Italian Army World War 2 Undergraduate Journal of the Arts

Armed Forces of the Kingdom of Italian republic Forze Armate del Regno d'Italia
Flag of Italia with the keepsake of Savoia.
Active	1861–1946
Country	Kingdom of Italy
Allegiance	Kingdom of Italy
Part	Armed forces of Kingdom of Italy
Size	two,560,000 (1940–1943)^[1]
Anniversaries	Nov iv
Engagements	World War II
Commanders
Ceremonial main	Rex of Italy and Prime Minister
Notable commanders	Benito Mussolini Vittorio Emanuele 3 Vittorio Emanuele II Pietro Badoglio Luigi Cadorna Armando Diaz

Armed services unit

This commodity is about the Royal Italian Army ( Regio Esercito ) which participated in the Second World War. The Imperial Italian Army was reformed in 1861 and existed until 1946. The Royal Army started with the unification of Italy (Risorgimento) and the formation of the Kingdom of Italy (Regno d'Italia). It concluded with the dissolution of the monarchy. The Royal Army was preceded by the private armies of the independent Italian states and was followed by the Italian Regular army (Esercito Italiano) of the Italian Democracy (Repubblica Italiana).

Organization [edit]

The Italian Army of Globe War II was a "Royal" army. The nominal Commander-in-Chief of the Italian Royal Army was His Majesty King Vittorio Emanuele Three. Every bit Commander-in-Primary of all Italian armed forces, Vittorio Emanuele besides commanded the Imperial Air Force (Regia Aeronautica) and the Imperial Navy (Regia Marina). Nonetheless, in reality, most of the King'due south armed forces responsibilities were assumed by the Italian Prime Government minister Benito Mussolini.^[2]

Below Mussolini was the Supreme Control (Comando Supremo). The Supreme Command featured an organic staff which functioned through its defense force ministries and through its various high commands. The defense ministries were based on part and included a Ministry of State of war, a Ministry of the Admiralty, and a Ministry of the Air. The high commands were based on geographic regions and included Regular army Group West, Regular army Group Albania, Ground forces Group East Africa, Army Group Aegean, and Ground forces Grouping Libya.^[2]

Beneath the Army Group were armies. Armies were typically composed of two or more than corps, along with split units straight commanded at the ground forces level. The corps were so typically composed of two or more divisions, along with dissever units direct allowable at the corps level.

The division was the basic formation of the Italian Royal Army. On ten June 1940, the regular army had 59 infantry divisions, 3 National Security Volunteer Militia (Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale [MVSN]) divisions, five high mountain (alpini) divisions, three mobile (celere) divisions, two motorized divisions, and three armored divisions. In addition, in that location were estimated to be the equivalent of about nine divisions of frontier guard troops.^[2] There were also numerous colonial formations at or most the division level composed of troops from Italian Libya and Italian Due east Africa.

Impressive on newspaper, most Italian divisions did not have the full complement of men or materials when war was alleged in 1940. The armored divisions had lightly armed "tankettes" instead of tanks.

Binary infantry division [edit]

After a reorganization in 1938, Italian infantry divisions were known as "binary" divisions (divisione binaria). This is considering Italian infantry divisions were based on two regiments instead of the three that prevailed prior to the reorganization. By comparing, German language divisions had three infantry regiments. In add-on to the two infantry regiments, the Italian infantry partitioning included an artillery regiment, a mortar battalion, an engineer battalion, and a pack gun visitor. The partition also had some sectionalization-level services and could accept a partition-level reserve infantry battalion.

The typical infantry regiment was composed of three burglarize battalions. However, some regiments had as many equally five battalions. Past design, each regiment had 24 heavy machine guns, 108 light machine guns, six 81 mm mortars (Mortaio da 81/14 Modello 35), l-4 45 mm mortars (Brixia Model 35), and iv 65 mm infantry guns (Cannone da 65/17).

The divisional arms regiment typically had 36 field pieces by design. There was a horsedrawn battery of 12 100 mm howitzers, a horsedrawn battery of twelve 75 mm guns, and a pack horse-mounted battery of 12 75 mm howitzers. In addition to the field pieces, there was a mechanized troop of 8 20 mm anti-shipping guns.^[3] Much Italian arms was obsolete and far too reliant on horse transport.^{[ citation needed ]}

The mortar battalion typically had 18 81 mm mortars and the pack gun company had 8 47 mm anti-tank guns.

