Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia

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The Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia (Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Russia, or CSIR) was a unit of the Italian Royal Army (Regio Esercito Italia) which fought on the Eastern Front during World War II. The CSIR was an attempt to provide a somewhat "mobile" unit to fight on a front where mobility was key. Two of the divisions were "truck-moveable" and one was a "fast" division. Unfortununately this amounted to more on paper than in reality.

The CSIR was created by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini in an attempt to show solidarity with Nazi Germany after German dictator Adolf Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa (Unternehmen Barbarossa) and attacked the Soviet Union. Mussolini created the CSIR despite the lack of enthusiasm shown by Hitler. The CSIR was constituted on 10 July 1941 and, between July and August of 1941, the various units of the CSIR arrived in southern Russia.

The CSIR included an Aviation Command (Commando Aviazione) with a limited number of fighters, bombers, and transport aircraft. This command was part of the Royal Air Force (Regia Aeronautica) and was also known as the "Italian Air Force Expeditionary Corps in Russia" (Corpo Aereo Spedizione in Russia).

The CSIR was initially subordinated to the German 11th Army (11. Armee) commanded by General Eugen Ritter von Schobert.[1] On 14 August 1941, the CSIR was transferred to the control of German Tank Group 1 (Panzergruppe 1) commanded by General Ewald von Kleist. On 25 October 1941, Tank Group 1 was redesignated as the 1st Tank Army (1.Panzerarmee). The CSIR remained under von Kleist’s command until 3 June 1942 when it was subordinated to the German 17th Army (17. Armee) commanded by General Richard Ruoff.

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[edit] Commanders

The CSIR's original commander was Italian General Francesco Zingales. He fell ill in Vienna during the early stages of transport to Russia. On 14 July 1941, Zingales was replaced by Italian General Giovanni Messe.

For good reason, Messe was never satisfied with the equipment and support available to the CSIR. He specifically pointed out the lack of adequate winter equipment.

[edit] Composition

The CSIR was comprised of three divisions: the Torino 52nd Truck-Moveable Infantry Division, the Pasubio 9th Truck-Moveable Infantry Division, and the Principe Amedeo Duca d' Aosta (Prince Amedeo Duke of Aosta) 3rd Fast (Celere) Division. Torino and Pasubio were known as "truck-moveable" divisions. What this meant in practice was that an assortment of commercial vehicles with company logos intact were pressed into service. The Prince Amedeo Duke of Aosta Fast Division was a combination of traditional saber wielding horse cavalry and motorized units. Much of the division's artillery was horse-drawn. The highly-mobile elite riflemen (Bersaglieri) in this unit often made use of motorcycles or bicycles.

The initial strength of the CSIR stood at about 3,000 officers and 59,000 men, 5,500 motor vehicles, and over 4,000 horses and mules. The units of the CSIR were primarily lightly armed infantry, horse cavalry, and mobile riflemen. The Torino and Pasubio divisions were composed of two infantry regiments and a regiment of artillery. The Prince Amedeo Duke of Aosta Fast Division was composed of four regiments. Those regiments were: the 3rd Dragoons Savoia Cavalry Regiment, the 5th Lancers Novara Cavalry Regiment, the 3rd Fast Artillery Regiment, and the 3rd Bersaglieri Regiment. As can be seen, the units of the CSIR represented a mixed lot and they were transported by truck, by horse, by car, by motorcycle, by bicycle, or, as was the case all too often, by foot.

While the Prince Amedeo Duke of Aosta Division did include a small number of obsolete tankettes and light tanks (Fiat L3 or Fiat L6/40), and anti-tank guns (Cannone da 47/32 M35), there was nothing in the Italian arsenal able to effectively counter the numerous and technically superior Soviet tanks like the T-34/76 or KV I.

The Aviation Command of the CSIR had less than 100 aircraft. The CSIR had the following aircraft available to it: Macchi C.200 “Thunder" (Saetta) fighter, Caproni Ca.311 light reconnaissance-bomber, and Savoia-Marchetti SM.81 “Bat" (Pipistrello) tri-motor transport.

The CSIR included the "Special Intendancy East" (Intendenza Speciale Est) which provided the following logistical services: medical, commissariat, administration, artillery, chemical, horse and veterinary, transports, automotive, staging, mail, and telegraphic.

[edit] Operations

For operational history of the CSIR, see "Italian war in Soviet Union, 1941-1943."

[edit] Italian Army in Russia

In July 1942, the CSIR was subsumed by the far larger Italian Army in Russia (Armata Italiana in Russia, or ARMIR).

[edit] See also

Other Italian "expeditionary forces":

A similar "mobile" unit fielded during the early days of Operation Barbarossa:

[edit] References

  1. ^ Messe, 1947. Faldella, 1959. Mack Smith, 1979