Located just off the western coast of Greece, Cephalonia had been occupied by Axis forces in 1941. The Italian garrison consisted of the 12,000 men of the Acqui Division.Relieved that their country was no longer involved in a hugely unpopular war, the members of the division celebrated when they learned of the armistice. The Italians seemed unfazed by the sullenness of the Germans, who also had their own garrison on the island.

When German Maj. Gen. Hubert Lanz demanded that the Italians lay down their arms, the soldiers of the division overruled their officers, who realized the futility of resistance. Lanz received considerable reinforcements, and on September 15 his 1st Gebirgsjäger Division attacked.

The Acqui Division resisted the superior German forces for a week and suffered more than 1,600 casualties before its commander, General Antonio Gandin, negotiated a surrender. As part of the agreement, Gandin was assured that his men would be repatriated to Italy.

After Captain Amos Pampaloni's artillery unit was disarmed and assembled, German soldiers began to strip the men of their valuables. When the captain protested that it was illegal to take prisoners' effects, the German commander replied, "Not from prisoners, but from traitors, yes." Shortly thereafter, the Germans began shooting the Italians.

There were so many prisoners that one of the Germans confided to his diary that the sound of machine gun fire could be heard continuously for more than two hours. By the time they were finished, the Germans had shot some 5,000 Italian prisoners in cold blood and thrown their bodies into unmarked pits or into the sea. Those who were not shot were transferred to ships. An additional 3,000 perished on the voyage to Germany, where the rest endured months of brutal captivity in slave labor camps.

After the war, the graves containing the remains of the men of the Acqui Division were uncovered. It was hoped that Gandin's body could be identified among the thousands of other corpses by the Iron Cross ribbon that he wore on his uniform for his service with the Wehrmacht in Russia. Unfortunately, the general's remains could not be found.


http://www.thehistorynet.com/wwii/editorial_09_03/



General Antonio Gandin

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