 |
| Bay of Naples IJ |
The defeat of
Axis forces in North Africa (including the surrender of over 200,000 Italian
soldiers) together with increasing
dissatisfaction of Italians at home suffering from Allied bombing, Benito
Mussolini's popularity was waning. On 9th July 1943 British and American troops
landed in Sicily. The Italian Army soon came to the brink of collapse. The
pressure on Mussolini increased and on the 24th July he was deposed and
imprisoned. A new government was formed who began secret peace talks with the
Allies.
On 3rd September
1943 Anglo American forces invaded the tip of mainland Italy . Five days later
Italy signed an Armistice with the Allies. The Germans launched Operation
Achse to forcibly disarm the Italian
armed forces and occupy Italy. The Italian Forces were left with a command
structure and units around Naples began drifting into the city.
Further landings
were made on 9th September at Tarranto on Italy's east coast, and at Salerno
south of Naples. By the 19th September the beachhead at Salerno had been
secured. The Germans withdrew north to establish defensive lines and were
determined to retain control of Naples. German troops occupied Naples.
 |
| German Troops entering Naples |
 |
| Bay of Naples 1943 |
 |
| Bay of Naples 2026 |
Colonel Walter
Scholl, German commander of Naples. declared martial law and enforced curfews. On
the 22nd September Scholl decreed mandatory forced labour deportation for all
men aged 18–30. When only 150 men
reported instead of the expected 30,000, German raids began seizing men
directly from their homes.
 |
| German troops round up |
 |
| German troops round up |
On 27th September
mass roundups of over 8,000 Italian men triggered immediate civil resistance.
Small armed civilian groups—joined by former Italian soldiers—ambushed German
patrols, raiding weapon caches and armouries. The uprising spread city-wide as thousands
of citizens joined the resistance.
 |
| German Troops street fighting |
 |
| Citizen Resistance |
 |
| Naples Street Fighting |
 |
| Naples Street Fighting |
Facing relentless
urban ambush and unable to restore control, Colonel Scholl agreed to negotiate
with resistance leaders. In exchange for the release of German prisoners,
Scholl agreed to cease executions, stop the destruction of city infrastructure,
and withdraw the Wehrmacht garrison from Naples.
 |
| Naples withdrawing German Troops |
German troops began
a full retreat northward toward the Volturno Line, setting fire to public
buildings and sabotaging utilities on their way out. Neapolitan partisans
fought rear-guard actions against fleeing German forces and local Fascist
collaborators, successfully securing the city before nightfall.
 |
| People celebrating the liberation of Naples |
At 09:30 on 1
October, armoured patrols of the King's Dragoon Guards were the first Allied
forces to reach Naples, followed by the Royal Scots Greys reinforced by troops
of the 82nd Airborne Division.
 |
| King's Dragoon Guards Naples 1st October 1943 |
 |
| Naples citizens welcoming American Troops |
------o-----
A memorial to the Four Days of the Naples Uprising is located in the Piazza della Repubblica
 |
| Naples Uprising Memorial |
 |
| Naples Uprising Memorial |
.JPG)