From 1 March 1940, an MVSN Legion of two battalions was attached to almost infantry divisions. This was to increase the manpower available to each division and too to include Fascist troops.^[2] The inflow of the Blackshirt Legions effectively restored the triangular form of the divisions they reinforced.

Alpine sectionalisation [edit]

The personnel, named Alpini, drawn from Italy's mountainous regions for the army's tall divisions and tended to exist of superior quality. In addition to existence well trained for mountain warfare, they were skilful in the handling of pack artillery. The tall divisions differed from a standard infantry partitioning in that each regiment had its own artillery, engineering science, and ancillary services associated with the regiment on a permanent basis. This made each regiment of an alpine division relatively self-supporting and capable of contained action.^[4] Past design, an tall division consisted of a divisional headquarters, 2 Alpini regiments, a mount artillery regiment, a mixed engineer battalion, a chemical warfare company, two reserve Alpini battalions, and bounded services. The divisional headquarters included an anti-tank platoon. Each Alpini regiment included a headquarters company, with a platoon of flamethrowers. Each regiment also included iii Alpini battalions and the service support units assigned. At full strength, the firepower for an Alpini regiment was 27 heavy machine guns, 81 lite machine guns, 27 45 mm mortars, 12 81 mm mortars, and 27 flamethrowers. The mountain artillery regiment was dissever betwixt the two infantry regiments. Each regiment was provided with a battalion of 75 mm howitzers, which were transported on pack animals.

Armoured division [edit]

At the beginning of the state of war, the armoured divisions were filled with L3 tankettes and, as a consequence, were incapable of providing the armoured spearhead that the German tank (panzer) formations could. Initially, a full of virtually 100 "medium" M11 tanks were available. But, while these vehicles were an improvement over the L3s, they were still more similar "light" tanks. In improver, they were poorly designed (main armament in a "fixed" position), far too few, too nether-gunned, too thinly armoured, too wearisome, and too unreliable to brand a difference.

By pattern, an armoured sectionalisation included 1 tank regiment, ane artillery regiment, one highly-mobile infantry (Bersaglieri) regiment, a bounded support and a mixed engineer company. The tank regiment could have between three and five tank battalions. At full forcefulness, each battalion had 55 tanks.^[5]

Once sufficient numbers of the M13/40 tanks and its upgrades were available, Italian armored divisions began to possess some offensive capability. The Italians also developed several self-propelled 75 mm guns on the M13 chassis when the development in tank artillery fabricated the 47 mm gun obsolete. Similar the German language 88 mm gun, the Italians learned that a 75 mm anti-aircraft gun (Cannone da 75/46 C.A. modello 34) or a ninety mm anti-aircraft gun (Cannone da ninety/53) made constructive anti-tank guns. While always in short supply, 57 of the xc mm guns were ordered to be mounted on heavy trucks (Autocannoni da 90/53) to enhance mobility. 30 guns were mounted on a M14/41 tank chassis as Tank Destroyer ninety/53 (Semovente 90/53).

Libyan divisions [edit]

In 1940, Italia had two divisions in Italian N Africa equanimous of troops native to Libya commanded by Italian officers. In many ways the Libyan divisions followed the make-up of a standard binary infantry division. Each Libyan division had two colonial infantry regiments. Each infantry regiment had three infantry battalion and a Guns company (iv 65/17 mm I-Guns ). The Libyan divisions likewise had an integral colonial artillery regiment and colonial engineering science battalion. A typical Libyan partitioning fielded vii,400 men (including 900 Italians). The arms regiment by design included 24 77 mm guns. The "Maletti Group" (Raggruppamento Maletti) was an advertisement hoc unit equanimous of Libyan troops transported in trucks and was commanded past the unit'southward namesake, General Pietro Maletti. This partly motorized unit took part in the Italian invasion of Egypt in September 1940 and in the defence force of the Nibeiwa Army camp in December 1940 during Functioning Compass. In addition to 2,500 Libyan troops in 6 battalions, the Maletti Group included a colonial arms element and 2 coy of armor: 12 M11 medium tanks and 14 L3 tankettes.^[6]

"North Africa" division [edit]

