Battle of Collecchio The Battle of Collecchio - Fornovo ( 26 – 29 April 1945 ) was a World War II battle between the 1st Brazilian Expeditionary Division ( " Força Expedicionária Brasiliera – FEB " ) , along with Italian partisans and units from the American 1st Amored and 92nd Infantry Divisions , against the Wehrmacht ' s 148th of Infantry , 90th Panzer Grenadier Divisions and the fascist National Republican Army ' s 1st Bersaglieri " " Italia " " and the 4th Mountain " " Monte Rosa " " Divisions . Fought around the town of Fornovo di Taro , about to the southwest of Parma , Italy . The Allies defeated the Axis forces , which were attempting to break through to the north . On 28 April , the Brazilian 6th RCT followed up with an attack on Fornovo , with the German General Otto Fretter - Pico surrendered the 148th division , with almost 15 , 000 German and Fascist Italian troops at morning of April 29 . History of Main Forces . 1st Brazilian ( Expeditionary ) Infantry Division . The Brazilian Expeditionary Division was commanded by General João Baptista Mascarenhas de Morais . The FEB arrived in Italy in the latter part of 1944 , at a time when Allied troops were being transferred from Italy to take part in operations in southern France . On 16 July 1944 , the 6th RCT reached Naples , the first of five contingents sent by Brazil . These troops were formed into a RCT under Brigadier General Euclides Zenóbio da Costa . With three U . S . tank companies as reinforcements , the 6th RCT moved to the front in September 1944 , pursuing German units that were making a tactical retreat to the Gothic Line . In October and November 1944 , the 6th RCT fought several engagements , but were unable to break through the Gothic line positions before the winter snows . The 1st and 11th RCT arrived in November , bringing the FEB up to division strength . At its peak , the Brazilian division had a total of 25 , 334 men in the 1st , 6th and 11th RCTs . Each RCT had 3 battalions of 4 companies . In February 1945 , the Brazilians overcame the German defenders of the strong Monte Castello position . They then moved eastward , fighting at Roncovecchio , Seneveglio and Castelnuovo . The Brazilian division fought a tough four - day battle for Montese , which was taken on 16 April 1945 . Turning north , by 22 April 1945 the FEB had broken into the Po Valley , pursuing the fleeing German forces . General Zenóbio da Costa took the vehicles from ten of his twelve artillery batteries for use in infantry transport , creating a mobile force with 606 jeeps and 676 trucks of different types . On the morning of 26 April 1945 , Brazilian forces were consolidating the defenses of Parma , when they heard that German units were approaching from the south . German 148th Infantry Division . On 25 September 1943 , General Otto Fretter - Pico took command of the 148th infantry division and led it for the rest of the war . During August 1944 , the division was in action against the Allied Operation Dragoon , the invasion of southern France . In late October 1944 , the division was transferred to northern Italy . In December 1944 , the 148th division struck decisively against the Americans in the Apennine Mountains in Operation " Wintergewitter [ Winter storm ] " , causing serious disruption despite being out - numbered and inferior in weapons to the allies . However , by the end of March the German army was in an impossible situation . It suffered from an acute lack of supplies , total domination of the skies by the Americans , and large and rapidly growing partisan forces . By April 23 , the situation for German forces in Italy was desperate . The partisans had taken Parma , Fiume had been occupied by Tito ' s Yugoslav forces and French units had entered Italy from the west . The 148th division , which had been based around the Gulf of Genoa , was making a last effort to break out to the north across the Po Valley . Battle . Collecchio . On news of the German - Italian forces approach , retreating from Genoa - La Spezia region , which had been liberated by the US 92nd Division , a Brazilian armored reconnaissance squadron moved south from Parma , meeting leading units of the Axis forces in Collecchio . They first met armored cars from the 90th panzer grenadier division ' s reconnaissance unit , and then tanks ( of the same division ) with infantry from the 281st regimental