Gran Sasso raid
| Operation Oak | |
|---|---|
| Gran Sasso raid Part of World War II | |
Mussolini with German commandos | |
| Type | Prison escape with outside help |
| Location | Hotel Campo Imperatore, Italy 42°26′32.73″N 13°33′31.66″E / 42.4424250°N 13.5587944°E |
| Planned | Summer 1943 |
| Planned by | Harald Mors |
| Target | Campo Imperatore |
| Date | 12 September 1943 |
| Executed by | |
| Outcome | Benito Mussolini escaped from prison |
| Casualties | 2 Italians killed, 10 Germans wounded |
The Gran Sasso raid on 12 September 1943 freed Benito Mussolini from imprisonment in a hotel on the Gran Sasso d'Italia massif. The World War II operation was codenamed "Operation Oak" (Unternehmen Eiche) by the German military. The raid by German paratroopers and Waffen-SS commandos was personally ordered by Adolf Hitler, approved by General Kurt Student, and planned and executed by Major Harald Mors.
Operation Oak was marketed as a stunning military feat by Nazi propagandists, aiming to provide a morale boost at a low point in the war for Germany. In fact, the Germans controlled the territory around the hotel and were never in great danger.