Allied landings in Italy (September 3 - October 1, 1943)

The Second World War divided the world into two parts - into supporters and allies of Hitler, and into his opponents, who initially underestimated the power, strength and influence of the Third Reich. Adolf Hitler carefully selected his allies, so his advisers looked for precisely those countries where there were socio-economic, acute ideological, religious and national problems. Such prerequisites became the basis for the development of fascism, which led to the power of leaders capable of supporting the course of conquest and division of the world that Hitler had in mind. One of his faithful comrades-in-arms was Benito Mussolini, the leader of Italy in the 1930s and 1940s. Mussolini and Hitler were brought together by common interests in the distribution of colonies in the world, the desire to realize economic and political goals for the benefit of their countries.

On the side of the Reich

Until 1925, a socialist government led by Matteotti was in power in Italy. In 1925, he is killed, and as a result of the elections, the party of Benito Mussolini comes to power, who gradually established a fascist dictatorship in Italy.

By the 1930s, the country's political and economic development closely resembled Germany. Mussolini, like Hitler, in a short period of time managed to transform Italy into an economically strong and steadily developing state. All manifestations of dissent, protest movements, and popular unrest were harshly suppressed. As a result, Mussolini managed to establish his own dictatorial regime in the country. He sought to turn Italy into a monarchical state, to create his own dynasty with hereditary transfer of power. But Mussolini did not prepare for a world war like Hitler. Another thing was important to the Italian dictator - Italy had to become an economically strong totalitarian state. And in this direction Mussolini succeeded:

• The reform carried out to create a public works system helped not only to effectively combat unemployment in the country, but also provided Mussolini with the full support of the lower strata of society.
• The public transport system was expanded, thereby improving connections between large cities and small towns.
• An economy and industry developed, which were based on production and trade.

The disadvantage of Mussolini's regime is expansionism. Almost immediately after establishing power, the Italian dictator captured Albania and Ethiopia, which he turned into colonies. The capture was followed by an alliance with Germany (1936), the terms of which Hitler took advantage of to begin World War II. The cooperation agreement contained a rather vague clause about the “sphere of parallel interests”, on the basis of which the Berlin-Rome axis was created. Mussolini supported Hitler's plans to seize the Sudetenland and Austria. At the beginning of 1939, Mussolini and Hitler signed another treaty, under which Italy pledged to support Germany in World War II.

After the attack on Poland, the Italian dictator declared neutrality for nine months to prepare Italy for war. The country entered World War II in June 1940 when Hitler attacked France. Mussolini's plans for a quick end to hostilities did not materialize, despite the rapid capture of France and the capitulation of Denmark and Holland.

Mistaken Italy: what is Benito Mussolini's army remembered for?

In 1922, the fascists came to power in Italy and a dictatorship was established led by Benito Mussolini.

The first steps of the new Italy were the establishment of diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union and the conclusion of the Lateran Treaty, which guaranteed the sovereignty of the Vatican.

In the mid-1930s, Italy captured Ethiopia, Albania, and also entered into a military alliance with Germany and Japan. And in 1940 it entered the Second World War. By that time, the Italian leader already bears a different title - “His Excellency Benito Mussolini, Head of Government, Duce of Fascism and Founder of the Empire,” assigned to him in 1936.

Taking the side of the Axis countries

June 10, 1940 Italy declares war on Great Britain and France. Troops invade the French southern regions, but they were unable to advance without the help of the German army. It was only after France's surrender to Germany that the Italians occupied a small territory, which subsequently expanded. The Italian army remained on French territory until 1943, when it was replaced by the Germans.

During the same period, the bombing of Palestine began. The Italian military tried to hit areas in the Middle East that were controlled by the British. Bombers concentrated on Tel Aviv and Haifa, but the offensive did not develop. The last attack dates back to September 1941, Detaly reports.

Bombing of the Haifa oil refinery, Tel Aviv, September 1940

On September 13, 1940, the Italian army invaded the territories of Libya and Egypt, but the offensive was stopped. The Italians decide to capture Greece, but the Greek army managed to fight back and by November 14 launched a counteroffensive, displacing the Italians from their territories. In parallel with the Greeks of Italy, the British are resisting. In March 1941, the British defeated the Italian fleet near the Battle of Crete, and Mussolini decided to turn to Adolf Hitler for help.

The performance in East Africa was also unsuccessful. By January 1941, British troops managed to expel the Italians from Kenya and Sudan, and by March they captured Somalia and entered Ethiopia. By April 1941, the Italians were completely defeated.

Hitler's help

Suffering defeat after defeat, Benito Mussolini turns to Adolf Hitler for help. In 1941, Italian troops, together with their allies, captured Yugoslavia and on April 20 defeated the Greek army.

At the same time, troops under the leadership of General Rommel arrive in North Africa. In March 1941, the Italian-German contingent went on the offensive, and in April it approached the borders of Egypt, knocking the British out of Libya.

From the Italians, the 8th Army took part in the war against the USSR. It was destroyed during the Battle of Stalingrad. Its surviving remains were transported to Italy in 1943.

Capitulation of Italy

On July 10, 1943, when the Allies arrived in Sicily, Italian troops did not even begin to resist the troops. The defeat of the Italian army led King Victor Emmanuel III to order Mussolini's arrest and appoint Marshal Badoglio as prime minister, who announced Italy's withdrawal from the war in September and signed a treaty with the Allies to join the battle on their side.

