I agreed that the Germans committed war crimes by executing disproportionate number of Italians captured in Cephalonia.
Actually the crux of the problem that resulted in the execution of the Italians in Cephalonia was the unclear orders of Pietro Badoglio to the Italian forces in Aegean right after the 1943 armistice. In fact it was Badoglio who originally designated Italian forces in Greece and the Aegean under the operational command of the Wehrmacht in Greece, resulting that the Germans treating any Italian forces who resist as mutineers rather as Allied forces (which is technically true since Italian goverment under Badoglio only signed the armistice with the Allies - NOT joining the Allied coalition) which is punishable by death.
Also, I read that General Gandin and some of the senior Division Acqui staff who were captured and were executed AFTER a court-martial by German forces. Does anyone able to access those court martial records in Bundesarchiv?
Panzermahn
Cephalonia Massacre
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Panzermahn
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Re: Cephalonia Massacre
Here's some information referring to my previous post number #15:
24.9.1943 two squads of German soldiers killed 129 Italian officers during the day near the red little house (it. casetta rossa) while 7 officers were killed in reprisal the following day. Corporal Alfred Störk of 3rd Company 54. Battalion Gebirsjäger participated in killing 73 officers by one of the two squads. He confessed that corpses were piled up in a pit after watches had been taken away. 18.10.2013 Alfred Störk from Kippenheim in Germany who was then 90 years old was sentenced to life imprisonment (it. ergastolo) by the Military Court in Rome, Italy, being the first participant of Kafalonia massacre ever sentenced.
source: http://roma.corriere.it/roma/notizie/cr ... 2e180.shtm
The text of the sentence in Italian is available at http://www.associazioneacqui.it/pagine/ ... 282%29.pdf
24.9.1943 two squads of German soldiers killed 129 Italian officers during the day near the red little house (it. casetta rossa) while 7 officers were killed in reprisal the following day. Corporal Alfred Störk of 3rd Company 54. Battalion Gebirsjäger participated in killing 73 officers by one of the two squads. He confessed that corpses were piled up in a pit after watches had been taken away. 18.10.2013 Alfred Störk from Kippenheim in Germany who was then 90 years old was sentenced to life imprisonment (it. ergastolo) by the Military Court in Rome, Italy, being the first participant of Kafalonia massacre ever sentenced.
source: http://roma.corriere.it/roma/notizie/cr ... 2e180.shtm
The text of the sentence in Italian is available at http://www.associazioneacqui.it/pagine/ ... 282%29.pdf
Re: Cephalonia Massacre
Here's some information given by Elio Sfiligoj in his account published by Primorske novice newspaper on 20.6.2014, available in Slovene at http://www.primorske.si/Plus/7--Val/Kef ... in-na-Elia
Mr. Sfiligoj was born in 1919 in the territory that was seized by Italy in 1918 when Austria collapsed. He was one of many Slovenes who were Italian citizens of Slovene nationality serving in Italian army during its military campaigns abroad. He was drafted in August 1939 and sent to Cephalonia in 1941. As an Italian soldier he collaborated with the Greek resistence movement since April 1942 with his nom de guerre Spirta.
15.9.1943 he was wounded by a bomb during a fight between Italian and German units on Cephalonia. He confirms that German ships were sunk by Italian artillery. 22.9.1943 Italian soldiers were ordered to save as they could. Mr. Sfiligoj ran to the seaside and when he heard of the Italian surrender 23.9.1943 he hid his weapon. He was captured and put in a group of other prisoners. While German soldiers were taking away watches, necklaces… from Italian soldiers and Greek civilians he managed to escape unnoticed. When he was captured again Germans had already stopped killing prisoners. The survivors were used for forced labour.
During an Allied bombing he escaped, joined the Greek partisans and left the island. He returned to Cephalonia in September 1944 when ELAS company named Primorje was established there. Most of its members were ex Italian soldiers of Slovene nationality from Primorje (=Litoral) region. Mr. Sfiligoj didn't join the company. In 1945 he was imprisoned in Kalamaki camp south of Athens by the British who treated him as an ex Italian soldier at first. He was released when identified as an EAM member.
Mr. Sfiligoj was born in 1919 in the territory that was seized by Italy in 1918 when Austria collapsed. He was one of many Slovenes who were Italian citizens of Slovene nationality serving in Italian army during its military campaigns abroad. He was drafted in August 1939 and sent to Cephalonia in 1941. As an Italian soldier he collaborated with the Greek resistence movement since April 1942 with his nom de guerre Spirta.
