Sturmbataillon Forlí

[Peter H]

Has anyone got details on this RSI formation?

Some photos of this formation can be viewed here: http://www.comandosupremo.com/forum/vie ... =13&t=6343

[zagreb29]

Btg. Forli was originally a ground crew for an Italian,(RSI) fighter squadron in late 1944. But since this squadron was on the "waiting list" for actual planes they decided to fight the enemy on the ground. More specifically the Gothic Line.

Zagreb29

[Peter H]

Hi Zagreb29

Thanks.Much appreciated.

Peter

[zagreb29]

No problem. I'm actually planning on reenacting that unit. When doing some googling on more photos I saw your post on this forum.
I am a hardcore RSI nut and am constantlt on Commando Supremo. There is a book set out of Italy I bought callet GLI ULTIMI IN GRIGIOVERDE or THE LAST MEN OF FIELD GREY in Italian. The book is just photos and articles on RSI units.

Most pictures of Forli just show their helmets but their caps were mostly the beret and sometimes the M-42 bustina was worn as well. Their rectangle collar tabs were red and was a applied a jollyroger w/dagger in teeth applied on the tab. The cap insignia varies. Most of the soldier wore an embroidered patch of an eagle clutching a sword with the wore "Italia" on the sword and then it was surrounded by wreath on etiher side of the eagle. This was the official insignia but there are photos of officers and men wearing "Brigate Nere" style jollyroger metal badges on their caps as well.
The trousers were Italian "grigioverde" wool M-41. The tunics were mostly the M-41 wool collarless "Sahariana" grigioverde. This is the basic uniform but in the RSI there were units that basically looked all the same and others that could'nt have it all. "Forli" was one of the units that could'nt have it all. I have seen an Italian windbreaker worn and a German M-42 tunic! German uniforms on Italians are rare believe it or not. (Even for RSI).

The weapons they use were a mix of Italian and German. Because they were attached to a "Heer",(I think the 715 Infantrie Div.? Don't quote me on that lol), they were given a lot of K-98s and MG-15s. For sub machine guns the MAB '38 was it. MP-40s were a no-no in the RSI for the most part. Two months ago, for the first time I saw newsreel footage of the "Italia"Bergsalieri Div fighting on the Gothic Line against British soldiers. Two men were using MP-40s. I thought I had seen it all but I guess not. Still, on a whole the MAN was the choice of the Italian soldier.

[zagreb29]

Peter H.

I must make a correction in an aspect of the origins of Battaglione Forli. I wrote previously that it was started by a fighter squadron ground crew. Well, this is false, my apologies. It was actually started by a number of Brigate Nere units in Augest of '44,(one of these brigades being the XXV “Arturo Capanni"). Most of these "Brigate Nere" units that started Btg. Forli were from the Tuscany region. Later in early 1945 there would be a lot of ex RSI Air Force ground crews volunteering to join Forli. In fact in March the command was taken over by Lt. Pier Vittorio Ricardi ,(who was himself an ex-fighter pilot).
The battalion was attached to the "Heer" 278 Infantry Division and got it's name from the city of where it originated,(Forli,Italy). Before the RSI the Italian army mostly named it's divisions after Italian cities. And most of the time the division's members were from that particular city as well. In the RSI it was carried over but a lot of the names of the divisions were just carried over into the new government. In the RSI though, sometimes names of units had different styles of how it was named. For example Battaglione "Lupo",("Wolf") of the Decima MAS was named after a Italian naval destroyer and so was Battaglione "Fulmine" which was another unit of the Decima MAS. For the "Brigate Nere" they named their unit after fallen fascists like "Ettore Muti di Milano".(Ettore Muti was a Black shirt who was also a fighter pilot.)
One of the interesting things about Btg."Forli" front line fighting on the Gothic Line was that in addtion to to fighting variety of Allied units it actually fought Italian soldier of the Badaglio Government! (Italians who volunteered to fight with the Allies.) For myself, I have always wanted to know how that part of the front line acted as apposed to any other sector of the Gothic Line.

[Peter H]

Thanks.No problem.

A difficult unit to find any information on as it is,so your further research is appreciated.

[zagreb29]

No problem on posting information. I'm a hardcore lover a the late war Italian front,(both on and behind the Gothic Line). I mostly post this stuff on the Cammando Supremo forum but when scrolling down to look at Croat info I saw a posting for info on "Forli". But it's even more funny because as I think I mentioned it before I am reenacting "Forli" in May,2010.
But anyway yeah, it never hurts to help answer questions when you can.

"Sposi Della Vita Amanti della Morte",("Married In Life Lovers In Death"). The motto of Btg. "Forli".

[Merobaudes]

Hi.
Maybe you have already seen them, but I just remember I' happened to find a few pictures of "Forlì" battalion on this page:
http://www.soldatinionline.it/english/A ... a-RSI.html

They are mixed with other pictures of RSI soldiers.
AFAIK, "Forlì" was not the only RSI battalion fighting against italians belonging to the Badoglio's army; the same thing happened to NP battalion of X Mas that, in April 1945, was opposed to the italian Group "Cremona" on the Gothic line in Comacchio lagoon, near the Adriatic coast.
See: M. Bozza, "90 uomini in fila..."
Best.
Carlo.

[zagreb29]

Hello Carlo,

I have seen this photo of "Forli". It's a very interesting unit. Although, I could think of a few more units I am more curious about.

I have heard of "Badoglio" Italians soldiers fighting on different front lines,(the Gustav Line at Monte Cassino being their most important) but the first I read of Italiani vs. Italiani was reading about "Forli".

One of things I do not understand about a lot of RSI units,(including "Forli") is the gear! If you look at "Forli" pictures all the men seem to be armed with a German or Italian rifle and of course the MAB '38. But Most of them do NOT wear ammo pouches. I have seen some pictures of "Forll" with the 5-magazine pouch "samuri"vest who are armed with MAB '38s. The soldiers with the rifles have either a German belt or an Italian single-clawed belt buckle one. So where did they put their ammo? In their pockets?

Zagreb

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[Merobaudes]

Sorry, I know almost nothing about the gear.
I can only say that I happened to read that a machine - gunner of X Mas used to go around with one magazine of Breda 37 in a pocket of his uniform in case ammunition carriers were not available (or when their ammo - boxes where empty during the military drill).
So, maybe they used to put ammo in their pockets even when they brought lighter arms as rifles or Mab 38.
Just a guess, of course.
Best.
Carlo.

[zagreb29]

Carlo!

That's amazing you say that cause you are not the only one that has said that to me. One of me good friends said the same thing but also added that carried a "fast-loader" that was hung off their belts. If you look through photos of battalions of the Decima you can see a lot of marines who have an MAB '38 with no pouches BUT they have that little fast-loader thing hanging off the belt. It's a small black box-shaped device.

Here's another interesting concept I have heard about with RSI memebers who where issues the MAB '38: although it has two triggers for both semi-auto and full-auto the function of it was to be used as a semi auto carbine,(like the American Garrand). It would make a lot of sense especially with seeing some whole platoons equipped with MAB '38s and NO MAGAZINE POUCHES. But I still need an answer for men who issued Carcanos. I'm assuming they too also put the ammo in their pockets. (I wish I could talk to RSI veterans about this and much more.)

Thanks,

Zagreb,(Mike)