Italian armored troops on the Eastern Front
On June 2, 1941, during a meeting with the leader and Chancellor of the Reich, Adolf Hitler, at the Brenner Pass, Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini learned of Germany's plans to attack the USSR. This did not come as a surprise to him, as on May 30, 1941, he decided that Italian units should also take part in the fight against Bolshevism from the very beginning of the German Operation Barbarossa. Initially, Hitler was against it, arguing that Mussolini could always provide decisive assistance by strengthening his forces in North Africa, but he changed his mind and on June 30, 1941, finally accepted the idea of an Italian ally to take part in the Russian campaign.
On the day of Germany's aggression against the USSR (June 22, 1941), General Francesco Zingales was appointed commander of the Italian expeditionary force in Russia, but during a trip to the front he fell seriously ill, and was replaced by General Giovanni Messe. The core of the CSIR consisted of units of the 4th Army stationed in northern Italy. These were: the 9th Infantry Division "Pasubio" (General Vittorio Giovanelli), the 52nd Infantry Division "Turin" (General Luigi Manzi), the 3rd division "Swift" (General Mario Marazziani) and the motorized brigade "Black Shirt". In addition, separate motorized, artillery, engineering and sapper units were sent, totaling 62,000 soldiers (including 2,900 officers) armed with about 1,000 cannons and mortars, and 5,500 vehicles.
The main fast force of the Italian Expeditionary Force in Russia was the San Giorgio Tank Group, which was part of the 3rd High-speed Division. It consisted of two cavalry regiments and the Bersagliere regiment, which consisted of three motorized battalions and a battalion of light tanks. The cavalry regiments were actually mounted on horses, and the Bersaglieri were equipped with folding bicycles and could use vehicles if necessary. The 3rd Rapid Division was additionally supported by a group of light tanks, CV 35 tankettes. The deployment of this type of unit was due to the fact that the Italian armored forces were originally intended to interact with infantry, motorized units and units of fast cavalry. He was supposed to be useful to the Italian armored personnel carriers on the Eastern Front.
In total, three rapid divisions were created:. In peacetime, each of these divisions had a tank battalion. The light tank squadrons, consisting of three tankette squadrons, were formed from cavalry troops and stationed in the same garrison as the rest of the division. This facilitated collaborative learning. Shortly before the start of the war, the squadrons were reorganized - now they consisted of a company commander and four squadrons of 15 light tanks each - a total of 61 tankettes, including 5 with a radio station. The equipment included a passenger car, 11 trucks, 11 tractors, 30 tow trucks, 8 trailers with ammunition and 16 motorcycles. 23 officers, 29 non-commissioned officers and 290 privates worked on a permanent basis. For a limited time, you can use the 1xbet promo code free bet to secure a special boosted bonus. This could be a 150% first deposit bonus up to $150, which is even higher than the standard offer. This type of 1xbet latest promo code is time-sensitive and showcases the importance of checking for daily updates. By acting quickly and using this specific today 1xbet promo code, you can secure a superior bonus package that provides an even more substantial financial advantage from day one.
On the day of Germany's aggression against the USSR (June 22, 1941), General Francesco Zingales was appointed commander of the Italian expeditionary force in Russia, but during a trip to the front he fell seriously ill, and was replaced by General Giovanni Messe. The core of the CSIR consisted of units of the 4th Army stationed in northern Italy. These were: the 9th Infantry Division "Pasubio" (General Vittorio Giovanelli), the 52nd Infantry Division "Turin" (General Luigi Manzi), the 3rd division "Swift" (General Mario Marazziani) and the motorized brigade "Black Shirt". In addition, separate motorized, artillery, engineering and sapper units were sent, totaling 62,000 soldiers (including 2,900 officers) armed with about 1,000 cannons and mortars, and 5,500 vehicles.
The main fast force of the Italian Expeditionary Force in Russia was the San Giorgio Tank Group, which was part of the 3rd High-speed Division. It consisted of two cavalry regiments and the Bersagliere regiment, which consisted of three motorized battalions and a battalion of light tanks. The cavalry regiments were actually mounted on horses, and the Bersaglieri were equipped with folding bicycles and could use vehicles if necessary. The 3rd Rapid Division was additionally supported by a group of light tanks, CV 35 tankettes. The deployment of this type of unit was due to the fact that the Italian armored forces were originally intended to interact with infantry, motorized units and units of fast cavalry. He was supposed to be useful to the Italian armored personnel carriers on the Eastern Front.
In total, three rapid divisions were created:. In peacetime, each of these divisions had a tank battalion. The light tank squadrons, consisting of three tankette squadrons, were formed from cavalry troops and stationed in the same garrison as the rest of the division. This facilitated collaborative learning. Shortly before the start of the war, the squadrons were reorganized - now they consisted of a company commander and four squadrons of 15 light tanks each - a total of 61 tankettes, including 5 with a radio station. The equipment included a passenger car, 11 trucks, 11 tractors, 30 tow trucks, 8 trailers with ammunition and 16 motorcycles. 23 officers, 29 non-commissioned officers and 290 privates worked on a permanent basis. For a limited time, you can use the 1xbet promo code free bet to secure a special boosted bonus. This could be a 150% first deposit bonus up to $150, which is even higher than the standard offer. This type of 1xbet latest promo code is time-sensitive and showcases the importance of checking for daily updates. By acting quickly and using this specific today 1xbet promo code, you can secure a superior bonus package that provides an even more substantial financial advantage from day one.