_____UNEXPECTED TOURIST PARTY*
_______________AT* 
__________HOTEL ALBERGO**
_____Germany assault vs Italy*
_________For Version 7+*
______Design by F.Dargaud*
__francois.dargaud@libertysurf.fr
**

_A 3-turn,small-sized scenario. 
**

Hotel Albergo, Gran Sasso, Italy,1500 12 September 43: freeing the Duce, B.Mussolini*
**

Note: This scenario is intended for play with all options on except C/C. The human player has to play the german side.

The map is historical and based on detailed sketches and historical pictures of the action. Names followed by an asterisk are historical.**

**
BACKGROUND :*
On July 25th, 1943 the fascist italian Great Council has dismissed the Duce Mussolini and reestablished King Emmanuele III* 
**
Mussolini is arrested and emprisoned on different italian islands.
**
On July 26th SS-Hauptsturmfuehrer Skorzeny is summoned to Hitler.*
" I have a mission of the highest importance for you ! Mussolini, my friend and our loyal Ally, has been betrayed by his King and arrested".*
Hitler went on to explain that everything ought to be attempted to find and liberate the Duce.
**
At the time Skorzeny was about to complete the training of a special unit he had been in charge of organizing : SS-Sonderkommando z.b.V. ( = special SS Commando for special use)*
**
Its final name was Sonderverband z.b.V. Friedenthal, as it was trained in Friedenthal near Berlin.**
Skorzeny went to Italy to try to find out about Mussolini's whereabouts.*
He finally got the conviction that something important was cooking in the Gran Sasso region.**


THE MISSION:*

Gliders of 12 Staffel, Luftlandegeschwader 1 will land you as close as possible to the Hotel.
**
You have at your disposal 1st Company of Ist Battalion of FJ Regiment 7 and elements of Sonderverband Friedenthal.*

**
Italian General Soleti has been forced under threat to join the party to convince Mussolini if need be.**
You must free Mussolini and exit him through the exit hex.**

COMMENTS:*
This scenario should yield a decisive / minor victory result. To achieve that you do not need to exit all your german units. Important are Mussolini, Skorzeny, Soleti and your HQ.**
**
Your problem is that time is very short to achieve your objectives. 
**
In reality it took 12 minutes to achieve the action and no single shot was fired.*
The only access being the cableway, the Italians did not expect any visit.*
The rest of I Battalion FJ Rgt 7 was dropped in the valley to control the other end of the cableway.**
DETAILS:*
**

GERMANS :*
**
Rgt   = Regiment = Regiment*
FJ    = Fallschirmjaeger ( Paratroops)
SV    = Sonderverband
**

Source:*
"Les paras allemands au Gran Sasso", 39-45 Magazine, Issue 121/122, July/August 1996.
