A German Jagdpanther engaged in combat.
On the 8th of April 1945, Nicolussi-Leck learned of some available tanks in a nearby factory, from locals. He took a small detachment and went to the location.
Jagdpanther abandoned by Germans, April 1945.
Not knowing what to expect, their visit there netted them seven brand new JagdPanther tank destroyers, a ‘gift’ that left them speechless initially! The addition of these very potent vehicles bolstered his small Battlegroup, and they felt ready to halt the American advance in this area. After some final preparations on the vehicles, including sighting the main guns, filling up with ammunition and fuel supplies, they set off to take on their much stronger enemy. Over the next few days, this Battlegroup operated around the Hannover and Celle areas, with the Americans being under the impression that they were up against a full German Panzer Division. The reality was seven JagdPanthers and thirteen halftracks under SS-Hauptsturmführer Nicolussi-Leck.
Nicolussi-Leck and me.
They did slowly lose some of their vehicles to the enemy, but along the way, they succeeded in destroying dozens of American tanks and many other enemy vehicles. Karl Nicolussi-Leck was captured in the course of this fighting, on the 22nd of April 1945, bringing his war to an end, but starting three years as a prisoner of war. He was awarded the Silver Wound Badge during the war, but the exact date is not listed. Some sources state that he was wounded five times; Nicolussi-Leck stated to me personally, a total of four wounds, two light and two heavy. During the fighting itself, he had briefly taken prisoners, but released these within a day or so. One of them was a young American Lieutenant named Albert Robbins. This former American soldier made contact with Nicolussi-Leck in 1980, to determine if he was the same Waffen-SS soldier he recalled in this fighting at the end of the war and someone whom he personally attributed to saving his life during the fighting! He was indeed and both men corresponded and met up many times over the intervening years. After being released from prisoner or war detention, he returned to northern Italy. He began to build a life for himself, but also focused on helping others. In the decades after the war, he helped establish training and education facilities, which benefited and trained many people; these facilities also helped the local area. He was also a patron of the arts and helped many artists pursue their passion. When I visited him in 2003, his house and surrounding grounds contained many of these works of art. Karl Nicolussi-Leck, the former Waffen-SS Hauptsturmführer, Battalion Commander, holder of the Silver Wound Badge, German Cross in Gold and Knight’s Cross, died at the end of August 2008. He personally supported my ‘Waffen-SS Knight’s Cross’ book project and I am honoured to have had the chance to personally meet him. I hope you have enjoyed this insight into a very effective combat soldier and European volunteer from the ranks of the Waffen-SS.
Bibliography
Personal face to face interview with Karl Nicolussi-Leck, 2003
Written correspondence with Karl Nicolussi-Leck, 2001-2008
Peter Strassner, “European Volunteers, 5 SS Panzer Division Wiking“, J.J.Fedorowicz Publishing Ltd., 1998.
J.P. Moore, “Fuhrerliste Der Waffen-SS, Parts 1 to 4“, J.P.Moore Publishing, 2003.
P. Mooney, “Waffen-SS Knights and Their Battles - Volume 4, January to May 1944“, Schiffer Publishing Ltd. 2016
The “MONTEROSA” Alpine Division of the R.S.I.
Alpine History of the “Iron Division!”
by Carlo Cucut
After the meetings between Mussolini and Hitler, followed by those between Graziani, Rahn and Wolf, and which were formally agreed to with the subsequent Buehle-Canevari Protocol, concerning the new Army of the Italian Social Republic, work was allowed to begin on the establishment of the four new Italian Divisions, trained, armed, and structured similar to the Wehrmacht divisions. One of the four divisions was to be an alpine division. Thus, on January 1, 1944, the 4th Alpine Division “Monterosa” was officially established at the Centro Costituzione Grandi Unità (Large Unit Formation Center) of Vercelli with recruits from the classes of 1924 and 1925, who in mid-February reached the Heuberg, Feldstetten and Munsingen training camps, as well as those soldiers who, in October 1943, had formed a training Battalion which former internees had also joined. Also included as part of the division were all of those alpine units that were located outside of Italy on September 8, 1943, and which had joined the RSI and had been transferred to Munsingen.
A 75/1 Skoda howitzer of the “Aosta” Artillery Group being towed by a mule.
These were the “Exilles” Battalion of the 3rd Alpine Regiment commanded by Lt. Col.. Armando Farinacci, which came from Montenegro; the 15th Artillery Regiment, coming from Albania; the alpini of the Group of Alpine Battalions “Valle” (“Val Leogra” and “Val Pescara” battalions and the “Valle Isonzo” Artillery Group with the 37th and 38th mountain artillery batteries), from Greece; elements of the XX Ski Group from France. These were the units that constituted the framework of the “Monterosa” Division. In the training camps a rigorous training period began according to the techniques used in the German Army under the constant and diligent control of the German instructors belonging to 1.Gebirsjäger Division, veterans of the campaigns of Norway, Greece, the Balkans and the Caucasus.
Munsingen 1944: an Alpini squad during combat training.
