Last modified on January 29, 2019, at 23:48

Bersaglieri Corps

In 1836, Alfonso del la Marmora from the Piedmontese Army (the core of the future Italian Army) created the Bersaglieri, light infantry formations similar to the French chasseurs and Austrian jägers.

The Bersaglieri were trained to a high physical and marksmanship standard, and like the German Waffen SS in the Second World War, inspired the Regio Esercito frontline formations, benefiting from superior weaponry and mobility that encouraged Axis commanders to operate aggressively.

The Bersaglieri, or ”sharpshooters,” still sport distinctive helmets adorned with cock's feathers.

First World War

During the First World War, the 12 Bersaglieri Regiments fought with valour and bravery. 210,000 men served in the Bersaglieri Corps, and during the war 32,000 were killed and 50,000 wounded. In August 1915 Benito Mussolini joined the corps and, serving in the 10th Bersaglieri Regiment, saw action in the trenches on the Italian front.

After the war, reforms reduced the number of Bersaglieri battalions to two per regiment. They were converted into bicycle troops to fight alongside cavalry from the Celeri (fast) divisions, giving the Supreme Command the best formations to operate alongside tanks in the near future.

Second World War

When the first Italian Army armoured divisions were formed in 1939, Bersaglieri mobile warfare experience greatly improved. Each armoured and motorized division was allocated one Bersaglieri regiment.

The Bersaglieri regiments expanded to three battalions each during the Second World War, but the Comando Surpemo (Italian Supreme Command) resisted temptations during wartime to degrade their quality in favour of greater numbers, and volunteers still had to be of above-average height and stamina. The candidates endured intense physical training, just as their forefathers had, and had to qualify as excellent marksmen.

The first Bersaglieri units to see combat in North Africa belonged to the 10th Bersaglieri Regiment. They arrived in Libya in late 1940 as part of the all-volunteers Brigata Corazzata Speciale (Special Armoured Brigade or BCS) and along with the Sabratha (Conscript) Division fought well as the Italian rearguard in defence of the Derna–Giovanni Berta defence line, with two British Commonwealth armoured car spearhead units[1][2] ambushed, the survivors captured and the supporting Australian 2nd/4th Battalion nearly overrun in a strong counterattack[3] during the final stages of Operation Compass.

In all, six of the 12 Bersaglieri regiments fought in North Africa, compiling an excellent combat record, with Field Marshal Erwin Rommel ("the Desert Fox") acknowledging in a Radio Rome interview in late 1942 that, The German soldier has impressed the world, however, the Italian Bersaglieri soldier has impressed the German soldier."

During Rommel's first desert offensive (also known as the first Benghazi Derby) and start of the Siege of Tobruk in April 1941, Rommel was often critical of his generals as well as the Italian Supreme Command, but praised the Bersaglieri on numerous occasions, such as the encircling action of the 8th Bersaglieri Regiment during the Battle of El Mechili that resulted in the capture of 3,000 British Imperial troops.

That same month, the 4th Bersaglieri Regiment fought successfully in General Ugo Cavallero's second spring offensive in Albania during the Greco-Italian War, capturing the Greek fortress of Koritza on April 15th[4], and the 5th Bersaglieri Regiment along with the Centauro Armoured Division defeated the Yugoslavian Army counteroffensive in Albania in the Battle for Skutari in mid-April 1941.[5][6]

During Operation Barbarossa (the invasion of Russia) in August 1941, the 3rd Bersaglieri Regiment formed part of the Italian spearheads tasked with securing bridgeheads over the Dnieper and Don Rivers for the German 11th Army, a task which they carried out successfully and suffered heavy casualties defending them during the Russian counterattacks mounted during the First Battle of Kiev.[7]

During Operation Crusader, the 8th Bersaglieri Regiment operating truck-mounted naval guns from the Italian cruiser San Giorgio, played an important part in the defeat of the British 7th Armoured Division in the First Battle of Bir el Gubi on 19 November 1941.

On 1 November, the 3rd Bersaglieri Regiment defeated 3 Russian divisions defending Rykovo and conquered that city.[8]

On December 1st, the Trieste Division, reinforced by the 9th Bersaglieri Regiment, cut off the supply route the 2nd New Zealand Division had established with the Tobruk garrison.

