Mattesini, Francesco 8 Settembre 1943. La Regia Marina nella Tragedia dell'Italia. Band 2

This work describes in detail in two volumes how, after the Allies landed in Sicily on July 10, 1943, the Italian government agreed on September 3 in Cassibile (Sicily) with representatives of the Allies an armistice "without conditions" and thus a "total surrender" lock; a ceasefire that came into force on September 8th. However, this program did not come to fruition because the high command of the Italian armed forces did not issue clear orders to the units and King Victor Emmanuel III. fled from Rome to Brindisi; an escape that was justified in order not to turn the city of Rome into a battlefield with destruction of churches and monuments and heavy casualties among the civilian population.

The second volume of the work deals with how the Italian Navy learned of the armistice, in whose discussions and agreements its representatives had not taken part, and how the Italian ships left Italian ports to surrender to the Allies. Numerous Italian war and merchant ships suffered losses and damage in the attacks by German aircraft and submarines. Particularly dramatic and tragic was the sinking of the flagship of the Italian fleet, the battleship "Roma", by two new guided bombs that were dropped by German aircraft.