Angelico Carta
Encyclopedia
Angelico Carta (b.1886) was an Italian
military officer. During the
Axis occupation of Crete
in World War II
,
he held the rank of Lieutenant General
and served as the commander of infantry division "Siena"
.
The Siena division had confronted the 5th Cretan Division
with heavy loses in the Greco-Italian War
and was assigned to the occupation of the eastern provinces of Sitia and Lasithi
after the fall of Crete
. The division counted around 20,000 men and was headquartered
in Neapolis
.
Carta was a royalist
rather than a fascist and in contrast to the commanders of the
German garrison
in the western part of Crete, he generally behaved with restraint to the
local population. After the 1943 Italian armistice,
Carta and a few members of his staff were smuggled to Egypt by SOE
major
Patrick Leigh Fermor
where they gave in to the British, whilst the Siena division was disarmed and
surrendered to the Germans.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
military officer. During the
Axis occupation of Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
,
he held the rank of Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
and served as the commander of infantry division "Siena"
51 Infantry Division Siena
The 51 Infantry Division Siena was a regular Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Siena Division was fully mobilized in August 1940, for service in the occupation of Albania in the following September. It took part in the Greco-Italian War as part of the Italian VIII...
.
The Siena division had confronted the 5th Cretan Division
5th Cretan Division
The 5th Cretan Division , formerly the 5th Infantry Division and commonly referred to simply as the Cretan Division , is a formation of the Hellenic Army...
with heavy loses in the Greco-Italian War
Greco-Italian War
The Greco-Italian War was a conflict between Italy and Greece which lasted from 28 October 1940 to 23 April 1941. It marked the beginning of the Balkans Campaign of World War II...
and was assigned to the occupation of the eastern provinces of Sitia and Lasithi
after the fall of Crete
Battle of Crete
The Battle of Crete was a battle during World War II on the Greek island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur...
. The division counted around 20,000 men and was headquartered
in Neapolis
Neapoli, Crete
Neapoli is a small town and a former municipality in the Lasithi peripheral unit, Crete, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Agios Nikolaos, of which it is a municipal unit. It is located 12 km west from Agios Nikolaos. The surrounding area is...
.
Carta was a royalist
Royalist
A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of government, but not necessarily a particular monarch...
rather than a fascist and in contrast to the commanders of the
German garrison
Fortress Crete
Fortress Crete was the term used during World War II by the German occupation forces to refer to the garrison and fortification of the Greek island of Crete, which they had captured after a fierce battle at the end of May 1941...
in the western part of Crete, he generally behaved with restraint to the
local population. After the 1943 Italian armistice,
Carta and a few members of his staff were smuggled to Egypt by SOE
Special Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive was a World War II organisation of the United Kingdom. It was officially formed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton on 22 July 1940, to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Axis powers and to instruct and aid local...
major
Patrick Leigh Fermor
Patrick Leigh Fermor
Sir Patrick "Paddy" Michael Leigh Fermor, DSO, OBE was a British author, scholar and soldier, who played a prominent role behind the lines in the Cretan resistance during World War II. He was widely regarded as "Britain's greatest living travel writer", with books including his classic A Time of...
where they gave in to the British, whilst the Siena division was disarmed and
surrendered to the Germans.