Hitler’s Fallschirmjäger’s Daring Attack on the Italian Army Headquarters in 1943: One of the Last Airborne Operations by German Paratroopers in WW2

On 3 September 1943, Italy surrendered to the Allies.This was an immediate threat to Germany’s southern flank and Hitler acted swiftly. As part of what was codenamed Operation Achse, on 8 September 1943 the 2.Fallschirmjäger Division was ordered into Rome to take control of the city, disarm those Italian units based there, and crush any resistance.However, the Italian Army headquarters in the nearby town of Monterotondo refused to surrender.The task of dealing with this outpost, as well as capturing the Chief of Staff of the Italian Army, General Mario Roatta, was handed to one battalion of German paratroopers, the II./Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 6, commanded by Major Walter Gericke. Gericke’s men were dropped onto Monterotondo on 9 September.The paratroopers soon encountered fierce opposition from the Italian defenders.The latter stubbornly held out all day until the headquarters was finally captured. Three combat war correspondents had jumped with the Fallschirmjäger.Between them they t