185th Paratroopers Division Folgore

Libyan paratroopers

Direct and immediate origins of the 185th Paratroopers Division "Folgore" lie in the Paratroopers units formed in the wake of the breaking out of the World War Two.

In 1938 Marshal of the Air Force Italo Balbo established the Camp-School for Paratrooper of the Libyan Troops under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Goffredo Tonini and stationed at the airport of Castel Benito near Tripoli.^[1]

By 1939 there were two Libyan Paratroopers Battalions.^[2] By early 1940 an Italian paratroopers battalion was also established.^[2]

At the beginning of the Italian participation in World War Two there were:^[2]

• 1 Libyan Paratroopers School;
• 1 Libyan Paratroopers Battalion; 500 troops, 4 Companies.
• 1 National (i.e. Italian) Paratroopers Battalion: 300 troops, 4 Companies.

On 15 January 1941 both Libyan Paratroopers School and Libyan Paratroopers Battalion were assigned to the defence of El Fteiah airport (near Derna) with 850 troops (418 Italians and 432 Libyans).^[2]

Paratroopers Military Schools

After quarrels,^[2] in 1937 paratroopers schools were assigned by law to the Regia Aeronautica.^[3] Two years later, in 1939, two Paratroopers Military School based in Tarquinia and in Viterbo were established.^[3] School personnel was drawn from the Air force, while personnel to instruct consisted of Royal Italian Army officers and sub-officers.^[2]

The Tarquinia school included:^[3]

• School Command (the Commander was a senior officer of the Air force, the Deputy Commander a senior officer of the Army);
• Flight Unit;
• Student Paratroopers Training Battalion;
• Services Unit;
• Technical and Maintenance Unit;
• Logistic-Administration Unit;
• Studies and Leassons learned Unit.

The 2-months^[2] Instructors course began in March 1940.^[3] In late November 1940 was established only one Paratroopers Battalion.^[2]

The Division

In July 1940 first paratroopers units were established: I Paratroopers Royal Carabinieri Battalion and II and III Paratroopers Battalions; in Spring 1941 the IV Battalion, the Anti-tank Cannons Company and the 1st Paratroopers Regiment were established. By 1942, the V, VI and VII Paratroopers Battalions formed the 2nd Paratroopers Regiment, the 9th, 10th and 11th Battalions formed the 3rd Paratroopers Regiment; at the same time, Regimental Cannons Company were combined into the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Paratrooper Artillery Groups, which in turn formed the Paratrooper Artillery Regiment.^[4]

The division was formed on 1 September 1941 in Tarquinia, as the 1ª Divisione Paracadutisti. The division was intended to be used in Operation Hercules - the planned Axis invasion of Malta. Initially the division was made up of the following units:

• Division headquarters and headquarters company
• 1st Paratroopers Infantry Regiment (later renamed 185th Paratroopers Infantry Regiment)
  • Headquarters and Headquarters Company
  • II Paratroopers Infantry Battalion
  • III Paratroopers Infantry Battalion
  • IV Paratroopers Infantry Battalion
  • 1st Regimental Cannon Company (with 47/32 M35 antitank guns, nicknamed elefantino - little elephant, for his shape)
• 2nd Paratroopers Infantry Regiment (later renamed 186th Paratroopers Infantry Regiment)
  • Headquarters and Headquarters Company
  • V Paratroopers Infantry Battalion
  • VI Paratroopers Infantry Battalion
  • VII Paratroopers Infantry Battalion
  • 2nd Regimental Cannon Company (with 47/32 M35 antitank guns)
• 3rd Paratroopers Infantry Regiment joined the division on 3 March 1942 (later renamed 187th Paratroopers Infantry Regiment)
  • Headquarters and Headquarters Company
  • IX Paratroopers Infantry Battalion
  • X Paratroopers Infantry Battalion
  • XI Paratroopers Infantry Battalion
  • 3rd Regimental Cannon Company (with 47/32 M35 cannons)
• Paratroopers Artillery Regiment (later renamed 185th Paratroopers Artillery Regiment)
  • Headquarters and Headquarters Battery
  • I Paratroopers Artillery Group (with 47/32 M35 cannons)
  • II Paratroopers Artillery Group (with 47/32 M35 cannons)
  • III Paratroopers Artillery Group (with 47/32 M35 cannons)
• VIII Paratroopers Engineer Battalion
• Mining and Explosives Engineers Company
• Signal Engineers Company
• Division Service Units

Each Paratroopers Infantry Battalion fielded one Headquarters and three Paratroopers Infantry Companies. Each Paratroopers Artillery Group fielded one Headquarters and two Paratroopers Artillery Batteries armed with 47/32 M35 cannons. The VIII Paratroopers Engineer Battalion fielded one Headquarters and three Paratroopers Engineer Companies.

The Division was well equipped with modern automatic weapons (Beretta submachine gun, Breda M37 and Breda M38 heavy machine guns) and many support weapons, giving the paratroopers of the division a good firepower against infantry and light tanks, but without any transports or medium and heavy artillery. After the cancellation of the invasion of Malta the division was sent to the North African theater. However it left the 1st Paratroopers Infantry Regiment with one battalion in Italy as foundation for the 184th Paratroopers Division Nembo. In June 1942 the divisions name was changed to 185th Paratroopers Division Folgore and its regiments renumbered and renamed as well. In North Africa the division participated in the Battles of El Alamein, where the division was the protagonist of a strong resistance against the attacking Commonwealth forces, managing also to drive off some attacks conducted by tanks and heavy infantry. In the course of the Second Battle of El Alamein the division was almost completely destroyed.

Battle analysis

185th Paratroopers Division position before the 2nd Battle of El Alamein

The second Battle of El Alamein: 7th Armoured Division, 44th Infantry Division, 50th Infantry Division and Free French Brigade attack Folgore from three directions: 10:30pm October 25, 1942, until 3am October 26, 1942.

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 AT guns, it was easy to block the attack, provided that the first tank or two were disabled.

But the British had effective mine-clearing task forces, flail tanks (the Scorpions) and Valentine tanks, and 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. 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 of the "Battle of El Alamein". However, the four divisions attacking the Folgore 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, so their attacks were called off after the bloody fighting during the night of October 24: 31 British tanks were destroyed or disabled during that night alone.^[9]

At the end of the battle of El Alamein, Harry Zinder of Time magazine noted that the Italians paratroopers fought better than had been expected, and commented that: In the south, the famed Folgore Paratroopers Division fought to the last round of ammunition.^[10]

With a few survivors and some replacement, the 285º Battaglione Paracadutisti "Folgore", a battaillon-size unit commandeered by Captain Lombardini, was formed, and participated to the defense of the Mareth Line in Tunisia in mid 1943, particularly at the Battle of Takrouna, where it was destroyed.