Template:Use British English
Template:Infobox military unit
Template:Campaignbox Western Desert
The Maletti Group (Template:Lang-it) was an Template:Lang mechanised unit formed by the Italian Royal Army (Template:Lang) in Italian North Africa (Template:Lang, ASI), during the initial stages of the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. The Italian army had three armoured divisions in Europe but all were needed for the occupation of Albania and the forthcoming invasion of Greece, which began on 28 October 1940. The Template:Lang was formed in June 1940, as part of the 10th Army (General Mario Berti) and contained all of the M11/39 medium tanks in Libya.
The medium tanks and tankettes already in the colony were to be combined with medium tanks sent from Italy, to form a new armoured division and a new headquarters, the Libyan Tank Command was established on 29 August. The Template:Lang participated in Template:Lang E, the Italian invasion of Egypt in 1940 and reached Sidi Barrani on 16 September. The group was destroyed at the Nibeiwa camp on 9 December, during Operation Compass, a British raid against the 10th Army positions inside Egypt. The rest of the command and tank units arriving in Libya were combined in the Babini Group which was also destroyed at the Battle of Beda Fomm (6–7 February 1941), the final defeat of the 10th Army, which led to the British occupation of Cyrenaica.
Background
32nd Tank Infantry Regiment
The 32nd Tank Infantry Regiment was formed on 1 December 1938 and on 1 February 1939 became part of the 132nd Armored Division "Ariete", the second Italian armoured division. At the Italian declaration of war on 11 June 1940, the 32nd Tank Infantry Regiment moved with the Ariete from Veneto to the border with France, as part of the Army of the Po but the war ended so quickly that the division was not used. On 28 July 1939, the I and II Tank Battalion "M"s received 96 Fiat M11/39 tanks to replace its Fiat 3000s. The inadequacies of the M11/39 tanks led to a decision on 26 October 1939, to replace them with M13/40 tanks and the first batch, built by Ansaldo at Genoa in October 1940, were used to equip the III Tank Battalion "M" with 37 of the new tanks.Template:Sfn
The I Tank Battalion "M" (Major Victor Ceva) and the II Tank Battalion "M" (Major Eugenio Campanile) and their M11/39 tanks, landed in Libya on 8 July 1940 and transferred from the 32nd Tank Infantry Regiment in Italy to the command of the 4th Tank Infantry Regiment in Libya. The two battalions had an establishment of 600 men, 72 tanks, 56 vehicles, 37 motorcycles and 76 trailers. The medium tanks reinforced the 324 L3/35 tankettes already in Libya.Template:Sfn Template:Lang (General Pietro Maletti) was formed at Derna the same day, with seven Libyan motorised infantry battalions, a company of M11/39 tanks, a company of L3/33 tankettes, motorised artillery and supply units as the main motorised unit of the 10th Army and the first combined arms unit in North Africa.Template:Sfn
Prelude
Libyan Tank Command
On 29 August, as more tanks arrived from Italy, the Template:Lang (Libyan Tank Command) was formed under the command of General Valentino Babini, with three Template:Lang. Template:Lang (Colonel Pietro Aresca) with the I Tank Battalion "M" and the 31st, 61st and 62nd Tank Battalion "L"s, Template:Lang (Colonel Antonio Trivioli), with the II Tank Battalion "M", less one company and the IX, XX, and LXI Tank Battalion "L"s and Template:Lang with the LX Tank Battalion "L" and the remaining M11/39 company from the II Tank Battalion "M".Template:Sfn Template:Lang became part of the Template:Lang (Royal Corps of Libyan Colonial Troops), with the 1st Libyan Division and the 2nd Libyan Division.Template:Sfn
Marshal Rodolfo Graziani revised Template:Lang, the plan for the invasion of Egypt by the 10th Army and made Sidi Barrani the objective, six days before the deadline for an invasion imposed by Mussolini. XXII Corps (Template:Lang Petassi Manella) was in general reserve, XXI Corps (Template:Lang Lorenzo Dalmazzo) was at Tobruk as the 10th Army reserve with the un-motorized 61st Infantry Division "Sirte", 2nd CC.NN. Division "28 Ottobre" and a Tank Battalion "L". The XXIII Corps (Template:Lang Annibale Bergonzoli) comprised the un-motorized 64th Infantry Division "Catanzaro" and 4th CC.NN. Division "3 Gennaio". Template:Sfn A northern column with the Italian non-motorised divisions was to advance along the coast on the Via Balbia, cross the frontier and attack through the Halfaya Pass, to occupy Sollum and capture Sidi Barrani. A southern column with the 1st Libyan Division, 2nd Libyan Division and the Template:Lang were to advance along the track from Dayr al Hamra to Bir ar Rabiyah and Bir Enba south of the escarpment, round the British inland (southern) flank.Template:Sfn