This was a totally new type of training even for those Italians who were professional soldiers or who had previous combat experience, carried out under all climatic conditions and with few rest periods. In only six months of hard work, compared to the period of training for German recruits which normally lasted for a period of at least a year, training of the Italian units was completed, equipment was issued and a respectable degree of unit integration was achieved. The training of the “Monterosa” alpine division represents the most intense training ever experienced by a large Italian unit. Intense and conducted in accordance with the rigid and effective standards of the Wehrmacht, the same basic training was applied to Italian military personnel; officers, NCOs, veterans and young recruits were all subjected to the same type and level of training.
Battalion transport vehicles of the Liaison Battalion.
Munsingen, July 1944: Italian ‘Alpini’ in training with a MG-42.
From the beginning, everything was planned in the smallest detail and divided into phased training sessions designed to provide the Italian military with more and more specialized training levels; beginning with basic infantry training, it it progressed to specialized training, preparing the men to operate under all operational conditions and at the same time to excel in the specific duties peculiar to the alpine, grenadier and Bersaglieri troops.
Munsingen, July 1944: Italian ‘Alpini’ with a German instructor.
The entire training cycle took place in the Munsingen, Heuberg and Feldstetten camps in Baden Wuttemberg. On 16 July, the “Monterosa” Division, drawn up in its entirety on the Gansevach plain, was reviewed by the Duce, who, after a warm speech, handed over the combat banners to the regiments. Immediately after the ceremony, units began moving to Italy, which they reached in the second half of July with railway convoys frequently attacked by Allied air raids.
Munsingen 17 July 1944: the Duce visit the Monterosa. At his right, General Mario Carloni.
From 19 to 26 July 1944, 627 officers and 19,325 officers and troops departing on thirty-seven trains were processed through the Domegliara railway station. Returning to Italy, the “Monterosa” was deployed in Liguria, joining the ‘Armata Liguria‘ under the command of Maresciallo Graziani, an Army consisting of Italian and German units deployed or waiting to be deployed from St. Bernard in the Valle d ‘Aosta to La Spezia, with the task of defending the Ligurian coast, and then the Western Alps, in the event of an Allied landing in Liguria.
Munsingen: Alpini of the Monterosa during a ceremony.
The division’s first commander was Colonel Umberto Manfredini, followed by General Goffredo Ricci, then General Mario Carloni, and f
inally Colonel Giorgio Milazzo.
The “Monterosa” in Liguria
The first units of the division arrived in Liguria around 23/24 July, moving to the Levante Riviera, where they relieved the German units of the 42.Jäger-Division.
General Mario Carloni.
In early August the deployment of the “Monterosa” was completed. The defensive sector assigned to the division went from Nervi to Levanto, included, and was subdivided into two regimental sub-sectors: the 1st Alpine Regiment sector ran from Nervi to Sestri Levante (with Sestri Levante itself excluded), and apportioned the area among its three Battalions: “Aosta” (from Nervi to Portofino) - “Bassano” (from Portofino to Zoagli) - “Intra” (from Zoagli to Sestri Levante); the 2nd Alpine Regiment sector ran from Sestri Levante to Levanto, with the following battalions:
“Monterosa” Division unit deployments on the Eastern Riviera in August 1944.
“Tirano” (from Sestri to Moneglia) - “Morbegno” (from Moneglia to Levanto) - “Brescia” (in reserve at Passo del Bracco); the 1st Alpine Artillery Regiment divided its groups in support of the two regiments: Gr. “Bergamo” (south of Uscio in support of 1st Rgt.) - Gr. “Aosta” (at Casarza in support of the 2nd Rgt.) - Gr. “Vicenza” (in Campodonico) - Gr. “Mantova” (at Coreglia). The division headquarters was deployed to Terracossa in Carasco, retaining the reconnaissance group (at Borzonasca) as the divisional reserve, the engineer battalion (in Carasco, minus two companies deployed with the two regiments for the initial fortification work), the “Ivrea” reserve battalion (in Borgonuovo) and the transportation battalion (in the area of Cicagna). Also in Cicagna were the two medical units.
Italy, August 1944: A unit of the 1st Alpine Artillery Rgt. in marching toward the operation zone.
Garfagnana: Bersagliere of the ‘Gruppo Cadelo‘.
The territorial boundaries of the division were: the Nervi-Bobbio border on the western side and the Levanto-Borgotaro border on the eastern side, for a depth of about thirty kilometers, crossing the Apennine watershed on the Emilian side. The “Monterosa” units took possession of preexisting positions, which were somewhat spread out and weak in places, and built new ones, greatly improving the existing thin line of defense by integrating it with new positions for machine gun, mortars and cannons. The experience of the landings that had been carried out by the Allies in Europe had shown that such a strong enemy had no problem to force a defensive line along the coast. The division then developed a new defensive plan, approved by both the German headquarters and Maresciallo Graziani, which called for only small early warning and rapid response units to guard the coastline, with the strength of a company or little more, supported by existing fortifications.
Italian-French border, Autumn 1944, Alpini of the Monterosa on the march of transfer.
