Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Sources:
1. GES/DIS, O Ellinikos Stratos kata ton Deuteron Pagkosmion Polemon, O
Ellinoitalikos Polemos 1940-1941, I italiki isvoli, (28 Oktovriou mexri 13 Noembriou
1940) (General Staff of the Army/Military History Direction, The Hellenic Army durimg
World War Two, The Greek-Italian War 1940-1941, The Italian Invasion, 28th October
to 13th November 1940) (Greek Offical History, volume 1), Athens 1960
2. Sebastiano Visconti Prasca, Ego Isevala stin Ellada, Athens 1999 (Greek translation
of Prasca’s book I ho aggredito la Grecia (I invaded Greece), Milano 1946)
3. Ch. Katsimitros, Ipiros promahousa (Epirus, the Bastion), Athens 1954 (Katsimitros
was VIII Division CO)
4. Your website (of course!)
1. C.S.T.A.
2. XXVI Corps
3. 53rd Division
4. 19th Division
5. 29th Division
6. 49th Division
7. 3rd Alpini Division
8. XXV Corps
9. 131st Armoured Division
10. 23rd Division
11. 51st Division
12. Coastal Division
1. This is an Army OOB only. The Air Force OOB in your website is, according to my
sources, correct. Services units unknown. Includes Task Organisations of Divisions
invading Greece (XXVI Corps remaining in the defensive).
2. This OOB is based mainly on Prasca’s book, which is in turn based on official Italian
reports of the operations, and captured Italian orders as found in Greek official history
and Katsimitros book. It must be generally correct, but help from your italian sources
would be very useful.
3. This OOB is a good comparison to your 10 June 1940 OOB, to notice Italian build up and
also confirm the units assigned to each Division.
4. Prasca’s book includes personnel and artillery pieces totals for several divisions, so it
becomes obvious that TOEs for Italian units in Albania were somewhat lighter than the
TOEs in your site. So Inf Gun Bty in Infantry Regiment had only 4 65/17 guns and
Divisional AT gun bty with only 4 47/32 guns. It also seems possible that inf Btlns had
only 9 45mm mortars each. Cav Sqdns are company strength, grouped in twos in Sqdn
Groups,
Army Troops: 3 Custom Guards Btlns (numbers unknown), 26th Chemical Warfare Company,
21 batteries from 13th GaF Artillery (garrison artillery)
XXVI Corps Koritza
3rd Alpini Division Julia
XXV Corps Ciamuria
Raggruppamento Celere del Litorale (Light Coastal Groupment=Division)
Army Corps Reserves (In Erseka area) IV/ 31 Armored Rgt (50 L.3/35), 24th Motorized
Bersaglieri Btln, both from 131st Centauro Corazzata Division
And from North to South:
53rd Infantry Division Arezzo
19th Infantry Division Venezia
29th Infantry Division Piemonte
49th Infantry Division Parma
with 225th,226th Infantry Rgts (each with 1 65/17 inf gun bty), 1 Albanian Btln, Div. Mortar
Btln, 53rd Art Rgt and Services
(note: organisation as in your website (exc. CO) plus attached Albanians, TOE variations
unknown)
with 83rd ,84th Infantry Regiments (each with 1 65/17 inf gun bty), 1 Albanian Btln, Div. Mortar
Btln, 13th Cavalry Rgt Cavalleggeri di Monferrato, 19th Art Rgt and Services. 19th Art Rgt had
the additional IV Group with only 2 100/17 How Btys and 2 attached indep. 100/17 How Btys
attached, so that the Division had a strength of ca 5 art groups.
(note: organisation as in your website (incl. CO) plus attached units, TOE variations
unknown)
(note: organisation as in your website (exc. CO) plus attached units under Divisional HQ)
Task Organisation:
(North to South:)
I. 2 (Albanian?) Companies opposite Sub-Sector I (North) of Pindos
Detachment
II. Northern Group (8th Battle Group, CO Col. Despino, CO 8th Rgt, east of
Erseka), opposite Sub-Sector II (Center) of Pindos Detachment in 3
columns, north to south:
a. Tolmezzo Column (Tolmezzo Btln with attached Mnt Bty, prob 15th)
b. Gemona Column (Gemona Btln with attached Mnt Bty, prob 14th)
c. Cividale Column (Cividale Btln with attached Mnt Bty, prob 13th)
III. Southern Group (9th Battle Group, CO Col. Tavoni, CO 9th Rgt, Germeni)
opposite Sub-Sector III (South) of Pindos Detachment in 2 columns, north to
south:
a. Vincenza Column (Vincenza Btln with attached Mnt Bty, prob 17th)
b. Gemona Column (Gemona Btln with attached Mnt Bty, prob 18th)
IV. Divisional HQ with 1 Albanian Coy, 1 Mnt Bty (?) and 1 Cav Sqdn marched behind
Northern Group
Corps Troops: 1 Bridging Btln (-det. to Sienna and Ferrara Divs), 1 Engineer Btln, 1 Water
Transportation Coy, 2 Telegraph Cos, 8 Btys / 13th GaF Art (including 2 static garrison btys-
Loggora and Klisoura), services
131st Corazzata Division Centauro
23rd Infantry Division Ferrara
51st Infantry Division Sienna
Task Organisation:
(from North to South, Columns named after CO, except Central Column under Div CO:)
Task Organisation:
(from North to South:)
3rd Granatieri Rgt (with 1 65/17 inf gun bty with 4 guns), West of Konispolis
1 Albanian Btln
6th Cav Rgt Lancieri di Aosta, (with 1 65/17 inf gun bty with 4 guns attached), Tsaliani
7th Cav Rgt Lancieri di Milano, (with 1 65/17 inf gun bty with 4 guns attached), West of
Konispolis
II Group/ 49th Art Rgt (75/27), 3 btys with 4 guns each, West of Konispolis
Task Organisation:
(from North to South:)
Morigi Column (CO 7th Rgt, Col Giorgio Morigi) with 7th Cav Rgt Lancieri di Milano, (with 1
65/17 inf gun bty with 4 guns attached)
Adreini Column (CO 3rd Granatieri) with 3rd Granatieri Rgt (with 1 65/17 inf gun bty with 4
guns), Albanian Btln and II Group/ 49th Art Rgt (75/27), 3 btys with 4 guns each.
Imperiali Column (CO 6th Rgt) with 6th Cav Rgt Lancieri di Aosta, (with 1 65/17 inf gun bty
with 4 guns attached)