Saving Italy: The Race to Rescue a Nation's Treasures from the Nazis (50 page)

277
“A message from Kesselring’s headquarters”
Ibid.

277
“I’m still the Supreme Commander”
Ibid.

277
Wolff urged those still supporting surrender
Dulles,
The Secret Surrender
, 201.

278
“who had walked up in the rain”
CSDIC/CMF/X 168, Donovan Nuremberg Trial Collection, 7.

278
late-night snack
Dulles, “Diary-notes of events leading to the surrender of the German armies in Italy,” 65.

278
new orders arrived
Dulles and Gaevernitz, “The First German Surrender,” 50.

278
“in view of the threatening danger”
Ibid.

278
250 troops
CSDIC/CMF/X 168, Donovan Nuremberg Trial Collection, 8; Dulles and Gaevernitz, “The First German Surrender,” says 350.

278
“as all the excitement was mounting”
CSDIC/CMF/X 168, Donovan Nuremberg Trial Collection, 8.

278
“frightfully bad connection” . . . “every single telephone exchange”
Ibid., 9.

278
went back and forth for two hours
Ibid.

278
“It is not only a military capitulation”. . . . “A cease-fire now will give”
Dulles,
The Secret Surrender,
202.

278
“feel themselves deserted”
Kesselring,
The Memoirs of Field-Marshal Kesselring
, 279.

279
“It is your duty to refuse”
CSDIC/CMF/X 168, Donovan Nuremberg Trial Collection, 9.

279
“fight it out to the bitter end.”
Kesselring,
The Memoirs of Field-Marshal Kesselring
, 281.

279
he would consider the matter
Dulles,
The Secret Surrender
, 202–3.

Chapter 26: The Race

281
“joy was unconfined”
John P. Delaney,
The Blue Devils in Italy: A History of the 88th Infantry Division in World War II.
(Nashville, TN: The Battery Press, 1988), 219.

281
“You feel sort of let down”
19 Days: From the Apennines to the Alps
(Milan, Italy: Pizzi and Pizio, 1945), 86. Keller Papers, Box 20, Folder 24.

282
The front was so diffused
“Alto Adige,” Keller Papers, Box 19, Folder 6.

282
On May 4, as Keller prepared
Field Report, 12 May 1945, Keller Papers, Box 21, Folder 33.

282
The message contained
Memo from Newton, 4 May 1945, NARA, RG 331, 10000/145/401.

282
Keller immediately notified Lieutenant Colonel Ward-Perkins . . . . Keller also sent a message
Field Report, 12 May 1945, Keller Papers, Box 21, Folder 33.

282
he and Charley had to spend a few days
Ibid.

283
The April 15, 1944, bomb damage assessment
“Notes on Bomb-Damage to Cultural Monuments in Enemy-Occupied Italy,” NARA, RG 331, 10000/145/7.

283
Keller began his work in Milan. . . . “about gone”. . . . Keller’s casualty list
Field Report, 12 May 1945, Keller Papers, Box 21, Folder 33.

283
“Bomb hit of August 1943”. . . . “The roof was hit”
Ibid.

283
“Leonardo’s
Last Supper
is in peril”
Letter to Kathy, 11 May 1945, Keller Papers, Box 8, Folder 54.

283
“Leonardo’s
Last Supper
may be in ruins”
Letter to Kathy, 12 May 1945, Keller Papers, Box 8, Folder 54.

284
“Some authorities even returned”
Superintendent of Milan, “Relazione sui Provvedimenti presi dopo il 16 Agosto 1943 dalla Soprintendenza ai Monumenti di Milano,” May 1945, NARA, RG 331, 10000/145/97.

284
The night of the bombing. . . . discarded their habits for overalls
Lippini, “Furono i Domenicani a salvarlo dopo il bombardamento dell’agosto 1943,”
L’Ultima Cena di Leonardo da Vinci: Una lettura storica, artistica e spirituale del grande capolavoro
, November (1999), 15; Angelo Grammatica, “Memoria storica dell’8° battaglione pontieri del genio,” 3 October 1959, Legnago Private Archive, Milan.

284
After removing the debris
Lippini, “Furono i Domenicani a salvarlo dopo il bombardamento dell’agosto 1943,” 15–16.

285
“Dearest: It seems the war in Europe”
Letter to Kathy, 8 May 1945, Keller Papers, Box 8, Folder 54.

285
“The mission of this Allied Force was fulfilled”
Carlo D’Este,
Eisenhower: A Soldier’s Life
(New York: Henry Holt, 2002), 704.

285
“There was no celebration here”
Letter to Kathy, 8 May 1945, Keller Papers, Box 8, Folder 54.