During 1942, attempts were made to increase both the firepower and the mechanization available at the bounded level. Every bit a result, a new "North Africa 1942" (Africa settentrionale 1942, or A.S.42) type division was developed. Like to a standard infantry segmentation, an "A.Southward.42" blazon sectionalisation still had two infantry regiments, an artillery regiment, a mixed engineer battalion, a medical section, and a supply department. Only the infantry regiments could vary greatly because the basic units making up the regiment were now an expandable company. The artillery regiment sometimes included a battery of German 88 mm guns. Mobility was increased and, in theory, an "A.Southward.42" blazon division was mechanized to a higher degree than standard infantry divisions. Unfortunately, in exercise, few units had the full complement of motor vehicles.^[4]

Italian motor vehicles, while in curt supply, tended to be of improve than average quality. British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery made utilise of a captured Italian vehicle.^[seven]

Motorised division [edit]

The motorized divisions were like to the "North Africa" type division, only they included a regiment of highly-mobile elite riflemen (Bersaglieri). The Bersaglieri appear to have really received the motorcycles and trucks they were allocated.^[5]

Motor-transportable division [edit]

From the beginning of the war, some infantry divisions were theoretically fully mechanized and were designated every bit motor-transportable divisions. Once more, in practise, few units had the full complement of motor vehicles. Other than being transported by motor vehicle, these divisions were organized similar a standard infantry partition, with two exceptions. Motor-transportable divisions had a larger complement of mortars and they did non have a MVSN Legion.^[5]

In 1942, the motor-transportable divisions in North Africa were upgraded to become "North African" type motorised divisions. In spite of the upgrade, these divisions were yet not fully motorized. The divisions tended to rely primarily on not-divisional sources for transportation and were, therefore, only function-time motor-transportable.

Cavalry segmentation [edit]

Mobile (celere) divisions were cavalry divisions that had undergone a level of mechanization. Each partitioning had two cavalry regiments, a highly-mobile infantry (Bersaglieri) regiment, an artillery regiment, and a calorie-free tank grouping.^[5] The squadrons of the cavalry regiments were horse-mounted and, other than a motorbike company, the Bersaglieri were issued with bicycles. The light tank group had a total of 61 tanks. The tanks were typically L3s or L6s.

Primary Armaments [edit]

During the first years of World State of war II, Italy had simply pocket-sized low-cal and medium tanks (L3/35, L6/40, M11/39, M13/40 and M15/42) tanks. When Italian republic declared war in 1940, Italy's armored divisions were withal composed of hundreds of L3 tankettes. These vehicles were hardly on par with the Allied tanks bachelor in 1939 and were seriously out-classed by 1942. Improve Italian tanks were produced merely they were generally only available in limited numbers. Italian tanks typically suffered from poor main armaments and sparse, bolted-on armour.

It was non until summer of 1943 that the Italians adult a heavier tank (the P40).^[8] However, while the P40 was in the same course as the gimmicky M4 Sherman, but v were set for combat before Italy signed the ceasefire that same twelvemonth. The Germans acquired and used the few P40s which were produced.

To supplement the deficiencies of the main armaments on most tanks, the Italian Regular army fabricated apply of cocky-propelled guns like the Semovente 75/18 and the Semovente 75/34.^[nine] The Italians also fielded some reliable armoured cars similar the AB 41.^[x]

While Semovente 75/18s were available in some numbers in North Africa, the more potent Semovente 75/34s Semovente da 75/46s, Semovente 90/53s, Semovente 105/25s, and Semovente 149/40 were bachelor in express numbers or non at all prior to the armistice. Similar the P40, the Germans acquired the few ameliorate quality cocky-propelled guns manufactured prior to the armistice and even continued to manufacture some afterwards the armistice.

The main infantry weapons were Carcano rifles, Beretta M1934 and M1935 pistols, Bodeo M1889 revolvers, Breda thirty light machine guns, Breda M37 and Fiat–Revelli Modello 1935 heavy auto guns, and Beretta Model 38 submachine guns. 2d line units oftentimes made employ of captured equipment such as Lebel Model 1886 rifles and, for colonial troops, Schwarzlose MG M.07/12s and Steyr-Mannlicher M1895 rifles, provided past Austria as war reparations subsequently World War I.

History [edit]

History before World War II [edit]

The Italian empire in 1940. In addition to mainland Italy, Republic of albania, ASI, and AOI are shown in dark-green. The Dodecanese islands are boxed in greenish.

