Battle of Collecchio
The Battle of Collecchio-Fornovo (26–29 April 1945) was a battle of the Second World War between the Brazilian Expeditionary Force (Força Expedicionária Brasileira – FEB), along with Italian partisans and units from the American 1st Armored and 92nd Infantry Divisions, against the Wehrmacht's 148th Infantry Division, 90th Panzergrenadier Divisions and the fascist National Republican Army's 1st Bersaglieri "Italia" and the 4th Alpini "Monte Rosa" Divisions. The battle was fought around the town of Fornovo di Taro, about 8 miles (13 km) to the southwest of Parma, Italy. The Allies defeated the Axis forces, which were attempting to break through to the north.
| Battle of Collecchio | |||||||
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| Part of the Spring 1945 offensive in Italy during World War II | |||||||
German Colonel Kleiber in preliminary discussions with Brazilian Major Franco Ferreira, in Fornovo di Taro, about the surrender of the German 148. Infanterie-Division (plus remnants of the 90. Grenadier-Division), ending the Battle of Collecchio, in 29 April 1945. | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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| Units involved | |||||||
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148th Infantry Division 90th Panzergrenadier Division 29th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Italian) (Division was disbanded during battle) 1st Bersaglieri Division 4th Alpini Division |
1st Infantry Division 1st Connection and Observation Squadron 751st Tank Battalion 894th Tank Battalion One Partisan company | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
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500 German dead and wounded 14,779 soldiers surrendered (Germans and Italians) |
45 dead and wounded Unknown Unknown | ||||||
Location of Fornovo di Taro in Italy's Po Valley | |||||||
On 28 April, the Brazilian 6th RCT followed up with an attack on Fornovo, with German General Otto Fretter-Pico surrendering the 148th Division, with almost 15,000 German and Fascist Italian troops at the morning of 29 April.