The successful defense of the Gazala Line on the part of the 7th and 9th Bersaglieri Regiments on December 15th, was also absolutely vital in the defeat of the British 1st Battalion, Royal East Kent Regiment (The Buffs) and other units from the British-officered 5th Indian Brigade, with over 1,000 British Imperial troops killed, wounded or captured during Rommel's counterattack.[9]

On December 28th, the 25th Bersaglieri Battalion along with the 63rd Blackshirt Battalion captured Kolkhoz Voroshilova & Rassipnoy on the Russian Front.[10]

On June 28th, the 12th Bersaglieri Regiment and supporting tanks from the Littorio Division surrounded Mersa Matruh, with the British garrison attempting to break out under the cover of darkness largely frustrated. The next day, the 7th Bersaglieri Regiment (under Colonel Ugo Scirocco) also met with success when the 10th and 11th Bersaglieri Battalions stormed the British fortress and took 6,500 prisoners in the Battle of Mersa Matruh.

In July 1942 the spearhead of the 8th Italian Army, 6th Bersaglieri Regiment, captured Krasnij Lutsch and Ivanowka with 30,000 Russians (mainly through desertion) falling into Italian hands in the following weeks.[11]

During the First Battle of El Alamein, the 7th and 9th Bersaglieri Regiments along with the Sabratha, Trento and Trieste Divisions showed great courage, derailing both the 9th Australian Division advance developing from Tel el Eisa on July 11th and the 2nd New Zealand Division attack against Ruweisat Ridge on July 22nd.[12]

During the Second Battle of El Alamein, the 12th Bersaglieri Regiment fought especially hard, manning the Italian 47mm and 90mm guns (often confused with the German 88mm flak guns) and field guns of the Littorio Armoured Division in defence of El Aqqaqir Ridge, destroying 70 tanks from the British 9th Armoured Brigade in the process.[13] Berlin Radio acknowledged that in this sector the "British were made to pay for their penetration with enormous losses in men and material. The Italians fought till the last man."[14]

The Bersaglieri remained a force to be reckoned with during the Tunisian Campaign and, in early December 1942 the 10th Bersaglieri Regiment forced the surrender of 300 Allied paratroopers operating behind Axis lines during the Battle of Tebourba.[15][16]

The Bersaglieri fought again during the Battle of Kasserine Pass as the Axis spearhead, with the 5th and 7th Bersaglieri Regiments capturing around 2,450 British, American and French troops and covering Rommel's withdrawal. Field Marshal Erwin Rommel had special words of praise for the Bersaglieri, with their senior commander, Colonel Luigi Bonfatti killed leading the attack.

On March 3rd, the 10th Bersaglieri Regiment supported by 30 tanks attacked the British lines, hoping to repeat the success at Kasserine Pass.[17] According to Associated Press war correspondent Don Whitehead:

“ Last night three companies of Italians followed by 30 tanks and lorried infantry attacked the Highlander's advance screen. The Jocks “mowed 'em down”—and didn't lose a man. The tanks and infantry scurried back to the safety of the hills. Half the Italians were killed.[18] ”

During the Battle of Maknassy Pass, the 10th Panzer Division and supporting 7th Bersaglieri Regiment on March 23rd attacked Lieutenant-Colonel Robert H. York's 1st Battalion from the 18th Infantry Regiment (US 1st Infantry Division) and the Panzers penetrated the valley between the US 1st and 3rd Battalions, reaching a position about six miles behind the 1st Battalion.[19] The Panzer Division with the help of the Bersaglieri riding in half-tracks, trucks and motorcycles overrun the US 32nd Field Artillery Battalion and part of the US 5th Field Artillery Battalion, with the Italian Supreme Command reporting that 170 Allied troops had been captured in the counterattack.[20]

The 5th Bersaglieri Regiment, Sahara Grouping (Raggruppamento Sahariano) and 57th Bersaglieri Battalion from the Trieste Division fought in the Battle of El Guettar in March 1943, distinguishing themselves near El Hamma–El Guettar, with several Bersaglieri eventually taken prisoner after putting up a solid defence.[21][22]

