by Michele Armellini
The
"Folgore" (Lightning bolt) paratroop Division was a chosen unit
within the Italian army and the X Corps during the African campaign. It had
been formed for the invasion of Malta, which never took place; so it was sent
to Africa. Actually, it was officially renamed 185th Infantry Division
"Cacciatori d'Africa", and not without reason (apart from
counterintelligence), since the well-trained, highly motivated paratroopers
were never used as such. Indeed, they always fought as infantry.
In this role, the
Division was seriously hampered by its being a paratroop unit in the first
place. The basic concept of engagement for the Italian paratroops was a
short-term "vertical outflanking maneuver" (Source 1); they were
intended for a quick coup, immediately supported by advancing conventional
troops. Artillery was therefore considered unnecessary, apart from light
anti-tank guns. For the same reason, the Division had almost no motor vehicles
of its own, an extremely serious handicap in desert warfare. Finally, most of
the units arrived in North Africa by plane, from Greece and Italy, leaving
behind whatever vehicles or heavy equipments they could have had (including, in
some instances, all the Battalion's field kitchens!). Supply by sea was already
difficult at that time.
So, even if the
paratroops were much more determined and better trained (many of them were
veterans coming from other units) than the average Italian infantry units, they
should have been doomed to their same sad destiny: forced to fight in static
positions, lacking not only mobility and supply capability but also artillery
support, they were likely to be overrun or encircled by armored and motorized
infantry formations. But this did not happen. At El-Alamein, throughout several
engagements, the paratroopers were either able to drive back the attacks or,
when the enemy had been successful in completely wiping out the first line of
outposts, to reform again, usually counterattacking. In spite of the
overwhelming numbers, the British made little headway against them, and in the
end, the Folgore was ordered to fall back because the enemy obtained a
breakthrough elsewhere.
The reasons behind
this limited victory of sorts are two: mines and guts. The mines were of course
an invaluable asset for the defense. Here the minefields were extensive, thick,
and treacherous; furthermore, the mines were in multiple fields. They forced
the attackers to move slowly and to stick to the bottlenecks of the cleared
pathways, often under observed artillery fire. Whenever the exit of the cleared
track was within reach of one of the short-ranged Italian 47mm ATGs, it was
easy to block the attack, provided that the first tank or two were disabled
(Source 2).
But the British had
brave and effective mine-clearing task forces, flail tanks (the Scorpions), and
incredibly heavy artillery barrages to move behind. All of their main attacks,
in the end, came through the minefields. There, the outnumbered paratroops,
after hours of artillery fire, counterattacked the infantry and close assaulted
the tanks, with grenades and molotov cocktails (Sources 1 and 7).
Notwithstanding the heavy casualties they suffered, and temporary British
successes in occupying several positions in the first outpost line, they held
their ground.
The main British
effort, of course, was in the northern part of the line. However, the four
divisions attacking the Folgore and Ramcke positions in the south, had also
been given breakthrough objectives, that they did not reach. The 7th Armoured
Division had been ordered to spare their tanks (Sources 2 and 3), so their
attacks were called off after the bloody fighting during the night of October,
24th: 31 tanks were destroyed or disabled during that night alone (British
source 2).
When the Folgore
retreated on foot, that was the beginning of the end: leaving behind everything
but small arms, with no transport, almost no food and ammunitions, little
water, no meaningful orders, many of these gallant men were simply cut off by
the advancing enemy. Even so, the few surviving Folgore paratroopers continued
to fight to the bitter end in Tunisia, and the battle at the southernmost tip
of the El- Alamein line, which is "their finest hour", remains
something we gamers can still find interesting to recreate.
