Battle of Collecchio

Battle of Collecchio
Part of the Spring 1945 offensive in Italy during World War II
German Colonel Otto von Kleiber in preliminary discussions with Brazilian Major Franco Ferreira in Fornovo di Taro regarding the surrender of the German 148th Infantry Division on 29 April 1945.
Date 26–29 April 1945 (3 days) Location Collecchio and Fornovo di Taro, Italian Social Republic 44.749659°N 10.215569°E / 44.749659; 10.215569 Result Allied victory
Belligerents
Germany Italian Social Republic	Brazil Italian partisans United States
Commanders and leaders
Otto Fretter-Pico   Mario Carloni	Mascarenhas de Morais Zenóbio da Costa Orlando Gomes Ramagem Federico Salvestri Edward Almond
Units involved
148th Infantry Division 90th Panzergrenadier Division 29th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Italian) 1st Bersaglieri "Italia" Division 4th Alpini "Monte Rosa" Division	1st Infantry Division (FEB) 1st Connection and Observation Squadron Italian Partisan formations 751st Tank Battalion (attached) 894th Tank Battalion (attached)
Strength
~15,500 troops	~10,000 troops
Casualties and losses
~500 dead and wounded 14,700–15,500 captured	45 dead and wounded Unknown Unknown
Location of Fornovo di Taro in Italy's Po Valley

The Battle of Collecchio-Fornovo (26–29 April 1945) was a battle of the Second World War fought between the Brazilian Expeditionary Force (Força Expedicionária Brasileira – FEB) and Italian partisans, with supporting armor attachments from the American 1st Armored and 92nd Infantry Divisions, against the retreating Axis forces of the Wehrmacht's 148th Infantry Division, 90th Panzergrenadier Division, and the fascist National Republican Army's 1st Bersaglieri "Italia" and 4th Alpini "Monte Rosa" Divisions. The battle took place around the towns of Collecchio and Fornovo di Taro, approximately 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) southwest of Parma, Italy. The Allied forces successfully enveloped and defeated the Axis troops attempting to break out to the north.

On 28 April, the Brazilian 6th Regimental Combat Team launched a decisive attack on Fornovo di Taro. German General Otto Fretter-Pico surrendered the 148th Division, along with remnants of accompanying German and Fascist Italian formations comprising nearly 15,000 troops, on the morning of 29 April.