At Campo Imperatore, on the Gran Sasso d’Italia, a daring Nazi operation is carried out to free the hostage Benito Mussolini, held by the Italian Army and Carabinieri. The Italian soldiers’ orders are to kill the hostage if he risks being captured by the enemy. But when the German gliders land, the Nazi paratroopers are confronted by a handful of Italian soldiers with rifles slung over their shoulders. Not a single shot is fired. Only at the checkpoint at the foot of the mountain, where the Nazis are bringing up a column of reinforcements, are two Italian soldiers killed. Thus, Mussolini is taken to Vienna, in a spectacular operation, thanks in part to the Italian soldiers at high altitude’s failure to follow their orders.
