Forty days of high tension- the 2nd New Zealand Division in Trieste, May-June 1945

 

Quaranta giorni ad alta tensione – la 2^ Divisione neozelandese a Trieste, maggio-giugno 1945

Quando il Generale Freyberg, Comandante delle forze neozelandesi, ricevette istruzioni di proseguire a tutta velocità per Trieste, il 30 aprile 1945, la Divisione era già al Piave. Nella corsa, ormai considerata una necessità politica, la Divisione fu molto aiutata non solo da una buona rete stradale e un nemico più incline ad arrendersi che a combattere, ma anche dalle preziose informazioni fornite dai partigiani italiani, e da una rete telefonica miracolosamente funzionante. Il giorno dopo, i Neozelandese attraversarono l’Isonzo e percepirono subito un’atmosfera di tensione e paura. I partigiani di Tito erano già arrivati a Monfalcone e cercarono di convincere Freyberg che la regione era già in mano loro (in realtà, in quel momento, occupavano solo Gorizia e Monfalcone). Freyberg ne dubitava e comunque i suoi ordini erano di arrivare a Trieste. Perdendo tempo nel tentativo di trattare, la Divisione perse un giorno, arrivando a Trieste solo il 2 maggio, il giorno dopo gli Jugoslavi (lo stesso giorno che i Tedeschi firmarono la resa incondizionata a Caserta). Questo breve vantaggio permise ai titini di occupare la città e prendere in mano l’amministrazione, e Freyberg non aveva l’autorità di opporsi.

Davanti al fatto compiuto, e nell’assenza di una chiara strategia alleata, Freyberg dovette riconoscere l’amministrazione jugoslava, ma rifiutò di ritirare la Divisione. Per sottolineare questa intenzione, stabilì il suo Quartiere Generale nel Palazzo Lloyd Triestino a lato della stessa Piazza Unità d’Italia dove gli Jugoslavi avevano già occupato il Municipio. Erano iniziati i tragici Quaranta Giorni di Trieste, durante i quali i titini imposero la loro volontà e le loro leggi, arrestando, deportando o giustiziando coloro che ritenevano ‘fascisti’. Era una situazione impossibile da controllare, che teneva la 2^ Divisione neozelandese sotto continua pressione, e obbligava i suoi soldati a restare sempre vigili, armi alla mano. A loro sconcerto, c’era un’evidente ostilità nei loro confronti anche da una parte non indifferente della popolazione locale. In un atmosfera carica di sospetto, diffidenza, e paura, con gruppi armati ovunque, la tensione continuava ad aumentare, soprattutto dopo il 20 maggio quando i titini, invece di ritirarsi dietro la Linea Morgan (una linea di demarcazione concordata fra le due amministrazioni), inviarono altre truppe. Freyberg rispose schierando una fila di carri armati a proteggere l’Hotel Savoia (il quartiere generale della 9^ Brigata), prese possesso del Castello di San Giusto e distribuì le sue truppe in tutti i  punti strategici della città.

The city and harbour viewed from the Castle of San Giusto

Solo il 30 maggio Freyberg ricevette ordini chiari (nel frattempo era morto il Presidente Roosevelt e il Presidente Truman era in carica da appena due settimane). Mise di guarnigione la 9^ Brigata, il cui Quartiere Generale fu già l’Hotel Savoia sul lungomare, mandando la Cavalleria Divisionale a presedere il Castello in sostituzione del 22^ Battaglione, che invece fu inviato al settore settentrionale della città. La difesa del settore meridionale, compreso il porto, fu assegnata al 27^ Battaglione con il supporto del 19^ Regimento Corazzato, mentre l’intera 6^ Brigata, con il 20^ Regimento Corazzato, fu mandato a Monfalcone. Il resto della Divisione fu distribuito lungo il tratto di costa fra le due città. Anche dopo l’arrivo di altre forze anglo-americane, la situazione rimase incendiaria e la posizione alleata nella città tenue.

Il governo jugoslavo cedette solo il 9 giugno, accettando di ritirare le sue truppe dietro la linea di demarcazione entro il 12 giugno. Infatti, cominciarono a lasciare Trieste il giorno 11- prendendo tutto ciò che potevano, compresi macchinari ed attrezzature, e rubando dalle caserme, dagli alberghi e perfino dalle case lungo la loro strada. La mattina del 12 giugno non c’erano più – per la gioia degli Italiani (e il sollievo dei soldati alleati), ma per la soluzione definitiva della nuova frontiera italo-jugoslava ci sarebbero voluti altri nove lunghi anni.

Solo il 22 luglio, la Divisione cominciò a lasciare Trieste diretta al campo base sulle sponde del Lago di Trasimeno. Entro la fine di luglio, erano partiti tutti, tranne il cosiddetto ‘Jay Force’ (quelli destinati all’addestramento per la guerra contro il Giappone). Finalmente, i soldati neozelandesi poterono assaporare la vittoria e la pace.

