Page 475 - Le Operazioni Interforze e Multinazionali nella Storia Militare - ACTA Tomo I

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of 27 and 28 Apr 45. On 29 Apr 45, the Commander of the 6th RI entrusted the Vicar
of Neviano dei Rossi to take a “ultimatum” of unconditional surrender to the Germans.
One hour after the German response came with no definition. Then the Commander of
the Regiment decided to attack, with a detachment of troops composed of three RI of the
1st DIE, which was done throughout the afternoon and early part of the evening of 9 Apr
45, with support from the Artillery Division. At 22:00, the German EM/148º DI Chief
appeared with an escort. It was surrender.
Dawn on 30 Apr 45, when most of Division appeared as well as the remnants of the
90th Panzer Grenadieren Division and Bersaglieri Italia Divisin, under the command of
Gen Otto Fetter Pico, accompanied by 31 officers of his staff. The Commander, escorted
by Gen Falconiere da Cunha, was sent to the V U.S. Army HQ. At that moment surren-
der in combat happened: 14,779 men, 4,000 animals, 2,500 vehicles, and a large amount
of weaponry and equipment.
But FEB continued its advance. Persecution and cleaning the Po River valley were
accelerated. On 30 Apr 45, the region of Alessandria was occupied and there was the
junction with the 92nd Army Division. On 1 May 45, after surpassing the city of Tu-
rin, another joint is performed with French troops in Susa. The mission was practically
ended and well accomplished.
It was ended with honor and glory, one of the most brilliant pages in our military
history. FEB lost 451 soldiers in combat; 1,577 men were wounded, 1,145 injured, 58
misguided and 35 taken prisoners in 239 days of day and night commitment
The performance of the FEB meant the renewal of customs and a new way of seeing
the country. But the main one was that Brazil conquered many military powered repre-
sentants in the politics field: a President, a Vice President, a President of the Senate, four
governors, thirteen Ministers of State and other prominent politicians, public figures.

3. Conclusion
In Pistoia, hundreds of crosses, marked in the Old Continent, the presence of Brazil-
ian heroes. However, in 1960, these heroes returned home and are buried in Brazilian
lands, “ad perpetuate rei memoriam” at the Monument to the dead of World War II, in
Rio de Janeiro. The burial chamber that houses 468 graves monument, engraved with
the name, grade or rank, unit, date of birth and death of those brave. 15 graves have no
identification data, as they relate to missing and dead unrecognized. There is written:
“Here lies a hero FEB - God knows the name.”
The “Project Gothic Line” retakes “places of memory” in order to revive the project
routing Soldiers FEB. Result of this project the University of Bologna has sought to give
a technical-scientific support to the communes in order to stimulate research and visita-
tion of this precious cultural itinerary.
Ultimately, go through the same routes where the old ‘pracinhas’ and partigiani
fought, see rivers and quotas in the region, seeking to contemplate the monuments that
remain from the period, redefining the ways of FEB in Italy is one more way to honour
and keep alive the everlasting memory of our “pracinhas” that so bravely honored the
Brazilian people.