The arrested Mussolini, who was blamed for the defeat of the Italian army, was helped by Adolf Hitler. He ordered the Duce to be released unharmed at any cost. On September 12, after Mussolini was discovered in the Campo Imperatore hotel, Operation Oak began. Everything went well, and already on September 14, Mussolini talked with Hitler at his headquarters in Rastenburg.

CC BY-SA 3.0 / Benito Mussolini after liberation by the Germans, September 12, 1943

In northern Italy, under pressure from Hitler, Mussolini proclaimed the Italian Social Republic, which was completely dependent on the Germans. The republic did not last long - already at the end of April 1945, when the remnants of German troops in Italy capitulated, the state ceased to exist.

Results for Italy

Soon after the surrender of the German troops, Benito Mussolini himself was killed. Shortly before this, he gave an interview in which he called the war against the Soviet Union a mistake. Mussolini explained his position by saying that the USSR could become an ally of Italy in the fight against the USA and Great Britain.

Let us note that with regard to Jews, Italy was not very different from Germany. In 1938, laws were passed that, for example, demanded the expulsion of Jews from state organizations, armies, and confiscation of their property. Books by Jewish authors were banned. On September 7, 1938, Jews who had arrived in Italy before 1919 were ordered to leave the country. During the Holocaust, approximately 15-16% of Italy's Jews died.

Chronology of events

Italy officially entered World War II on June 10, 1940, declaring war on France and Great Britain. A few months later, Mussolini declared war on Greece, and in April 1941 on Yugoslavia. Italian troops, along with other Axis countries, attacked the Soviet Union. In December 1941, war was also declared on the United States.

In 1943, a radical change occurred in military operations, Italy began to lose battles, and a crisis began in the rear. Hitler ordered Mussolini's arrest, which happened in June of that year. The new Italian government began to negotiate with Great Britain and the United States. The fascist government capitulated in September 1943, and already in October war was declared on Germany and its allies. Over the next two years - until the end of World War II - Italy fought against Germany as part of the coalition forces. The country was liberated at the end of April 1945, Mussolini was shot and Italy capitulated.

Capitulation of Italy

The year 1943 was a turning point in the fate of fascist Italy.

F. Roosevelt and W. Churchill met in January 1943 in the city of Casablanca (Morocco) to agree on further actions. The prospects for military operations in 1943 were discussed and an agreement was reached on the landing of allied forces in Sicily, which not only created the conditions for Italy’s withdrawal from the war, but also prepared a springboard for the landing of Anglo-American troops in the Balkans.

In May–July, the Allies began to prepare for the landing, bombarding enemy defenses on the Italian coast. On July 10, 1943, Anglo-American troops landed in Sicily. The Italian garrison did not offer serious resistance. Two weeks later, the Allies captured the entire island.

After Hitler's meeting with Mussolini in the second half of July 1943, Italy was forced to continue the war, without counting on German help.

On July 24, the Fascist Grand Council voted for Mussolini's resignation. On July 25 he was arrested. The king issued a proclamation stating that the monarch would assume command of all armed forces.

On September 3, the Allies landed in the Apennines. On the same day, Marshal P. Badoglio became the new head of government. On September 8, 1943, the Allies signed an armistice agreement with the Badoglio government. Italy capitulated. The Germans began to disarm the Italians in the Apennines and Balkans, in response to which Italy declared war on Germany on October 13.

Meanwhile, a special squad under the command of Otto Skorzeny (“the man with the scar”), on Hitler’s orders, kidnapped and freed Mussolini, hidden in the Abruzzese mountains. He was put in charge of the puppet state of Salo, created in Northern Italy.

The Italian Front arose, dividing Italy north of Naples into two unequal parts:

• in Northern and Central Italy, the Italian fascist government formed by the German fascist occupiers operated. It was led by Mussolini;

• The southern part of Italy, which occupied less than a third of its territory, was ruled by the Badoglio government, which operated under the control of the Anglo-American military administration;

• Rome (capital) – was declared a “free city” located outside the combat zone.

In November–December 1943, the front stabilized south of Rome. The actual withdrawal of Italy from the war was of great importance - it indicated a deepening crisis and the beginning of the collapse of the aggressive bloc. After naval battles in the Coral Sea (May 1942) and Midway Atoll (June 1942), the Japanese fleet also lost its advantage. Thus, by the end of 1943, the allies in the anti-Hitler coalition had the initiative in all theaters of military operations.

Source link: https://cozyhomestead.ru/Ogorod_71597.html

Military operations 1939-1940

In 1939, Italy captured Albania. The year 1940 was eventful for the Italian army, showing all the weakness and unpreparedness of the country for war. By June 1940, Germany had already completely occupied Scandinavia, part of the European states, and captured France. Under pressure from Hitler, Mussolini was forced to declare war on the Allies and enter World War II. Italy was not at all ready to conduct military operations, but Hitler demanded that the obligations undertaken under cooperation agreements be fulfilled. Italian troops were not concentrated on one front, but were scattered throughout Europe and Africa. In 1940, Italian troops attacked Malta and carried out an offensive operation in Egypt, Kenya, Somalia, advancing from Libya and Ethiopia. The Italians, on Hitler's orders, were to capture Alexandria in order to launch an offensive against other countries of the African continent. In October 1940 there was an attack on Greece.

