Two Canadian infantry battalions crossed the flooded Savio without tanks or anti-tank guns—and then faced a German armoured counterattack with only the weapons they could carry. At Pieve Cesina, Canadian private Ernest “Smokey” Smith took on a Panther at close range, helping hold a fragile bridgehead through the night.
This World War II military history story traces the crossing, the failed attempts to bring heavy support over the rising river, and the tank-hunting platoon’s fight in the dark. It explores the courage, tactics, and confusion behind a Canadian stand in Italy that German reports struggled to explain. A gripping account for viewers interested in Canadian war stories, WW2 history, infantry combat, the Victoria Cross, and the Battle of the Rivers.