of the 148th infantry division . The reconnaissance squadron called for reinforcements . According to Captain Pitaluga of the reconnaissance troop , " I arrived in Collecchio at noon , and I was alone until 6 pm . I had already occupied almost half the town when the infantry arrived . " Pitaluga ' s unit of M8 cars fought it out against more lightly armored German vehicles , which only had 20mm cannons . However , the Brazilian armored cars were vulnerable to tanks and anti - tank weapons , as Pitaluga said of his vehicles " " The M8 is for recon , not ( for heavy ) combat . " " . Like the M10 ( another vehicle used then by Brazilian supporting units of Cavalry ) , M8 had open - topped turrets , which made them more vulnerable ( than fully enclosed tanks ) to anti - tank infantry close attacks , especially in urban combat , as was the case at Collecchio . Also , in this first day of the battle , Brazilians were outnumbered by a German battalion with about two to three squadrons . A force of Brazilian infantry was hastily ferried to the town in jeeps , trucks ( like M3s ) , and the transport sent back for more . By 18 : 30 hours on 26 April , the Brazilian infantry was in place and prepared for action . This included 5th company , II battalion , 11th infantry ; a machine gun platoon from 8th company , 11th infantry ; and 9th company , III Battalion , 6th RCT . Major Orlando Gomez Ramagem , commander of II battalion , 11th infantry was given command of the Brazilian forces . With the war clearly drawing to a close , the troops may have been reluctant to take unnecessary risks . At first , Major Ramagem was in favor of encamping for the night , but he was dissuaded by the Brazilian divisional commander , General Mascarenhas de Moraes . According to one source , " The old general acted with the enthusiasm of a lieutenant . " Ramagem ordered some of his troops , supported by the machine guns , to dig in to block highway 62 , which led north to Parma . The 5th company of the 11th RCT was ordered to attack at 19 : 30 hours . The first attacks were made from the southeast by this company , which quickly captured the church . This was followed by attacks from the northeast by a company of the 6th RCT . German infantry defending the outskirts of the town , supported by mortars , responded to the attacks with intense fire . Neither the Brazilians nor the Germans had any regular artillery . The Germans had only mortar and rifle fire . The church was used to hold German prisoners , and the church tower as an observation post . Lt . Jairo Junqueira da Silva of the 11th infantry recounts an incident when General Zenóbio da Costa appeared unexpectedly at the church : More Brazilian troops from 2nd company , I battalion , 6th RCT arrived at 21 : 00 , some riding on American and Brazilian , M10 and M4 tanks , to enter the fight . The Axis troops made several unsuccessful attempts to break through to the north , but by 02 : 00 hours on 27 April , Allied had penetrated into the town . The Axis forces , reinforced by artillery and some tanks made a final desperate assault just before dawn . When this failed , their resistance collapsed . By noon , the Allied forces with Brazilians ahead had full control of the town , forcing the Germans and Fascist Italians south towards Fornovo by late afternoon on 27 April . Fornovo di Taro . Prisoners taken in the battle at Collecchio confirmed partisans ' reports that the 148th division had come from the Gulf of Genoa and was in the area surrounding Fornovo di Taro about to the southwest of Collecchio on highway 62 . The German 148th infantry division made an attempt to halt the allies at Fornovo di Taro . The Allied forces attacked this position at 18 : 00 hours on 28 April 1945 . The defeat at Collecchio and follow - up attacks in Fornovo , convinced the German commander that defeat was inevitable . At 22 : 00 , General Otto Fretter - Pico sent emissaries seeking a cease fire while terms were discussed . On 29 April 1945 , he surrendered the 148th division intact . Aftermath . The Brazilian commander , General Mascarenhas de Moraes , received the surrender of the Wehrmacht and ENR Divisions on 29 April 1945 . In one week the Brazilians had taken 14 , 700 troops , 800 officers and two generals . The Brazilians also took 1 , 500 vehicles and 80 guns . All Axis forces in Italy capitulated on 2 May 1945 .