Italian Order of Battle in Ethiopia 1935-36 and Spain 1936-3

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JLEES
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Italian Order of Battle in Ethiopia 1935-36 and Spain 1936-3

#1

Post by JLEES » 15 Aug 2002, 14:05

Does anyone know the Italian OOB (regiments and divisions) for Ethiopia 1935-6 and Spain 1936-39? This information is hard to find.
James

Octavianus
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Italian Order of Battle, Abyssinia 1935-1936

#2

Post by Octavianus » 15 Aug 2002, 18:15

Ave JLEES,

Here's the Italian OOB for Abyssinia 1935-1936. Only divisions I am afraid, because I have "keine Lust" to write down all the regiments right now, therefore you yourselve will have to track down the regiments :lol: It shouldn't be too difficult.

Northern Front (Eritrea & Northern Ethiopia):
* 1st Italian Army Corps
- 26th Infantry Division "Assietta"
- 30th Infantry Division "Sabauda"
- 5th Alpine Division "Pusteria"
- 4th Black Shirts Division "3 Gennaio"

* 2nd Italian Army Corps
- 19th Infantry Division "Gavinana"
- 24th Infantry Division "Gran Sasso"
- 3rd Black Shirts Division "21 Aprile"

* 3rd Italian Army Corps
- 27th Infantry Division "Sila"
- 1st Black Shirts Division "23 Marzo"

* 4th Italian Army Corps
- 5th Infantry Division "Cosseria"
- 2nd Black Shirts Division "28 Ottobre"
- 5th Black Shirts Division "1 Febbrai"

* Eritrean Army Corps
- 1st Eritrean Colonial Division
- 2nd Eritrean Colonial Division

Southern Front (Somalia & Southern Ethiopia)
- 29th Infantry Division "Peloritana"
- Libyan Infantry Division
- 6th Black Shirts Division "Tevere"
plus other Italian and colonial auxiliary forces, including the Somali feudal army of the Somali Sultan of Olol Dinle

I also have somewhere the Italian OOB for Spain 1936-1939, but cannot find it right now. Try to ask people at: http://www.comandosupremo.com

Hope this helps,

Octavianus

Post Scriptum
Maybe our Slovene colleagues, Oberst Michael, Mark V. and MaPen, will find interesting the information that Infantry Divisions "Sabauda" and "Peloritana" included a large percentage of Slovenes. :D
Actually would be much grateful to anyone of you, guys, if anyone of you could provide me with any personal testimonials of any Slovene veteran that fought as Italian soldier in Abyssinia. I have met one some years ago, but he passed away shortly afterwards, before I have an opportunity to speak with him.:cry:


JLEES
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Italian OOB

#3

Post by JLEES » 15 Aug 2002, 18:26

Octavianus,
WOW! Thats great information! Thanks I'll have to save this into my computer too. Many thanks,
James

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Italian Order of Battle, Abyssinia & Spanish Civil War

#4

Post by Octavianus » 15 Aug 2002, 23:09

Ave JLEES,

Here is once again my reply to your question with some updates plus Spanish Order of Battle:

ITALIAN ORDER OF BATTLE, ABYSSINIA 1935-1936

Northern Front (Eritrea & Northern Ethiopia):
GOC: General Emilio di Bono, soon afterwards replaced by General Pietro Badoglio
* 1st Italian Army Corps
- 26th Infantry Division "Assietta"
- 30th Infantry Division "Sabauda"
- 5th Alpine Division "Pusteria"
- 4th Black Shirts Division "3 Gennaio"

* 2nd Italian Army Corps
- 19th Infantry Division "Gavinana"
- 24th Infantry Division "Gran Sasso"
- 3rd Black Shirts Division "21 Aprile"

* 3rd Italian Army Corps
- 27th Infantry Division "Sila"
- 1st Black Shirts Division "23 Marzo"

* 4th Italian Army Corps
- 5th Infantry Division "Cosseria"
- 2nd Black Shirts Division "28 Ottobre"
- 5th Black Shirts Division "1 Febbrai"

* Eritrean Army Corps
- 1st Eritrean Colonial Division
- 2nd Eritrean Colonial Division

Southern Front (Somalia & Southern Ethiopia)
GIC: General Rodolfo Graziani
- 29th Infantry Division "Peloritana"
- Libyan Infantry Division
- 6th Black Shirts Division "Tevere" plus other minor Italian and colonial auxiliary forces, including the Somali feudal army of the
Somali Sultan of Olol Dinle.

ITALIAN ORDER OF BATTLE, SPANISH CIVIL WAR 1936-1939

In early 1936, the first elements of the newly formed Italian Volunteer Corps (Corpo Truppe Volontarie) of some 50,000 men under General Mario Roatta disembarked in the port of Cadiz, at the southern tip of Spain. The corps was made up of three CCNN divisions, one motorised division and some other minor auxiliary units:
- 1st Black Shirts Division "Dio lo Vuole"
- 2nd Black Shirts Division "Fiamme Nere"
- 3rd Black Shirts Division "Penne Nere"
- Motorised Division "Littorio" under Major-General Gervasio Bitossi, accompanied by 60 light tanks and some armored cars
- Battle Gruppe " XXIII Marzo" plus some mixed Italian-Spanish divisions/brigades like for example "Frecce Nere" and "Frecce Azuri".

