The Canicattì massacre (or Canicattì slaughter) was a massacre that occurred in Canicattì, Italy following its capture by American forces. During the invasion of Sicily in July 1943, eight unarmed Italian civilians were killed by U.S. troops. The town of Canicattì had already surrendered when U.S. troops entered, following heavy German bombardment during their withdrawal.

History

Upon arrival, U.S. troops received a report that civilians were looting a bombed factory and filling up buckets with the factory's products: food and liquid soap. At around six o'clock in the evening, Lieutenant Colonel George Herbert McCaffrey, the military governor of

Palermo Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...

, and some military police arrived at the factory. McCaffrey fired into the crowd after it had failed to disperse. At least eight civilians, including an eleven-year-old girl, were killed though the exact number of casualties is uncertain.Ezio Costanzo, George Lawrence, ''The Mafia and the Allies: Sicily 1943 and the Return of the Mafia'', Enigma, 2007, p.119

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* * * 1943 in Italy Conflicts in 1943 Massacres in 1943 Allied invasion of Sicily Massacres in Italy Massacres committed by the United States Massacre Mass murder in 1943 War crimes by the United States during World War II July 1943 events 1943 murders in Italy {{massacre-stub sv:Canicattìmassakern

History

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