On March 30th, the US 1st and 9th Infantry Divisions, supported by the US 1st Armoured Division, attacked the Italian defenders on Hill 369 but ran into mines and anti-tank fire, losing five tanks and a rifle company from the 2nd Battalion of Colonel Edwin H. Randle's 47th Infantry Regiment that was forced to surrender. [23]The next day, the disabled tanks were removed, and the 1st and 9th Infantry Divisions attacked again, taking several hundred prisoners. However, an Italian counterattack drove them back from their newly won positions, and by midday they were back where they started from with the loss of nine tanks and two tank destroyers. A further attempt on April 1st also failed, after barely getting started. Private Emil J. Dedonato, an Italo-American, remembers that General George S. Patton ― commander of the US 2nd Army Corps ― drove up to the 47th Regiment's Command Post, furious that the initial attacks against the Italians had failed:

“ Patton was in a huffy mood and stormed over to see Colonel Randle in his Jeep. It was obvious he wasn't pleased with the initial results of the night attack. I'll never forget Colonel Randle's instructions as they moved into El Guettar: "Were we're going you won't need a physic![24] ”

It was also noticed that the Italians fought particularly well, outdoing the Germans in line with them on El Hamma Ridge facing the Free French Division:

“ The enemy positions seemed impregnable, and, in fact, the Italians manning them held out for three days. Next morning Rommel ... replaced the Italians with crack German troops ... but the enemy, finally fellback into the ravine...the morale of 20-year-old [German] prisoners fresh from the Russian front was low, they made no attempt to hide their satisfaction at being out of the war.[25] ”

The 5th, 8th, 9th and 10th Bersaglieri Regiments along with the Fascist Youth (Giovani Fascisti) Regiment fought as part of the 1st Italian Army around Hill 141 during the Battle of Tunis, surrendering on May 13th after defeating all the attacks from the 2nd New Zealand Division,[26][27][28] British 56th Black Cat Division[29] and 1st Free French Division,[30] a week after after the complete collapse of the Afrika Korps facing the US 1st Armoured and 3rd Infantry Divisions on May 6th,[31] and poor showing[32] of the attached German 90th Light Infantry Division.[33]

In summarizing the experience of General Giovanni Messe's 1st Army, a military expert would write several decades later:

“ Not only should Tunisia have exploded the myth of Hitler's military acumen, it should have discredited the idea that Germans fought better than the Italians, since Messe's 1st Italian Army held out longer than Arnim's 5th German Army and the DAK, even both groups had about six divisions and faced roughly equal Anglo-American forces. Indeed, Hermann Goring division was the first to be scattered on 7 May, DAK the next to break and surrender on 9 May, with the Italian Spezia division closing the gap created by the German collapse and watching still combat-efficient German units march off into captivity on 11 May. Whether it is significant that the German 90th Light division was the first to collapse in Messe's 'Italian' Army, there is no doubt that the Italians fought well and held out longest in Tunisia.[34] ”

During Operation Husky (the Allied invasion of Sicily), the 10th, 73rd and 177th Bersaglieri Regiments managed to contain the American armoured advance outside Agrigento, but were eventually overwhelmed by Allied air power. However, resistance from the Bersaglieri was stiff enough to force the US 1st and 3rd Ranger Battalions to take on the 10th Bersaglieri Regiment in house-to-house combat in the streets of Agrigento, with US military historian Samuel Eliot Morison acknowledging that "The Italians fought manfully for Agrigento". [35]

