When Italy surrendered in 9.1943 Croatia took back control over most of Dalmatia and sought to incorporate central and eastern Istria with Croatian majority to Croatia but Istria was left under Italian control of new fascist republic "Republica Socialista Italiana"(RSI) better known as Republic of Salo. To support its claim Croatia formed new Istria Domobran regiment. In January 1945 Germans agreed to transfer Istria to Croatian control, but this never happened as Croatia was battling Communist rebellion and invasion from the east. In autumn 1943 Germans imposed military control in Istria by forming Operationszone Adriatisches Küstenland (OZAK), civil control remained Italian under RSI. Italians lived mostly on the western coast of Istria where they were in majority and they served in RSI military units while some joined Wehrmacht. Below follow 3 feldpost letters mailed home from Italians in Wehrmacht to a places in western Istria. I found such mail to be quite rare.
15.11.1944 letter from Wehrmacht, Fp.number badly visible, possibly Fp.81874 B(?)-Italianische Bau Batallion 33 to Umago, Pola today Umag in Istria, Croatia. German censor cancels in red.
24.02.1944 letter from Wehrmacht, Fp.39626 - 2. Italienisches Nebel Bataillon(Marine) - to Fasana d'Istria near Pola today Fažana, Croatia. German censor cancels in red. Arrival cancel Fasana d Istria Pola 3.3.1944.
Italian 'Nebel' units were obcure military units armed with fog/smoke producing equipment. This fog was used to camouflage navy or army units from air raids. 2.Nebel Battalion was formed in Italy in 1942, later stationed in Reich on the Baltic sea, in Gotenhafen with outposts in Pillau and Memel.
23.01.1944 letter from Wehrmacht, Fp.24808 T - to Valle d'Istria, Pola today Bale, Croatia. Bale is on the road from Rovinj to Pula. Fp.24808 was Sammelfeldpostnummer such a feldpost number was used by a various units in an area, usually a letter in the end denoted certain unit in the area. Fp 24808 was used in Orleans area in France and Fp.24808 T was used by Italienische Stellungsbau Pionier Kompanie 13.
German censor cancels in red.
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