Mussolini's troops in the Balkans and northern Africa met their first serious resistance. The Italian economy could not withstand the stress of hostilities; industry could not fulfill state orders. This was due to the fact that the country had lost its raw material and fuel base, and its own resources were limited.

Colors of the military sky: Fiats over the English Channel

Fascist Italy entered World War II so as not to be late for the division of spoils after the inevitable, as it seemed then, victory of German weapons. The main area of ​​effort, of course, was the Mediterranean, but in 1940–1941 the Duce sent two expeditionary forces to help the German ally, the first of which, aimed against Great Britain, was purely aviation. What did the pilots of this corps fly and how did they perform in the Battle of Britain?

Mussolini came up with the idea of ​​sending an air contingent to participate in the German offensive on the British Isles in August 1940. First of all, this was a political decision, probably caused by the desire to at least nominally participate in the invasion of Great Britain, in order to increase the size of annexations and indemnities due to Italy after its defeat. The German leadership reacted to the idea without the slightest enthusiasm, but did not interfere with the initiative.

International debt in Italian

On September 10, the Italian Aviation Corps (Corpo Aereo Italiano - CAI) was formed, intended to operate against Britain from airfields in Belgium. It consisted of two bomber and one fighter stormo (an aviation formation conditionally corresponding to the Soviet air division) - a total of six air groups, as well as a separate strategic reconnaissance squadron. The total strength of the corps is about 200 aircraft of various types.

Bomber "Fiat" BR.20M (tactical number 242-3, serial number MM22267) from the 242nd squadron of the 99th air group at the airfield in Belgium. In the battle on November 11, 1940, it will be shot down and fall into the sea, all five crew members, led by Lieutenant Ezio Squazzini, will die

Apart from one fighter group taken from the air defense of Rome, all units were previously based in northeast Italy and managed to take part in a two-week campaign against France. As for the material part, the 172nd separate strategic reconnaissance squadron flew the new Kant Z.1007bis “Alcione” (Alcione - italian for “kingfisher”), and in all other units the equipment was urgently updated. Bomber groups have completed rearmament from Fiat BR.20 Cicogna (Italian for “stork”) to modified BR.20M. With fighters the situation was somewhat worse. The 20th Air Group, which previously flew Fiat G.50 "Freccia" monoplanes (Freccia - Italian "arrow") of the early production series, received a set of new fighters, and the 18th Group retained the Fiat CR.42 biplanes. Falco" (Falco - Italian "falcon"). Some fighters were radio-equipped: monoplanes to a greater extent (transmitters were usually installed on the flight commanders’ vehicles), biplanes to a lesser extent (only individual aircraft).

The corps' aircraft did not undergo any modifications to better adapt to the new theater and winter conditions, either in equipment or in paint. They all wore the standard "speckled" Italian camouflage pattern of the period, in which small spots of two colors of green Verde Mimetico and brown Marrone Mimetico were applied on the upper and side surfaces over a base sandy yellow Giallo Mimetico paint, and the lower surfaces were gray Grigio Mimetico. Gray paint was the same for all Italian Air Forces, while the rest were simultaneously used in two or three different shades.

Fiat CR.42 Falco fighters of the 18th group at an intermediate airfield in Monaco during a flight to Belgium

Both the Germans and the British subsequently noted the excessive brightness and “toy-like” coloring of Italian aircraft and its obvious tropical orientation, which did not fit well with the gray winter skies and dull land landscapes of northwestern Europe.

Soon after the Italians arrived at the front, yellow elements for quick identification of the “German type” were introduced into the color scheme, which were used everywhere on fighters, and on other types - only on some aircraft. On multi-engine aircraft, a wide yellow stripe on the fuselage was more common, and fighters in the vast majority of cases were yellow-nosed, but on some aircraft there were also stripes on the fuselage. Towards the end of his stay in Belgium, “duplicate” markings appeared both on the nose and in the rear of the fuselage.

A peculiarity of the G.50s that arrived in Belgium was the low quality of the paintwork, which after a couple of months began to fall off in large pieces, which was not typical for Italian aviation in general.

Fiat G.50 Freccia aircraft of the 20th Fighter Group showed off surprisingly shabby sides in Belgium

The flight to the north began on September 27, and in bad weather conditions over the Alps, the Italians suffered noticeable losses: five bombers crashed due to equipment failures and errors by crews who had little experience flying in difficult weather conditions, and 12 more made emergency landings at the first available airfields. The fighters took off later and were luckier: only one G.50 was lost.

First pancake

On October 22, the corps units were declared ready for battle. By this time, 75 BR.20M bombers, 95 fighters (50 CR.42 and 45 G.50) and five Z.1007bis reconnaissance aircraft were concentrated at Belgian airfields - a total of 175 combat aircraft. In addition, there were 13 transport aircraft (one SM.75 at the corps headquarters and 12 Ca.133T in the fighter air groups) and nine liaison Ca.164 "corn carriers". Communication with Rome was provided by one Junkers Ju 52, and the Germans presented the personal Storch Fi 156 to the corps commander. A total of 199 vehicles.