Mussolini's Under-Secretarial assistant for State of war Production, Carlo Favagrossa, had estimated that Italia could not peradventure exist prepared for a war until at to the lowest degree October 1942. Although the Kingdom of Italia was considered a major power, Italian manufacture was relatively weak compared to other major powers in Europe. In 1940, Italian industry probably was no more than than 15% of that of France or of the United Kingdom. The lack of a stronger automotive manufacture made it difficult for Italian republic to mechanize its military.

In the new Italian Empire, Italy had used most of the economic and military machine resources available during the 2d Italo-Abyssinian War the conquest of Federal democratic republic of ethiopia, from 1935 to 1936, during the Castilian Civil War from 1936 to 1939, and during the Italian invasion of Albania in 1939. In the early 1930s, the Italian Purple Army successfully fought an Arab guerrilla war in Italian North Africa (Africa Settentrionale Italiana, or ASI). The Italians fought another guerilla war in Italian E Africa (Africa Orientale Italiana, or AOI) between 1936 and 1940. The Italian Royal Ground forces remained comparatively weak in armaments. The Italian tanks were of poor quality. Italian radios were pocket-size in numbers. Much of the Italian arms and weapons dated from the First World War. Near of import of all, the Italian generals were trained in the trench warfare of World War I and were non prepared at all for the new manner of mechanized state of war based on the German "lightning war" model (blitzkrieg).

From 1936 to 1939, Italy participated on the side of Spanish General Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War. The 50,000 to 75,000 stiff "Corps of Volunteer Troops" (Corpo Truppe Volontarie, CVT) was of significant assistance to the Castilian Nationalist cause and was involved in the Aragon Offensive and the "March to the Sea." Unfortunately for the Italian Regal Army, a large number of Italian weapons and supplies were utilized by the CVT or provided to Spanish Nationalists forces during this conflict.

In 1939, Italy conquered Albania without difficulty and forced Male monarch Zog to flee. Every bit would be expected, Italy suffered few casualties. But this occupation stretched to the limit the resources of the Italian Royal Regular army. In spring 1940, the available oil resources for possible military operations (of the Army and Navy) were for only i year. [1]

History during Earth War II [edit]

Unlike the German Fuhrer, Adolf Hitler, Mussolini was officially only the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Italian republic. Victor Emmanuel Iii remained Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Italian Royal Armed Forces. Mussolini needed the consent of the Rex (who always looked at French republic as the center of European politics) to declare war and enter the Second Globe War. Initially the Rex and his staff (conscious of the Italian lack of training to war) did non approve Mussolini's intentions, but when France was clearly defeated in June 1940, the Italian Regal Army (Regio Esercito) was abruptly sent to war.^[11] Mussolini made the mistake to believe that Britain would take peace agreements with the Axis after French republic's surrender, and did not anticipate a long lasting state of war. Consequently, Italy entered the war inadequately prepared.

Initial campaigns [edit]

The Italian conquest of British Somaliland in August 1940

Italian republic declared state of war on ten June 1940 and initially the Royal Army started a campaign with limited advances in the Alps confronting the French Army. But the French were not quickly defeated on this front and all advances came at a high cost to the Italian army. Merely in July, after the French surrender to Germany, did the Royal Army initiate a limited campaign from Italian colonies in Africa (Libya and Italian East Africa) against the British in Africa (Egypt, Kenya and Sudan). Italian forces invaded into Arab republic of egypt, Republic of kenya, and Sudan. In August, the Royal Ground forces obtained the but Italian victory in Earth War II without German intervention when it carried out the conquest of British Somaliland. In the first six months of state of war Italy obtained simply small conquests, every bit Mussolini mistakenly waited for a quick end of the war.

In Dec 1940, British and Commonwealth forces began Performance Compass which, by February 1941, had occupied Cyrenaica and destroyed the Italian 10th Ground forces. In January 1941, other British and Commonwealth forces launched an invasion of Italian Eastward Africa. Past November of that twelvemonth, at the conclusion of the East African Campaign, the concluding organized Italian troops surrendered with military honors in Gondar while some Italian officers started a guerrilla war, mainly in Federal democratic republic of ethiopia and Eritrea.