FOLGORE DIVISION. Order of battle at
El-Alamein
Division HQ: command stand, car,
telephone staff stand, recon m/c stand
Support
Companies: 4 support stands
Mortar
Company: command stand, FO stand, 3 81mm MTR stands (ds)
186th
Paratroops Regiment (Reggimento Paracadutisti)
HQ
Company: command stand, paratroops stand, 81mm MTR stand (ds)
2 Battalions (V, VI), each with:
HQ
Company: command paratroops stand, MMG stand, 20mm Solothurn ATR stand
3
Companies, each with: command paratroops stand, 2 paratroops stands
AT
Company: gun crew stand, 47L32 ATG
187th Paratroops
Regiment (Reggimento Paracadutisti)
HQ
Company: command stand, paratroops stand, 2 81mm MTR stand (ds)
4 Battalions (II, IV, IX, X), each
with:
HQ
Company: command paratroops stand, MMG stand, 20mm Solothurn ATR stand
3
Companies, each with: command paratroops stand, 2 paratroops stands
AT
Company: gun crew stand, 47L32 ATG
Ruspoli
Regimental Group (Raggruppamento Ruspoli)
HQ: command
stand
Paratroops
Battalion (VII)
HQ
Company: command paratroops stand, MMG stand, 20mm Solothurn ATR stand
3 Companies, each with:
command paratroops stand, 2 paratroops stands
Assault
Engineer Battalion (Guastatori) (VIII)
HQ:
command paratroops engineer stand
3 Companies,
each with: command paratroops
engineer stand, paratroops engineer stand, flamethrower paratroops engineer
stand
185th
Paratroops Anti-Tank Regiment (Artiglieria
Paracadutisti)
HQ:
command stand
3
AT Groups, each with: command stand, 2 gun crew stands, 2 47L32 ATGs
Attached
troops:
31st
Assault Engineer Battalion (Guastatori d'Africa)
HQ:
command stand, car
2
Engineer Companies, each with: 3 engineer stands, 3 med trucks (partly
loaded with mines)
II/28th
Infantry Battalion (Fanteria)
(Pavia Infantry Division)
HQ: command
stand
3
Companies, each with: 3 infantry stands, MMG stand
1
Company: 3 gun crew stands, 2 47L32 ATGs, 1 20L65 AAG, 1 light truck
Bersaglieri
Anti-Tank Company (V Battalion): 2 gun crew stands, 2 47L32 ATGs, 2 light
trucks
26th
Light Artillery Battalion (Pavia Infantry Division)
HQ:
comand stand, FO stand, 2 cars
3
Batteries, each with: 3 gun crew stands (ds), 3 75L27 FGs, 3 med trucks
III/1st
Light Artillery Battery (Brescia Division): gun crew stand (ds), 75L27 FG,
med tractor
AA
Artillery Battery (Ariete Division): gun crew (ds), 88L56 AAG, med truck
Available
Artillery Support (the following units were not directly and permanently
attached, and could move away without warning along with their parent
formations)
I/21st
Field Artillery Battery (Trieste Division):
HQ:
comand stand, FO stand, 2 cars
3
Batteries, each with: 3 gun crew stands (ds), 3
100L16 HWs, 3 med trucks
AA
Artillery Battery (Ariete Division): 90L53 AA truck gun
AA
Artillery Battery (German): gun crew stand (ds), 88L56 AAG, hvy tractor
Other
Artillery (the following off-board artillery was X Corps and German
artillery support; when available at all, they reacted with long delays)
X Corps: 3 105L32 FGs, 3 149L19 HWs
German artillery: 3 105L28 HWs, 1 210L31 HW
Armor
Support: during the battle, two small German armored detachments made a
brief appearance:
Tank
Platoon: command PzIIIH
Armored
Car Column: 2 recon SdKfz222
Note: all Company
command stands in the paratroops and assault engineer Battalions have a Polish
ATR as integral anti-tank weapon.
