Mussolini assassination plot involving 617 squadron

A Mussolini assassination plot involving Royal Air Force 617 Squadron has been revealed by documents released from the UK national archives in 2010.

Background

Hitler and Mussolini from '34 to '44 met seventeen times. That of July 19, 1943 will go down in history as "The meeting of Feltre", although Villa Soccio or Pagani-Gaggia, the summer home of Senator of the kingdom Achille Gaggia, is in reality an isolated area outside San Fermo Belluno about twenty kilometers from Feltre. The error, then approved by the official historiography, is probably due to a simple type of Mussolini himself, who recalls in his memoirs just as the "meeting of Feltre. The conference begins at 11. Hitler took the floor in front of an apathetic Mussolini, Secretary Bastianini, ambassadors and Von Mackenzen and Alfieri, the chief of staff, General Ambrosio, Field Marshal Keitel, General Rintelen, General Warlimont, Colonel Montezemolo, Schmidt and other attendants. After half an hour the Duce read the message of the bombing of Rome. Operation Crosspoint involving 362 B17 and B24 heavy bombers and 300 medium bombers (146 and 154 B26 B25), escorted by 268 fighters Lighting hit the capital at 11 o'clock in the morning and six in successive waves cause 3 000 victims. At 3 pm, ending a stalemate with the "Conversations of Feltre. The next morning, July 20, Mussolini announced the general Ambrosio from the capital of its intention to send a message to Hitler that Italy was no longer in a position to continue the war. But it was too late. The general notes that this decision was taken to Villa Gaggia. A few days later, on July 25 of '43, the Grand Council shall overthrow Mussolini. Followed 90 days of Badoglio, the armistice of 8 September. And the staggering escape of King Vittorio Emanuele III on the dock of Ortona a Mare (Pescara), where top officials huddled 250 ready to run away.^[1]

Discovery

The documents, released under the Freedom of Information Act, detail plans made in early July 1943 for a major mission for 617 squadron that would have taken place in July or August, just months after the Dam-buster raids. The plan was for the squadron to fly an extremely low level operation, this time over Rome to assassinate Benito Mussolini by bombing his headquarters and his residence.

The plan was derived by Air Marshal Harris and had the backing of Anthony Eden, the foreign secretary. In a memorandum to the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, dated 13 July 1943, Eden wrote:

Harris has asked permission to try to bomb Mussolini in his office in Rome and to bomb his residence simultaneously in case the Duce is late that morning. Eden reported that Mussolini's headquarters, the magnificent Palazzo Venezia in central Rome, and his private residence, Villa Torlonia, were both "unmistakeable" and could easily be identified by British bombers.

Importantly, neither was within 1,500 yards of the Vatican, which the Allies had promised not to damage.

The memorandum continues:

I suggest that if Mussolini were killed or even badly shaken, at the present time this might greatly increase our chance of knocking Italy out (of the war) at an early date. And I therefore ask your permission to lay the operation on.

Outcome

Within two weeks of the requested operation Mussolini was ousted by the Grand Council of Fascism and replaced by a caretaker government led by King Vittorio Emmanuele III, who negotiated a surrender to the Allies, and the operation never went ahead.

References

1. ^ Roberto De Nart (lug 21st, 2009). "19 luglio 1943: lo storico incontro a Villa Gaggia tra Hitler e Mussolini". Bellunopress – news dalle Dolomiti. http://www.bellunopress.it/2009/07/21/quel-19-luglio-di-66-anni-fa-lo-storico-incontro-a-villa-gaggia-tra-hitler-e-mussolini/. Retrieved 6 February 2011.