World War II Campaigns: Italy--Germans Occupy Italy and Disarm the Italian Army (September 1943)

world War II Italy
Figure 1.--This press photo was taken after the Allies liberated Naples inn aocal hospital on November 4, 1943. The photo was headlined, "caption read, "NAZI attrocity maimed these Italian boys". The caption read, "The senseless horrible playfulness of NAZI soldiers, so hardened bu suoer-race teachings that pain and death are matters for laughter, is responsible for the maiming of these two Italian boys. They are Guido Grandi, 13, who lost both of his legs, and his brother Thomasco, 16 (nearest camera), who lost one. During the German occupation of Naples the boys were working in a fiekd with their parents close to a building occupied by an executive branch of the Germany Army. Two German soldiers who worked in the building appeared at a window and beckoned the boys to them. Suspecting nothing they approached. When thy were about fifteen yards away one of the German soldiers threw something to them -- the boys thought it was a present and tried to catch it --it was apresent alright -- a real NAZI present; a live hand grenade. It burst between them. Guido fell immediately with both legs shattered, Thomasco managed to run about 50 yards when an Italian soldiers wo worked in the same building (a joint commnd) ean outto help the shocked and grief-stricken parents pick up the children. The Germans after watching the grenade explode disappeared into the building."

Hitler was not suprised, but were incensed. German radio launched a vitriolic attack, calling Marshal Badoglio's action "open trason". A NAZI propaganda broadcast shrilly insisted, "With this a veil has been torn from a treacerous intrigue which for weeks has been enacted by an Italian clique, serfs to Jews and alien to their own people." Many German soldiers who would now have to fight the Allies in Italy must have agreed. This would be reflected in the attrocities that followed. With the announcement of the Italian surrender (September 8), the Germans proceeded to seize control and intern the disperited and confused Italian Army. Italian soldiers for the most part seem to have had no desire to fight the Germans who occuoied Rome (October 10). The Germans swiftly disarmed the Italian Army and took over its defensive positions. This could be achieved in part because the Bodaloigo Government gave no orders to resist the Germans. This was because any such orders would have been picked up by the Germans, alerting them to the surrender. The Germans also disarmed and interned Italian occupation troops in southeastern France and the Balkans. Most of the Italian Army surrendered without incident. Some joined the resistance. Some units resisted. Many in these units who survived military actions were then shot by the Germans. One of the most noted of these masacres occurred on the Greek Aegean Sea island of Cephallonia where the Germans shot 4,500 men of the Italian 33rd Infantry Division Acqui. The Italian Navy presented a more difficult challenge for the Germans. Most of the fleet managed to sail to Malta to surrender. The Luftwaffe used a Fritz X guided bomb sink the battleship Roma off Sardinia (September 9). The Germans interned about 0.5 million Italians as POWs in the Reich. Thousands died there because of the deterioirating conditions.

Italian Surrender (September 3-8)

The Badoglio Government after assuring the NAZIs that they would continue the War, but secretly surrendered to the Allies at Fairfield Camp on Sicily (September 3). The United States was preparind to land the 82nd Airborn in Rome to protect the Italian Government from the Germans. Both King Victor Emanuel III and Marsal Pietro Bodaligo were for good reason affraid of the German reaction when the Italian surrender was announced. The 82nd Airborn commander, General Maxwell Taylor secretly entered Rome at night to meet with Badoglio (September 7). The Italian government kept him waiting while he managed to avoid capture by the Gestapo. Taylor helped the new Italian Government conclude the armistice/surrender. Taylor's Division was on the runway ready to go for the drop on Rome. Badoglio understanding the situation demanded a larger force. Taylor ordered the drop canceled and unformed Eisenhower. Eisenhower then communicated to Bodaloigo that if he did not announce the surrender that the Allies would. Eisenhower speaking from Algeirs announced the surrender at 6:00 pm (September 8). He told the Italians, "All Italians who now help eject the German aggressor from Italian soilwill have the assistance and support of the United Nations." He promised to end Allied bombing. Marshal Badoglio did not go on the radio until 8:30 pm. [Katz] He confirmed what he called an armistice and hinted in veiled terms that Italians should trun against the Germans. "By this act all ties with the dreadful past are broken and my government will be proud to march with you on to the inevitable victory." It was in fact an unconditional surrender. Badoglio called it an armistice. Badoglio and the King fled to Bari in the far south of Italy and formed a government there. The Germans occupied Rome (October 10). Taylor stayed with Badoglio and the King who formed a government in Bari. The new Government declared war on Germany (October 13).