285
Pietro Ferraro, Alessandro Cagiati’s OSS operative. . . . Days earlier, working out of a room
“Final Operations Section Report, Period 16 April to 25 May,” NARA, RG 226/190, Box 109; Peter Tompkins, “The OSS and Italian Partisans in World War II: Intelligence and Operational Support for the Anti-Nazi Resistance,”
Studies in Intelligence
(Spring 1998), accessed via Center for the Study of Intelligence, cia.gov.

286
Long on information
This was Company “D,” 2677 Regiment. “Final Operations Section Report, Period 16 April to 25 May,” NARA, RG 226, Entry 190C, Box 109; “Operational Report of MU Detachment, 15 April to 15 May 1945,” 19 May 1945, NARA, RG 226, Entry 190C, Box 109.

286
“The whole world of art”
Ferraro, “Telegramma al Comando OSS in Firenze, comunicato inoltre per telefono da Venezia, al Comando delle truppe operanti nel settore a Nord di Verona,” 3 May 1945, Poggi Papers, Serie VIII, n.155, 5. Forlati’s report [“Ricognizione dei depositi delle opera d’arte della Toscano Transportate dai Germanici in Alto Adige,” NARA, RG 331, 10000/145/397] confirms the date of Ferraro’s communication to Cagiati as May 3, 1945. However, in Ferraro’s 1954 article in
Il Ponte
, “La resistenza veneta in difesa delle opere d’arte,” he references April 25 as being the date he informed Cagiati.

286 * Macnamara to Headquarters, Allied Commission, “Art Treasures of the Uffizi,” May 12, 1945, NARA, RG 331, 10000/145/401.

286
Ferraro also sent Cagiati an important tip
Pietro Ferraro, “Relazione per Sovraintendenza ai monumenti di Firenze,” Poggi Papers, n.155, 5.

287
“mistook us for American reconnaissance”
Ferraro, “La resistenza veneta in difesa delle opere d’arte, 131.

287
they proceeded to Campo Tures
Ferraro, “La resistenza veneta in difesa delle opere d’arte,” 131; Forlati, “Campo Tures,” 7 May 1945, Poggi Papers, n.155, 5.

287
3rd Battalion, 339th Infantry, 85th Division
Headquarters 3rd Battalion, 339th Infantry, “Report on Operations for Month of May 1945,” 6 June 1945, NARA, RG 407, 385-INF (339)-0.3, May 1945, 5.

287 * Headquarters 3rd Battalion, 339th Infantry, “Report on Operations for Month of May 1945,” 6 June 1945, NARA, RG 407, 385-INF (339)-0.3, May 1945, 5; Headquarters 339th Infantry, “Report of Operations, May 1945,” 8 June 1945, NARA, RG 407, 385-INF (339)-0.3, May 1945.

287
On May 9, Gero von Gaevernitz
Lang,
Der Adjutant
, 292, 298.

287
Wolff arranged for his car and driver
Lang says Wolff accompanied them: Lang,
Der Adjutant
, 298.

287
But Gaevernitz’s trip
Ibid., 298–99.

288
For his part, Wolff understood
Ibid., 299.

288
“Hundreds of square miles of country”. . . . “The trees were shaved”
Hartt,
Florentine Art Under Fire
, 103.

288
“in a flurry of dust”
Ibid.

288
“the GI on guard”. . . . He immediately recognized Caravaggio’s painting
Hartt,
Florentine Art Under Fire
, 104.

289
“cry of glee”
Ibid.

289
In fact, it had been raining
Field Report, 22 May 1945, Keller Papers, Box 21, Folder 33, 4.

289
“fantastic situation”
Hartt,
Florentine Art Under Fire
, 105.

290
“The executor of the greatest single art-looting”
Ibid.

290
“When the garage doors were unlocked”
Ibid.

290
“the colossal arrogance”
Ibid.,
103,
105.

290
“Hitler Is My Führer.”
Delaney,
The Blue Devils in Italy
, 225.

291
“there were 250,000 fully armed crack German troops”
“Alto Adige,” Keller Papers, Box 19, Folder 6.

292
park setting of his Bolzano headquarters
Lingen,
SS und Secret Service
, 139.

292
“hundreds of bags”
“Alto Adige,” Keller Papers, Box 19, Folder 6, 8.

292
U.S. Colonel James C. Fry
Delaney,
The Blue Devils in Italy
,
229.

292
“Frau Wolff was indignant”
Ibid.

292
“the birthday feast”
Ibid., 230.

292
shot Wolff’s German shepherd
Eugen Dollmann,
Call Me Coward.
(London: William Kimber, 1956), 14.

293
“impatient and irritable.”
Letter to Kathy, 18 May 1945, Keller Papers, Box 8, Folder 54.

