European theatre of World War II major German forces in the west were encircled and trapped in the Ruhr. On April 27, 1945, as Allied forces closed in on Milan, Mussolini was captured by Italian Partisans. He was trying to flee Italy to Switzerland and was traveling with a German anti-air battalion. On April 28, Mussolini and several of the other Fascists captured with him were taken to Dongo and executed by firing squad. The bodies were then taken to Milan and unceremoniously strung up in front of a filling station. Hitler, learning of Mussolini's death, realized that the end had finally come. He remained in
German designations of foreign firearms in World War II German designations of foreign firearms in World War II The German designations of foreign firearms in World War II is a list of known foreign firearms and equipment compiled by the German armed forces before World War II. The purpose of these lists are threefold: Before the war began the German armed forces Heereswaffenamt compiled a list of known foreign equipment and assigned a unique number to each weapon. These weapons were called "Fremdgerät" or "Beutegerät" ("foreign device" or "captured device") and their technical details were recorded in a six-volume set that was periodically updated. The Germans also captured large