Because the Allied invasion of Sicily began during
Operation Zitadelle, Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler was forced to divert troops to meet the Allied threat in the Mediterranean. After the failure at
Kursk, which had emboldened fascist dictator
Benito Mussolini's opponents, Hitler met with Mussolini in Feltre on July 19 1943. Hitler began the meeting by blaming the Italians for their weak military performance. The Germans had lost faith in the Italians and were only interested in occupying northern and central Italy, leaving the Italian army alone to defend the country from the Allies. Italian official propaganda put up a brave fight to pretend that the country was still in the war, while all the time negotiations for surrender were going on quietly. The SS-Pz.Gren.Div. Leibstandarte SS was sent to North Italy for security duties and to act as a core for the creation of a new and more fervently fascist Italian army that would bolster Mussolini's crumbling empire. The division was transferred from the Kursk salient in late July 1943 and arrived on the Pianura Padana in Northern Italy on Aug. 8 1943. While serving in this role, the elite Leibstandarte SS only conducted anti-partisan operations in Northern Italy. During this rather short period, the 28-year-old SS-Stubaf.
Joachim Peiper's battalion was involved in several skirmishes with Italian partisans. On one occasion, Peiper was met by an Italian officer who warned that his forces would attack unless Peiper's unit immediately vacated the Province of Cuneo. Peiper refused, which as intended goaded the Italians into attacking. The Italians were no match for the Eastern Front veterans of the Leibstandarte SS who defeated them and then proceeded to disarm the remaining Italian forces in the area. On Sept. 19 1943, following the Italian surrender, an incident in the village of Boves took place that is known as the
Boves massacre. Two of Peiper's NCOs had been kidnapped and were held by partisans in the vicinity of Boves. Peiper reacted characteristically by leading his battle-hardened SS grenadiers to the rescue. On arrival a fire fight took place and the Leibstandarte SS shelled the village. Peiper's men were freed, but some 20 civilians died in the process. The region around Boves remained a hotspot for partisan activities and German reprisals. In Dec. 1968, an Italian court decided that there was insufficient evidence for a war crimes case and German District Court in Stuttgart reached the same conclusion, terminating any potential prosecution of Peiper. During its brief period in Northern Italy, the Leibstandarte SS was reformed as a full panzer division, and redesignated
1.SS-Panzer-Division Leibstandarte SS. In early Nov. 1943, the division was ordered back to the
Eastern Front of the Axis. Credit: hist. Gerhard Schreiber i.a. For reading about overlooked massacres in Italy committed by the U.S. 45th Infantry Division:
The Biscari and Comiso Massacres. Top image: Schloss Klessheim Salzburg 22-4-44. Heinrich Hoffmann Photo Archive. Fair use. Second image: an unidentified SS-Ostuf. check identification papers of civilians to weed out possible communist and anti-Mussolini partisans in Northern Italy. As part of its pacification campaign in Italy the Leibstandarte SS was expected to assist other German security personnel. The German commanders did not even use Leibstandarte SS in halting the Allied advance in Italy. This clearly was a waste of one of the German military's most potent units. Photo by Hitler's private cameraman OLt. d. LW Walter Frentz. Walter Frentz Collection. Fair use. Clips: SS-Hstuf. Paul Guhl, SS-Stubaf. Joachim Peiper and SS-Ustuf. Werner Wolff marching with the SS-Pz.Reg.2 through the city of Reggio Emilia in Northern Italy in Aug. 1943. Footages by SS-KB Ferdinand Rottensteiner. Die Deutsche Wochenschau.
Back in Ukraine after fighting partisans in Italy, Peiper’s regiment fought recklessly. Peiper led crazy night actions by attacking the rear of enemy lines; he captured four division HQs. Still, his aggressiveness and lack of experience handling tanks caused some resentment. By now hardly any quarter was granted in the East: on December 5 and 6, 1943, his tank regiment reported killing 2,280 Russian enemies and took only three prisoners.
ReplyDeleteI do think that it would be fair to mention that Communists brigades were responsible for many war crimes committed in Italy. They tortured and murdered not only fascists, but also civilians and even other Italian partisans. One of the best known massacres, committed by Communists, was the massacre in Porzus. There were plenty of other massacres, like Rovetta, Salussola or Schio prison. Even after the war had ended they murdered some 18,000 people in Italy.
ReplyDeletePeiper was a hardcore nazi and had the looks of a moviestar. A dream posterboy for the nazi propaganda.
ReplyDeleteVolumes have been written about this fearless officer's courage and commitment. "Poster-boy" or not, Peiper was a battle-proven soldier with some of the best trained troops ever. He was always in the thick of things with a fighting spirit second-to-none. For example, on July 12, 1943 as massed Soviet armor penetrated his line, Peiper was faced by a T-34. Waiting for a favorable moment, he climbed onto the turret, opened the hatch, and threw in a bundle of hand grenades. He was a major at the time. Apart from his formidable military skills, Peiper appears to have been an impressive individual generally. Best regards, RA.
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