ORGANIZATION, EQUIPMENT AND DEPLOYMENT
The 186th, the 187th
and the Ruspoli Group were deployed on the line; in most places they had a
forward outpost line, thus exploiting the two lines of minefields. The 185th AT
Regiment provided AT guns to all of them, in addition to their Regimental AT
Companies. The position of all paratroops and assault engineer Companies is
outlined in the enclosed map. The northern part of the line, bordering on the
left with the German paratroops Battalion commanded by Major Hubner (Ramcke
Fallschirmjäger Brigade), was manned by the 187th Regiment. The II (minus the
6th Company) and IX Battalions were in the main line, and the IV Battalion in the outpost line. These
units were supported by three gun Platoons of the 185th AT Regiment, the 47mm
ATG Company of the 187th and by 75mm field guns of the attached artillery units
(the 75/27s were HE-only guns, next to useless against tanks).
The central sector was
manned by the Ruspoli Group, with the VII paratroops and the VIII assault
engineers Battalions, plus the II/6th and the infantry Battalion from the Pavia
Division. They had two gun Platoons, two mortar Platoons, and the 47mm ATG
Company of the 186th Regiment. The main line had the support of 75mm and 100mm
attached guns, and also a couple of well-camouflaged 88mm AA guns for ambushing
tanks. The II/6th, VIII/22nd engineers, and the VII/19th were in the outer
positions that were swept and occupied by the British attack, that obtained its
deepest penetration here.
The southern part of
the line was manned by the 186th Regiment with all its units, plus a gun
Platoon from the 185th, a mortar Platoon, attached 75mm field guns, and the
German 88mm Battery. The outpost here was the important El Himeimat hill, the
only significant elevation in the area. To the right, the line in front of the
Qattara depression was held by the Pavia Division. The Bersaglieri AT Company
was attached only after the first attacks.
As usual in the
desert, the main defensive assets were the extensive minefields; in this case,
most of them were old British minefields, but the paratroops had checked and
strengthened them.
With regard to the
attached troops, the 31st Engineers took care of the minefields, while the
attached Pavia infantry Battalion, as mentioned above, plugged a gap in the
line. Folgore, as a paratroop Division, had no guns, apart from the 47mm ATGs;
so the attached units were the only artillery available. Some of the 88mm AAGs
were deployed in the front line with a specific tank-ambushing task. The
artillery which was not directly attached to the Division wasn't always
available, and those units could move away without warning if their parent
formations did so. While the 88mm German Battery was deployed at the
southernmost tip of the line, the rest of the German artillery was obviously in
the rear areas.
The armor support
wasn't a significant contribution. The tank Platoon did nothing good, and it
actually leveled a few paratroopers in their holes. On the other hand, the
armored cars helped drive back the Free French. At the end of the battle, a
German tank group from the 21st Panzer Division was deployed just behind the
line, for fear of a British breakthrough; since it never occurred, those tanks
were never committed.
The Division fielded a
number of captured British guns and vehicles, mostly mortars, 2-pdr. ATGs, and
Carriers. However, no specific units were equipped with them only, and they
were of course short of ammo; so they aren't represented.
There are a few
differences from the "book" TO&E. First of all, one of the
Regiments has two Battalions, while the other, strangely, starts with four;
however, the IX and X Battalions suffered heavy losses during the fights on
September 3rd and 4th, and they were later merged in one Battalion, named the
IX.
The Ruspoli Group is
an ad-hoc formation, putting together a paratroops and an assault engineer
Battalion to man the line. The assault engineer units are defined as
"paratroops engineer stands" because they were armed and trained as
paratroops (therefore, they have a small-arms ROF of 2); but they were also trained
as assault engineers, and equipped with demolition charges.
The "book"
organization does not provide a divisional staff; this is understandable if the
Division is air-dropped. But at El-Alamein extensive telephone communications
were laid and a signals Company isn't represented in the above organization
because it functioned as a divisional telephone staff, as well as providing
linemen.
