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Lt James Riccomini, 2 Sas
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From Omaha to the Scheldt: The Story of 47 Royal Marine Commando
By John Forfar
The Operator: The Seal Team Operative And The Mission That Changed The World
By Robert O'Neill
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<blockquote data-quote="micky" data-source="post: 42483" data-attributes="member: 70"><p>..."The mission was Operation Gallia, which with the help of partisans of the 'lst Ligurian Division', was designed to hold German troops in the area, and prevent reinforcements reaching the battlefront during a 5th Army offensive, as well as delay enemy withdrawals by ambushes and acts of sabotage. Walker Brown's preliminary report on Gallia includes the circumstances surrounding the first of Riccomini's actions (11 January 1945) which counted towards the award of his Military Cross: 'Lieut. Riccomini and the remainder of the party moved into ambush position at 565243... [Captain Walker Brown's] party took up a firing position 300 yards from the German Fascist HQ building in Borgeto di Varo and were about to open fire on 2 Fascisti playing tennis in the road when a column of vehicles was heard moving down the road towards the main ambush party and through the town ... The column consisted of a captured British staff car with trailer, with 6 Germans including an officer, a 10-ton lorry with large trailer, loaded with white canvas packages, and 27 German troops and 5 women.' Walker Brown's party held its fire allowing the convoy to pass along to Riccomini's main ambush which duly engaged it - '32 Bren magazines were fired, both vehicles and trailers were totally destroyed, the 10 tonner and trailer being set on fire with incendiary rounds, 26 were killed.' On 15 February Riccomini crossed German lines with Walker Brown's Troop and infiltrated back into Allied lines as per plan. In February 1945 Major Roy Farran was directed to send an SAS team into Reggio Province and organise a partisan battalion with which to harass German communications in the event of a proposed offensive by the 15th Army Group. Riccomini, described by Farran as 'perhaps the most outstanding officer of the Troop', was informed of his selection 'with something akin to delight', and on 10 March was dropped near Asta with Corporal Cunningham and Parachutist Carlisle to Join Farran who though ordered not to go on the operation himself, claimed to have tripped and fallen out of the aeroplane, and some 40 or so SAS personnel already on the ground. Shortly afterwards, Captain Mike Lees, a British officer with the partisans, supplied Farran with accurate information as to the disposition of the enemy at 51st German Corps Headquarters at Botteghe D'Albinea. Farran contacted 15th Army Group, who agreed to an immediate attack, and a mixed force, consisting mainly of Russian deserters from the Wehrmacht, under a swashbuckling Russian Lieutenant called Victor Modena', was drawn from the partisan battalion to assist in the raid. The chosen attacking force was divided into Farran's headquarters and three columns; left, right and centre. Riccomini's task was to lead the assault on the German Generals' billet by centre column which comprised nine British other ranks and nineteen Russians and Italians under Captain Lees. On 26 March 'female staffetas' were sent into Albinea to confirm all the locations of German troops in the town, and following their return in the evening, Farran's force set out towards a rendezous on the edge of the target area which was reached unobserved at 0200 hrs on the 27th. Riccomini's column then moved off from the RV and covered the two hundred or so yards to his target, the Villa Rossi, which contained the German Corps commander, a visiting divisional General and thirty-seven officers and men. Modena and thirty Russians swept right to form a defensive ring on the flank and the left column moved off to attack the nearer Villa Calvi. Unfortunately, Farran did not allow Riccomini's column sufficient time to reach the Villa Rossi, and Lieutenant Harvey was forced to open fire prematurely outside the Villa Calvi thus alerting the Germans to the attack. With the German defences fully awake and with Farran's piper playing Highland Laddie in the background - 'just to let the Germans know they' had the British to contend with' - Riccomini 'killed four sentries through the iron railing with his tommy-gun and then rushed the door.' It was open, but a hail of fire came from within. 'After fierce fighting, the ground floor was taken,' runs Farran's report, 'but the Germans resisted furiously from the upper floors, firing and throwing grenades down a spiral staircase. Capt. M. Lees led one attack up the stairs which was repulsed with heavy casualties. Lieut. Riccomini led another attack which was similarly repulsed.' After twenty minutes the raiding party withdrew but Riccomini, Sergeant Guscott and Corporal Bolden were not among their number, all killed. In Albinea in 1985 a square hardby was renamed 'Piazza Caduti Alleati di Ville Rossi' (Square of the Fallen Allies of Villa Rossi)."