Not many World War II history books cover the Nazi German massacre of nearly an entire Italian infantry division that took place on the Greek island of Kefalonia.
But in September of 1943, over approximately a two-week period, the German 1st Mountain Division would execute more than 5,000 Italian prisoners from the 33rd Infantry Division “Acqui,” led by General Antonio Gardin.
The massacre took place from September 21-26 and marked one of the German’s bloodiest massacres of Italian soldiers — whom they considered traitors after Italy surrendered to the Allies on September 8.
Because the Acqui Division had been placed under German command after Italy surrendered, its soldiers were tried as Germans and treated as war deserters — an offense punishable by death.
On September 18, Hitler ordered that all Italian officers who resisted German forces be executed for treason. Thereafter, the German High Command issued an order stating that “because of the perfidious and treacherous behavior [of the Italians] on Kefalonia, no prisoners are to be taken.”
German soldiers began executing Italian prisoners in groups of four to 10 — killing first the surrendering Italians with machine guns where they stood. A group of Nazi soldiers reportedly objected but received threats of execution themselves.
After this period on September 24, the Germans marched the remaining soldiers to San Teodoro town hall and executed prisoners eight-at-a-time. General Gardin and 136 other officers were executed by firing squad, their bodies later discarded at sea.
But the massacres did not take place without Italian resistance upfront.
Starting on September 13, the Acqui Division had initially tried to resist Nazi aggression over the course of a 10-day battle, but it had slim hopes of survival. On September 22, the resistance fighters had no choice but to surrender after running out of ammunition.
Whichever Italian the Germans did not kill immediately, they executed later after arresting him.
By September 26, approximately 1,315 Italians had died in battle; 5,155 were executed; and 3,000 drowned after Allied forces sunk German ships transporting survivors to concentration camps.
The German slaughter of the Acqui Division was one of WWII’s worst prisoner of war massacres — and one of many atrocities committed by the aforementioned 1st Mountain Division.
The incident features in Louis de Bernieres’s novel, “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin,” which was later adapted into a film starring Penelope Cruz and Nicolas Cage. The hero, Captain Antonio Corelli, is an officer in the Acqui Division who narrowly escapes death during the massacre.
Today outside of Argostoli, the main city of Kefalonia, the Monument of the Fallen Italian soldiers sits at the top of a hill in memory of those massacred. Constructed in 1978, the monument includes a white cross accompanied by Greek and Italian inscriptions informing visitors of what transpired near the site many decades ago.
The inscriptions read:
IN MEMORY OF THE SOLDIERS OF THE ACQUI DIVISION MARINE GARRISON
LED BY OFFICERS ON THE ISLAND WHO HAVE FALLEN VOLUNTARILY DURING THE FIGHT AGAINST THE NAZI INVADERS FROM SEPTEMBER 15-26, 1943.
DIED IN BATTLE: 65 OFFICERS, 1250 SOLDIERS
EXECUTED: 155 OFFICERS, 5000 SOLDIERS
MISSING AT SEA: 3000 SOLDIERS
ITALY HONORS ITS VICTIMS
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5 comments
Ahhh the beauty of war … death all over l
Lost fathers, brothers,mothers, families
How nice to see blood spilled in the name of country ..STOP .death is horrible , the emptiness of lost loved ones! WHO created this thing WAR
This Develiish creation of non existence
Telling me I will live forever in the minds
What patriots?… absurdities
When your dead … your don’t exist ..
No grand children to hug
No wife to kiss you good night
No mother to hug her son
No smile from dad
People that glamorize war are sick in
The head…idiots making others pay
For there arrogance and pride
BASTERDS of humanity’ WARMONGERS
Feeding on pain and suffering
So they can become Kings /Lords/
Governors/ Greedy commercialism
That only take care of there selfish ambition
War …… not in my world
This was very interesting.. I lived in the Netherlands at that time and as little children my parents had us hide from the Nazi soldiers ., by having us live in my grandparents barn with the mice.
I’m glad you’ve written this. As you say, it is just one of many under-reported Nazi atrocities. I thought the novel was brilliant, the movie less so but still they both brought the massacre to the public’s attention.
I hate the Nazi’s and all that they did. I also am so glad we are leaving the EU as I do not want the Germans to control the Uk . What I hate more is what they have done to Greece.
When I was married to a Greek national, (my background is Italian) I remember my father-in-law shared a story with me about how he, a 17-year-old boy, hid Italian soldiers from the Germans who were looking to kill them after Italy has surrendered to the Allies. Of course, Greece fought on the Allied, not Axis side, but my father-in-law understood they were given no choice by their dictator, Mussolini. This, by the way, was on the island of Rodos, which was Mussolini’s favorite Greek island. He planned to annex the island for Italy. My parents-in-law were both forbidden to speak Greek, and had to learn how to speak Italian. According to every Rhodian I ever met, the Italians beautified the island and intermarried with the Greeks. So, some Greeks saw them as victims of war as much as anyone else.