The first combat operation of the Italian Air Force on the western front was a raid on Harwich and Felixstowe carried out on the night of October 25, in which 18 BR.20M bombers were sent. One plane crashed shortly after takeoff, and the rest successfully completed the mission, although they did not achieve any noticeable results. On the way back, three crews lost their orientation and completely ran out of fuel, while two of them used parachutes, and the third made an emergency landing, crashing the plane.

Fiat CR.42 (serial number MM4462), which from October 1940 to early 1941 was the personal aircraft of the commander of the 18th group, Major Ferruccio Vosilla. This pilot was a veteran of the Spanish Civil War, but won his first and last three group victories in battles with the French in June 1940. In the fall, some Italian aircraft had already received white stripes on the fuselage, which later became elements of quick identification of the Mediterranean theater of operations, but in this case it is clearly not them, but the designation of the command fighter

The second raid, this time during the day, took place on October 29. The target was the port of Ramsgate, which 15 bombers of the 43rd Stormo, accompanied by an entire armada of fighters: 39 CR.42 and 34 G.50, set out to bomb. At the same time, there was a group of German fighters in the air, whose pilots were instructed to come to the aid of the Allies if necessary.

Three bombers abandoned their mission due to engine failures, and the rest approached the target in tight formation, dropping a total of 75 bombs on it. Next to them, wing to wing, as if in a parade, were fighter jets. The Royal Air Force did not provide any resistance to this raid, but five Storks were damaged by anti-aircraft fire, and one of them flopped on its belly, barely reaching the Belgian coast.

Over the next two weeks, Italian fighters flew unremarkable patrols. There were no successes or losses, despite anti-aircraft fire and skirmishes with British fighters.

Sobering "Cinzano"

On November 11, the Italians carried out a large-scale raid on the port of Harwich, coordinated with the Luftwaffe, with a simultaneous diversionary raid on Great Yarmouth. The operation was named Operation Cinzano. The 172nd Squadron in full force flew to the decoy target, escorted by 24 G.50s, but the British did not pay attention to this group at all, and the only result was that several fighter pilots returned from the flight with serious frostbite on their faces.

Fiat G.50 (serial number MM5450) of 353 Squadron, 20 Group in October 1940. During the "northern mission" fighters of the 20th Group continued to wear the emblem of the 51st Stormo, of which the unit was formerly a part. The two-color onboard code with a black squadron number and a red individual number was typical of Italian aviation in general and this group in particular, although it was not present on all of its aircraft

The main raid was carried out by 10 bombers of the 99th group, each of which carried three 250-kilogram bombs. They were supposed to be escorted by 42 CR.42s and 22 G.50s, as well as German Bf 109s, but due to bad weather, both groups of monoplane fighters returned to their airfields shortly after takeoff. The task had to be carried out only by pilots of CR.42 biplanes. At 14:40 the bombers approached Harwich in two formations, while the fighters stayed behind and at some distance.

The British, according to radar data, timely targeted three Hurricane squadrons and one Spitfire squadron to intercept. The pilots of one squadron never saw the enemy, but two other Hurricane squadrons simultaneously launched an attack on the bombers from both sides. The Spitfires at this time collided with Italian fighters and had a short battle with them, in which they did not shoot down anyone, but prevented them from coming to the aid of their bombers in time.

British militiamen are studying with interest the contents of the on-board food rations of the Fiat BR.20M bomber shot down on November 11 (tactical number 243-2, serial number MM22261) from the 243rd squadron of the 99th air group. Of the six crew members, commanded by Lieutenant Pietro Appiani, two were killed and four were captured - their wine and cookies went to the winners

The maneuverable Italian fighters proved to be quite a difficult opponent for the Hurricanes, but overall the advantage was on the side of the British. After some time, the opponents began to gradually withdraw from the battle and head for their bases. On the way back, a group of Italian fighters again came across a Hurricane patrol covering the transport ships and conducted another air battle.

The opponents did not skimp on their victorious reports. In total, based on the results of air battles with the Italians, the British side counted nine shot down and one damaged BR.20, as well as five shot down, four presumably shot down and three damaged CR.42. In turn, the Italians counted nine British shot down by their fighters, and another was claimed by bomber gunners.

In fact, only three Italian bombers were shot down: two of them fell into the sea, and another crew from 243 Squadron made an emergency landing on British territory and was captured. Two fighters were shot down: a plane from the 83rd squadron fell into the sea, and a Falco from the 95th squadron flopped on land, demolishing its landing gear. Another vehicle from this unit had problems with the oil system even before the start of the battle, so the pilot had to land right on the beach, and the British then repaired his vehicle and thoroughly tested it.

Fiat CR.42 (serial number MM4326) of 95 Squadron, 18 Group as of the winter of 1940–1941. In the 18th group, the reverse order of the location of the onboard codes was adopted: first came the individual tactical number, and only then the squadron number and the unit emblem between them. The code symbols were drawn in voluminous gold

On the way back, four damaged bombers landed at different German airfields. 19 fighters also had to land at bases on the continent or in an open field due to combat damage or running out of fuel, two more aircraft were completely destroyed, and eight were damaged.

The English side did not suffer any losses, only two fighters were damaged, and on the third Hurricane, after an accidental or intentional hit on the center section of the Falco's upper wing, the propeller blades were slightly shortened. The pilot did not see what happened to the enemy, and the victory was not credited to him.