</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="micky, post: 42483, member: 70"] ..."The mission was Operation Gallia, which with the help of partisans of the 'lst Ligurian Division', was designed to hold German troops in the area, and prevent reinforcements reaching the battlefront during a 5th Army offensive, as well as delay enemy withdrawals by ambushes and acts of sabotage. Walker Brown's preliminary report on Gallia includes the circumstances surrounding the first of Riccomini's actions (11 January 1945) which counted towards the award of his Military Cross: 'Lieut. Riccomini and the remainder of the party moved into ambush position at 565243... [Captain Walker Brown's] party took up a firing position 300 yards from the German Fascist HQ building in Borgeto di Varo and were about to open fire on 2 Fascisti playing tennis in the road when a column of vehicles was heard moving down the road towards the main ambush party and through the town ... The column consisted of a captured British staff car with trailer, with 6 Germans including an officer, a 10-ton lorry with large trailer, loaded with white canvas packages, and 27 German troops and 5 women.' Walker Brown's party held its fire allowing the convoy to pass along to Riccomini's main ambush which duly engaged it - '32 Bren magazines were fired, both vehicles and trailers were totally destroyed, the 10 tonner and trailer being set on fire with incendiary rounds, 26 were killed.' On 15 February Riccomini crossed German lines with Walker Brown's Troop and infiltrated back into Allied lines as per plan. In February 1945 Major Roy Farran was directed to send an SAS team into Reggio Province and organise a partisan battalion with which to harass German communications in the event of a proposed offensive by the 15th Army Group. Riccomini, described by Farran as 'perhaps the most outstanding officer of the Troop', was informed of his selection 'with something akin to delight', and on 10 March was dropped near Asta with Corporal Cunningham and Parachutist Carlisle to Join Farran who though ordered not to go on the operation himself, claimed to have tripped and fallen out of the aeroplane, and some 40 or so SAS personnel already on the ground. Shortly afterwards, Captain Mike Lees, a British officer with the partisans, supplied Farran with accurate information as to the disposition of the enemy at 51st German Corps Headquarters at Botteghe D'Albinea. Farran contacted 15th Army Group, who agreed to an immediate attack, and a mixed force, consisting mainly of Russian deserters from the Wehrmacht, under a swashbuckling Russian Lieutenant called Victor Modena', was drawn from the partisan battalion to assist in the raid. The chosen attacking force was divided into Farran's headquarters and three columns; left, right and centre. Riccomini's task was to lead the assault on the German Generals' billet by centre column which comprised nine British other ranks and nineteen Russians and Italians under Captain Lees. On 26 March 'female staffetas' were sent into Albinea to confirm all the locations of German troops in the town, and following their return in the evening, Farran's force set out towards a rendezous on the edge of the target area which was reached unobserved at 0200 hrs on the 27th. Riccomini's column then moved off from the RV and covered the two hundred or so yards to his target, the Villa Rossi, which contained the German Corps commander, a visiting divisional General and thirty-seven officers and men. Modena and thirty Russians swept right to form a defensive ring on the flank and the left column moved off to attack the nearer Villa Calvi. Unfortunately, Farran did not allow Riccomini's column sufficient time to reach the Villa Rossi, and Lieutenant Harvey was forced to open fire prematurely outside the Villa Calvi thus alerting the Germans to the attack. With the German defences fully awake and with Farran's piper playing Highland Laddie in the background - 'just to let the Germans know they' had the British to contend with' - Riccomini 'killed four sentries through the iron railing with his tommy-gun and then rushed the door.' It was open, but a hail of fire came from within. 'After fierce fighting, the ground floor was taken,' runs Farran's report, 'but the Germans resisted furiously from the upper floors, firing and throwing grenades down a spiral staircase. Capt. M. Lees led one attack up the stairs which was repulsed with heavy casualties. Lieut. Riccomini led another attack which was similarly repulsed.' After twenty minutes the raiding party withdrew but Riccomini, Sergeant Guscott and Corporal Bolden were not among their number, all killed. In Albinea in 1985 a square hardby was renamed 'Piazza Caduti Alleati di Ville Rossi' (Square of the Fallen Allies of Villa Rossi)." [/QUOTE]
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Lt James Riccomini, 2 Sas
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