Legione Parini 1935-36.

[tigre]

Hello to all ; An interesting topic to discuss and complement ......................................

Legione Parini dei Fasci Italiani all'Estero 1935-36.

Origins.

Between 1935 and 1936 seven divisions of Blackshirts (CC.NN.) were formed with a total force, in the 62 mobilized battalions, of 115,000 men of all ranks. Black shirts provided most of the ground forces in the Italo-Ethiopian war, with about 97,500 men of all ranks from a total of 168,000 Italian soldiers sent to Italian East Africa. Five CC.NN. divisions, each with three legions of two battalions, were deployed in Eritrea, while the sixth, deployed in Italian Somalia, consisted mainly of volunteers, including italians from abroad, arditi and mutilated veterans of World War I and students. The seventh division was deployed in Libya as a reserve.

Despite its reactionary nature, fascism was embraced by many Italians living outside Italy. Those who had pro-Mussolini orientation were not ideologically characterized; Rather, his appreciation of Il Duce was framed in a kind of nostalgic nationalism that identified Mussolini as a redeemer of the homeland. Among those who fought in Ethiopia were a group of Italian volunteers from abroad who enlisted in the Legion Parini dei fasci italiani all'estero.

In Rome on August 6, 1935, less than a month before the start of operations, a military communiqué was issued, which among other things reported that: "The formation of a sixth Division of Black Shirts, consisting of Italian volunteers from abroad and with battalions composed of amputees, veterans and former volunteers arditi of the Great War. This division will be called Tevere (Tiber) and will be commanded by General Boscardi. The units of the division were the 219. Legion CCNN; 220. Legion CCNN; 221. Legion CCNN and 321. Legion CCNN. With its four legioni, the 6º Division "Tevere" counted on 456 officers and 14,111 from other ranks. The motto of the division was "Molti nemici, molto onore" (Many enemies, much honor).

Recruitment in Argentina.

Italians living in Argentina were also asked to volunteer in the campaign in East Africa. This Italian imperialist project convulsed like no other cause to the Italian community in Argentina. Men who had nothing to do with fascism joined the initiative of Mussolini, as others showed their total rejection. The Italian-Argentine Community recruited a contingent of volunteers to participate in the campaign of Ethiopia, composed of more than seven hundred men who left in four successive waves. The case of Argentina was not unique, in Brazil the number of volunteers was larger and even more so in French Africa.

From the port of Buenos Aires the four contingents of volunteers set out during the months of October and November of 1935. The trip was made on board the Augustus on October 1st, with Oceania on the 11th and with the Conte Grande on the 18th. The fourth contingent departed on November 19 once Augustus had returned from Europe. The departure of these men, mostly Italians and some sons of immigrants, eager to fight for the land of their parents, was a particularly moving source of greetings in the port of Buenos Aires. The volunteers were not just residents of Buenos Aires. Some Italians also came from more distant points like Mendoza, Rosario and Cordoba. After a few hours from the sail, the boat stopped in Montevideo Uruguay, where came aboard the Italian volunteers of Uruguay. After a few days of navigation, volunteers from Rio de Janeiro were also on board, where the number to count was even greater.

Sources: War and Ethnicity. War and Ethnicity. https://www.google.com/culturalinstitut ... mskv1fTeLA
Italian Blackshirt 1935–45. Pier Paolo Battistelli, Piero Crociani.
http://hemeroteca.abc.es/nav/Navigate.e ... 4/050.html
http://www.regioesercito.it/reparti/mvsn/tevere.htm
http://www.wikiwand.com/it/Piero_Parini
Mussolini's National Project in Argentina. David Aliano
http://www.mymilitaria.it/liste/221LegioneMVSN.htm
http://www.regioesercito.it/reparti/mvsn/volarg.htm

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more......................................

Legione Parini dei Fasci Italiani all'Estero 1935-36.

In the Theater of Operations.