German Reaction

Hitler was not suprised, but were incensed. German radio launched a vitriolic attack, calling Marshal Badoglio's action "open trason". A NAZI propaganda broadcast shrilly insisted, "With this a veil has been torn from a treacerous intrigue which for weeks has been enacted by an Italian clique, serfs to Jews and alien to their own people." Many German soldiers who would now have to fight the Allies in Italy must have agreed. This would be reflected in the attrocities that followed.

Germans Seize Control

Two German divisions commanded by General Hans Hube had been the backbone of the Axis resistance on Sicily. The Germans managed to successfully evacuate the island (August 11-17). This force formed the core of the German forces that seized Italy. Hitler ordered the powerful First SS Panzer Division withdrawn from the Eastern Front to help reinforce German forces in Italy. Despite the deteriorating situation on the Eastern Front, Hitler had ordered 12 more divisions into Italy. With the announcement of the Italian surrender (September 8), the Germans who had already pre-positioned troops throughout Italy proceeded to seize control of the country. The Germans were prepared for the surrender and were able to react so swiftly that the Allies were able to achieve little advantage from what they thought would be their surprise invasion.

Italian Army

The Italian Army was disperited and confused. Italian soldiers for the most part seem to have had no desire to fight the Germans.

Rome

The Germans occupied Rome (October 10). The Germans swiftly disarmed the Italian Army and took over its defensive positions. This could be achieved in part because the Bodaloigo Government gave no orders to resist the Germans. This was because any such orders would have been picked up by the Germans, alerting them to the surrender.

Disarming the Italian Army

Left without orders, The Italian Army desintegrated. The Germans proceeed to disarm virtually the Italian Army throughout the peninsular, except in the far south. The Germans also disarmed and interned Italian occupation troops in southeastern France and the Balkans. Most of the Italian Army surrendered without incident. Some joined the resistance.

Attroicities

Some Italian Army units resisted. Germany declared war on the new Italian Government. Hitler issued orders that any Italian soldiers who resisted the Germans and subsequently surrendered should be executed. He and all to many German soldiers saw them as traitors. German soldiers actully carried out these orders in several places. The Germans shot thousands of disarmred Italian soldiers. Lamb] One of the most noted of these masacres occurred on the Greek Aegean Sea island of Cephallonia where the Germans shot 4,500 men of the Italian 33rd Infantry Division Acqui. Few German officers were ever published for these attroicities.

Italian Navy

The Italian Navy presented a more difficult challenge for the Germans. Most of the fleet managed to slip out of Italian ports and sail to Malta to surrender. Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham ,Allied Naval Commander Expeditionary Force (ANCEF), who played a central role in defeating the Italian Navy, ordered a small allied squadron to meet the surrendering Italian fleet off the coast of Malta and escort its surviving battleships back to the island (September 10). The Allied ships to meet the Italian Fleet were British ships (HMS Warspite, HMS Valliant, HMS Faulknor, HMS Fury, HMS Echo, HMS Intrepid, and HMS Raider), a Greek ship (RHNS Vassilisa Olga/Queen Olga, and a Free French ship (FLN Le Terrible. Warspite and Valliant were present at the surrender of the German Imperial Fleet in 1918. Both Greece and France were still occupied, but the presence of their vessels symbolized their contribution to the Allied war effort as well as their coming liberation. Two Italian Battleships (Caio Duilio and Andrea Doria) departed Salerno for Malta (September 10). The Germans attempted to stop the ships with Lufr=twaffe air attacks. The Luftwaffe used a Fritz X guided bomb sink the battleship Roma off Sardinia (September 9).

