find more info about what happened due to the fact he died a week before the "river battles" started. Love your pod case but in this one it's personal.

@WW2TV 5 месяцев назад

Have you read Mark's book, because that's a good place to start

@dwaynelthompson 5 месяцев назад

I have it ordered. thanks. Just wanted to make sure it was covered the week before the battle, thought that maybe his death happened in an earlier campaign. He was killed in action or so I have read. I'm watching the one on Sicily now... you do great work, love your content. Thanks for the response

@WW2TV 5 месяцев назад

What do your Grandfather's service records say? I assume you have already applied for them? Also what do the War Diaries for his unit indicate?

@britishmuzzleloaders 6 месяцев назад

Sadly, Mark perpetuates the many tropes regarding the PIAT....

@WW2TV 6 месяцев назад

Well, he's an operational historian rather than a weapons guy

@britishmuzzleloaders 6 месяцев назад

@@WW2TV I understand, there are such myths about it though that deserve to be exposed... 😀 (queue Matt Moss).... Interesting story,.... I had occasion to have a conversation with the man who brought "Tank Hunting" to the Seaforths... LCol "Budge" Bell-Irving, about that very weapon. Over a half hour or so, he talked intently about the PIAT, it's strengths and weaknesses and how it was generally very successful... It was a very enlightening discussion which flew in the face of the popular conception of the weapon. The Tank Hunting Platoon in the Seaforths was made up of "re-rolled" Anti-Tank Platoon men who would, of course, have normally crewed the Bn's 6 Pdrs.... The country amongst "The Rivers" was essentially impossible to navigate for the heavier weapons systems and their vehicles, so Budge made the decision to re-orient the AT efforts towards a much more intimate support role, based, as Mark suggested, on PIATs, Hawkins Grenades, and Brens. He also talked of the effectiveness of the PIAT against armour but also was careful to mention the stand-off qualities of kit and other items that may be hanging off the vehicle.... If the bomb could get a clean hit on armour, it was good. If it hit something else, even a kit bag or bin, the penetrative qualities of the bomb were greatly reduced... Incidentally Budge was the man responsible for the recommendation and subsequent award of the VC to Smokey... The Savio Crossing makes a fascinating study of a Battalion deliberate river crossing and subsequent action... Cheers! (I do enjoy your talks BTW. You guests and subjects are well presented and eminently watchable!)