Fu una fine della Campagna d’Italia amara per gli uomini della 2^ Divisione neozelandese; tuttavia, orgogliosi del ruolo svolto anche in quest’ultimo delicato capitolo. Se non potevano evitare l’ondata di brutalità e gli arresti sommari, la loro presenza e il loro comportamento hanno sicuramente contribuito a limitare i danni e disinnescare una situazione esplosiva, proteggendo per quanto possibile la popolazione locale.

*****

In the last week of the war in Europe, events suddenly accelerated. Victory was in the air and there was no doubt that the end of the hostilities was very close. The 2nd New Zealand Division, the spearhead of Eighth Army’s push beyond the Venetian Line was racing towards Trieste and had already reached the Piave River (east of Venice), when General Freyberg received clear orders for the Division to proceed at maximum speed to Trieste.  It had covered the 128 km from the Adige River (south of Padua) in just 24 hours. The speed of the Division in this race was favoured by the circumstances of good roads, an enemy more inclined to surrender than to fight, the precious intelligence provided by the Italian resistance (partisans), and the miracle of a working telephone network.

At Mestre, after the 26 km motorway section from Padua, a contingent (‘Thodey Force’) was sent to liberate Venice, while the rest of the Division sped on to Trieste, staging overnight at San Donà del Piave. The remainder of the journey along the sealed Route 14 was accomplished with only a few incidents, until they crossed the Isonzo River into Friuli Venezia Giulia. Tito’s partisans had arrived in Monfalcone only hours before the Division and the atmosphere was tense and uncertain.

Freyberg disbelieved the Yugoslav bluff that they were already in control of the region (in fact, they had occupied the towns of Monfalcone and Gorizia), and after two abortive attempts to negotiate with them, ordered 9th Brigade to continue full speed to Trieste. It was an unfortunate delay, as it meant that the New Zealanders reached Trieste on 2 May, a day after the Yugoslavs, but in time to accept the capitulation of the German garrisons (there were still five points of stubborn resistance). The last German garrisons in Trieste surrendered to the New Zealanders on 3 May. But the Yugoslavs had gained a foothold in Trieste where they immediately set about taking over civil administration throughout the province.

The Division enters Trieste (Ref. WH2-2ItaP046b)

Trieste, the New Zealanders would discover, was a political and ethnic hotspot, with different ethnic groups (Italians, Croats, Serbs and Slovenes) of different political sympathies, even before the arrival of the Yugoslavs (themselves divided between royalists and the communist troops of Marshal Tito). The Yugoslavs were officially western Allies, but their tactics and objectives were very different from those of the Anglo-Americans.  A new chapter was about to open for the Division.  The war in Italy was effectively over, but not for them.

Without clear orders or authority over the area, Freyberg faced a very complex and potentially dangerous situation, beyond his power to control. On the other hand, there was no question of the New Zealanders withdrawing. The highly explosive situation which resulted would keep the Division under pressure for forty days after the war in Europe was officially over. During these dramatic and tragic ‘Forty days of Trieste’, the Yugoslavs imposed their will and their law.  Displaying a brutality not very different from their predecessors, they began a vicious manhunt for any pro-Italian (therefore, in their eyes, pro-Fascist) supporters, carrying out numerous arrests and often summary executions. By mid-May the western part of the region had been organized as a region of Slovenia.

Faced with this fait accompli and in the absence of any clear Allied strategy or instructions, Freyberg recognized the Yugoslav government, while taking a determined stand. Setting up Divisional HQ in the Lloyd Triestino building across the main square from the Municipio, the Yugoslav HQ, was a statement itself. Two things were uncomfortably clear: a sizeable portion of the local population was not pro-Allies, and the Yugoslav partisans were very hostile. Evident everywhere in armed groups, they forced the New Zealanders to carry their arms at all times. and the tension continued to rise. “The war was over. But tension stayed in the streets of Trieste. No longer church bells rang, no flowers fell. In empty streets grim-faced, heavily armed squads of the Yugoslav Army patrolled zealously, jealously. From their caps the Red Star looked down. In a day the RMT had driven out of the war into the armed peace”. ( W. E. Murphy, 4th and 6th Reserve Mechanical Transport Companies)

The Lloyd Triestino building where Freyberg made Div HQ

The situation worsened after 20 May when the Yugoslavs, instead of withdrawing east of the Morgan Line, the artificial border agreed as the demarcation line between the two administrations (Yugoslav and Allied Military Government), retaliated by sending in more troops. The New Zealanders responded by lining up tanks to protect the Hotel Savoia, taking over the Castle, and deploying troops in strategic points all around the city. Freyberg would not have clear instructions until 30 May. In the interim, much depended on his capacity to defuse tension and the behaviour of his troops.  The long delay was largely due to the fact that the Balkan area had always been more a British interest, and Churchill had to win over Truman, the new American President of only two weeks. In the circumstances, it was fortunate that he (Truman) quickly grasped the urgency of the situation. 