In Europe, Mussolini wanted to imitate the rapid High german victories of 1939 to 1940. Mussolini began the Greco-Italian War by invading Greece from Republic of albania in Oct 1940. The advances of the Regal Regular army were blocked past the Greek Army and bad weather. Soon Greek counter-attacks forced the Italians onto the defensive within Albania. In March 1941, prior to the German invasion of Yugoslavia, the Italian Imperial Ground forces launched an offensive against the Greeks which ended with few meaningful gains and at loftier costs. A few weeks afterward the Axis forces of Deutschland, Italy, Republic of hungary and Bulgaria defeated in a few days the Yugoslavian army and invaded Greece. The Axis victory was swift: on April 17, 1941, Yugoslavia surrendered afterwards only eleven days, while Greece was fully occupied in May and was placed nether the triple occupation of Italian republic, Federal republic of germany and Republic of bulgaria.

German and Italian cooperation [edit]

After these setbacks, Mussolini accepted help from Hitler and the Purple Army was reinforced (and in some cases even trained to mod military tactics and organizations) past the powerful German Army. The Royal Army even started to receive better and more modern armaments from the Italian industry, after the pressures from Mussolini to actuate to the maximum the Italian "armed services".

The result was a combined German and Italian offensive during the spring and summer of 1941 throughout the entire Mediterranean area:

In the Balkans, the Italian Regal Regular army conquered coastal Yugoslavia and, together with the Germans, finally defeated the Greek Regular army which was comparatively aided by the British. On three May 1941, the Italian and German Armies held a armed services parade in Athens to celebrate their victory in the Balkans. In this parade, Mussolini for the first time boasted of an Italian Mare Nostrum, referring to the fact that the Mediterranean was condign an Italian-dominated sea. Finer, it remained practically Italian from December 1941, afterward the sinking of ii British battleships in Alexandria by the Italian frogmen of Luigi Durand De La Penne, until the landings of the Americans in Algeria (Performance Torch) in November 1942.
In N Africa, the Italian Majestic Army was joined past German Full general Erwin Rommel and his Afrika Korps. A combined German language and Italian force started a series of offensives and counter-offensives that culminated with the Axis victory of Gazala and Tobruk. By 1942, the Germans and Italians were driving towards Alexandria in Egypt.

Mussolini sent an Italian regular army confronting the Soviet Wedlock. In July 1941, the "Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia" (Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Russian federation, or CSIR) arrived and assisted with the German conquest of Ukraine. By 1942, Italian forces in the Soviet Spousal relationship were more than than doubled to go the "Italian Army in Russian federation" (Armata Italiana in Russia, or ARMIR). This army, also known as the Italian eighth Regular army," was deployed in the outskirts of Stalingrad where it was desperately mauled during the Boxing of Stalingrad.

In Nov 1942, with the inflow of the American Ground forces in the Maghreb, the Italian Royal Army occupied Corsica and the French Provence up to the Rhone river. This was the last war machine expansion of Italia.

Defeat [edit]

The Boxing of El Alamein, lasting from July to November 1942, was the turning point of the war for the Italian and British Army. As Churchill wrote in his Memories: "...earlier El Alamein we had only defeats, subsequently El Alamein we had just victories...". The Italian Royal Army fought this battle in a style that can exist summarized by the cede of the Division Folgore: the historian Renzo De Felice wrote that "...of the 5.000 "Folgore" paratroopers sent to Africa four months earlier, the survived were only 32 officers and 262 soldiers, almost of them wounded. Before the give up, they shot until the final ammo and the last hand-grenade...".^[12] Afterward the defeat at El Alamein, the Royal Ground forces lost Libya in a few months. Tunisia, but occupied together with the German Ground forces in November 1942, was lost in May 1943. In July 1943 Sicily was invaded past the Allies and on 8 September 1943 Italy signed the Armistice with the Allies.

Regular army of the Badoglio authorities [edit]

Because of the cluttered way the Armistice was done, the Italian Majestic Army (Regio Esercito) suffered a terrible crisis of leadership between September and Oct 1943. The German occupation of Italy and of Italian positions in the Balkans and elsewhere was swift and often violent. At that place were 73,277 casualties in those months. With King Victor Emmanuel III and Align Pietro Badoglio in command, the Royal Army entered the war on the side of the Allies. Fighting for what became known as the "Badoglio government," the Italian Co-Belligerent Army, the Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force, and the Italian Co-Argumentative Navy were formed. Mussolini organized a new Fascist ground forces in his "Italian Social Republic" (Repubblica Sociale Italiana, or RSI) in northern Italy. This army was chosen the National Republican Army (Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano, or ENR). While information technology lasted until April 1945, the RSI never amounted to being more than a puppet state of Nazi Germany.