“Strange War”: night forays and patrols over their territory

The result of the unsuccessful Operation Cinzano was the transition of the Italian Air Corps to night bombing, which was less effective, but also cost virtually no losses. For the 172nd reconnaissance squadron, this was generally the only combat mission of the campaign: the corps did not feel the need for reconnaissance, and therefore the rest of the time the squadron crews performed only transport flights in the interests of fighter groups.

Fiat G.50 (serial number MM5372), which from October 1940 to spring 1941. was the personal aircraft of the commander of the 20th group, Major (later Lieutenant Colonel) Mario Bonzano. An ace of the war in Spain, Bonzano later added three more to his 15 Spanish victories in the North African theater. Coloring is given as of the beginning of spring 1941. The red circle on the landing gear shield, the meaning of which is unknown, was found on most early G.50s. The fighters received by the 20th group before the start of the mission were not early, but some of them, including this aircraft, had such a designation. For some reason, the unit's emblem on the command fighter had an outdated appearance, which by that time had fallen into disuse

In total, in November-December, Cicogni performed 93 night sorties. They also tried to involve fighters in night operations: for example, on November 18, a couple of pilots of the 18th group with their fighters were sent to the Dutch Vlissingen, where German night fighters were based, for use in air defense. The details of their service in this capacity are unknown.

Daytime fighter flights continued at the same intensity for some time, and one day it ended in another clash with the British. On November 23, 29 CR.42s went on an offensive patrol along the route Dunkirk - Margate - Eastchurch - Folkestone - Calais, and a group of 24 G.50s was supposed to fly on a parallel course, but somewhat further inland.

The British alerted 12 Spitfires of the 603rd squadron, whose pilots abeam Folkestone noticed a group of Italian biplanes and went on the attack. An intense battle ensued, from which the British emerged victorious: two downed Fiats fell into the sea, and three damaged vehicles made an emergency landing, barely making it across the English Channel. The price for these successes was one damaged Spitfire. However, both sides “did not spare the Basurman”: the British counted seven downed and two supposedly downed aircraft, while the Italians recorded five victories.

The Fiat CR.42 (tactical number 95-13, serial number MM5701) of Sergeant Pietro Salvadori from the 95th Squadron, which landed on its nose during an emergency landing on November 11, 1940, was captured by the British with minimal damage, quickly restored and underwent extensive testing...

At this point, the combat operations of Italian fighter aircraft virtually ceased, and in December it no longer flew to England, limiting itself to covering its own bases and patrolling over occupied territory.

In the second decade of December, the command of the Italian Air Force issued a directive to recall the corps back to Italy. Officially this was attributed to the need to wait out bad weather, but in reality it was decided to curtail the operation in order to send reinforcements to the Balkans and North Africa. In reality, this order was carried out gradually and rather over time: bombers flew combat missions until mid-January, and fighters until mid-April, after which the surviving aircraft returned to their homeland. The Italian Battle of Britain is over.

...and is now on display as close as possible to the original at the Royal Air Force Museum in Hendon. Of the few Falcos that have survived to this day, this fighter is in the best condition.

In total, in 1940, bomber groups of the Italian Air Corps carried out 137 combat sorties (including 25 daytime ones) with 315 flight hours, dropping 54,320 kg of bombs, and the 172nd squadron accounted for only 5 combat sorties, all daytime. During this time, the fighter groups flew 1,740 hours in 934 sorties, of which 234 were on escorts, 220 on offensive patrols, and 444 on defensive patrols. Italian fighters flew out on alert 36 more times. G.50 pilots took part in one inconclusive air battle, and CR.42 pilots took part in two battles, in which they scored 14 confirmed and 6 suspected air victories. In fact, they were able to damage a couple of Hurricanes and one Spitfire. In 1941, the 20th Group flew another 853 hours in 662 sorties (491 patrols, 157 alert sorties, 14 covering ships). During these three and a half months, the group's pilots met enemy aircraft only twice and did not conduct a single air battle.

Drawings by Mikhail Bykov

Italy in 1941-1943

The following events characterized this period of the war:

• Conducting military operations with varying success for Italy and the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition.
• Dissatisfaction with Mussolini's policies in Italy itself and in the army.
• The intensification of protest sentiments, as a result of which communist and socialist movements began to develop, and trade unions strengthened.
• The country's leaders, secretly from Mussolini, began to negotiate a way out of the war. The chances of Italy's surrender arose after North Africa was liberated from the Germans and Italians in May 1943. This was followed by regular air strikes on Sicily and the Italian mainland. In June 1943, the ruling party decided to dismiss Mussolini, the king became the supreme commander of the army and troops. The gradual liberation of the country from the Germans began, which was facilitated by the military landing of the countries participating in the anti-Hitler coalition on Italian territory.
• Marshal P. Badoglio became the country's Prime Minister, who immediately ordered the dissolution of the Fascist Party of Italy.
• September-October 1943 - the Prime Minister signed a truce with the allied countries, and then declared war on the Third Reich.

09/03/43 – Allied landing in Italy

After the defeat of the Axis forces in North Africa, the Allies were divided on the next course of action. Winston Churchill was a supporter of the landing in Italy, which he called “the underbelly of Europe.” After the Italian military failed, popular support for Mussolini's fascist regime began to decline sharply, so Churchill believed that an invasion could "knock" Italy out of the war, and thus eliminate the influence of the Italian fleet in the Mediterranean. This would facilitate the supply of allied forces in the Far and Middle East, as well as increase the number of allied supplies to the Soviet Union. In addition, an operation in Italy could draw German troops to the south of Europe from Normandy, which was important in the run-up to Operation Overlord. However, General George Marshall, like many others on the American General Staff, did not want to carry out any operations that might delay the Normandy landings. However, calculations showed that an invasion of France in 1943 was impossible. Thus, the decision was made to land the Allies in Italy.