For more information and the more exact Order of Battle, please check the follwoing websites:
Comando Supremo/www.comandosupremo.com
Spanish Civil War/http://www.guerracivil1936.galeon.com/
click the "EL EJÉRCITO NACIONAL" link
WWII Armies/http://www.geocities.com/kumbayaaa/itroyarmy.html
Try to mail any of these webmasters, as they seem they could give you a more detailed, and above all much more quicker reply than I can at this moment. :| Sorry, but I really don't have right now time to dig up my piles of boxes to look for more accurate OOBs.
Also Lupo Solitario from Italy or any other contributors from Italy might help you more.

Hope this helps.

Gratia,

Octavianus

JLEES
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ITALIAN ORDER OF BATTLES

#5

Post by JLEES » 15 Aug 2002, 23:27

Octavianus,
Again, many thanks for your wonderful information.
James

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Oberst Mihael
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#6

Post by Oberst Mihael » 16 Aug 2002, 01:09

Octavianus I have to ask, where do you get all that amazing info?

Octavianus
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Italians in Ethiopia

#7

Post by Octavianus » 16 Aug 2002, 18:21

Ave James & Oberst Michael,

Glad you like my info. As I said,, try to contact some of the people whose URL's I gave to you. I am also sure Lupo Solitario will be able to give you more details
Octavianus I have to ask, where do you get all that amazing info?
Well, I reckon this comes with many years of research, hard work and with a love I have for history.

By the way: Interesting, very well-designed site you have. Are you employed in the Slovenian armed forces? Tell me, has Slovene public already turn in favour for entrance to NATO or are you still against it? :D :D

I could never fully understand why Slovenia does not re-organized its army into regiments which could then continue the tradition of the famous Slovene regiments (17. IR, 2. GSR, 87. IR, 97. IR...) from World War I era ?!?!

Gratia,

Octavianus

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asiaticus
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Italian Army OOB of the Ethiopian Conquest 1935-1936

#8

Post by asiaticus » 28 Mar 2006, 03:27

Here is a post from the Commando Supremo website forum:

http://comandosupremo.com/forum/viewfor ... deecbec60f

from someone called " vzita " Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2003 7:37 am
I saved it and it was lost on the website when they had some website problems some time ago.
This post, seems pretty detailed and is sourced:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Italian Army OOB of the Ethiopian Conquest 1935-1936
vzita Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2003 7:37 am

I would like to make some precise statements on the Italian Army OOB of the Ethiopian Conquest 1935-1936:

it is necessary to insert the presence of the Superior Command

ERITREA (Fronte nord)
COMANDO SUPERIORE A.O. (to see the note)

24a Divisione fanteria Gran Sasso (Adi Ugri-Quala zone)
27a Divisione fanteria Sila (upcoming from Italy)
4a Divisione CC.NN. 3 Gennaio (currently still in Italy)
5a Divisione CC.NN. 1 Febbraio (currently still in Italy)
6a Divisione CC.NN. Tevere (currently still in Italy)
Gr. Btg granatieri, alpini e guardia di finanza (upcoming from Italy)
tre Btg d'assalto (currently still in Italy)
7° raggruppamento da 149/13 (currently still in Italy)
7° Gr. da 77/28 autocarrellato
Unità del Genio del C.S.A.O. (Comando Superiore A.O.)
Aviazione da bombardamento, da ricognizione strategica e da caccia (Bombardment aviation, from strategic recognition and from hunting)

I CORPO D'ARMATA

26a Divisione fanteria Assietta
5a Divisione alpina Pusteria
30a Divisione fanteria Sabauda
4a Divisione CC.NN. 3 Gennaio
X e XV Btg indigeni (eritrean colonial troop)
Banda dello Scimezana (native troop)
5° Gr. squadroni c.v.
3° Gr. 77/28 autotrainato
5° Gr. da 105/28 autotrainato
Comando artiglieria da posizione Agamé
Comandi I-VII-XI gruppi da posizione
Btr. da posizione:
- 1a indigena da 70/15; (eritrean colonial troop)
- 13a-17a-18a-21a-28a da 77/28;
- 6a da 120/25;
- 27a da 105/28
Unità del Genio del I Corpo d'Armata A.O.
Squadriglia libica aeroplani R.T. (lybian airplanes Squadron R.T.)