Notes

  1. ↑ "On the southern flank a troop of 6th Cavalry carriers attempted to outflank the enemy and was itself ambushed with the loss of seven men and several carriers." The Western Desert Campaign, 1940-41, Glenn Wahlert, Big Sky Publishing, 2016
  2. ↑ "At dusk on 4 February, after passing through Megara, six of the 11th Hussars' armoured cars that were leading the convoy were ambushed by antitank guns. Three of the vehicles were destroyed anda a number of soldiers were killed or wounded. Several war correspondents were travelling with the Hussars and some were wounded..." An Unqualified Success, Peter Golding, Rosenberg Publishing, 2013
  3. ↑ "At one point the 2/4th Battalion was pinned down and almost overrun by a force of about 1,000 enemy infantry. It was only the timely arrival of the Northumberland Fusiliers that checked the Italian attack." The Western Desert Campaign, 1940-41, Glenn Wahlert, Big Sky Publishing, 2009
  4. ↑ KORITZA TAKEN ITALIANS CLAIM
  5. ↑ "For 48 hours the Serbs have been moving in wave upon wave through rain and snow against Scutari, on the southern shore of a lake of the same name, only to be mowed down by Fascist machine-gunners and scattered by Italian airmen, war front advices said. Serb Attacks Beaten Off By Italians, Schenectady Gazette, 15 April 1941
  6. ↑ "Their courage, like that of the defenders of the Metaxas line, was to no avail; as so often happens to troops occupying a static position in mobile warfare, the battle was being decided elsewhere; List now detached SS 'Adolf Hitler' from the main axis of advance of XXXXth Corps and sent it forward in the direction of Koritsa. Far from counter-attacking, however, the demoralized Greeks gave way and thus allowed the Italians to occupy the town without resistance on 15 April. With 9th Armoured Division crossing the upper Aliakhmon and reaching Servia on the next day, the British forces on the Olympus found themselves surrounded on both flanks. Following a decision made by Wilson three days earlier they now started falling back across Thessaly to Thermopylae, leaving in their wake 20,000 Greek troops who, being less well endowed with motor vehicles, failed to escape in time and were captured by the Germans." Martin van Crevald, Hitler's Strategy 1940-1941: The Balkan Clue, p. 162, Cambridge University Press, 1973
  7. ↑ "From the 20th to the 26th of August Italian Forces have been subjected to extremely fierce Soviet attacks along the Don River. The Bersaglieri, Cavalry and Black Shirts have untiringly repulsed the attacks which wave after wave were launched in the desperate attempt to break through the Italian lines." Il Marco Polo, Issues 13-14, p. 126, Shanghai, 1941
  8. ↑ " Il 1° novembre il 3° bersaglieri conquistò Rykovo; lo stesso giorno la Torino si attestò sul fiume Krinka, in zona Im. Karova-Korsuni, a protezione del fianco meridionale della Celere."La Storia della Dottrina e degli Ordinamenti dell'Esercito Italiano: t. 1. Da Vittorio Veneto alla 2a. Guerra Mondiale. t. 2. La 2a Guerra Mondiale (1940-1943), Stato maggiore dell'Esercito, Ufficio Storico, 1985
  9. ↑ "So, on the afternoon of 15 December, the Ariete with some 30 M13’s and with Bersaglieri motorcycle troops in close support, counterattacked along with the remaining 23 tanks of the 15th Panzer Division, and the attack was successful as the 1st Battalion, The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment) and other troops of the 5th Indian Brigade lost over 1,000 men killed, wounded or taken prisoners." The Bologna Division: 19 November – 10 December, 1941
  10. ↑ "The Italo-German force in the Celere Division's sector experienced more success,as German paratroopers captured the stretch of double railroad track at Kulinatskiy, and the 63rd Blackshirt Battalion, captured Kolkhoz Voroshilova, which was below the commanding height at Kurgun Ostriy. The German 318th Regiment captured the village of Greko-Timofeyevskiy from the Rifle Division, while the XXV Bersaglieri Battalion took Rassipnoy." Three Kings: Axis Royal Armies on the Russian Front 1941, Patrick Cloutier, p. 140, 2015
  11. ↑ "Ma la gran massa dei prigionieri che in certe fasi delle operazioni affluivano a questi campi rese praticamente difficile, se non impossibile, un sostanziale miglioramento: ricordo, ad esempio, che nei mesi di luglio-agosto del 1942 nel campo di Millerowo, con un'organizzazione logistica molto primitiva, furono concentrati oltre 30.000 prigionieri, con le conseguenze che è facile immaginare." La Guerra al Fronte Russo: il Corpo di spedizione italiano in Russia (CSIR), Giovanni Messe, p. 87, Mursia, 2005
