Gastone Gambara | |
|---|---|
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| Born | 10 November 1890 |
| Died | 27 February 1962(1962-02-27) (aged 71) |
| Allegiance |  Kingdom of Italy Italian Social RepublicItalian Republic |
| Branch |  Royal Italian Army National Republican Army Italian Army |
| Rank | Lieutenant general |
| Commands | Corpo Truppe Volontarie XV Army Corps VIII Army Corps XX Army Corps XIX Army Corps XI Army Corps |
| Battles / wars | World War I: |
Gastone Gambara (10 November 1890 – 27 February 1962) was an ItalianGeneral who participated inWorld War I andWorld War II. He excelled during theItalian intervention in favor of thenationalists in theSpanish Civil War. During World War II, he had an outstanding role in theNorth African campaign andthe repression of partisans in Yugoslavia.
Born inImola, Gambara began his military career as anon-commissioned officer before graduating from theMilitary Academy of Modena. DuringWorld War I he served in theAlpini. In June 1916 he was wounded onMonte Cengio on theAsiago plateau. In late September 1916, he was transferred to theMacedonian front and served with the62nd Infantry Regiment "Sicilia". In March 1917, he was repatriated to Italy and served with the6th Alpini Regiment on theAlpine front. In 1918 he was promotedMajor for "war merits" and appointed commander of the 29th RegimentArditi. In the last months of the war, he was awarded three SilverMedals for Military Valor.
After commanding theAlpini Battalion "Edolo" in the early 1920s he held a variety of staff posts. He was the chief of staff toBastico during theSecond Italo-Ethiopian War. For his contributions during the war, Gambara was awarded the knight's cross of theMilitary Order of Savoy. He was promoted to the rank of colonel in February 1937. In November 1938 he was appointed commander of theCorpo Truppe Volontarie, the Italian Corps that fought in the Spanish Civil War.[1] He was commander-in-chief of theCuerpo de Ejercito Legionario during theCatalonia Offensive,[2] and thefinal offensive of the Spanish Civil War. On 30 March his troops occupiedAlicante.[3] Gambara was Italian ambassador to Spain from 1938 to 1940.
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During theSecond World War, he fought in France, Yugoslavia, and Libya. He commanded theXV Army Corps during thebattle of France (1940) and theVIII Army Corps during theGreco-Italian War (1941). During theWestern Desert Campaign Gambara was appointed Chief of Staff of the High Command in North Africa and commanded the ItalianXX Army Corps, formed by the101st Motorized Division "Trieste", along with the132nd Armored Division "Ariete", which had 137M13/40 tanks.[4] The Italian XX Corps did not come underRommel's control until late November 1941. On 24 November 1941, during theTotensonntag Battle, Rommel sent a telegram to Rome asking Germanmilitary attaché in Italy, GeneralEnno von Rintelen, to persuade Mussolini to place Gambara under his command. Mussolini answered Rommel's requests by anointing him as commander of the Axis troops inMarmarica and placing Italian XX Army Corps at his disposal.[5][6] Italian units under Gambara's command fought well and bravely. By November 23, theAriete with assistance from theTrieste andSavona Divisions, had gained the advantage.
On March 3, 1942, Gambara was replaced as Chief of Staff of the High Command in North Africa bylieutenant generalCurio Barbasetti di Prun.[7] From December 1942 Gambara commanded theXI Army Corps, which was involved in anti-partisan operations and brutal repression of the population inSlovenia. Fifteen hundred innocent people died In theRab concentration camp from hunger, privation, and lack of medical care. In theGonars camp, which included a large number of formerYugoslav soldiers, 420 succumbed to malnutrition and brutal treatment.[8]
Gambara was perfectly aware of the situation, but nevertheless thought it could be an advantage. When theHigh Commissioner for theProvince of LjubljanaEmilio Grazioli turned to him to complain about the harsh treatment meted out to those who had been interned ('absolutely all of them reveal the most severe evidence of lack of activity and starvation'), Gambara harshly answered him: “A concentration camp does not mean a fattening camp; a sick individual is a quiet individual.”[9]
After theKingdom of Italy joined the Allies, he was appointed Chief of Staff of theNational Republican Army thanks toRodolfo Graziani’s nomination.[1][10] On May 14, 1944, Gambara fell ill andArchimede Mischi was chosen to replace him.
In 1945, Gamabra was interned in the AlliedPOW camp atColtano.[11] In June 1945 he was dishonorably discharged from the army.[12] In 1947, Gambara emigrated to Spain atFranco's invitation.[13] He returned to Italy and was reinstated in theItalian Army in 1952. He died in Rome in 1962.[13][14]
After the war, theSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia unsuccessfully requested Gambara'sextradition, and he along with other suspectedItalian war criminals were never tried.[15] TheBritish government frustrated such requests due to their attempt to bolster theanti-communist position of the post-warItalian government.[16] His name appears in theCROWCASS wanted list compiled by the Allies in 1947.[17]
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