II CORPO D'ARMATA

19a Divisione fanteria Gavinana
24a Divisione fanteria Gran Sasso
3a Divisione CC.NN. 21 Aprile
Gr. Bande altopiano (bande del Seraé, di Cheren e dello Hamasien) (native troop)
10° squadrone c.v.
Comando raggruppamento artiglieria da 100/17
1° e 2° Gr. da 100/17 autotrainati
1° Gr. da 77/28 autotrainato
4° Gr. da 77/28 autocarrellato
Comando Artiglieria da posizione del Tigrai occidentale (eritrean colonial troop)
Comandi IX-XIII e XX Gr. da posizione
Btr. da posizione:
- 19a indigena da 70/15; (eritrean colonial troop)
- 25a da 70/15;
- 30a-31a-32a-34a-35a-36a-41a da 77/28;
- 12a da 104/32;
- 5a da 120/25
Unità del Genio del II Corpo d'Armata A.O.
118a squadriglia aeroplani R.T. (118a lybian airplanes Squadron R.T.)

III CORPO D'ARMATA (to see the note)

27a Divisione fanteria Sila
1a Divisione CC.NN. 23 Marzo

IV CORPO D'ARMATA (to see the note)

5a Divisione fanteria Cosseria
2a Divisione CC.NN. 28 Ottobre
5a Divisione CC.NN. 1 Febbraio

CORPO D'ARMATA ERITREO (eritrean colonial troop)

1a Divisione Eritrea
2a Divisione Eritrea (meno X e XXV Btg indigeni)
1° Gr. Btg CC.NN. dell'Eritrea
Banda dell'Hassamò (native troop)
6° Gr. squadroni c.v. (meno uno squadrone)
Gr. squadroni cavalleria indigena
2° Gr. da 77/28 autotrainato
3° Gr. da 100/17 autotrainato
comando Artiglieria da posizione del Tigrai orientale
Comandi VI e XVIII gruppi da posizione
Btr. da posizione:
- 4a indigena da 70/15;
- 15a e 18a indigena da 77/28;
- 26a da 77/28;
- 4a da 120/25
Unità del Genio del Corpo d'Armata Eritreo
34a squadriglia aeroplani R.T. (34a lybian airplanes Squadron R.T.)

DALLA SOMALIA (Fronte sud)

29a Divisione fanteria Peloritana
Divisione Libia (libyan colonial troop)
- 1° Regg. fanteria libica (II e III Btg)
- 2° Regg. fanteria libica (IV e V Btg)
- 3° Regg. fanteria libica (VII e IX Btg)
- X Btg libico
- 1° Regg. artiglieria libica
6a Divisione CC.NN. Tevere
7a Divisione CC.NN. Cirene

(*) Note. he intends the line up in formation to October 8 th 1935 and they refer only to the COMANDO SUPERIORE A.O., I CORPO D'ARMATA, II CORPO D'ARMATA, and CORPO D'ARMATA ERITREO. Subsequently, with the arrival of the other G.U. from Italy, way of completing was had the line up and they was servants the III and IV C.d'A. using the unities that belonged to the two C.d'As. initial anymore that Eritreo.

Source: De Bono E., "La preparazione e le prime operazioni", Istituto Nazionale Fascista di Cultura, Roma, 1937. pagg. 175-177.

NB: In the mobilization of the Legions and the Battalions for the A.O. the criterion was adopted to give the same number of the department of mobilization increased of one hundred to the mobilized departments. So for instance, in the Legion Bergamo, the 114a Legion, that maintained the same name "Garibaldina", the battalion mobilized by the XV Btg. of Brescia, it became the CXV. And so all the others. They make exception to this norm the two Groups of battalions CC.NN.: 1° giving to the Btggs. the progressive numeration from The to IV; 6°, preserving to his/her Btggs. the native number.

Source: Lucas E. - De Vecchi G., "Storia delle unità combattenti della MVSN 1923-1943", G. Volpe Editore, Roma, 1976.

-----------------------

My give information it doesn't result that there pits in permanent organic the Motorized Column of the Ten Gen. Starace.
The "Celere Column Starace" (known also with the name of Celere Column A.O.) was constituted March 5 th 1936 and it was composed of 160 Officers 3.177 between noncommissioned officers and troop, understood ivi the strength of the 82° Battalion Black Shirts of the 6° Group. Assignment of the Column was the occupation of Gondar. In every case the correct composition is the following:

Comando
82a Legione CC.NN. "Mussolini"
3° Rgt bersaglieri
8° Gr artiglieria 77/28
Nucleo sussistenza
Reparto speciale Genio
Sezione Sanità
Ospedale da campo
Autoreparto
Servizi speciali

Note: 1) in the strength the 82° Btg CC.NN was included. of the 6° Group 2) The 3° Rgt Bersaglieri was composed from 20°, 25° and 28° Btgs

Source: Starace A., "La marcia su Gondar", A. Mondadori, Milano, 1937.


once more you excuse my bad english

Vito Zita
---------------------------

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asiaticus
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List of Italian Units in the Spanish Civil War

#9

Post by asiaticus » 30 Apr 2006, 00:08

See this thread on Commando Supremo website:

http://comandosupremo.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1093

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asiaticus
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Ethiopian War and Occupation forces

#10

Post by asiaticus » 13 Jun 2006, 04:47

Here is a thread from Commando Supremo forum about the Itailan forces in Ethiopia during and after the invasion.

http://comandosupremo.com/forum/viewtop ... +frontiera

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