RSI Northwest

The Italian government in northern Italy was officially formed on September 23rd, 1943 with Benito Mussolini as its leader. It was also known as the “Salò Republic”, named for the town in which the new capitol was located, near lake Garda.

In July of 1943, Mussolini was removed from power by a vote of no-confidence by members of the Italian government, arrested and imprisoned. Persons in the Italian government had previously been seeking to bring an end to Italy’s involvement in the war. King Emanuel III charged Field Marshall Badoglio of the R.E.I. (Italian Army) with the task of creating a new government and seeking peace with the allies, who by now were already on Italian soil.

By September 3rd an armistice had been brokered and at 19:45 Hrs., September 8th, the new head of the Italian government Marshall Badoglio, announced Italy’s surrender over the radio, followed by an announcement from Eisenhower. There was great confusion among the Italian armed forces, as no one had been previously notified of an armistice. German forces quickly occupied areas of Italy not already in Allied hands and disarmed and took as POWs the Italian forces, though there was a great deal of armed resistance. By September 12th, Mussolini had been rescued by the Germans in a covert operation and met with Hitler on the 14th.

Though the RSI was a sovereign government, it has been called by many historians a “puppet government” of Germany. German forces continued to occupy and operate in Northern Italy on their own terms and most bureaucratic and military actions of Mussolini’s new regime required German approval.

There were various reasons as to why many fought for the RSI. Many were indeed Fascists and loyal to Mussolini and the party’s cause, others had seen the King’s & Badoglio’s actions as being contrary to Italy’s best interests and saw the Anglo-Americans as Italy’s true enemy. Others were Italian nationalists. Many that constituted the RSI’s new army had little choice; they had been taken prisoner by the Germans after September 8th and could either fight or remain interned and used as forced labour. There was also the youth (Giovani), who like any youth in any nation at any time, were impressionable, brash and ignorant of the consequences to their own actions.

For more information on the Italian armed forces of WWII before and during the RSI, please visit Comando Supremo. Also see Repubblica Sociale Italiana for an extensive photo history.

 

With the proclamation of the new Italian government in the north on Sept. 23, 1944, military and paramilitary units began to reorganize in order to meet the needs of the RSI’s new armed forces.

Compagnia d’assalto “Forlì” (Assault Company “Forlì”) was formed in August 1944 by a group of officers from the Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana who joined “Compagnia della Morte” di Arezzo (“Company of Death” of Arezzo) of Brigate Nere XXXV “Don Emilio Spinelli”. Their previous unit -the 101 Gruppo Autonomo Caccia Territoriale (101st Autonomous Fighter Group)- had been disbanded after only a few months due to lack of equipment. This new formation was lead by former pilot Lieutenant Pier Riccardi Vittorio, who would continue as its leader until the end of the war.

The unit’s name “Forlì” comes from the town itself, which lies about 275 km. north of Rome and about 50 km. north of San Marino, near the Adriatic coast. The unit was raised in part to defend the city aginst the advancing Allied forces. It is worth noting that in the Forlì-Cesena region, is the small town of Predappio: the birth place of Mussolini and where he is currently entombed.

As the war continued, personnel would be drawn from various other branches and towards the end, large numbers of youth would constitute “Forlì”. Many of these later recruits came from the areas of Venice, Padua, Verona and Milan

The Compagnia d’assalto remained in Forlì until October 27 and on the 28 was sent south to the river Ronco. On November 9 it was attached to I. Battalion, 992 Grenadier Rgt. of the German 278 Infantry Division. “Forlì” would remain a semi-autonomous unit of the 278th until the end of the war. The unit was sent northeast of the city, to Canale di Lavaldino (Case Pettini), where on Nov. 10 & 11 it came under artillery fire and aerial attacks, but managed to hold its position against allied troops. On the 11th, the artillery fire became too heavy and the unit was forced to withdraw that night to Villafranca di Forlì on the river Montone. The next day it came under more aerial attacks and proceeded to Merlaschio, where by November 18, it was finally able to rest. The front line eventually moved up towards the Merlaschio-Faenza area and would remain there until December 18. By December 31 the unit had been strengthened to battalion size and renamed Battaglione d’assalto “Forlì” (Assault Battalion “Forlì”). The battalion progressively withdrew until February 10, 1945 when it reached the river Senio.

On February 28, 1945 the unit was sent north to Budrio, northeast of Bologna, where it was rested, refitted and strengthened once more to a “Battalion-Group” and re-titled Gruppo Battaglioni d’assalto “Forlì” (Assault Battalion Grouping “Forlì”). The group command and units undergoing formation were located in Polesella, about 70 km southwest of Venice. However, only one battalion, I Battaglione Arditi (1st Combat Battalion) was completed. The 2nd battalion was still undergoing training and 3rd battalion, which was to be composed of Bersaglieri, was still being formed by the end of the war. The group’s artillery section was also still being formed and only a received a single battery of three Cannoni da 100/17.

I Battaglione Arditi was comprised of four companies, a mortar company and a motorized section. Much of its new equipment, including rifles (K98k’s), light machineguns (MG 15’s) and Panzerfaust anti-tank rockets were supplied by the Germans. It is still unclear whether the mortar section was equipped with the German 8cm s.GrW 34 or the Italian Mortaio da 81mm Modello 35. Before returning to the front, the newly formed battalion paraded before the 278 ID’s CO, Generalleutnant Harry Hoppe.

The battalion reentered combat sometime in March with the 278 ID and sent again to the river Senio, this time south of Imola, where it occupied the large mountain bluff of Vena del Gesso. To their right flank was the 278’s Regiment 992, which held the line from the Riva d. Biagio to the town of Borgo Tossignano near the river Santerno. Operations in this area were limited to patrols and defensive actions; “Forlì” mined a narrow pass (w/ German Tellermine 43) between it and the 993 Regiment, with machine gun posts overlooking it.

The Battalion’s forward position overlooked a depression on the northern bank of the Senio, where they faced their own country men; two battalions of the “San Marco” Regiment, “Folgore” Combat Group. It was composed of British equipped Italian soldiers who had volunteered to fight with the Allies back in September 1943. Along with the “San Marco” battalions was the Italian “Friuli” Combat Group.

In April 1945, the allies launched an offensive in the direction of Bologna. “Forlì” and the 278th were forced to loose ground and in the process some units became encircled. The 992 Rgt. managed to break through the American lines around April 24, east of Vicenza and “Forlì” reached the Po river by April 25, where it disbanded not long after, possibly on the Adige river. The 278 ID continued its retreat towards Feltre (about 75 Km northwest of Venice) over the Brenta river into Piave river valley. On the May 2, 1945 Generalleutnant Hoppe surrendered the division in Agordo Valley.

Recommended Reading: Adelago Federighi’s I° BATTAGLIONE D'ASSALTO "FORLI" (1997). Federighi was with the unit from its inception as a Sergent Maggiore. He later became a Tenente and leader of 1st Battalion.

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