293
“The war is not over”. . . . “Yes—the shells and bombs are over”
Letter to Kathy, 18 May 1945, Keller Papers, Box 8, Folder 54.

Chapter 27: The Big Move

296
Perry Cott finally received travel orders
Perry Cott, Diary, NARA, RG 331, 11100/145/33.

296
He had worked closely
“Final Report: Lazio,” Keller Papers, Box 23, Folder 51, 3.

296
Drawing from the extraordinary
Report of the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and Historic Monuments in War Areas
, 72–73.

296
after nearly a year in jail
TRECCANI Enciclopedia
, 2010, vol. X, 836.

296
Wittgens asked Cott to arrange
Perry Cott, Diary, NARA, RG 331, 11100/145/33.

296 * Giorgio Rumi and Adele Carla Buratti eds.,
Milano ricostruisce: 1945–1954
(Milan: Cariplo, 1990), 263; Cecilia Ghibaudi, ed.,
Brera e la Guerra: La salvaguardia delle opere della Pinacoteca.
Exhibition, Milan, Pinacoteca di Brera, 10 November 2009–21 March 2010 (Milan: Electa, 2009), 74–75.

297
“generally satisfying results”
Bezzola to Giovanni Rocco, Milan, 25 May 1945, NARA, RG 331, 10000/145/97.

297
he reluctantly posted a notice
“Refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie,” 26 May 1945, NARA, RG 331, 11000/145/39.

297
“The static conditions of the wall”
Perulioni to Cott, “Milano—‘Cenacolo’ di Leonardo,” 10 June 1945, NARA, RG 331, 10000/145/97.

297
“light veil expanding”
Ibid.

298
“expert cleaning operation” . . . “not outstandingly urgent” . . . “dry and warm air of the summer months” could “desiccate”
Ibid.

298
Five days later, Hartt and Rossi arrived
Cott, Officer Diary 1945, NARA, RG 331, 11000/145/33.

298
“the Refectory of S. Maria delle Grazie”
Cott, “Report on Condition of Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci,” NARA, RG 331, 11000/145/39.

298
“This is the biggest undertaking”
“Memo to Col. Arthur Sutherland,” 16 May 1945, Keller Papers, Box 21, Folder 33.

298
Keller needed a written agreement
“Plan for moving deposits at San Leonardo and Campo Tures,” 10 June 1945, Hartt Papers, Box 3, Folder 18.

299
“Remember how crowded”
“Memo to Col. Arthur Sutherland,” 16 May 1945, Keller Papers, Box 21, Folder 33.

299
removal of the brick tomb
Filippo Rossi, “Relazione dei lavori eseguiti dalla Soprintendenza alle Gallerie nel mese di Maggio 1945,” Hartt Papers, Box 4, Folder 4.

299
“The bright spot yesterday”. . . . “It was dusty and dirty”
Letter to Kathy, 19 June 1945, Keller Papers, Box 8, Folder 55.

299
“We get along fine”
Letter to Kathy, 9 June 1945, Keller Papers, Box 8, Folder 55.

299
“Those that like the army”
Letter to Kathy, 11 June 1945, Keller Papers, Box 8, Folder 55.

299
“Redeployment and winning”
Letter to DeWald, 27 June 1945, Keller Papers, Box 21, Folder 34.

300
The alternative to trucks
“Fine Arts Section,” Keller Papers, Box 19, Folder 10, 76.

300
“This wait has been worrying”
Letter to DeWald, 8 July 1945, Keller Papers, Box 21, Folder 34.

300
“in the toilet”
Letter to Kathy, 9 July 1945, Keller Papers, Box 8, Folder 55.

300
109 crates at San Leonardo and forty-six
“Fine Arts Section,” Keller Papers, Box 19, Folder 10, 74.

300
The inventory at San Leonardo revealed
“Inventory Check of Works of Art Removed by Germans,” 31 May 1945, NARA, RG 331, 10000/145/401.

300
“not only an unspeakable personal satisfaction”
Hartt,
Florentine Art Under Fire
, 108.

301
fire extinguishers
“Final Report on Art Deposits,” 28 July 1945, Keller Papers, Box 21, Folder 34.

301
“who do not know a Tiepolo”
Letter to Kathy, 15 July 1945, Keller Papers, Box 8, Folder 55.

301
“Things are rolling”
Ibid.

301
“for my wife”
Letter to Constance Hall Jones, 19 June 1945, Keller Papers, Box 8, Folder 55.

301
Monuments Men Teddy Croft-Murray
“Visit to Deposit of Works of Art in the Steinberg Salt Mine, Alt Aussee, Oberdonau,” 27 June 1945, The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, FO 1020/2766, C282558.