Christmas in Ortona, 1943. The 1st Canadian Army Division is waging its first battle campaign of the Second World War, and fighting for its life. Having fought their way through Sicily and up the boot of Italy, Canadian soldiers were pinned down in the Adriatic city of Ortona, facing the elite paratroopers of the German army.

 

It became a matter of national pride for both the Allies and the Germans. A bitter slugging match in the rubble of a ruined city. And both sides paid a terrible price during that Christmas in hell.

 

Running time: 46:45

Turning Points of History
Moments, hours, a day, a week when the world is irrevocably transformed, when action is the only response. This series rushes into the midst of these turning points: each episode focuses on a dramatic real life event in which the decisive actions of remarkable men and women redirect the course of history. Using the historical account of the event as its spine, the programs swerve back and forth in time, exploring the dramatic forces leading up to the cataclysmic main event and how their effects rippled into the days beyond.