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The Rescue of Mussolini

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Title
The Rescue of Mussolini
Description
After Italy surrendered to the Allies, Mussolini was arrested and held by the Italians in the hotel Campo Imperatore on the Gran Sasso mountain. After intercepting a coded Italian radio message and reconnoitering the mountain by plane, Otto Skorzeny figured …
Subject
Publisher
Date
1943-09-12
Scenario#
4211
Scenario Description
After Italy surrendered to the Allies, Mussolini was arrested and held by the Italians in the hotel Campo Imperatore on the Gran Sasso mountain. After intercepting a coded Italian radio message and reconnoitering the mountain by plane, Otto Skorzeny figured out where Mussolini was being held captive. Despite Luftwaffe warnings that such a feat was technically impossible due to the high altitude and bad landing conditions, the infamous Nazi Skorzeny decided that assaulting the peak by glider was his best option. On 12 Septe14mber, 1943 after a rough landing, Skorzeny and his men rushed into the hotel. Within minutes, he had located Mussolini. "Duce, the Fuhrer has sent me to set you free," he said. Mussolini replied, "I knew my friend Adolf Hitler would not abandon me." The helicopter detailed to fly Mussolini off the mountain broke down and so at the last minute, with gunfire sounding in the valley below, a Fiesler Storch piloted by Walter Gerlach (General Student's personal pilot) was called in. The Storch landed on and took off from a very small patch of ground and, to the amazement of onlookers, Gerlach evacuated the fascist dictator from the mountain. Skorzeny had pulled off the impossible and Operation Oak (aka the Gran Sasso raid) brought him to the attention of the Allies. Winston Churchill himself described the mission as one of great daring.
Location
Campo Imperatore, Italy
Battle Name
Battle Narrative
The Gran Sasso raid was the rescue of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini from the Gran Sasso d'Italia massif by German paratroopers and Waffen-SS commandos in September 1943, during World War II. The airborne operation was personally ordered by Adolf Hitler, approved by General Kurt Student, and planned and executed by Major Harald Mors.
Narrative Source
Wikipedia: Gran Sasso raid
Combatants
German
Italian
Additional Information
Game Type: Standard
Board Type: Countryside
Website Access: Classified

Geolocation