On December 13, 1935, the Division was inspected by S.M. the king. On December 14, from Naples, aboard the steamer "Sardegna" began its transfer to the AOI, landing in Mogadishu on December 29, 1935. From the earliest days of January, it concentrated on the fortified camp in Mogadishu, and began a cycle of exercises and training in spite of the torrid climate. The use of this division was not of an organic character, but served to set up several motorized columns for use on the Somali front.

The Italo-Argentine contingent began arriving in Italy from October 17. The first wave, embarked on the Augustus, arrived with 450 men among the volunteers of Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil. At Mogadishu, Italian Somalia neighboring Ethiopia, arrived in early December 1935 to reinforce the Tevere Division. They camped there, and passed under the direct orders of Piero Parini, a legendary fascist officer of Mussolini and veteran of the Great War. The volunteers waited four months in Mogadishu before they could be taken to battle. It is possible that this delay was due not only to the time needed to organize and train the division, but to a mobility problem, as the volunteers participated in the campaign only when a large number of United States trucks were on hand for their transport. The vehicles were donated by the Italian community of that country.

While some volunteers continued to arrive from Italy, the situation in Argentina evolved in parallel with both anti-Italian and pro-Italian propaganda. Already several months before the beginning of the military operations, the antifascist left began to promote opinion against the Italian intervention in Ethiopia. Within and outside the community, conferences, meetings and new antifascist fronts were organized. The "Committee of Italians Abroad against the War of Abyssinia" organized an act of considerable proportions during the first week of October in response to the first Italian operations in Ethiopia. Twenty thousand people rushed to Plaza Italia in Buenos Aires to protest due to the fascist invasion.

On the other hand, the fascist-friendly Italian associations tried to stir up public opinion in favor of intervention. It was to propagate the idea that Abyssinia was a patriotic cause and of the Italian people. In addition to the volunteers and actions already mentioned, a Committee for Italy was organized, which published the statements of several newspapers in defense of the Italian cause and against the sanctions promoted by the League of Nations. Conferences were also held at the permanent consulates to explain the details and background of the Italian campaign in Abyssinia. Just enough was to read the Italian newspaper to get an idea of ​​the mobilization caused by this problem. It seemed clear that a mass meeting could not be achieved like the antifascists did. In the (Italian-Argentinean) community fascism continued to be a minority, although more respectable than that of the previous decade.

As we have said, who was in charge of the contingent of "Fascists of the Stranger" ("fasci all'estero") was Piero Parini. In Ethiopia, his unit was called "Legion Parini" and militarily it was integrated in the Division "Tevere" under the name of 221º Legion. In April of 1936 this unit was ready to go to the battle with the limitations of a contingent that included mutilated of the Great War, Italian older men and far from its land and the military arts. In fact, the campaign had already been defined in favor of the Italians for some time. However, earlier this month they were given orders to prepare to take part in a general offensive that would be launched from southern Abyssinia. The south front was calm, except the advance along the Juba and Ganale Doria, until April of 1936, moment in which the great offensive action towards Harrar began.

Sources: War and Ethnicity. War and Ethnicity. https://www.google.com/culturalinstitut ... mskv1fTeLA
Italian Blackshirt 1935–45. Pier Paolo Battistelli, Piero Crociani.
http://hemeroteca.abc.es/nav/Navigate.e ... 4/050.html
http://www.regioesercito.it/reparti/mvsn/tevere.htm
http://www.wikiwand.com/it/Piero_Parini
Mussolini's National Project in Argentina. David Aliano
http://www.mymilitaria.it/liste/221LegioneMVSN.htm
http://www.regioesercito.it/reparti/mvsn/volarg.htm

Cheers. Raúl M .

[zaptiè]

The first photo is non related to 221 legion : the uniforms is for special MVSN unit like high way police or forestal militia.

[tigre]

Hello to all ; thanks zaptiè . More......................................

Legione Parini dei Fasci Italiani all'Estero 1935-36.

The offensive of Ogaden.

