Figure 1.--The Germans to punish civilians for the Quattro Giornate rising began artillery shelling of various sctions of the city. Many children were injured and killed as a result of the shelling. Even months after the occupation and the front moved north, hospitalsin the city were crammed full of the wounded. The caption of this wire service photograph read, "Victims of Germans in Naples: A Naples civilian, forgetting for the moment his own wounds, kneels besides two small boys who were wounded by German [artillery] during street fighting in Naples, before advancing [Americans] forced the enemy to retreat from the city. They are in the city Hospital for Incurables, where every inc???? and floor space was covered by those killed or [wounded by the] Germans." (Part of the caption is clipped off.) The photgraph is stamped December 6, 1943.

When news spread of what the Germans were doing and initial civilian resistance on September 26, Naples rose in a full-scale opposition to the Germans and their local Fascists collaborators--the famous Quattro giornate (Four Days) (September 27). This was not a planned action by the Italian Resistance. It was a spontaneous action of the people of Naples, especially the young men of Naples against the hated Wehrmacht. Busses were turned over and barricades set up. The resisters obtained some machine guns, but had no heavy weapons. Street fighting developed. The scugnizzi (Naples street children) participated in the struggle. Some even obtsained weapons. Those who have visited Naples know the almost labyrinthine streets in the city center which made it difficult for the Germans to deploy tanks and other heavy weapons. The Vomero section became a Resisance stronghold. The Neopolitans managed to capture some Germans, including the German military commander. There were negotiations between the Neopolitan\ns and the Germans. The Resiisters lynched Fascists. The Germans executed the Resisters. Other risings against the Germans dis not go well. In this case the Neopolitans suceeded. The key to the success of the Neopolitans was the lay out of the city and the fact that the Allies had reached the outskirts of the city. The Germans could not devote their full foirce against the uprising as they were being hard-pressed by the advancing Allies with the American break out from Salerno.

September 27

German patrols deployed in numbers and rounded up about 8,000 Neopolitans in the morning. Some 400-500 armed reister began attacking the German patrols. When news spread of what the Germans were doing and initial civilian resistance on September 26, Naples rose in a full-scale opposition to the Germans and their local Fascists collaborators--the famous Quattro giornate (Four Days) (September 27). This was not a planned action by the Italian Resistance. It was a spontaneous action of the people of Naples, especially the young men of Naples against the hated Wehrmacht. Busses were turned over and barricades set up. The resisters obtained some machine guns, but had no heavy weapons. Street fighting developed. The scugnizzi (Naples street children) participated in the struggle. Some even obtained weapons. This was one of the principal objectives during the first day of the rising. One of the first armed actions occurred in the Vomero quarter, a resistance stronghold. A group of armed civilians stopped a German staff car and killed the NCO driver. As the day progressed, a series of fierce fire fights broke out all over the city. The Germans had now begun to evacuate as the Americans were moving toward Naples and were tus destracted, especially as rumors spread that the Americans were going to land at Bagnoli along the western coast which could have cut off the German retret. Several groups of resisters moved to obtain arms. Lieutenant Enzo Stimolo led a group of some 200 men in an assult on a weapons depot at Castel Sant'Elmo. German reinforcements arrived from the area around Villa Floridiana and the Campo Sportivo del Littorio. Even so after a prolonged fire fight. Lt. Stimolo and his mean captured the depot and weapons by evening. Another group marched on the Bosco di Capodimonte, believing the Germans were executing prisoners before they retrated. Another group noted German engineers preparing demolition charges at the Ponte della Sanità bridge so they could cut off the city center. A squad of sailors were found to prevent this the next day. Toward evening, the resisters attacked the Italin barracks at Via Foria and Via San Giovanni a Carbonarawhere they obtained more weapons. Those who have visited Naples know the almost labyrinthine streets in the city center which made it difficult for the Germans to deploy tanks and other heavy weapons. The Vomero section became a Resisance stronghold. The Neopolitans managed to capture some Germans, including the German military commander. There were negotiations between the Neopolitan\ns and the Germans. The Resiisters lynched Fascists. The Germans executed the Resisters. Other risings against the Germans did not go well. In this case the Neopolitans suceeded. The key to the success of the Neopolitans was the lay out of the city and the fact that the Allies had reached the outskirts of the city. The Germans could not devote their full foirce against the uprising as they were being hard-pressed by the advancing Allies with the American break out from Salerno.

September 28

The fighting intensified (September 28). Nore civilians no better armed joined the fighting. A German patrol took shelter in a municipal building located in the Materdei District. The were surrondes by the ressters until a German relief force arrived. Three civilians were killed. An well armed group of about 40 menwith machime guns set up a roadblock. They kille six Germans and captured four more. Fighting was reported in other quarters, including Maschio Angioino, Vasto, and Monteoliveto. The many different outbreaks made it difficult for the Grmans to respond effctively. The Germans also launched attacks, primarily in the Vomero. They took many prisoners whuch they hels inside the Campo Sportivo del Littorio. In many other such actions throughout Europe, thee prioonrs might have been sumarily shot. Lt. Enzo Stimolo who had been active since the beginning, organized an armed force to assault the sports field. They managed to secure the release of the prisoners the next day.

September 29

More fire fights occurred on the third day (September 29). There were, however, no cooridanted actio which benefitted the Germans. The Fronte Nazionale (part of the Comitato di Liberazione Nazionale) was unable to set up any coodinating structure. Thus resistance ctions were conducted by local leaders. A German party supported by tanks attack a group of resisters in Giuseppe Mazzini Square. They killed 12 men and injured some 15 more. The Germans allso shelled the workers' quarter of Ponticelli after which German patrols moved in and shot civilians indesrimatly. Fighting was reported ar the Capodichino Airport and Piazza Ottocalli. Three Italian airmen were killed. Much of the resitnce effort ws focused on the German occupation headquarters at Corso Vittorio Emanuele. Col Scholl who had set the fighting in motion was now negotiating with Lt. Stimolo. Scholl was hoping to gain the unimpeded exit of his men from Naples in exchange for the Campo Sportivo prisoners. This wa complicated by the fact that there was no coordinating structure able to speak for the resisters.

September 30

The German in Naples were now fully engged in retreating from the city. The americans were only afew miles south at Nocera Inferiore. Moving throgh the narrow streets, however, was difficult for the Germans as so many civiians now had arm. Antonio Tarsia, a high school teacher, in Curia proclaimed himself head of the insurgents with full civil and military powers. He isued orders setting opening hours for shops (importat to get food) and civil discipline. The fighting continued. German artillery on the Capodimonte heights shelled the area between Port'Alba and Piazza Mazzini during the entire day. There ws heavy fighting at Porta Capuana. The retreating Germans left fires and massacred civilians in their wake. They also burned the Naples Historical Archive, which destroyed irreplaceable booka and historical documents. Several days after theirdeparture, an explosion device exploded at the Palazzo delle Poste, widely attributed to the Germans.

Created: 5:32 PM 4/13/2014
Last updated: 5:32 PM 4/13/2014