Operation Achse, originally called Operation Alaric, was the codename for the German operation to forcibly disarm the Italian armed forces after Italy's armistice with the Allies on 3 September 1943.
Disarmed Italian soldiers marching to captivity in Bozen.
The Armistice of Cassibile was an armistice that was signed on 3 September 1943 between Italy and the US and UK during World War II. It was made public five days later.
From left to right: Kenneth Strong, Giuseppe Castellano, Walter Bedell Smith, and Franco Montanari in Cassibile.
General Giuseppe Castellano
Giuseppe Castellano (in civilian attire) shakes hands with Dwight Eisenhower, with Walter Bedell Smith looking on, after the signing at Cassibile on 3 September 1943.