Bersaglieri Keren OOB

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Hardrada55
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Bersaglieri Keren OOB

Post by Hardrada55 » 09 Jul 2021 20:39

Does anyone know the OOB for the Bersaglieri Battalion attached to the 11th Granatieri Regiment which fought so capably at Keren in 1941? Did it have two Bersaglieri companies or three? Was there a weapons company? Mortars? At this time I understand them as having a Command Company which consisted of a Command Platoon with a Supply squad and a Transport squad, a Signal Platoon with a Radio/Telephone squad and a Heliograph squad, and a Reconnaissance Platoon with three Recon squads (41 men). The Bersaglieri battalion with two Rifle Companies, each of which was composed of a Command Squad and three Bersaglieri Platoons, each Bersaglieri platoon had two squads, and a Machine Gun Platoon with 4 Hvy MGs, probably one Hvy MG in each of 4 squads. About 500 men? This is just my conjecture. Any help would be appreciated.

CogCalgary
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Re: Bersaglieri Keren OOB

Post by CogCalgary » 21 Sep 2022 03:11

Years back there was a website mentioning 200 British soldiers on a mountain road near Keren unexpectedly meeting a battalion of Bersaglieri,being outnumbered more than 2 to 1,about 500.The British apparently tried to shoot it out,resulting in 150 dead and white flags littering the ground.52 missing and never recovered.Some altered history going on with the Bersaglieri near Keren.

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Urmel
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Re: Bersaglieri Keren OOB

Post by Urmel » 22 Sep 2022 11:53

Citation required.
The enemy had superiority in numbers, his tanks were more heavily armoured, they had larger calibre guns with nearly twice the effective range of ours, and their telescopes were superior. 5 RTR 19/11/41

The CRUSADER Project - The Winter Battle 1941/42

CogCalgary
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Re: Bersaglieri Keren OOB

Post by CogCalgary » 22 Sep 2022 20:04

Disregard then.You aren't going to find it.Some member was talking about one of the Bersaglieri battalions history vanishing around Keren.No graves with this one,because there never were any graves.

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Ironmachine
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Re: Bersaglieri Keren OOB

Post by Ironmachine » 23 Sep 2022 06:55

Urmel wrote:Citation required.
I think CogCalgary is talking about this:
There was likely some official rewriting of history surrounding events in and around Keren.
One battalion was not at Keren very long
There was an atrocity involving 200 British soldiers on a mountain road.52 men were never located .150 dead with white flags littering the ground apparently.

[...]
What is the source of your information?
The man himself and his daughter to whom I was married to for 28 years.I don't know which battalion,I just know they were not there for very long.The British tried to shoot it out despite being outnumbered.She filled in the details.
Source: https://comandosupremo.com/forums/index ... #post-3801
As you can see, just hearsay with no evidence to support it.

CogCalgary
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Re: Bersaglieri Keren OOB

Post by CogCalgary » 23 Sep 2022 08:47

About 15 -20 years ago it was on a British run site of little known war events.I just happen to know by the number of men and the graphic description of what happened and the reason they were never located.Now who was it here that mentioned that the history of one of these Bersaglieri formations had vanished?Lots of hard feelings surrounding Keren at this time.

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Urmel
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Re: Bersaglieri Keren OOB

Post by Urmel » 23 Sep 2022 08:51

Ironmachine wrote:
23 Sep 2022 06:55
As you can see, just hearsay with no evidence to support it.
This stuff always ends that way, doesn't it?
The enemy had superiority in numbers, his tanks were more heavily armoured, they had larger calibre guns with nearly twice the effective range of ours, and their telescopes were superior. 5 RTR 19/11/41

The CRUSADER Project - The Winter Battle 1941/42

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Ironmachine
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Re: Bersaglieri Keren OOB

Post by Ironmachine » 23 Sep 2022 12:08

Urmel wrote:This stuff always ends that way, doesn't it?
You bet! :D

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