Interessante il giudizio del veterano del DAK sugli italiani:
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Yes the Number of Italians was greater than the number of Germans all together. Oh yes, I had good relationships, I love Italy I have always felt at home in Italy I speak some Italian. We learned Italian before we got to Africa, the soldiers had a difficult time because of the caste system in the Italian Army, The officers had different food than the soldiers, and the Generals had food different from the other officers, and so on. The foot soldiers were good soldiers, obedient, especially when German units were in charge or German officers were in charge. The Italians had good and heavy artillery, their equipment was antiquated, their tanks were no good, the fighting spirit was no good compared to the élan, the way in which the Germans fought, and so the Germans looked down their noses at the Italians. Not I, I thought it was wonderful for people who could sing and drink wine and were humorous when the Germans were so stiff and so hard, and such terrible fighters. I kind of liked that, and in fact when I got a special assignment to maintain a long line in no man’s land I stopped an Italian Company from retreating further, and put them in their holes, and they dug themselves in, in this no man’s land had a wonderful relationship with about two or three officers and sixty to seventy men we had their baggage come and so on, no other troops around within ten miles, they were very willing soldiers. Not in any danger, they had gotten away from the Americans at the end of the day, and were retreating but still had their carbines and rifles and so on. I was asked to command their position.
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