The rescue of Benito Mussolini in September 1943—often called the "Gran Sasso raid" or "Operation Eiche"—is sometimes mistakenly associated with early hang gliding. In reality, the operation involved German paratroopers and SS commandos landing in military gliders (specifically DFS 230 troop-carrying gliders), rather than hang gliders, to free Mussolini from his mountain captivity at the Hotel Campo Imperatore on the Gran Sasso massif in central Italy.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
- On September 12, 1943, German airborne forces used gliders to land near the hotel and successfully rescued Mussolini, overwhelming his captors without shots fired.
- The gliders—piloted aircraft without engines—were a relatively new method of deploying troops in WWII but should not be confused with modern recreational hang gliders, which are lightweight, foot-launched craft developed decades later.
- After the rescue, Mussolini was flown off the mountain in a small liaison aircraft (Fieseler Fi 156 Storch), not evacuated by glider.[7][5]
So, while the rescue is an early and famous example of military glider use in a dramatic alpine setting, there is no direct connection to the sport or technology of hang gliding, which emerged independently and much later.[4][5][1]
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- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gran_Sasso_raid
- https://arsof-history.org/articles/v11n1_eiche_page_1_v1.html
- https://www.thecollector.com/gran-sasso-raid-nazis-rescued-mussolini/
- https://www.ww2today.com/p/43-09-12-fallschirmjagers-rescue-mussolini
- https://www.beachesofnormandy.com/articles/Rescuing_Mussolini/?id=18dace3d8b
- https://montecassinotours.com/en/Learn-about-Operation-Eiche/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMtqQ0KPvj4
- https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/en/2023/09/the-rescue-of-benito-mussolini-the-real-story-and-its-swiss-connection/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpyFza_GWEE
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