Each paratroops
Battalion had 3 81mm mortars, not listed in the "book" TO&E. This
isn't enough for a mortar stand at Battalion level, but it seems fair enough to
allow for a Regimental 81mm MTR double-size stand for each two Battalions in
the Regiment (one in the 186th and one or two in the 187th). This also takes
into account the additional available mortar firepower, which is otherwise
unaccounted for, given by 45mm short-ranged mortars and captured British
mortars. Alternatively, the Battalion's MMG stand could be converted into a
weapons stand (with its indirect fire capability and a ROF of 3); but this kind
of stand is not listed in the Italian tables. Also, the 81mm mortar Platoons of
the divisional Company were often attached where needed.
With regard to special
infantry weapons, there are problems with anti-tank rifles and flamethrowers.
Each Company had a Polish ATR; this should be represented by giving each
command paratroops stand an integral infantry ATR, even if not listed by the
"book". Actually, they weren't really much used, nor appreciated,
because they were considered not very effective; however, in game terms, they
appear even better than their British or German equivalents. Furthermore, at
least some regular paratroops Companies seem to have been equipped with a
flamethrower. There are accounts of flamethrowers being used against British
tanks, even where no engineers were present. Given the noticeable killing power
a flamethrower has in the game, it could be wiser to leave them only in the
engineers' hands; alternatively, one paratroops stand per paratroops Battalion
could be converted in a paratroops flamethrower stand.
Finally, all accounts
report that the Division was understrength. However, by computing the hard
numbers available, it seems that ten stands per Battalion (one in the HQ and
three for each Company) might be an almost adequate match for those numbers. A
referee could optionally rule that each Battalion field nine stands instead of
ten (one Company with one command paratroops stand and one paratroops stand).
TROOP QUALITY AND MORALE
According to the
rules, the Folgore Division units should be Experienced troops, with Morale 8.
While the quality rating seems reasonable, the morale rating is probably too
low.
Folgore as a whole
wasn't a veteran division. However, most officers and many other ranks came to
the paratroops after years of active service with other units (some were
veterans of Abyssinia or Spain), and some regiments and battalions had fought
in North Africa before or had been air-dropped on Greek islands. Even before
the first days of September 1942, most of the units had been for a long time
under artillery fire and air attacks. So, the paratroopers are certainly to be
considered as Experienced for the early September fighting. After that, they
could probably be rated as Veterans.
With regard to their
Morale, 8 is too low. When, after long and intense artillery barrages, their
foxholes were swarmed by overwhelming numbers of enemy infantry, the
paratroopers counterattacked with hand grenades and SMGs. When they were
overrun by tanks, they close assaulted them with molotov cocktails and grenades.
The short-ranged 47mm ATGs were manned until destroyed by 75mm grenades or
smashed under the tracks of the enemy tanks themselves. Throughout the battle,
the British attackers often caused fearful casualties, but made few prisoners.
Surrendering paratroopers were usually out of ammunition and often wounded.
This behaviour should grant at least a Morale of 9. The paratroopers thought
they were hardy, solid elite soldiers, and fought that way.
Of course these
assessments could be biased, since they are an Italian's point of view. But
they seem well-founded, if one considers the judgements by German allies and
British enemies alike, at the time of the fighting and afterwards (the British
usually considered them as tough as the German paratroops).
Naturally, the
attached units have their parent formation's Quality and Morale (more or less).
Thus, the attached infantry should be rated as Trained with Morale 6, the
artillery units as Experienced with Morale 7, the Bersaglieri anti-tank unit as
Experienced with Morale 8; the 31st Assault Engineers, a small, seasoned elite
unit, should be rated as Veterans, Morale 9.
Sources:
1) R. Migliavacca - La
Folgore nella battaglia di El Alamein
2) C.E. Lucas Phillips
- Alamein
3) Jacobsen &
Rohwer - Battaglie decisive della II Guerra Mondiale
4) E. Krieg - La
guerra nel deserto
5) B. Liddell Hart -
The Rommel Papers
6) F. Scalettaris -
Appunti africani
7) G. Bedeschi (ed.) -
Fronte d'Africa: c'ero anch'io
8) N. Arena - I
paracadutisti