The flanking manoeuvre by the Template:Lang misfired, because it lacked adequate maps and navigation equipment for desert travel and the group got lost as it moved to its jumping-off point at Sidi Omar. XXIII Corps Headquarters (HQ) had to send aircraft to guide the group into position. The accompanying 1st Libyan Division and 2nd Libyan Division were also delayed in reaching the rendezvous near Fort Capuzzo and the fiasco led Graziani to cancel the wide flanking manoeuvre. The 10th Army, in a mass of five divisions and the armoured groups, was ordered to move down the coast road, occupy Sollum and advance to Sidi Barrani through Buq Buq. Once at Sidi Barrani, the army would consolidate, extend the Via Balbia by building the Template:Lang to move supplies forward, destroy British counter-attacks and then advance to Mersa Matruh. The immobility of the non-motorized infantry divisions forced Graziani to use the coast road, despite the mechanised forces in the army, to try to defeat the British with mass rather than manoeuvre.Template:Sfn
Western Desert Campaign
Invasion of Egypt
XXIII Corps advanced to Sidi Barrani along the coast road, having received enough lorries to motorise one infantry division and partly to motorise three more for the advance. Bergonzoli planned the advance with the 1st Template:Lang forward, followed by the fully motorised 1st CC.NN. Division "23 Marzo" and the 62nd Infantry Division "Marmarica" and 63rd Infantry Division "Cirene", which had been partly motorised and could shuttle elements forward. The un-motorized 1st Libyan Division and 2nd Libyan Division, were to march on foot for the Template:Cvt to the objective and the Template:Lang was to form the rearguard.Template:Sfn The 1st Template:Lang was also kept in reserve, except for the LXII Tank Battalion "L" with L3/33 tankettes, which was attached to the 62nd Infantry Division "Marmarica" and the LXIII Tank Battalion "L" assigned to the 63rd Division Infantry "Cirene". The 2nd Template:Lang remained at Bardia, except for the IX Tank Battalion "L" which joined the 2nd Libyan Division. The Template:Lang (3rd Template:Lang) had the II Tank Battalion "M" with M11/39 tanks and three Libyan infantry battalions, all motorised.Template:Sfn
The 10th Army advanced to Sollum then along the coast road two divisions forward, behind a screen of motorcyclists, tanks, motorised infantry and artillery. On 14 September, the rest of the 1st Template:Lang followed the 1st Libyan Division and 2nd Libyan Division toward Bir Thidan el-Khadim. At Alam el Dab, just short of Sidi Barrani, about fifty Italian tanks supported by motorised infantry and artillery, tried to outflank and trap the British rear guard, which forced the 3rd Coldstream Guards battalion to retreat.Template:Sfn By late on 16 September, the 1st Template:Lang had reached an area south-east of Sidi Barrani, with the 1st CC.NN. Division "23rd Marzo" and the XXIII Corps artillery, having been used cautiously for infantry support. The Template:Lang was west of the objective, having been hampered by lack of supplies and disorganisation.Template:Sfn The 1st CC.NN. Division "23 Marzo" took Sidi Barrani and the advance stopped at Maktila, Template:Cvt beyond.Template:Sfn
Operation Compass
Nibeiwa
The 10th Army planned to advance on Mersa Matruh on 16 December but the attack was forestalled by Operation Compass. Only the IX Tank Battalion "L" with L3/33 tankettes attached to the 2nd Libyan Division, the II Tank Battalion "M" with M11/39s, with the Template:Lang at Nibeiwa camp and the LXIII and XX Tank Battalion "L"s, with the XXI Corps HQ, were still in Egypt. The five fortified camps from the coast to the escarpment were well defended but too far apart for overlapping fields of fire and the defenders relied on ground and air patrols to link the camps and watch the British.Template:Sfn The camp at Nibeiwa was a rectangle about Template:Cvt, with a bank and an anti-tank ditch. Mines had been laid but at the north-west corner, there was a gap in the minefield for delivery lorries and a British night reconnaissance found the entrance.Template:Sfn
A lack of Italian air–ground co-operation was exploited by the British to attack Nibeiwa camp from the rear, with the 11th Brigade Group of the 4th Indian Division and the Matilda infantry tanks of the 7th Royal Tank Regiment (7th RTR).Template:Sfn Italian air reconnaissance spotted British vehicle movements in the area but Maletti was apparently not informed. On 8 January, Maletti alerted the nearby 2nd Libyan Division that unusual low-level flying by the RAF was probably intended to disguise the movement of armoured units. At 6:30 a.m. on 9 January, well before the beginning of the main British attack, Maletti had contacted the commanders of the 1st Libyan Division and the 2nd Libyan Division, reporting the British preparatory movements.Template:Sfn