Casualties [edit]

Nearly 4 million Italians served in the Italian Purple Ground forces during the 2d Globe War. Nearly one-half a million Italians (including civilians) died between June 1940 and May 1945. The Royal Army suffered 161,729 casualties between 10 June 1940 and 8 September 1943 in the war against the Allies. There were an boosted eighteen,655 Italian casualties in Italy (plus 54,622 Italian casualties in the rest of Europe) between September and October 1943. These casualties were suffered against the German language Army (Wehrmacht) after the Italian Armistice. There were well-nigh 12,000 casualties in the northern Italian guerrilla state of war (Guerra di Liberazione) and in the Italian Imperial Ground forces on the side of the Allies. Well-nigh 60,000 Italian POWs died in Nazi labour camps, while about 20,000 perished in Allied Prisoner of war camps (mainly Russian: 1/4 of the 84,830 Italians officially lost in the Soviet Union were taken prisoners, and most of them never returned home).

Divisions of the Purple Italian Army [edit]

Coat of Arms of the "Tridentina" Alpini Division

Ranks of the Royal Army during the 2nd World War [edit]

The Royal Regular army had its own set of ranks for all active service personnel.

Officers [edit]

Rank grouping	General/flag officers										Field/senior officers						Junior officers								Officer cadet
Italy
Italy	Maresciallo d'Italy		Generale d'Armata	Generale designato d'Armata	Generale di Corpo d'Armata		Generale di Divisione		Generale di Brigata		Colonnello Comandante	Colonnello	Tenente Colonnello		Maggiore		Primo capitano	Capitano	Primo Tenente		Tenente		Sottotenente		Aspirante

Special ranks

Soldiers, NCOs and warrant officers [edit]

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Italy									No equivalent														No equivalent												No insignia
Italy	Aiutante di battaglia		Maresciallo maggiore		Maresciallo Capo		Maresciallo Ordinario		No equivalent		Sergente Maggiore						Sergente						No equivalent				Caporal Maggiore		Caporale						Soldato

References [edit]

^ Regio Esercito: The Italian Majestic Army in Mussolini's Wars, 1935–1943, Patrick Cloutier, p. 211
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Mollo, p.83
^ Mollo, p.84
^ ^a ^b Mollo, p.86
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Mollo, p.87
^ Walker, p.62
^ Jarret, p.four
^ Comando Supremo: Italia at War – Carro P.40
^ http://www.comandosupremo.com/Semovente7518.html
^ http://www.wwiivehicles.com/italia/armored-cars/ab-xl-ab-41-ab-43.asp
^ pp. 270–271, Lamb
^ De Felice, p.115

Sources [edit]

De Felice, Renzo. Mussolini l'alleato: Italia in guerra (1940–1943). Mondadori Editore. Torino, 1990
Jarrett, Colonel M. B. (1971). West of Alamein. Northridge, California: Watch.
Jowett, Philip (2001). The Italian Ground forces 1940–45 (2): Africa 1940–43. Westminster, Md: Osprey. ISBN9781855328655.
Lamb, Richard. Mussolini as Diplomat
Mollo, Andrew (1981). The Armed services of Globe War Ii. New York: Crown. ISBN0-517-54478-4.
Rodogno, Davide. Il nuovo ordine mediterraneo. Le politiche di occupazione dell'Italia fascista (1940–1943). Nuova cultura ed. Torino, 2002
Walker, Ian W. (2006). Iron Hulls, Iron Hearts: Mussolini's Elite Armoured Divisions in North Africa. Wiltshire: Crowood Printing. ISBN1-86126-839-4.

External links [edit]

Official Homepage of the Italian Regular army (in Italian)
History and photos of World War II (in Italian)
Regio Esercito
Axis History Factbook – Regio Esercito
The German Loftier Control, reporting the repulse of desperate Russian counterattacks in the Donets Basin, credited Italian soldiers with throwing back the attackers
Berlin radio, credited on 10 Nov 1942 to Italian troops a repulse of a Russian endeavour to cross the Don River
Radio Rome report the capture of 300 British parachute soldiers past part of the Bersaglieri

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Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Italian_Army_during_World_War_II