15.9.1943 he was wounded by a bomb during a fight between Italian and German units on Cephalonia. He confirms that German ships were sunk by Italian artillery. 22.9.1943 Italian soldiers were ordered to save as they could. Mr. Sfiligoj ran to the seaside and when he heard of the Italian surrender 23.9.1943 he hid his weapon. He was captured and put in a group of other prisoners. While German soldiers were taking away watches, necklaces… from Italian soldiers and Greek civilians he managed to escape unnoticed. When he was captured again Germans had already stopped killing prisoners. The survivors were used for forced labour.
During an Allied bombing he escaped, joined the Greek partisans and left the island. He returned to Cephalonia in September 1944 when ELAS company named Primorje was established there. Most of its members were ex Italian soldiers of Slovene nationality from Primorje (=Litoral) region. Mr. Sfiligoj didn't join the company. In 1945 he was imprisoned in Kalamaki camp south of Athens by the British who treated him as an ex Italian soldier at first. He was released when identified as an EAM member.
Re: Cephalonia Massacre
When Austria collapsed in 1918 Italy seized part of its territory that was inhabited by Slovenes. In WWII many of them served in Italian army - among them were about 30 Slovenes from 317 infantry regiment staying in Cephalonia. In February 1943 three special penal companies were formed of drafted Slovenes staying in Asti and transported by train to Greece: 215 company to Cephalonia, 216 company to Corphu and 217 company to Peloponnese.
Men of 215 company were not armed and worked as an engineering unit staying first in Peratata then in Sami where contacts with ELAS members were made. In September 1943 men of 215 company were fighting with Germans in the line Sami – Argostoli – Peratata. Seven Slovenes of 215 company and five of 317 regiment who died in action, of wounds and execution are known by name. The number of wounded is unknown.
Karlo Mlekuž was the only survivor of soldiers of II/317 who surrendered near Frankata and were led to a pit were they were shot by machine guns. He was found wounded the following day when corpses were burried.
Dušan Tavčar and Marko Pirc escaped imprisonment, made a raft of four pine trunks, reached Itaka island and finally joined Yugoslav partisans in Macedonia being helped by ELAS.
When in September 1944 Germans left Cephalonia 56 Slovenes of ex 215 company formed their own company named Primorje commanded by Srečko Likar. 15.9.1944 Likar and Agisilaos Miliaresis for 7 ELAS brigade signed a document stating that Primorje company was Marshal Tito's unit and ELAS would help it reach Yugoslavia fully armed. The company left Cephalonia 2.12.1944 and arrived through Albania to Macedonia 26.2.1945.
Tone Gošnik from Celje joined Primorje company after he had escaped from the German army while it had been leaving the island. He was mobilized in December 1942 and served in coast artillery first in Denmark and then in Cephalonia since November 1943.
Men of 215 company were not armed and worked as an engineering unit staying first in Peratata then in Sami where contacts with ELAS members were made. In September 1943 men of 215 company were fighting with Germans in the line Sami – Argostoli – Peratata. Seven Slovenes of 215 company and five of 317 regiment who died in action, of wounds and execution are known by name. The number of wounded is unknown.
Karlo Mlekuž was the only survivor of soldiers of II/317 who surrendered near Frankata and were led to a pit were they were shot by machine guns. He was found wounded the following day when corpses were burried.
Dušan Tavčar and Marko Pirc escaped imprisonment, made a raft of four pine trunks, reached Itaka island and finally joined Yugoslav partisans in Macedonia being helped by ELAS.
When in September 1944 Germans left Cephalonia 56 Slovenes of ex 215 company formed their own company named Primorje commanded by Srečko Likar. 15.9.1944 Likar and Agisilaos Miliaresis for 7 ELAS brigade signed a document stating that Primorje company was Marshal Tito's unit and ELAS would help it reach Yugoslavia fully armed. The company left Cephalonia 2.12.1944 and arrived through Albania to Macedonia 26.2.1945.
Tone Gošnik from Celje joined Primorje company after he had escaped from the German army while it had been leaving the island. He was mobilized in December 1942 and served in coast artillery first in Denmark and then in Cephalonia since November 1943.