  12. ↑ First Battle of El Alamein COMANDO SUPREMO/ITALY AT WAR
  13. ↑ El-Alamein: la battaglia che consacrò il valore del soldato italiano
  14. ↑ Rolling Thunder: A Century of Tank Warfare, Philip Kaplan, p. 139, Pen and Sword, 2013
  15. ↑ "La sua prima brillante azione risale al 2 dicembre, quando reparti del XVI° catturarono un folto gruppo di paracadutisti inglesi e americani del Col. Raff, in un’ardita azione di rastrellamento nella zona di Donar Cheti, facendo meritare al Reggimento un encomio del comando della Divisione “Superga”. "La sua prima brillante azione risale al 2 dicembre, quando reparti del XVI° catturarono un folto gruppo di paracadutisti inglesi e americani del Col. Raff, in un’ardita azione di rastrellamento nella zona di Donar Cheti, facendo meritare al Reggimento un encomio del comando della Divisione “Superga”." Salmaggi e Pallavisini, Domenica, 6 Dicembre 1942
  16. ↑ The New York Times, 5 December 1942 (German Military Communique)
  17. ↑ "On February 22— facing poor terrain for mobile operations, increased Alled resistance, and a lack of cooperation from Arnim— Rommel withdrew artfully to prepare for a similiar operation against General Bernard L. Montgomery's British Eighth Army on the Mareth Line to the east." George S. Patton, Earle Rice, pg. 78, Infobase Publishing, 2009
  18. ↑ Combat Reporter: Don Whitehead's World War II Diary and Memoirs, pg. 125, Fordham Univ Press, 2006
  19. ↑ "On March 23, Lieutenant Colonel Robert H. York commanded the 1st Battalion of an Infantry Regiment of the First Division, which was in position on the northeastern slopes of Djebel Berda, generally facing Hill 369, about seven miles east of El Guettar. At dawn that day, the German 10th Panzer Division and elements of the Italian 7th Bersaglieri Regiment attacked the 1st Division with at least two hundred vehicles. Colonel York's regiment, owing to its position, bore the brunt of the attack. The enemy tanks succeeded in penetrating the valley between the 3d and 1st Battalions which held the high ground on either side and some of the enemy tanks reached a position about six miles to the rear of the 1st Battalion before the attack was finally broken down." Infantry Journal, Volumes 54-55, p. 42, United States Infantry Association, 1944
  20. ↑ Yankee Units Within Hour's Drive of Sea; Blast 30 Nazi Tanks, Reading Eagle, 24 March 1943
  21. ↑ "The Italian forces that managed to impress the GIs most were the Bersaglieri units. With a tradition going back to the old Piedmontese army, composed of carefully selected troops, and equipped with greater numbers of artillery and vehicles, these units sometimes exceeded the performance of the German forces in Africa. A soldier of the 4th Ranger Battalion who had battled against them at Senad Pass in Tunisia in 1943 remembered them as "big shots" while he was on his way to Sicily, and hoped that he would not encounter them again on the island. He did, however, and more bloody clashes with the Bersaglieri left him convinced that they were indeed "Italy's toughest troops." The Crash of Ruin: American Combat Soldiers in Europe during World War II, Peter Schrijvers, p. 52, Springer, 1998
  22. ↑ "At El Guettar a few battalions of well-supported Bersaglieri held up the infantry columns, though the Americans did well in capturing Jebel Mcheltat." The Army Quarterly, p. 160, William Clowes & Sons, Limited, 1943
  23. ↑ "At H-Hour, 6 A.M. March 28th, the 47th was in position to take the day's objective, Hill 369. It fell quickly, but the darkness and poor maps had led the 47th astray to El Hamra Ridge ... The 2nd Battalion 47th had been sent on a flanking movement that might have done the job. But it was caught in a murderous crossfire decimating Company E. The Battalion C.O. and the Communications Officer were captured as were the commander of Company E and 175 of his men." The 9th Infantry Division: Old Reliables, John Sperry, p.11, Turner Publishing Company, 2000
  24. ↑ 9th Division Veterans
  25. ↑ Fighting French Troops' Part Advance in Advance on Gabes, The Glasgow Herald, 1 April 1943