At 5:00 a.m. on 9 December, British artillery commenced a one-hour diversionary bombardment from the east and at 7:15 a.m., the main 4th Indian divisional artillery opened fire. The 11th Indian Infantry Brigade Group and the 7th RTR attacked from the north-west, with Bren carriers on the flanks, all firing on the move. About twenty Italian medium tanks outside the camp were destroyed in the initial British attack, while warming their engines before breakfast. Italian artillery and machine-gun fire began as isolated parties of Italians tried to hunt the British Infantry tanks with hand grenades.Template:Sfn At 7:45 a.m. Scottish and Indian infantry began methodically to sweep through the camp, backed by artillery and the tanks. By 10:40 a.m., the camp had been overrun and 2,000 Italian and Libyan prisoners had been taken, along with a large quantity of supplies and water for a British loss of 56 men.Template:Sfn A total of 819 Italian and Libyan soldiers had been killed along with Maletti and 1,338 were wounded.Template:Sfn
Aftermath
Analysis
In his history of the 32nd Tank Infantry Regiment, Maurizio Parri wrote that a company of the II Tank Battalion "M" with its M11/39s had tried to counter-attack the British Matildas but the crews misunderstood flag signals, which caused delays and the attack failed.Template:Sfn In 1944, Moorehead wrote that Maletti was wounded while rallying his men, then retreated to his tent with a machine-gun, where he was killed. Maletti's mortal remains were to be seen at the entrance of his tent when war correspondents visited the camp.Template:Sfn Moorehead wrote that he saw unattended donkeys wandering around looking for water and soldiers looting extravagant Italian army uniforms and lunching on luxury foods, wines and Recoaro mineral water. New equipment, weapons and ammunition strewed the ground, already disappearing under the sand and dozens of dug-outs were found to be full of food, new equipment and ammunition.Template:Sfn
Orders of battle
8 July 1940Template:Efn
- Infantry (1st and 5th Libyan regiments)
- I Libyan Infantry Battalion
- III Libyan Infantry Battalion
- IV Libyan Infantry Battalion
- V Libyan Infantry Battalion
- XVII Libyan Infantry Battalion
- XVIII Libyan Infantry Battalion
- XIX Libyan Infantry Battalion
- Saharan Battalion
- Artillery
- Tanks
- 1 × M11/39 company
- 1 × L3 company
- Engineers
- 2 × Engineer companies
- Transport
- 160 Camels
- 500 vehicles
December 1940Template:Efn
- Template:Lang Headquarters
- Infantry
- I Libyan Infantry Battalion
- V Libyan Infantry Battalion
- XVII Libyan Infantry Battalion
- XIX Libyan Infantry Battalion
- I Saharan Battalion
- Artillery
- I Template:Lang 65/17 (12 × 65/17 guns)
- II Template:Lang 75/27 (12 × 75/27 guns)
- 1 × Battery of 105/28 guns (4 × 105/28 guns)
- 1 × Mortar company (9 × 81 mm mortar)
- 1 × Anti-tank company (8 × 47/32 guns)
- 1 × Anti-tank company (8 × 47/32 guns)
- 1 × Battery AA guns (8 × 20 mm guns)
- 1 × Battery AA guns (8 × 20 mm guns)
- Armour
- II Tank Battalion "M" 4th Tank Infantry Regiment, (22 × M11/39)
See also
Notes
Footnotes
References
Template:Refbegin Books
- Template:Cite thesis
- La prima offensiva britannica in Africa settentrionale (ottobre 1940 – febbraio 1941){{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Esercito. Corpo di stato maggiore. Ufficio storico(1979)
- Sidi el Barrani (giugno 1940 – febbraio 1941){{#if:Montanari|, Montanari}. Ufficio Storico dello Stato Maggiore Esercito(1985)
- The Desert War: The Classic Trilogy on the North African campaign 1940–43{{#if:Moorehead|, Moorehead}. Hamish Hamilton(2009). ISBN 978-1-84513-391-7
- The Mediterranean and Middle East: The Early Successes Against Italy (to May 1941){{#if:|, {{{last}}}}(1954)
- Iron Hulls, Iron Hearts: Mussolini's Elite Armoured Divisions in North Africa{{#if:Walker|, Walker}. Crowood(2003). ISBN 978-1-86126-646-0
Websites
- Storia del 32° Rgt. Carri dalla Costituzione del Reggimento fino al termine del Secondo Conflitto Mondiale, Parri, M.. www associocarri it. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
Further reading
- Delusione nel deserto: Dall'entrata in guerra (10 June1940) alla vigilia del contrattacco inglese (9 December 1940), Cattarossi, E.. it cultura storia militare. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
- Beda Fomm: The Classic Victory{{#if:Macksey|, Macksey}. Ballantine Books(1971)
- Archibald Wavell's Despatch on Operations in the Middle East From August, 1939 to November, 1940, Wavell, A.(13 June 1946). Retrieved 31 October 2022.Template:Dead link
- Archibald Wavell's Despatch on Operations in the Western Desert From 7th December, 1940 to 7th February 1941, Wavell, A.(26 June 1946). Retrieved 31 October 2022.
External links
- Photograph of Maletti (Italian site)
- Diary of Colonel Emilio Iezzi, commander, V Tank Battalion "M"
- The Mediterranean and Middle East volume I: The Early Successes against Italy (to May 1941)
Template:Italian Divisions World War II Template:Italian colonial empire Template:Italian Libya Template:World War II