Armoured Kangaroos
Apparently, the Canadian army invented the APC (Armoured Personnel Carrier). In WWII, they were the first to convert light tanks by removing the turret and using them to ferry troops to the front lines. Here is their story: 1st Canadian Armoured Carrier Regiment Association They are the only Canadian fighting regiment ever constituted, blooded and disbanded outside Canada's borders, 1CACR also holds the dubious distinction of being a regiment without a home.
Another fighting inovation of Canadians in Worl War II was "mouse-holing":
The deadly reality of Ortona was that the German defenders had the advantage as they could shower grenades on the Canadians from the floors above. Following the British method meant returning to the street to gain access to the next building. Ortona was a typical European town with each building attached to the next. The Canadians quickly modified this method. They entered the first building at street level if necessary. Once they secured that building, they used a Beehive shaped charge to punch a hole in the wall from an upper story, ideally the top one, creating access to the adjacent building. This became known as "mouse-holing". The Canadian soldiers could then enter the next building and lob grenades at the Germans below them as they fought their way down to street level. They attempted to take both sides of the street simultaneously until the entire block would be in Canadian hands, all without exposure to the enemy fire raking the streets.
Apparently, the Canadian army invented the APC (Armoured Personnel Carrier). In WWII, they were the first to convert light tanks by removing the turret and using them to ferry troops to the front lines. Here is their story: 1st Canadian Armoured Carrier Regiment Association They are the only Canadian fighting regiment ever constituted, blooded and disbanded outside Canada's borders, 1CACR also holds the dubious distinction of being a regiment without a home.
Another fighting inovation of Canadians in Worl War II was "mouse-holing":
The deadly reality of Ortona was that the German defenders had the advantage as they could shower grenades on the Canadians from the floors above. Following the British method meant returning to the street to gain access to the next building. Ortona was a typical European town with each building attached to the next. The Canadians quickly modified this method. They entered the first building at street level if necessary. Once they secured that building, they used a Beehive shaped charge to punch a hole in the wall from an upper story, ideally the top one, creating access to the adjacent building. This became known as "mouse-holing". The Canadian soldiers could then enter the next building and lob grenades at the Germans below them as they fought their way down to street level. They attempted to take both sides of the street simultaneously until the entire block would be in Canadian hands, all without exposure to the enemy fire raking the streets.