  26. ↑ "On arrival at Enfidaville the 2/5th and 2/6th Queen’s had taken over reserve positions behind the 2nd New Zealand Division, who were holding the low ground on the right of the Takrouna feature, having handed over Takrouna to the 51st (Highland) Division. They were very tired and needed to be relieved. General Montgomery had accepted that to try to outflank the enemy through the hills to the west of Enfidaville was now an unrealistic option, and had decided to switch his efforts to attacking up the coast road towards Hammamet. However, he disappeared off to Cairo on the 23rd April in order to discuss the plans for the invasion of Sicily, leaving Lieut-General Brian Horrocks to ponder the problem." Enfidaville
  27. ↑ "The New Zealanders were very apologetic for their lack of success in securing these two features." Enfidaville
  28. ↑ "It was their last action for a while, as 25 and 26 Battalions were relieved that night by 169 Infantry Brigade of 56 (L) Division, and 24 Battalion by 152 Infantry Brigade of 51 (H) Division." 2 NZ Division after Takrouna
  29. ↑ "The New Zealanders around Takrouna estimated that 20,000 enemy were still in front of them, so SRY supported the newly arrived 56 (Black Cat) Division fresh from Syria in an attack on the 11th/12th May. Alas there was no success and many casualties." (Monty's Marauders, Patrick Delaforce Pen and Sword, 2008)
  30. ↑ "On May 12th this Italian force was still resisting from positions just north of Enfidaville. A French division attacking their right was repulsed and then counterattacked. The Air Force, being called upon for aid, made a strong bombing attack at 1530, supported by all the artillery whose fire could be brought to bear." Finale in Tunisia, Colonel Conrad H. Lanza, Page. 488, The Field Artillery, July 1943
  31. ↑ Maj. Gen. Omar N. Bradley, commanding II Corps, had originally planned to have Truscott's 3rd Division relieve the battle-weary 1st ID. However, as Truscott was moving his division forward to effect that relief, Bradley contacted him on the night of the fifth and told him that General Harmon had requested additional infantry to support his division's attack on a strongly defended German position on the peninsula east of Bizerte, and directed that Truscott send an infantry regiment to the Ferryville area for attachment to the 1st AD. Bradley had also ordered that an infantry regiment from the 9th ID and additional field artillery and antiaircraft join Harmon's division for the attack. Truscott's regiment was to attack the following morning. Truscott joined Harmon at his commando post southeast of Ferryville early the next morning, and after breakfast the two set out on a reconnaissance mission to ascertain how far forward Truscott's force could assemble for the attack. As they traveled they found that Harmon's troopers and their tanks were already in possession of the entire peninsula excepting the high ridge overlooking the Mediterranean, from which there came no sounds of enemy fire. It was obvious to Harmon and Truscott that "the battle in Tunisia was all but done and that no large force would be required to clear the ridge." Dogface Soldier: The Life of General Lucian K. Truscott, Jr, By Wilson A., Heefner, p. 101, University of Missouri Press, 2010
  32. ↑ "Two remarkable features of this Axis debacle were, firstly, that in the end, when the battle had obviously gone against the Axis, the Italians fought better than the Germans. The German morale collapsed completely towards the close of the campaign. Well-armed German units with plenty of ammunition and provisions surrendered in strong defensive positions when they could have fought for many days (weeks or months) longer." The Conquest of Italy, Joseph Montague Kenworthy, p. 17, Hutchinson, 1944
  33. ↑ "For an hour the positions held by the 90th Light Infantry were obscured by a pall of smoke. At the end of the bombardment they surrendered. General Von Sponeck ... told General Keightley when he surrendered to him that although only two men had been killed and three wounded during the bombardment the morale of his men had been shattered." Tunisian Battle, John D'Arcy-Dawson, p. 248, Macdonald & Company, Limited, 1943
  34. ↑ The Second World War: The German war 1939-1942, Jeremy Black, Page 265, Ashgate, 2007
  35. ↑ History of United States Naval Operations in World War II: Sicily - Salerno - Anzio, January 1943 - June 1944, Samuel Eliot Morison, p. 176, University of Illinois Press, 2001