The next day, local newspapers in Naples exposed the tragedy, causing widespread fear among the local population.
Driven by reports from various newspapers, the news spread like a whirlwind to other regions.
Protest marches were successively held in various places, demanding that the government identify the perpetrators and punish them severely.
Umberto knew that this was intentional on the part of those people in Naples, who wanted to embarrass the government.
However, they had underestimated the strength of the Intelligence Agency.
Late at night, the intelligence team in Naples captured several people and obtained detailed information about the operation and the identity of its leader.
The Provisional 1st Brigade had already set out and was waiting for the intelligence team to report the exact location so that they could wipe them out in one fell swoop.
A journey of more than two hundred kilometers would take seven or eight hours, and perhaps the attack could be launched that very night.
However, in order to mislead the group of gangsters, Umberto strictly ordered the governor of Naples to continue investigating and publicly searching for the perpetrators.
At this time, in a hidden location in downtown Naples.
Mayor Raphael Angiolini, Prince Caracciolo, head of the largest noble family in the region, and Camorra leader Gaetano Adorno had gathered together.
Angiolini was extremely dissatisfied with the actions of the Camorra and spoke with resentment, “Just because the governor doesn’t interfere doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want.
Now that this has been exposed, public outrage has spread nationwide, and Rome will definitely intervene.” “What is there to be afraid of!” Prince Caracciolo did not care at all, “The entire South has reached a consensus to oppose land reform.
Those lowly commoners don’t know what’s good for them and make trouble every day; wiping them out will save us the trouble.” “You killed thousands of people!” Angiolini had not expected Prince Caracciolo to speak of it so lightly.
“What does it matter?
They’re only commoners; the royal family wouldn’t fall out with us over this, would they?” Prince Caracciolo shrugged, “The more noise the royal family makes, the more it shows that they don’t dare truly act.” “His Highness the Prince is right.” Adorno was a murderous maniac and had long since grown accustomed to such things.
To dominate Naples and Campania, one could not do so without ruthlessness.
“You!” Seeing how accustomed the two seemed to such things, Angiolini felt a wave of sorrow in his heart.
He was one of their men and could only cover everything up for them and eliminate the consequences.
Just at that moment, one of Angiolini’s trusted subordinates came to report.
“Mayor, word has arrived that the Carabinieri from the surrounding provinces and the jurisdiction of Naples are converging on the city of Naples.
We have also just received news that naval exercises have blockaded the port.” “What!” Angiolini was greatly shocked.
The other two frowned.
Prince Caracciolo immediately summoned one of his trusted subordinates to investigate the situation.
The military and political power of Naples was in his hands, so there should not be a major problem, but Carabinieri from outside the region would be somewhat troublesome to deal with.
If worse came to worst, he would have to mobilize his own resources.
“I’ll go back and gather manpower so we can respond to any changes at any time.” Adorno thought the government was bluffing; as long as they had enough people, the government would compromise.
Could it really intend to wipe out his thousands of Camorra members?
At this time, the nobles of Naples quietly watched the situation, not daring to move rashly lest they be caught in the crossfire.
Having someone else take the risk of testing the government’s limits was beneficial to them.
Time passed.
A force wearing Carabinieri uniforms was rushing toward Naples; if not for being fully loaded and moving at a speed of only a little over twenty kilometers per hour, they might already have reached their destination.
On the way, Cosentino, commander of the Provisional 1st Brigade, received a telegram identifying the location of the perpetrators, which immediately excited him.
Indeed, the telegraph equipment improved by the experimental zone was extremely useful—smaller in size and capable of transmitting information much faster.
While marching, Cosentino formulated the combat plan.
Eight o’clock in the evening.
Adorno gathered manpower at the Camorra headquarters and prepared for confrontation.
The Camorra headquarters was located northwest of Naples, inside a large hilltop castle that was easy to defend.
After waiting all afternoon, Adorno had received no news of any sudden developments.
Because of this, he inwardly despised that Crown Prince in Rome—all thunder and no rain.
“Prince Caracciolo sent word that there are no troop movements in Rome.
The southern Army has not received any orders from Rome either.
It seems we were being a little too cautious.” “With your illustrious reputation, I doubt anyone has the courage to make a move against us.” A subordinate flattered him.
“Naples will forever remain President Adorno’s domain.” “With our thousands of members, we could scare those bureaucrats to death through sheer numbers alone.” “Hahaha…” The laughter was loud, echoing wildly across the wilderness.
