Canada’s Role in Europe

Dieppe- August 19, 1942

August 19, 1942 : attempted landing at Dieppe by Canadian troops

1) Soldiers land Dieppe beaches ships came ashore in daylight- no surprise

2) Enemy fire from cliffs3) Allied Bombers...? Delayed4) Commanders continued to send

reinforcements…2800/ 4900 soldiers killed or captured

** more Cdns. died at Dieppe in a few hours than on any other single day of the war...

Invasion of Italy & Italian Campaign

 • After Dieppe, Canadians waited in GB for their next chance to go into battle

 • the “tide” of the war was turning in favour of the Allies

US enters war Battle of El Alamein (Oct-Nov. 1942) = the end of

German advances in Northern Africa Battle of Stalingrad (winter 1943) – German

advance into Russia is stopped

Invasion of Italy & Italian Campaign

1) July 1943 invade Sicily 2 Canadian Divisions

2) Italian soldiers surrendered- Benito Mussolini overthrown

3)New Italian PM signed an armistice with the Allies

4) Germannorthern Italy5) Allies decide to invade mainland up Italian

Peninsula Canadians Ortona 2 years to take Italy (1945)

Battle of the Atlantic- 1939-1945

Allies sending goods to GB, Axis wanting to stop merchant shipping (starve GB)

RCN (Royal Canadian Navy)Britain dependent of Cda and US for food and

military supplies Allied ships sunk by German U-boats

Cda built corvettes= quick and small, but not very seaworthy “roll on wet grass”

Canadians in the Air

RCAF- Royal Canadian Air Force 250,000 Canadians joined Participated in bombing raids in Britain, North Africa,

Italy, Northwest Europe, Southeast Asia, and over Germany

10,000 Canadian bombers lost their lives (1/4 total casualties)