The landing of Allied forces in Sicily in July 1943 turned out to be a successful operation, even though most of the Italian and German troops managed to avoid encirclement and evacuate to mainland Italy. The loss of Sicily and the constant defeats of the Italian troops led to a coup d'etat, as a result of which Benito Mussolini was removed from power. The new Italian government began seeking contacts with Great Britain and the United States to achieve peace. The military-political leadership of the Allies believed that a quick landing in Italy would lead to its surrender and easy victories over German troops, who would be “locked” in a hostile country.

Map-scheme of military operations on the Apennine Peninsula.

In mid-August, the German command appointed Erwin Rommel and Army Group B, led by him, to be responsible for the defense of the northern part of the Apennine Peninsula up to Pisa. Army Group South, led by Albert Kesselring, remained in charge of southern Italy. The main military force under the control of the southern command and Kesselring was the new German 10th Army formed on August 22 under the command of Heinrich von Vittinghoff. This army consisted of two corps, with a total of six divisions, which were supposed to hold the places where the Allied landings were possible. These divisions were: the Hermann Goering Panzer Division, the 15th and 29th Motorized Infantry Divisions, the 16th and 26th Panzer Divisions, and the 1st Parachute Division. The 16th Division was stationed on the hills overlooking the Salerno plain. The total number of German troops reached 100 thousand people.

The plan for the Allied landings in Italy included landings in Salerno (Operation Avalanche), Calabria (Operation Baytown) and Taranto (Operation Slapstick). The total number of landing troops was 190 thousand people.

British landing.

On September 3, 1943, Operation Baytown began in Calabria. The first to land was the XIII Army Corps of General Montgomery's British 8th Army, consisting of British and Canadian troops. With the support of aviation and navy, British troops crossed the Strait of Messina and landed in southwestern Calabria, near the city of Reggio Calabria. There was little resistance to the landing: the Italian troops surrendered almost immediately, leaving one German regiment to defend a 27 km long coastal strip. Albert Kesselring and his staff did not believe that a large-scale landing would be carried out in Calabria, believing that the more likely landing sites were the Salerno area or even north of Rome. That is why Kesselring ordered General Traugott Herr's LXXVI Panzer Corps to start blowing up bridges instead of being on alert. Thus, the 8th Army was unable to pull the German troops to the south and the only obstacles standing in its way were only the terrain conditions and the destruction caused by the Germans (exploded bridges and rubble on mountain roads) and mines.

Clearing mines from the coast during the landing.

On September 8, before the main invasion of the peninsula, Italy announced its withdrawal from the war. In response to this, the German command ordered the start of Operation Axis: additional troops were brought into Italy, transferred from Southern France and the Balkan Peninsula, and the German army began to disarm Italian units. At dawn on September 9, the Italian government, led by the king, fled Rome by plane to Brindisi. The Italian army stopped resisting, the Italian fleet headed towards the Allied bases to surrender. However, German troops in Italy were prepared for this development: they moved in to disarm the Italians and take up advantageous defensive positions.

On September 9, 1943, Operation Slapstick began in Taranto. During this operation, the British 1st Airborne Division, supported by the 12th Royal Navy Cruiser Division, landed at Taranto, an important base for the Italian fleet. Since Italy had capitulated the day before, and there were few German troops in the area, the British landed directly at the port, thus without conducting any ground attack. Resistance was weak, so the city and ports were captured almost instantly.

Schematic map of the defensive area in Salerno.

Allied landings on the coast of Salerno.

A battery of 88mm German guns used to fight Allied tanks and landing craft.

On September 9, 1943, the main invasion of Italy began, Operation Avalanche, by the US 5th Army. The landing was not a surprise for the German troops. However, different areas of the coastal defense experienced different resistance. Since British and American troops landed in different places, it took them two days to connect the front on the captured bridgehead, which was 55-70 km wide and 10-12 km deep. At the same time, both the British and the Americans suffered considerable losses.

From 12 to 15 September, German forces counterattacked the Allies with six motorized divisions. And only through the heroic efforts of the Americans, they managed to stop the German tanks 6-5 km from the place where the landing transports were unloaded. German losses, especially in armored vehicles, were significant, which convinced the German command that it was impossible to throw the Allies into the sea. Realizing this, German General von Fettinghof ordered the 10th Army to retreat northward under the cover of skillfully organized operations to delay the enemy. On September 17, Allied patrols found the Germans in retreat along the entire coast, and on September 18, after consolidating newly occupied positions, the US 5th Army began to advance north.

A destroyed German tank in Salerno.

The first German prisoners of war in Salerno.

After the 5th Army gained a foothold on the coast, it began to advance towards Naples on 19 September. The 8th Army advanced despite engineering obstacles created by the Germans. On 16 September it linked up with the 1st Airborne Division on the Adriatic coast. On October 1, the Allies entered Naples, from where the Germans were driven out by a popular uprising.