Garrison duties in Trieste were assigned to 9th Brigade who established their headquarters in the Hotel Savoia. Divisional Cavalry took over the Castle from 22 Battalion, who were moved to the northern sector. The southern sector, including the port, fell to 27 Battalion, with 19 Armoured Regiment in support. 6th Brigade, with 20 Armoured Regiment, were sent back to Monfalcone. The rest of the Division was spread out along the coast in between. Even with the addition of British and American troops - brought in to give the occupation a more international flavour - the Allied hold on Trieste remained tenuous.

The grand Hotel Savoia which became entry established 9th Brigade HQ

The medieval Castle of San Giusto, occupied
first by 22 Btn and then by Divisional Cavalry

On 1 June, 9th Brigade was relieved by 6th Brigade and 20th Armoured Regiment, but the powder keg situation continued until June 9 when the Yugoslav government finally agreed to withdraw their troops east of the Morgan Line by June 12. In one last act of bravado, the Yugoslavs lined up a row of tanks facing the New Zealand tanks along the waterfront. Fortunately, no incident occurred.  They began pulling out from Trieste and back to the Isonzo on June 11, looting vehicles and machinery, and whatever else they fancied, and thieving blatantly from barracks, hotels and even houses as they went. On the morning of 12 June, they were gone – to the joy of the Italians - although it would be nine more years before the definitive Italian-Yugoslav boundary was decided.

It was bittersweet end to the campaign for the Division. The pride in having played such a key role in the final stages of the war in Italy, was mitigated by the extra cost of lives lost in the last days and hours of the hostilities (and, indeed, after the official end of the war in Europe), and by their uneasy stay in Trieste. Ironically, and tragically for the triestini, the final chapter of the war in Italy was the face-off between two supposedly allied forces, Freyberg’s New Zealanders and Tito’s partisans. Fortunately, this highly explosive situation (later seen as the first episode of the Cold War) was resolved without coming to armed conflict. Ultimately, Trieste and its territory were not lost to Communist Yugoslavia, but not without a price.

In the endeavour to avoid pouring oil on the fire, Freyberg, chose the path of non-intervention, recognizing Yugoslav administration ad interim, and “allowing”, according to his accusers, blatant excesses and injustices. The situation in Trieste, apart from being very delicate from the political point of view, was undoubtedly also extremely complex. The contenders for “justice” were many and the correct evaluation of the claims was a difficult if not impossible task.

New Zealand soldiers fraternizing with the Yugoslavs (Ref.WH2-2ItaP047b)

During the ’Forty Days of Trieste’, the Yugoslavs did not have their way entirely.  If it is true that they arrested, deported or executed hundreds of Italian citizens, it is also true that the solid presence of the New Zealanders had a definite restraining effect, helping to guarantee the security of the civilians. "Protective duties were undertaken quite unofficially by many of our men, and some homes were provided with relays of callers, for it was soon found that the presence of a New Zealand soldier in the house kept away unwelcome visitors.”  (D. W. Sinclair, 19 Battalion & Armoured Regiment). Their billets especially were most grateful for their protection. The New Zealanders kept their cool in the face of much provocation and their friendly disposition did much to win over the local Slav minorities. The Kiwis worked on building relationships and breaking down barriers, and the leaders in this were surely the Māori.  In this case, disobeying the rules (of non-fraternization) proved the best tactic. The natural sympathies of the New Zealanders, however, lay with the Italians. “It was difficult to maintain strict impartiality for the Italians in the area were very friendly and were obviously short of food. The majority of the soldiers could speak broken Italian and they learned that many New Zealand prisoners of war had worked in the locality. In any case, the work of the partisans during the advance from the Senio - their casualties numbered thousands - had been sufficient to dispel much of the distrust felt by many New Zealanders towards their former enemies”  (D. W. Sinclair, 19 Battalion & Armoured Regiment)

Finally, on 9 June 1945, the Yugoslav government signed an agreement accepting the withdrawal of their troops east of the Morgan Line by the following 12 June.  With the end of the dual occupation, this horrendous situation also ended, at least in the areas controlled by the Anglo-Americans. It was not until 22 July that the 2nd New Zealand Division (starting with 9th Brigade) departed for base camp in the Trasimeno area in central Italy. By the end of July, the entire Division had left Trieste, except for ‘Jay Force’ (those destined for training for the war against Japan in Asia and the Pacific), which was drawn entirely from 9th Brigade. Fortunately for them, victory over Japan intervened, and the remaining men left by the end of August. At last, they could all savour victory and peace.

The 1945 agreement established Zones A and B along the Morgan Line, and the Paris Peace Treaty in 1947 established the Free Territory of Trieste.  Zone A continued to be governed by the Allied Military Government up to 1954. Only then, with the Memorandum of London, were Trieste and most of Zone A returned to Italy, while Zone B and four villages of Zone A went to Yugoslavia.