There is little written modern history about the
Regio Esercito
(Royal Italian Army) in the Second World War in the English language. Most readers’ knowledge of the actions of the R.E. are in works that focus on the Allied side of the conflict and are heavily dependent on Allied sources. While there are several recent works on the operations of the
Regia Aeronautica
and
Regina Marina
during the war, these tend to omit or only briefly mention the activities of the specialized units within those services.
Infantrymen of the Air
is the first detailed account of one speciality within the Italian military: the
paracadutisti
(paratroopers). Many readers are aware of the exploits of the
divisione paracadutisti «Folgore»
at El Alamein, but few are aware that the
were involved in all the major fighting in North Africa. There was the
I battaglione paracadutisti libici
that fought at Derna and Beda Fomm during Operation Compass. Then the
Carabinieri dell’Aria
stopped a pursuing infantry brigade during Operation Crusader. The remains of the
«Folgore»
continued to fight at Mareth and as the
285º battaglione «Folgore»
at Takrouna. The
divisione aviotrasportabile «La Spezia»
is also addressed as part of an Italian airborne corps.
also addresses the
Regia Aeronautica’s
and the
Regina Marina’s
airborne units. The
Regina Aeronautica
(Royal Air Force) created the
I battaglione paracadutisti d’assalto
battaglione «Loreto»
both for use on the planned invasion of Malta, yet found themselves fighting bravely in Tunisia. The
battaglione Arditi Distruttori della Regia Aeronautica
(A.D.R.A.) conducted raids in North Africa and Sicily. Paratroopers require transport aircraft and the ability of the
Servizi Aerei Speciali
to support airborne operations is examined.The parachutists of the
(Royal Navy) are detailed as well in
. The
battaglioni P(aracadutisti)
N(uotatori) del reggimento «San Marco»
were raised for special operations and the planned invasion of Malta. Both would see action in Tunisia in 1943.
presents the history of these units from their authorization to their final actions in September 1943. The book discusses the doctrinal underpinnings for the creation and employment of these units. Organizational charts and equipment authorizations are provided to explore their evolution. The training, both the failures and successes, are explained for the reader. Operations that were planned but never executed are also included in their story.The combat history of many of these units are presented to English readers for the first time. Battles and actions are addressed based mainly Italian sources supplemented by Allied histories. Numerous maps accompany each account, allowing the reader to visually follow the ebb and flow of the events presented. In many cases these accounts go beyond what is offered in Italian language works, integrating Allied sources to a greater degree to present a more complete picture.
offers an excellent resource to the student of World War 2. It is hope that this book is the ‘must have’ work for anyone studying the history of the Italian
during the war.