Italian armoured regiments

[yantaylor]

Hi everyone.
I have been working with a number of excellent posters on this forum and at the moment I am researching Italian divisions during WW2.
This morning I was going through the three armoured divisions and I wondered if anyone can help me with the three armoured regiments which where included in these divisions.

I have dated them circa 1942 and here is what I have so far;

31º Reggimento Carristi
• 14º Battaglione Carri M (M13/40)
• 15º Battaglione Carri M (M14/41)
• 17º Battaglione Carri M (M14/41)

132º Reggimento Carristi
• 8º Battaglione Carri M (M13)
• 9º Battaglione Carri M (M13)
• 10º Battaglione Carri M (M13)

133º Reggimento Carristi
• 4º Battaglione Carri
• 12º Battaglione Carri
• 51º Battaglione Carri
• Compagnia Cannoni Contraerei ?????????????????

You can see that data is missed from the 132nd and 133rd, mainly tanks, as I didn't know which models they had, especially when you take in to consideration things like losses and replacements.
But this is a great place to start and I hope we can fill in the missing data.

Best Wishes
Yan.

[David W]

Hello Yan.

I am away from my records until Friday. If no-one has answered you by then, I'll fill in the gaps.

Kind Regards,
David.

[yantaylor]

Thank you very much David.

Cheers
Yan.

[yantaylor]

One thing I cannot translate with google is the Italian terms;
Artieri
Fotoelettricisti

If I would hazard a guess then I would say;
Specialist
Photography

But I thought Genio was the word for specialist and why would a combat unit have a photography section.

Regards
Yan.

[Ironmachine]

I'm not an expert, but AFAIK...
Genio means "engineer", as in "engineer troops".
Artieri are non-combat engineers, charged mainly with construction and maintenance works.
Fotoelettricisti were troops that operated searchlights.
Hope that helps.

[yantaylor]

Thanks IM, that does help.

I asked a while agao about divisional insignia for Italian divisions, but none could be found for both the Libyan and airborne divisions, especially the 80th airlanding. But I have found this little painting about African units in the service of the Italian army and if you look a the ones on the right hand side you see the word Libya and insignia underneath, are these the Insignia of the 1st and 2nd Libyan divisions?

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[Phaing]

What did a Company of CV/35 look like in 1940?

I have heard a few foolish things, such as a platoon of Flamethrowers for ever company... that's just crazy.
But a good mix of twin-MG tanks, 13.2mm heavies and maybe a 20mm Solothurn might be too much to ask for.

On a side note, could a 45mm Brixia 'mortar' have been mounted there? Since it was a breach-loader, it seems like an easy conversion.

[jwsleser]

I believe the diagrams are for the colonial waist bands worn by the African troops, not mostrini.

[Urmel]

I'm not an expert, but AFAIK...
Genio means "engineer", as in "engineer troops".
Artieri are non-combat engineers, charged mainly with construction and maintenance works.
Fotoelettricisti were troops that operated searchlights.
Hope that helps.

Sure it's searchlights and not the light-based communication system?

http://www.la6nca.net/tysk2/lispr/

The Italians fielded that as well.

[Ironmachine]

Sure it's searchlights and not the light-based communication system?

http://www.la6nca.net/tysk2/lispr/

The Italians fielded that as well.

Well, I'm fairly sure that Fotoelettricisti operated searchlights, but they could also have operated those devices you talk about. As I said, I'm not an expert.
However, I can't see in your link any reference to Italian use of those devices.
Can you provide some further information about that?

[Urmel]

I've got an equipment list of an Italian garrison in 1941 that contains these.

[jwsleser]

References:
Personale e materiali per i collegamenti nelle minori unità (1934)
Manuale per l'ufficiale frequentatore dell'I.S. di G. parte quarta Segni convenzionali ed abbreviazioni 1935

Fotoelettricisti = searchlights
Fototelegrafica = light signaling systems

There are multiple types of Genio (engineers)
Artieri - construction. Prewar did everything, but were not seen as combat troops. Fanti would do the work on the front lines with the genio in support
Idrici -water drilling/distribution
Arresto - combat. Didn't exist pre-war as fanti would execute this role. Created during the war. Perform the barrier mission i.e. mines, ditches, fortifications, barb wire, etc.
Pontieri - bridge
Fotoelettricisti - searchlight
Ferriveri - railway
Fotografi - Photography
Guastatori - assault. Didn't exist pre-war as fanti would execute this role. Created during the war as the need for assault engineers was identified

Collegamento - coordination/communications - function executed by engineers.
Radiotelegrafisti - radio
Telegrafisti - telegraph
Teleferisti - telephone
Fototelegrafica - light signaling

Pista! Jeff

[Urmel]

Thanks Jeff.

Article on the Guastatori in North Africa here:

https://rommelsriposte.com/2016/01/24/x ... -crusader/

[zaptiè]

" teleferisti" non mean thelephone( "telefonisti" ) but cableway specialists!

[jwsleser]

Thanks! I will check this tonight. The teleferisti are the ones that install and operate the phone system. I will see if the R.E. has telephone units (reparti telefonisti) as separate from teleferisti.

Pista! Jeff