Against Other Italians. Borghese Was Recognized As the Leader of The
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against other Italians. Borghese was recognized as the Crocetta del Montello: Incidents of torture with whips leader of the corps. and gasoline and the summary executions of partisans. The Decima Flottiglia Mas, now purely a land based Other Xa MAS units earned a good combat reputation military unit, raised a force of 50,000 men, which fighting on the frontline against the Allies at Anzio eventually conducted anti-partisan warfare including Bridgehead and on the Gothic Line (Linea Gotica)9. In the systematic torture and execution of partisans, in particular last months of the warXa MASunits were also dispatched members of the Communist units.The main themes of to the North East Italian border and employed against the reconstituted Xa MAS ideology became honor in Marshall Tito’s Yugoslavian partisans. The history of the defending Italy fiom the betrayal of the Armistice with the Xa MAS from 1943 to 1945 remains tainted. Although Allies; deep anti-Semitism in the wake of stronger Nazi the valor of this unit was recognized by both the Allies influence, and a call to defend the territorial integrity of and the Gernaans, its actions against partisans notably its Italy against the Allies. This was quite ironic, since the participation in the massacres of civilians do not permit it Third Reich had already annexed northeastern Italian to be remembered as a completely honorable unit. territories and integrated them directly into the Reich On April 26, 1945 in what is now the Piazza della as the Pre-Alpine Operations Zone and Adriatic Coastal Repubblica in Milan, Borghese finally ordered the Operational Zone. Xa MAS to disband. James Jesus Angleton, who would later become the CIA’s controversial director Relationships between the Decima and the RSI were not of counterintelligence, was dispatched by United always cordial. Borghese refused to answer to Mussolini’s StatesAdmiral Ellery Wheeler Stone,~° then Acting RSI staff. On January 14, 1944, Mussolini had Borghese Chief Commissioner of the Allied Commission for Italy a~a’ested at Garniano in order to gain direct control over in occupied Italy, to rescue Borghese from the Italian the Xa MAS. Word of the anest reached the officers of the Resistance, which had sentenced him to death for war Decima, who considered marching on Mussolini’s capital crimes. Angleton disguised Borghese in an American at Salo to free Borghese. The confiontation was avoided uniform and drove him to Rome for interrogation. when the German high command used its influence to Borghese’s wife, who was employed by the Vatican, was have Borghese released, as they desperately needed the similarly protected. equipment, expertise and manpower of the Xa MAS as an anti-partisan force by this stage of the war. Post-War Anti-Partisan Actions The Italian government demanded that the Allies hand Borghese over for trial in Milan in late 1945, but his The Germans ultimately employed the Decima along trial was transferred to Rome, where the courts were with the SS8 primarily in anti-partisan actions, rather than much more conservative. After two years in prison, he against the Allies. Their anti-partisan actions usually took was finally found guilty in early 1949 of collaborating place in small villages, where the partisans had a strong with the Nazis (though not of committing war crimes) base of support. After losing its relative independence and sentenced to 12 years in prison. The court, through from RSI - German command, the Xa MAS became application of extenuating circumstances, pardons, and infamous for the numerous war crimes against partisans remissions, reduced the sentence. The judge then decided and the civilian population alike. Examples include: Borghese had served enough time, and released him. By then the Cold War had begun and the Americans were Forno: 68 persons, mostly civilians and some partisans, keenly interested in infiltrating the Italian Communist were killed by a combination of German and Xa MAS groups, something which Borghese had done successfully forces. during the final stages of the war. He was then enlisted to help create counterintelligence units for the Americans. Guadine: The ahnost total destruction of the village by fire to deter further support of the partisans. With his record as a war hero and his avid support of fascism, he became a figurehead for pro-fascist, anti- Borgo Ticino: In conjunction with SS troops, the murder communist groups in the immediate post-war period, of 12 civilians, and pillage and destruction of the village acquiring the nickmame, the Black Prince. Borghese wrote by fire to avenge the deaths of three German soldiers. a supportive introduction to right-wing theorist Julius Evola’s book, Men Among the Ruins. He was associated