Page 75 - The Secret War in the Italian front in WWI (1915-1918)

CHAPTER FOUR

However, with a view of not altering the ordinary life of the country, unless indispensable to protect
military security, “the closer to the front lines within the area of war, the tighter the protection
measures restricting personal freedom” .
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The fIghT agaInsT eneMy saboTage and InTernal defeaTIsM
Counterespionage tried to curb
enemy espionage, which in 1916
led to sabotage actions against
industrial plants responsible for
war production, ammunition
depots and even warships. In the
spring of that year, an organisation
of Italian traitors was disbanded,
which had damaged the steelwork
factory in Terni and the dynamite
factory in Cengio, as well as some
railway lines and power plants. This
operation started with the arrest in
Terni on 17 May 1916 of a certain
Giuseppe Larese, while he was
trying to blow up the steelwork
factory with special gelatine pipes
smuggled from Austria .
30
The I Office was actively engaged
in countering the intensification of
subversive anti-war actions, also
by infiltrating agents in extremists’
organisations. In describing
the work against the spread of
defeatist propaganda within the
Army, Garruccio acknowledged
the Service activity was not wholly 4.5 Circular letter of the Intelligence Service concerning sabotage
successful and added: incendiary devices used by German agents

However, I had the opportunity to know and report the names of several agents of such
propaganda, especially military agents. Appropriate measures of repression and further
prevention or isolation were taken against them and the units where they acted. Likewise,
I was able to intercept letters, seize newspapers, posters and printed materials that had the
same purpose.

29 Intelligence Office, Circular letter no.2266, 22 July 1916, AUSSME, Series M-7.
30 Intelligence Office, Memorandum of 19 July 1916, Attentati dinamitardi in Italia (Bomb attacks in Italy), Supreme
Headquarters, AUSSME, Series F-1; Ministry of War - Secretariat General, Circular Letter no.6367, 24 April 1916, Ministry
of War – Secretariat General, Circular Letter no.14016, 10 December 1917, AUSSME, Series F-3A. During the conflict,
several plants for the production and storage of ammunition and powders exploded (Cengio, Acquasanta - Roma, forte Pietole
- Mantova, Udine, ecc.), sometimes without any evidence of the causes. It was also assumed the terrorists wanted to damage
railway lines, especially the Frejus and Ventimiglia lines.

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