On April 16, the Luogotenente Generale Vernè was given the command of a Indigenous column autotransportable which took part in the entire offensive of Ogaden, occupying Harrar on May 8, 1936. The other columns that participated in the Battle of Ogaden (14- 30 of April of 1936) were the following: the central column, under the command of the General Frusci, with the 221º Legion CC.NN. Italians abroad (under the command of Consul Parini) along the route Gorrahei-Gabredarre-Sassabaneh-Dagabur (213 Km). The right column under the command of Luogotenente Generale Agostini, which included a cohort of the Forest Militia and the "Curtatone and Montanara" Battalion (University) along the route Gherlogubi-Afdub-Udder-Ado-Curati-Bullalè-Dagabur (260 Km).

On April 24 the Frusci column fought relentlessly throughout the day gaining the first enemy positions in Hamanlei and the 221st Legion, had its baptism of fire. The Parini Legion formed in the center, while the others were Arab and Somali units fighting for Italy. An Italian general referred in this way to the actions:

 "The resistance of the enemy was bloody, a determined attack rejected them towards the pit of Birgod, fortified reinforced position, that formed the outpost of the main line of defense of Hamanlei.In the 24th, the assaults happened to the assaults; The well-concealed caves provided a safe shelter, and the numerous machine guns at the disposal of the Abyssinians allowed them to keep our courageous units at bay. During the night, after a last counter-offensive attempt, the defense retreated to the trenches and caves of the main position. In the early morning of the 25th, General Frusci ordered the batteries of 65 to be advanced to 300 meters from the enemy and, after a violent fire action, the units of the central sector, composed of Arabs and Somali were to the assault..... "

Then there was a great deal of casualties among the Somali Arabs who fought into close combat. According to the report, the Parini Legion participated in the fight accusing a single loss. Finally, the fortified position of Hamanlei was captured on April 25. This was a litmus test for the Parini Legion.

On April 29, the "fasci all'estero" in Abyssinia devoted themselves to pursuing the retreating enemy. The most difficult aspect of the struggle was perhaps to have to fight in a swampy terrain flooded by the rains of a storm. With no other resistance, other places were captured before the advance of the various Italian units. The next few days, the legion continued to advance, and the biggest problem was the land and the climate.For May 9, 1936, the Parini Legion finally Arrived in Dire Dawa.

The legion had five dead throughout the campaign. The largest contingent arrived in Buenos Aires in December 1936. Evidently the Italo-Argentine volunteers had been part of a unit that had been more useful to fascist propaganda than it really was on the battlefield. However, volunteers had to cope with the rigors of climate, land and a hostile geography, leaving their homes and loved ones to honor a cause they considered patriotic.

Sources: War and Ethnicity. War and Ethnicity. https://www.google.com/culturalinstitut ... mskv1fTeLA
Italian Blackshirt 1935–45. Pier Paolo Battistelli, Piero Crociani.
http://hemeroteca.abc.es/nav/Navigate.e ... 4/050.html
http://www.regioesercito.it/reparti/mvsn/tevere.htm
http://www.wikiwand.com/it/Piero_Parini
Mussolini's National Project in Argentina. David Aliano
http://www.mymilitaria.it/liste/221LegioneMVSN.htm
http://www.regioesercito.it/reparti/mvsn/volarg.htm

Cheers. Raúl M .

[Sid Guttridge]

Hi Guaporense,

The Tevere Division was essentially a propagando construction throughout. Apart from the overseas Italians, it included units of WWI veterans and students.

Perhaps most importantly, it shows that there was some scope for the Italians to recruit from their large diaspora in Latin America duiring WWII, but few, if any, seem to have managed to penetrate the British blockade. I have heard of none.

Similarly, the number of Germans from Latin America who joined the Wehrmacht in WWII was very small - in the low single figures for the Waffen-SS and two known Luftwaffe pilots, if I recall. There seem to have been far more German-Brazilian pilots and soldiers who served against Germany in Italy in WWII than joined the Wehrmacht

Cheers,

Sid.