Biscari Massacre

Biscari massacre
Location	Biscari airfield, Santo Pietro, Sicily
Date	14 July 1943
Attack type	Mass murder
Deaths	73 Axis prisoners of war (71 Italian, 2 German)
Perpetrators	Troops of U. S. 180th Infantry Regiment

The Biscari massacre was a war crime committed by members of the United States Army during World War II. It refers to two incidents in which U.S. soldiers were involved in killing 73 unarmed Italian and German prisoners of war (POWs) at the Regia Aeronautica's 504 air base in Santo Pietro, a small village near Caltagirone, southern Sicily, Italy on 14 July 1943.

As part of the Allied invasion of Sicily, the Seventh United States Army under Lieutenant General George S. Patton and the British Eighth Army under General Sir Bernard L. Montgomery invaded the southeast corner of the island on 10 July 1943. As part of Lieutenant General Omar H. Bradley’s II Corps, the 45th Infantry Division was given a difficult task despite the fact that it was the only "green" division (i.e. had no previous combat experience) participating in the invasion. The 45th Division's 157th and 179th Infantry Regiments were given the task of capturing several coastal towns and the Comiso Airport before linking up with the 1st Canadian Infantry Division.

The 180th Infantry Regiment was given the task of capturing the Biscari airfield and linking up the US 1st Infantry Division. The 180th Infantry Regiment performed so poorly in the first 48 hours of the landing that Major General Troy Middleton considered relieving its commander. Instead, the assistant division commander was sent to exercise close supervision over the regiment.

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