|
|
HEADQUARTERS
FIFTH ARMY DETACHMENT
2677 Regt. OSS (Prov)
APO 512 U.S. Army
25th July
1945
Subject: XI Zone
Partisans (Lucca Area)
The following report
is based on personal knowledge of XI Zone Partisans
under the command of Manrico Duccezki, battle name of Pippo, and reports
from the OSS IV Corp Detachment, 2677 Regt. commanded by major
Rossetti
a sub=detachment of the OSS Fifth Army Detachment which was commanded by
the undersigned.
Contact with the Xl Zone Partisans was gained in February 1944 when an
OSS Mission parachuted into the mountains of Tre Potenze prior to the
arrival of any Allied troops in the Lucca Area.
During the period February 1944 and October 1944 the XI Zone Partisans
received a number of air re=supply drops arranged through the OSS Missions
with them = for which they returned many pieces of information and carried
out acts of sabotage and direct attacks on the enemy lines of communica=
tion at the direction of the OSS, Fifth Army Headquarters. Exact figures
as to the number of tons of supplies received by the Patisans and to the
number of information messages sent to OSS Headquarters. 5th Army =
acts of sabotage and direct attacks are not available at the present time,
but can be had from inquiry of OSS Records at Washington. D.C.
Upon the arrival of allied troops in Lucca Area in October 1944 the XI
Zone Partisans were reorganized by its Commander (Pippo) under the gui=
dance of Major S.O.Rossetti, to meet the Partisans requirements of
the
IV U.S. Corps.
The XI Zone Partisans seven hundred (700) strong organized as close to a
U.S. Infantry Battalion as possible was constituted thusly:
|
a. |
Battalion
Headquarters = consisting of Battalion Commander Manrico
Duccezki (Pippo) and six Staff Officers to include the equivalent of
our S=1, S=2. S=3, S=4, S=5 and Medical Officer. |
| b. |
Headquarters Company
= 85 men for the duties of administrating to the
Battalion, Supplies,
Ammunition and caring for the duties of wounded. |
| c. |
Company A, commanded
by Franco Sisi; Company B, commanded by Gino Ber=
tagni; Company C, commanded by Germano Daily, Company D, commanded
by
Edoardo Boudiolu consisted of 150 men each armed as similar to a
U.S.
Infantry Company as possible. |
In addition to the above, the XI Zone
Partisans had two platoons of 20 men
each who were dispatched behind enemy lines each day on Intelligence
Missions,
as guides for Allied Agents to go into Enemy Occupied Territory and as gui=
des to bring back downed air=men as well as Allied escaped POW's.
Companies A, B, D, C operated as out=posts for the outpost lines of the
6th
Brazilian Regiment in the Serchio Valley and for the 473rd Infantry
Regiment
in the Lima Valley Sector. In addition to the outpost duties and because
of
their knowledge of the terrain these Companies performed many
reconnaissance and
combat patrols and a number of limited objective attacks.
The XI Zone Partisans were instrumental in assisting the 92nd U.S.lnfantry
Division to stop an enemy attack in the Serchio Valley 25th December 1944
and
greatly assisted the 8th Indian Division to regain the territory lost in
this
enemy attack.
During the offensive,
the XI Zone Partisans advanced ahead of the Brazilian
Expeditionary Force in its axis advance from Lucca _rea to Milan and are
responsible for the capture of a large number of Germans and Fascists.
The XI Zone Partisans
suffered many casualties during these operations with
quite a few fatalities.
This Partisan Group
was always oppolitical fighting for the Allied cause of
defeating Fascism and Nazism. They have always conducted themselves as
trained
soldiers in face of the enemy and at rest in their home town. It was rated
the best Partisan Organization in contact with this Headquarters
throughout
Italy.
Its leader Manrico Duccezki (Pippo) and his subordinates deserve much
credit
for the leadership given this Partisan Organization which helped crush the
German Forces in Italy.
It is requested that
any one able to assist this Organization in any way
shape or form do so in recognition for their fine War Record set forth
in this small report.
/s/ VINCENT A. ABRIGNANI
Major , Infantry
Commanding
Copia conforme
all'originale giacente presso l'Ufficio Stralcio del
Comando dell'XI Zona.
|
