


Merano Conference
Contributor: C. Peter Chen
ww2dbaseAn Italo-German naval conference had originally been planned for Dec 1940, but but British successes against the Italian Navy necessitated postponements. The Merano Conference finally took place at Merano in the Trentino-Alto Adige region of far northern Italy, close to the border of German-occupied Austria, between 13 and 14 Feb 1941. The German delegation was led by Grand Admiral Erich Reader; Counter Admrial Kurt Frike and Captain Kurt Aschmann were its other members; the Italian delegation was led by Admiral Arturo Riccardi; Counter Admiral Raffaele de Courten, Counter Admiral Emilio Brenta, and Counter Admiral Carlo Giartosio were its other members. In this meeting, the participants discussed the interception of Allied shipping in the Atlantic Ocean, the elimination of the British fleet based in Gibraltar and Egypt, the conquest of Malta, the supply route between Italy and Libya, operations in the Aegean Sea, the potential usefulness of using Greek islands as forward naval and air bases, and the poor Italian fuel situation. As the list of topics would suggest, although not immediately perceived as so at the start, the Merano Conference marked the beginning of Italy losing her ability to make her own strategic decisions, allowing Germany to eventually dictate Italian policy.
Last Major Update: May 2018
Merano Conference Timeline
13 Feb 1941 | German and Italian naval leaders began a two-day conference at Merano, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy. |
14 Feb 1941 | German and Italian naval leaders concluded a two-day conference at Merano, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy. |
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Visitor Submitted Comments
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» Aschmann, Kurt
» Brenta, Emilio
» de Courten, Raffaele
» Frike, Kurt
» Giartosio, Carlo
» Raeder, Erich
» Riccardi, Arturo
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Chiang Kaishek, 31 Jul 1937
25 Jun 2018 10:03:11 PM
Does anyone know where I can obtain a copy of the records of the Merano Conference and its location within Merano?