Ronconi, Guido Les diables verts sautent sur Monterotondo 9-10 septembre 1943

In May and June 1943, the main offices of the General Staff of the Royal Italian Army (SMRE) were moved from Rome to Monterotondo, a small town of about 7500 inhabitants located about 20 kilometres north of Rome. The offices were housed in the Castello Orsini, the largest building in the centre of the city, and in the Palazzo Barberini, the officers in houses and villas nearby. The Chief of Staff of the Army, General Mario Roatta, took up residence in Villa Betti, located in Via Nomentana at the northern end of Monterotondo. The town of Monterotondo became the Piazza Militare (Military Security Area) and was considerably fortified and equipped with artillery, anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons. After Italy had concluded an armistice with the Allies on 8 September 1943, the German leadership ordered the Italian General Staff in Monterotondo to be eliminated. The II Battalion of the Parachute Regiment 6, led by Captain Gericke, was charged with the commando operation, which had been prepared for some time. The author, Dr. Guido Ronconi, reserve officer of the Italian mountain troops, has meticulously reconstructed the course of this commando operation on September 9, 1943, among other things on the basis of previously unused Italian archival documents.