The main defense then moved to an inner line running from Uscio to Carrodano, passing through Carasco, Passo del Bracco and Mattarana, that is, along the first hills that dominate the coastal strip, and there the battalions set up strongpoints. In the event that this line was breached, a second defensive line was planned along the Apennine passes.
Ligurian Apennines, Autumn 1944: Alpino of the Monterosa.
The aim was to contain the enemy as much as possible, preventing him from coming into the Po Valley. Although the defense of the coast and of the countryside was the main purpose of the “Monterosa”, the other task that became increasingly important was the safety of roads and supply lines, with the control of the roads that led to the Po Valley, passing through the narrow Ligurian valleys and descending towards Piacenza.
Ligurian Riviera, September 1944: anti-aircraft position of the Monterosa Division.
In the Ligurian hinterland there were numerous and fierce partisan formations, which, shortly after the arrival of the apine units, as early as July 26, began actions aimed at encouraging desertions, as well as carrying out numerous ambushes and attacks on isolated and numerically weak outposts.
Ligurian Riviera: Alpino of the Monterosa with the MG-42.
The Alpini were not prepared for civil war, they did not know about the partisans and had not been trained in guerrilla warfare, they were certain that they were going to go to the front to fight the Allied invaders, and instead they found themselves faced with other Italians who struck them from behind, incited them to betray their fellow soldiers, and attacked them while they were on leave. It was an abrupt and tragic awakening, which involved mourning and tragedy for both fronts, not counting the civilians who were involved through no fault of their own. The control of the territory, in order to cope with the flare-up of partisan activity, forced the command of the “Monterosa” to create numerous lightly manned garrisons and detachments that were difficult to supply. The decision was made to set up several alarm companies, taking men from the various battalions; these companies were then grouped into two independent battalions, the “Vestone” and the “Saluzzo“, which had the task of exercising control over the road network. This arrangement was found to be totally unsatisfactory, as the units did not conform to a standard organization type, lacked cohesion and were not well integrated with each other, all of which proved to have such a negative result that the Btg. “Saluzzo” was dissolved and the Btg. “Vestone” was instead plagued by a mass desertion that affected half the unit. In mid-August, under orders of the ‘Armata Liguria’, a grouping formed by several units of the division, designated the ‘Colonna Farinacci‘ (Farinacci column) after the name of its commander, carried out a rear area security operation involving about 2,500 men, which, advancing along the roads leading to the Po Valley, reached the inland towns and cleared the road network. Meanwhile, the landing that had been expected in Liguria took place in France, in Provence, thus making Liguria a secondary front and releasing forces to strengthen the other active fronts: the Gothic Line and the Western Alps.
A group of Alpini at the command of the division in Terrarossa, in Liguria.
The “Monterosa” Division was then disbanded and ceased to be an organic division, its units would be deployed on all three fronts until the end of the conflict. Remaining in Liguria, in defense of the coast and communications routes, from October 1944 to February 1945, were the Headquarters of the 2nd Regiment, the Btg. “Morbegno“, the Btg. “Ivrea“, the Btg. “Aosta” (less than the 1st Company), the Gr. Art. “Aosta“, concentrated in the coastal stretch between Chiavari and Levanto, with the bulk of its forces further inland to defend the passes and road junctions at Bocco, Bracco, Forcella, and whose command was entrusted to Colonel Roscioli, the Deputy Commander of the division. With the departure of some of these units for Piedmont and the return of those deployed in Garfagnana, in March, the following elements of the division Departments were in Liguria: Headquarters of the 1st Alpine Regiment, with the 101st Anti-tank Company of and the Light Column, the “Ivrea” Battalion, the “Cadelo” Reconnaissance Group and the 1st Artillery Group “Aosta“.
Autumn 1944: Alpini on the march towards a new destination in Piedmont.
The “Monterosa” on the Western Alps
On August 15, 1944, when the “Monterosa” was deployed on the Ligurian coast for about twenty days, the Allies began Operation Anvil / Dragon, landing in French Provence between Toulon and Cannes, starting the advance northward along the valley of the Rhône. The advance of the French-American troops was rapid and threatened the Italian-French border area. At the beginning of September, the advance had already reached and crossed the Tinea Valley and continued with little opposition to Briancon and Chambery. The German command quickly reacted to the threat that would allow the Allies to cross the Alps and to move down to Piedmont and the Po Valley. The sparse garrison forces behind the Western Alps, usually units of the G.N.R. and the Black Brigades, which were busy mostly defending against the partisans rather than against regular units, were soon joined by the LXXV.Armee-Korps, consisting of the 34th Infantry Division and the 5th German Alpine Division, to which were added units of the “Monterosa” Division a
nd later of the “Littorio” Division, as well as other independent units. The “Monterosa” battle group, designated the “Farinacci Group” (Kampfgruppe Farinacci - for the Germans), after the name of its commander, was made up of the Bassano and Tirano Battalions, as well as the Vicenza Artillery Group. Between September 9 and 15, the transfer to Piedmont began.
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