Maurizio
I am not sure what EMS refers to.
RE: Relazione Tonini. I believe that the Museo Storico delle Aviotruppe holds Tonini's papers. Di Giovanni in his I paracadutisti italiani Volontari, miti e memoria della seconda guerra mondiale cites the papers. I was unable to obtain a copy, but Arena used them quite extensively in his accounts. I hope to either return to Italy and visit the museum or find someone in Italy willing to copy the papers.
RE: Locations on Derna maps. My fn 19 on p.90 states "The Libyan parachute company identifications/locations on Maps 4.3–4.10 are best estimates using mainly secondary sources. Additional research is required."
The positions were determined by comparing the various Italian and Australian accounts and I feel they are pretty accurate. I wasn't able to determine the locations of the individual elements from «Pancano», but assumed they were spread out between the para. companies as they were mainly combat support units or very ad hoc. None of the accounts (Italian or Aust.) addressed these elements separately except for the bersaglieri motociclisti and the M11/39 tanks. Fn 24 on p.93 states "It is assumed that the elements of «Pancano» were integrated into Tonini’s defense as support weapons and not as separate maneuver elements."
The identifications (1ª cp., etc.) are best guesses. I created an officer list by company using all the sources I had available. This was complicated by the other officers attached as part of gruppo mobile «Tonini», so my list was only about 50% functional. Tonini's account as presented by Arena mainly identified units by officers names, so I tried to compare the names to the list. The only unit identification that I am fully comfortable with is the 1ª cp. 3ª cp. is iffy, and 2ª and 4ª cp. were a toss-up. Hence my footnote.
RE: «Pancano». I have it initially organized with the 60ª cp. bersaglieri motociclisti (two platoons); 14ª batteria contraerea (six 20mm AA guns); and Plotone di formazione, I Battaglione, 4º Reggimento Carri Medi (four M11/39 tanks). When the unit was detached to protect the Wadi Bgar, it received two bersaglieri anti-tank platoons (four 47/32 c.c., 83 men), one btr. da 75/27 from the II/10º rgt. art. «Bologna», and 175 men with various weapons, six 20/65 c.a. guns, and three additional 47/32 guns. All my sources state the captured armored car was a Marmon-Herrington.
Pista! Jeff