Italian Army in the Battle for Sicily: July-August 1943

The Italian Army in the Battle for Sicily recounts the Sicilian campaign during the summer of 1943, as experienced through the actions of the Italian units tasked with confronting the superior Allied forces. The Italians were equipped with inadequate weaponry and resources, but despite these challenges, they largely succeeded in mounting a tenacious resistance to the invasion, despite the collapse of some units. The numerous Gold Medals for Military Valor awarded, many posthumously, stand as a testament to this effort. Their steadfastness enabled the Italian-German forces to retreat towards the mainland without allowing the situation to devolve into a rout. The Italian Army in the Battle for Sicily was written to honour the sacrifice and heroism of the Italian soldiers, who were called to defend their homeland, yet were subsequently forgotten by their own commanders, their governments, and later by the official historiography. AUTHOR: Massimiliano Afiero was born in Afragola, Italy, in 1964. An information technology teacher and programmer, he has been interested in military history since his youth. He has published widely and has been involved in the editing and development of several magazines including Volontari, SGM, Ritterkreuz and The European Volunteer, and the Fronti di Guerra series. Since January 2017, he has been Editor-in-Chief of the quarterly magazine The Axis Forces. 20 b/w illustrations, 100 b/w photos, 10 b/w maps