Italian POWs

The Germans interned about 0.5 million Italians as POWs in the Reich. Thousands died there because of the deterioirating conditions.

Allied POWs

The Italians operated some POW camps holding both American and British soldiers and airmen. The Allies adbised these men to stay in the camps and not totry to escape. The Germans quickly establlished contol of these camps. The Germans quicked transported the men to POW camps in the Reich.

Allied Invasion (September 3-9)

The Allies began the Italiam campaign, putting land troops ahore on the European mainland (September 3). Units of the British 8th Army were the first to go ashore, landing at the toe of the Italian boot--Operation Baytown. The Allies hoped that the Germans would rush south to engage the British, but Kesserling did not take the bait. A British fleet sailed into the harbor of Taranto at the arch of the Italian boot--Operation Slapstick (September 9). The Germans were not present and the Italians having surrendered did not resist. The British were able to disembark troops onto the docks unimposed. The U.S. 5th Army commanded by Lt. Gen. Mark W. Clark landed at the Gulf of Salerno in force--Operation Avalanche (September 9). The Germans occupied Fome (September 10). The Germans made no real effort to oppose the British landings in the south, but reacted in strength to the American landings. The Germans fought delaying actions in the south against the British and concentrated their forces on the Americans at Salerno. The prize was Naples--the most important port in southern Italy. For four days vigorous attacks by German armor threatened the beaches. German Panzers for a time put the landings in danger. The beachead was finally secure untill the British hooked up with the Americans south of Salerno (September 16). The British took the important airfields at Foggia (September 27). The Allies finally took Naples with its invaluable port (October 7). This left the Allies in control of southern Italy and the Germans did not have the capability of disloging them. Allied plans called for a continued advance to tie down German troops and prevent their transfer to France or Russia, while Hitler decided to hold as much of Italy as possible while preparing for the expected Allied cross-Channel invasion.

New Italian Government

Marshal Badoglio after annouincing the surrender to the Allies left Rome with the King (September 9). This was just before the Germans occupied Rome (September 10). Marshal Badoglio and the King set up Italy's new government in Brindisi. They then moved to Salerno after the Americans secured the bridgehead..

Mussolini's Rescue and Fascist Puppet State (September 12)

Mussolini was overthrown, arrested, and brought to a hotel on top of the Gran Sasso in the Abruzzi Mountains during 1943. Hitler selected SS Colonel Otto Skorzeny to rescue his friend Mussolini. The rescue planed was named Operation Eiche (Oak). Skorzeny's operation was one of the most daring stunts of the War. He and his troops went with gliders, crashing them on the steep rocky slopes of the mountain. Without firing a shot they subdued the Italian guards and freed Mussolini, who was taken away in a Fieseler Storch (some kind of a helicopter). Mussolini was brought back to Germany where he made propaganda broadcasts and was used to set up a Fascist puppet state in northern Italy. Skorzeny meanwhile had also captured Admiral Horthy in Hungary and was active in the Battle of the Bulge during the winter of 1944-45, dressing his English-speaking troops in American uniforms to create confusion at the frontlines. After the war Skorzeny managed to escape to Argentina where he helped reorganize Peron's police. He died in Madrid, Spain, a successful businessman.

Sources

Garland, Albert N., Howard McGaw Smyth, and Martin Blumenson. <1>Sicily and the Surrender of Italy.

Katz, Robert. The Battle for Rome: The Germans, The Allies, the Partisans, and the Pope, September 1943-June 1944 (Simon & Schuster, 2003).

Lamb, Richard. War in Italy: A Brutal Story.








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Created: 11:27 PM 7/1/2008
Last updated: 11:27 PM 7/1/2008