Operation Achse

1943 German campaign to disarm Italy following its armistice to the Allies during WWII Operation AchsePart of the Italian campaign of World War IIDisarmed Italian soldiers marching to captivity in Bozen.Date8–23 September 1943LocationItaly, Balkans, Southern FranceResult Axis victoryTerritorialchanges German occupation of Northern and central Italy Establishment of the Italian Social RepublicBelligerents Italy Germany Croatia RomaniaCommanders and leaders Victor Emmanuel III Pietro Badoglio Vittorio Ambrosio Mario Roatta Ezio Rosi (POW) Mario Vercellino (POW) Albert Kesselring Erwin Rommel Gerd von Rundstedt Maximilian von Weichs Alexander Löhr Miroslav Navratil Horia MacellariuStrength 60 divisions (26 in Italy, 31 in the Balkans, 3 in France) 40 divisions (17 in Italy, 19 in the Balkans, 4 in France)Casualties and losses 20,000–30,000 killed1,006,370 disarmedCaptured by Germans:977 armored vehicles16,631 vehicles17,058 artillery pieces and mortarsMany warshipsCaptured by Romanians:496 prisoners5 midget submarines Unknown Operation Achse (German: Fall Achse, lit. 'Case Axis'), originally called Operation Alaric (Unternehmen Alarich), was the German operation to forcibly disar