Steel Cavalry

The Second World War is epitomized by the image of fast-moving tank battles between German and Allied armoured forces blazing back and forth across Europe. Modern duels between rival tanks have long fascinated historians.The 8th Princess Louise's (New Brunswick) Hussars was one of the most battle-proven armoured regiments of the Second World War. Founded in 1848 as a volunteer cavalry regiment, the Hussars traded their beloved horses for cars on the eve of war. When war broke out, they mobilized as a motorcycle regiment before finally converting to tanks in 1941. The story of the Hussars' Italian campaign began in late 1943 with their arrival in Naples and their first action near Ortona. This volume tells the story of their participation in the great drive beyond Monte Cassino to Rome and in the fierce and bloody battles at the Gothic Line and Coriano Ridge, which cemented their reputation in Canada's military history.