At the edge of the wilderness, an artillery unit was quietly deploying while the infantry formed combat positions, surrounding the entire castle.
The order Cosentino had received was to leave none alive.
“Commander Cosentino, there are estimated to be more than a thousand people inside, so you must be careful.” The head of the Naples intelligence team reminded him.
“Rest assured, there’s no need to worry when dealing with this bunch of scum.” Cosentino checked his watch, saw that it was eight-twenty, and immediately issued the order to attack.
“According to the orders of His Highness the Crown Prince, leave none alive.
Open fire!” Receiving the command, the artillerymen immediately opened fire.
Boom, boom, boom.
Twenty-four 75mm field guns unleashed their fury upon the castle.
Within only a few seconds, the shells crashed into the castle grounds, producing successive violent explosions.
The roaring explosions awakened the people inside the castle, as well as the residents in the surrounding area.
Inside the castle.
Adorno was panic-stricken.
“What is going on?
Go and check immediately!” Watching round after round of shells fall, Adorno became increasingly anxious and hurriedly called Prince Caracciolo to ask about the situation.
However, there was no response from the telephone, indicating that the line had already been cut.
“Damn it!” “Prepare for battle!” The Camorra had weapons and immediately prepared to fight to the death.
However, the enemy remained hidden in the darkness and did not launch an assault at all, continuing only to bombard them.
Boom, boom, boom.
The sound of explosions was endless.
With no other choice, they could only retreat into the basement.
However, the basement could not hold so many people, so most had to search for other places to hide.
At around eight-forty.
The infantry of the Provisional 1st Brigade launched its attack, using submachine guns and light machine guns as the spearhead of its firepower to break into the castle.
Rat-tat-tat.
The gunfire of the encirclement and suppression operation rang out continuously.
Where had the Camorra members ever witnessed such a spectacle?
They were stunned into a daze, and countless people were shot dead in terror.
“Surrender!” “Spare our lives!” Some people knelt on the ground and attempted to surrender, but no one listened to them, and they were still shot dead.
After surrounding the basement, the soldiers threw Italian-improved grenades inside one after another.
The powerful explosive shockwaves made the entire castle feel as though it were experiencing an earthquake.
The encirclement battle lasted only ten minutes, completely annihilating more than a thousand people.
The Provisional 1st Brigade suffered only twenty slightly wounded.
Upon learning that the battle had ended, Cosentino immediately ordered the surrounding forces to enter Naples and capture the other masterminds.
The intelligence team leader was responsible for identifying the targets, while the Provisional 1st Brigade was responsible for making the arrests.
This time, Naples was destined to undergo a massive purge.
The cessation of cannon fire around Adorno’s castle caused the residents of the urban area and surrounding communities to buzz with discussion, while some secretly cheered.
These evildoers who had plagued Naples for decades, even centuries, had finally received God’s punishment.
Some people cheered, while others cried out in despair.
After hearing the scout’s report, Prince Caracciolo’s heart turned to ashes.
More than a thousand people had been killed just like that; this clearly showed that the attitude of the one in Rome was extremely tough and that he intended to use them as a warning to everyone else.
He somewhat regretted listening to those bastards from Sicily.
The other side had thousands of soldiers and artillery; his five hundred private soldiers and the surviving Camorramembers were completely vulnerable before such a force.
The ridiculous thing was that no one even knew where this force had come from.
The garrison in Naples had received orders not to move rashly, otherwise it would be treated as rebellion, which meant that this force was directly commanded by that person.
It’s over!
The Caracciolo family is finished!
Equally terrified was Mayor Angiolini, because he had already been arrested by the Carabinieri, while his family members had been placed under control.
As for the governor of the province of Naples, he was arrested on charges of dereliction of duty.
Immediately afterward, the Provisional 1st Brigade and other Carabinieri units officially began hunting down Camorramembers, offering rewards to anyone who reported them, with the operation extending beyond the city of Naples itself.
On the second day of the arrests, the intelligence team leader, having obtained sufficient evidence, personally went to the Caracciolo family estate to arrest Prince Caracciolo, placed his family members under control, and awaited further orders from Rome.
Major families such as the Pignatelli family and the Filoparone family trembled with fear, not daring to move around or speak recklessly for fear that the Carabinieri would come looking for them next.
News of this operation spread across Italy at the fastest possible speed, serving as the government’s response to the tragedy of the previous day.