As a result of three successive landing operations, the Allies had captured all of southern Italy by early October and stopped in front of the German defensive line "Volturno" - the first of several lines of German defensive fortifications, the purpose of which was to weaken and delay the Allied forces and gain time to prepare the main line of defense - the "Winter Line" - the strongest Nazi fortification south of Rome. During the battles of September 3-16, 1943, the Allies lost 2,009 people killed, 7,000 wounded, and 3,500 missing. German losses amounted to 3,500 killed.

See also: Photo |
Italy during World War II. [Part 1], [Part 2]. Share to:

Results of World War II for Italy

The Italian government signed a peace treaty with the countries participating in the anti-Hitler coalition only in February 1947. Among the main terms of the agreement it is worth noting:

• Italy lost all its colonies.
• The Dodecanese Islands were returned to Greece.
• The Istrian peninsula east of the city of Trieste was given to Yugoslavia.
• Four small areas that were located near the northwestern border went to France.
• Trieste became a free territory under the auspices of the UN, and only in the mid-1950s. was again transferred to Italy.

The main consequences of the war for the country are divided into several groups:

• Political: the fall of the fascist regime occurred, a republic was established on democratic principles of development.
• Economic: mass unemployment began, GDP and production volumes decreased three times, a huge number of enterprises were destroyed.
• Social: society was divided into several camps, since for a long time it was under the influence of various totalitarian regimes, more than 450 thousand soldiers were killed on the fronts of World War II, the same number were wounded. The death of young people caused a demographic crisis in Italy.

To overcome the crisis in the economy, politics and society, the new government of the country began to carry out radical reforms in the country. In particular, the nationalization of enterprises and industry took place, the political and party system, and judicial legislation were changed.

History of Russia, world history

Italy's continued participation in the war caused growing discontent among the Italian people. From the end of 1942, a strike movement began in the country, and a national front of struggle took shape in a number of provinces. Real preconditions arose for the transfer of power into the hands of democratic forces and a decisive turn in the political destinies of Italy. The influence of the Italian Communist Party among the masses was rapidly increasing. The bourgeois circles of Italy saw that further continuation of the war threatened their very existence. Defeats at the fronts and growing discontent within the country prompted them to disassociate themselves from fascism. Even the most conservative, monarchist circles of the Italian bourgeoisie realized that they could no longer hesitate. Mussolini was chosen as a scapegoat for the war started by the Italian imperialists.

On July 24, a meeting of the fascist Grand Council took place. Mussolini declared his readiness to “make the necessary movements, tighten the nuts.” However, 19 votes were cast for the resolution of no confidence in Mussolini, 7 were against, and two abstained. But Mussolini's resignation was not required. Having taken this most courageous step of opposition to the Duce, the members of the Great Council dispersed. None of them spent the night at home. When Mussolini came to a reception with the king on July 25, the latter invited him to resign. Upon leaving the royal palace, Mussolini was arrested. On September 9, 1943, Pravda wrote: “The attacks on the Nazi army near Orel and Belgorod knocked Mussolini out of the saddle, and a severe crisis in fascist Italy began.” The Italian government was headed by Marshal Badoglio.

In early August, Badoglio's government entered into negotiations with the United States and England on an armistice in deep secrecy. The common point of contact between both sides was the fear of the growth of democratic forces, a passionate desire to prevent the strengthening of the authority of the only consistent fighters against fascism - the Italian communists. The Anglo-Americans did their best to maintain Italy's political façade. On July 30, Roosevelt writes to Churchill: “There are rowdies here who will make a fuss if it appears that we recognize the Savoy dynasty or Badoglio... We must enter into “negotiations with any person or persons in Italy that will best ... prevent chaos.” On July 31, Churchill replied: “I am not at all afraid that it appears that I will recognize the House of Savoy or Badoglio if they can induce the Italians to do what is necessary for our war aims. Chaos, Bolshevisation or civil war would, of course, prevent the achievement of these goals." The desire of the ruling circles of Italy to shift the blame for the war to Mussolini was perfectly consistent with the views of Washington and London politicians. Roosevelt especially emphasized the need to seek the extradition of “the main devil along with his main accomplices in crimes.” (“The main devil,” however, escaped on September 12, the Nazis kidnapped him from his place of detention and took him to northern Italy, where Mussolini, under the protection of the SS men, organized a puppet fascist government , mockingly nicknamed the “Republic of Salo” (After his place of residence in the town of Salo on the shores of Lake Gardo.)) During negotiations between Italy and the United States and England, an agreement was reached on the terms of a truce. But how to announce them? The Badoglio government was mortally afraid of the Nazis' revenge and begged the Anglo-Americans for protection. Ultimately, it was decided to time the announcement of Italy’s withdrawal from the war to coincide with the landing of the Anglo-Americans on the Apennine Peninsula.

The governments of the United States and England took negotiations with Italy entirely into their own hands and conducted them behind the back of the Soviet Union. The Soviet government was informed only of their results, and then only belatedly. On August 22, J.V. Stalin wrote to Roosevelt and Churchill: “Until now, the situation has been that the USA and England are conspiring, and the USSR received information about the results of the collusion of the two powers as a third passive observer. I must tell you that it is impossible to tolerate this situation any longer.” And V. Stalin proposed creating a military-political commission of representatives of the three powers “to consider issues of negotiations with various governments that are secession from Germany.” The United States and England delayed the issue of issuing such a commission, agreeing to organize it only in September 1943. Meanwhile, the Allied Control Commission, provided for by the terms of the armistice with Italy, was established under the direct subordination of the Allied commander in the Mediterranean theater of operations. The so-called “Allied Military Government” (AMGOT) arose, which governed the Italian lands occupied by US and British troops. Thus, the American and British governments sought to completely exclude the Italian people from deciding their fate.

