Rimini Line, 14-21 September 1944
By Second Lieutenant Nelson Qiu
“….it is not the beginning,
but the continuing of the same,
until it be thoroughly finished,
which yieldeth the true glory…”
— Sir Francis Drake
A prayer chosen by the Padre during the ceremony held near Rimini airfield in honour of the soldiers who fell in the battle.
The Battle of the Rimini Line was one of the 48th Highlanders of Canada’s final major engagements in the Italian Campaign of the Second World War. Taking place from September 14 to 21, 1944, the battle marked a key moment for the Regiment as it joined Allied efforts to break through German defences at the Gothic Line and capture the strategic city of Rimini on Italy’s Adriatic coast.
On September 15, 1944, the 48th Highlanders received orders to attack Rimini (8 km away) from positions south of the Conca River. Their objective lay below a German-held ridge code-named “Kestrel” (the San Martino–San Lorenzo feature). Flanking units would attack Kestrel as the 48th advanced.
At 0300 on September 16, Baker Company attacked but immediately came under heavy fire from German Spandau machine guns and two tanks. Dog Company, with supporting tanks of the 48th Royal Tank Regiment, moved to assist. At the same time, Able and Charlie Companies advanced along a dry streambed on the other flank. Coming within 250 metres of their goal, the Highlanders were spotted by an enemy observation post on Kestrel, which remained in enemy hands. German shells then poured down on their position. Dog Company charged through the barrage and dug in on the objective, but the night showed that the flat, open ground was untenable. By dusk, Lieutenant-Colonel Donald Mackenzie, the commanding officer, ordered Charlie and Able Companies to withdraw to a gully to await darkness. That first day of the attack cost the Regiment its heaviest single-day casualties yet in Italy.
The next afternoon, the 48th resumed the assault. Charlie Company broke out of its defensive position and advanced 500 meters before digging in on its objective. Able Company again faced intense 88mm artillery fire. On the night of 18–19 September, the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade moved west to outflank Kestrel. The Germans, faced with this threat, evacuated the ridge.
In total, the five-day push cost the 48th Highlanders 130 casualties, of whom 32 were killed, 8 captured, and 90 wounded. After Rimini fell, the 48th Highlanders continued the advance. Working with the 3rd Greek Mountain Brigade, they crossed the Marecchia River north of Rimini on 20–21 Sept, helping to rout the remaining German 1st Parachute Division. The 48th Highlanders successfully captured their objectives and held the ground under pressure, directly contributing to the eventual liberation of Rimini on September 21, 1944.