Castelletto Ticino: The public execution of five petty with the Movimento Sociale Italiano (MS1) the neo- criminals in front of a large crowd. Fascist Party formed in the post-World War II period by 26 JOMSA former supporters of the dictator Benito Mussolini. He later advocated an even harder line which the MSI was not able or willing to uphold. He subsequently broke from it to form an even stauncher neo-Fascist group in 1967, known as the Fronte Nazionale (National Front Party). Following an aborted coup d’~tat, referred to as the Golpe Borghese, u which fizzled out on December 8,1970 (the Feast of the Immaculate Conception), Borghese was forced to flee to Spain to avoid arrest and interrogation. He died in 1974 under mysterious circumstances while in exile in Cadiz, Spain. His body is buried in the Borghese Chapel inside Basilica of S. Maria Maggiore, one of the five great basilicas in Rome. Figure 4: Chinese-made copy Xa MAS metal The Xa MAS Insignia sleeve badge. Figure 3: Original Xa MAS metal sleeve badge. Figure 5: Original cloth Xa MAS sleeve badge. The famous Xa MAS shield was designed at the city of Lerici, Italy on the Italian Riviera near the Gulf of Poets by Salvatore Todaro. Its intent was to show the enemy that the brave Italians of the Decima were willing to die throwing a load of explosives against the side of an enemy ship. The original metallic badge was worn sewn on the left sleeve of the uniform jacket. The red Xa on a dark blue background is surmounted by a silver skull holding a red rose clenched in its mouth (Figure 3). The badge is outlined in a silver braid design. On the original badges, the lettering FLOTTIGLIAMAS is in gilt. The early shields measure 55mm by 50mm. Three holes are provided to facilitate the sewing of the badge to the uniform sleeve. I have observed three metal badges, all alleged originals, distinctly different in terms of coloration and size. Figure 4 illustrates a Chinese made copy of the metal badge. Figure 6: Two more original cloth Xa MAS sleeve badges. and inconsistent appearance. Fakes and copies abound Cloth examples also exist (Figures 5 and 6). Since the and they often appear to be far too perfect (Figure 7). originals were made during the last part of the war, when a lack of material and manpower affected every form of industrial production, many have a very ragged Vol. 62, No. 3 (May-June 2011) 27 form 28mm wide solid black ribbon. As with many such medals, it was more than likely issued without a ribbon and it was up to the recipient to add an appropriate ribbon. Endnotes: 1. The acronym ’MAS’ refers to various light torpedo boats used by the Italian Navy during World War I and World War II. 2. The Regia Marina is the Italian Royal Navy. 3. The pair rode a modified unexploded German torpedo propelled by compressed air and twin propellers at a speed of 3 kardh. 4. Borghese is the surname of a family of Italian noble and papal background, originating in Siena as the Borghese or Borghesi, where they came to prominence in the 13th century. 5. On August 22, 1940, in preparation for a human torpedo attack Figure 7: Copy cloth Xa MAS sleeve badge. on the Port of Alexandria, Egypt, Iride was performing tests in the Gulf of Bomba (Cyrenaica, Libya) with four human torpedoes when three Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers off The Xa MAS Commemorative Medal the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle hit the submarine in shallow water. Few crew members were rescued with the support of the The rare 35mm bronze Xa MAS Commemorative Medal human torpedo operators, but most were killed in the sinking. features a large red enamel Roman numeral X_~ on the 6. The Gold Medal of Military Valor (Medaglia d’oro al Valore Militare) is an Italian medal originally established on May obverse (Figure 8). The reverse features a skull with the 21, 1793 by King Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia for deeds of red enamel rose clenched in its teeth, which surmounts a outstanding gallantry in war by junior officers and soldiers. The lower case script inscription, PER L’ONORE (for honor) "Savoia" version dates from March 26, 1833 to May 10, 1943. (Figure 9). It is suspended by a double ring suspension 7. Admiral Bergamini was awarded the Gold Medal of Valor, two Silver Medals (one in World War I and one in World War II), three War Crosses, the German Iron Cross, II Class and the Order of Savoy. 8. The Italian SS Legion, eventually designated the 29th Waffen Grenadier SS Division der SS Italianische Nr. 1 or La Brigata d’Assaulto, Miliza Armata, was used primarily as an anti-partisan force. 9. The last major line of defense in the final stages of World War II along the summits of the Apennines during the fighting retreat of Nazi Germany’s forces in Italy against the Allied Armies in Italy commanded by General Sir Harold Alexander.