Fallschirmjägers rescue Mussolini

12th September 1943: In a daring raid that gets worldwide publicity German glider borne troops rescue Mussolini from house arrest in a mountain resort

Sep 12, 2023

Benito Mussolini, the former Italian dictator with German ‘Fallschirmjägers’ - Luftwaffe parachute troops - who had arrived by glider, after his rescue.

German gliders in the Apennine mountains close to the Gran Sasso resort where Mussolini was held.

Hitler had been incensed by the capitulation of the 'traitorous' Italians - and German forces swiftly took control of the country.

However, the prospect of the Allies moving easily up the 'soft underbelly of Europe', as Churchill had once imagined, proved to be quite false. Mountainous Italy, with nearly all its rivers running across the path of the Allied advance northwards, was soon revealed to be almost perfect terrain for the slow defensive war that the Germans now chose to fight.

The political situation was more complicated, with the new Italian government eventually declaring war against Germany. They had detained the former dictator Mussolini - he was being held in the remote village of Gran Sasso, high in the Apennines, the mountain range in the centre of Italy.

We shall soon see whether he is still capable of large-scale political activity. The Fuhrer thinks so.

Hitler wanted a pro-German regime. The first step was restoring Mussolini to power. So Hitler was very keen to rescue Mussolini, who he regarded as a personal friend, from imprisonment. The daring raid of the 12th September attracted worldwide attention.

Hitler's Propaganda Chief, Josef Goebbels1 welcomed the publicity. He was rather less sure that restoring Mussolini to power, even in a puppet regime, was a good idea:

Liberation in the Apennines was undertaken with gliders. One of these landed fifty feet in front of the hostelry in which the Duce was staying. Within a few minutes he was free. He was of course deeply touched at being rescued from captivity by German soldiers.

Our soldiers proceeded pretty brutally and thereby kept the Italian Carabinieri guards in check. A few hours later the Duce was in Vienna. Just before calling me the Fuhrer had had a telephone conversation with him.

The Hotel Campo Imperatore, where Mussolini had been held, stands at over 2,000 metres.

Major Harald-Otto Mors, standing next to Mussolini, planned and was in overall command of the raid. He led a force of Fallschirmjägers which captured the valley station of the funicular railway leading to the Campo Imperatore - securing the position from the Italians - and then came up in the cable car. Campo Imperatore, 12 September 1943.

Obersturmbannführer Otto Skorzeny (centre, binoculars hanging from neck) only joined the operation at the last minute along with sixteen SS troopers, displacing a number of the Fallschirmjägers in the gliders. Nevertheless, Hitler preferred to give the SS credit for the raid - Skorzeny was promoted and featured heavily in the subsequent publicity. With the liberated Mussolini – 12th September 1943.

Mussolini was flown out in this Fieseler Fi 156. Skorzeny insisted on joining the flight, making the plane seriously overloaded. The whole operation narrowly avoided disaster at the last moment.

He told me that the Duce was deeply shaken by developments. He informed the Fuhrer that he was tired and sick and would first of all like to have a long sleep. On Monday he wanted to visit his family in Munich. We shall soon see whether he is still capable of large-scale political activity. The Fuhrer thinks so. At any rate he will meet Mussolini at G.H.Q. on Tuesday.

However much I may be touched on the human side by the Duce’s liberation, I am nevertheless sceptical about its political advantages. With the Duce out of the way, we had a chance to wipe the slate clean in Italy.

Without any restraint, and basing our action on the grandiose treachery of the Badoglio regime, we could force a solution of all our problems regarding Italy.