By the beginning of September 1943, 16 German divisions were stationed in Italy. The German headquarters were well aware of the weakness of their forces in the face of an enemy who had unlimited supremacy at sea and in the air. Ultimately, Allied troops could be landed anywhere along the long coast of Italy. The Nazis had no way to prevent this. Therefore, their plans included an immediate retreat from the Apennine Peninsula to the Massa-Carrara-Pesaro line north of Florence, and in the worst case, even to the border of the Po River. In any case, the German generals assumed that Rome would be abandoned. The actions of the Anglo-Americans exceeded the most optimistic calculations of the Nazis. Instead of using their superiority at sea by choosing advantageous landing sites, the commanders of the United States and England in the Mediterranean preferred to invade the Apennine Peninsula from the toe of the Italian “boot.”

On September 3, 1943, after a crushing air bombardment and massive artillery bombardment, Montgomery's 8th Army crossed the Strait of Messina. Not a single shot was fired in response: the Italian units did not offer resistance, and the German units retreated in advance. On September 8, two British divisions landed in Taranto, and on the same day, in the Salerno area, the landing of the main Allied strike force began - the 5th American Army, consisting of eight divisions under the command of Clark, which had the goal of occupying Naples. On the evening of September 8, Badoglio spoke on the radio from Rome. He announced the surrender of Italy. Immediately after this, the king and government flew by plane under the wing of the Anglo-Americans and settled in the Brindisi area.

Now that the Allies had revealed their cards, the Nazis abandoned their plans to abandon the Apennine Peninsula. On the evening of September 8, German units in Italy received a prearranged signal - to begin implementing the “Axis option” - disarmament of the army of their former ally. The operation was not particularly difficult: the Italian soldiers fled, and the Germans captured weapons and fuel supplies. The Allied forces invading in the south posed no threat and advanced at a snail's pace. Therefore, the Nazis focused their attention on the American landing in Salerno. They managed to gather three divisions in the Salerno area and launch a counterattack on September 13. Two American divisions were defeated and the bridgehead was cut. The American commander moved from shore to ship, sending a panicked message to higher headquarters: if reserves did not arrive, US troops would face Dunkirk. All tactical and strategic aviation of the allies in the Mediterranean was sent to support the American 5th Army, and an airborne division was landed on the bridgehead itself. Only these emergency measures saved 8 American divisions from three German ones. On September 16, the 5th American Army linked up with the 8th British Army. On September 27, the Anglo-Americans occupied Foggia, on October 1 they entered Naples, the Nazis managed to stabilize the front much further south than previously expected. To reinforce it, German garrisons were removed from Sardinia and Corsica in September-October. As Hitler's former general Westphal writes, "The amazingly passive actions of the naval forces and air forces of the Western Allies allowed the evacuation to be carried out so successfully that when these troops eventually found themselves on Italian territory, they were able to immediately engage in battle." By the beginning of November, German troops held defenses along the Garigliano River, centered at Monte Cassino. The Nazis had nine incomplete divisions, and thirteen Anglo-American divisions were opposed to them. In terms of the number of artillery, tanks, and infantry, they outnumbered the Germans three times; there was no need to compare the forces of the Allied and Nazi aviation at all. Nevertheless, the armed forces of the United States and England did not achieve any significant success. Hitler's former commander in Italy, Kesselring, sums it up: “How favorable the conditions were for the Allies, so insignificant were their actual successes.” The failures of the Anglo-American troops in Italy strengthened the US government's belief that the Balkan version of the second front would lead to the liberation of Western Europe by the Soviet Army.

Meanwhile, Churchill tried to use the invasion of Italy to prepare operations on the Balkan Peninsula, the prerequisite for which was the success of the Italian campaign. Between 8 and 18 September, British troops occupied a number of islands in the Dodecanese archipelago. Churchill sent a mission from General Maclean to Tito in Yugoslavia, to which he seconded his son Randolph. The capitulation of Italy resulted in the 15 Italian divisions stationed in Yugoslavia withdrawing from the war. The partisans came down from the mountains and significantly expanded the territory they controlled. All this, according to Churchill, created favorable opportunities for opening hostilities on the Balkan Peninsula. On October 19, 1943, at a meeting of the British Chiefs of Staff Committee, Churchill outlined the most desirable course of action: to maximize forces in Italy, enter the Balkans, maintain positions in the Dodecanese Islands, intensify bombing of Germany, and continue to concentrate American troops in the British Isles. But, the British Prime Minister concluded, “Unfortunately, we cannot make a unilateral decision regarding the future actions of the Allied Powers. Therefore, a new meeting with the Americans is necessary.” The latter, in turn, taking into account the enormous successes of the Soviet armies and the more than modest achievements of the Anglo-American troops, realized that any agreement between the USA and England without the USSR was unthinkable. The logic of events made a meeting of the three powers inevitable.

Back| Contents| Forward