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Tactical use of troops on AS-42 organization

Eugen Pinak

New Member
Italian infantry in North Africa had peculiar AS-42 modular organization with each infantry company having only one rifle platoon, the rest of the platoons being HMG, Anti-tank rifles, Anti-tank guns. Compare it with previous Italian (and not only) infantry company having three rifle platoons.
Does anybody seen the official details on tactical use of troops on AS-42 organization?
 

jwsleser

Administrator
Staff member
Eugen

I have done a quick check of my sources and didn't find any written doctrine on the A.S. tipo 42 organization.

I can only speculate that as 1) this wasn't adopted throughout the R.E.; 2) it was a cost/logistical change and not based on improved tactics ; 3) that the current manuals already addressed the employment of three types of squads/platoons (infantry, machine gun, and AT) in the company, it was determined that no new doctrine needed to be written. The infantry organization under A.S. tipo 42 was definitely focused on the defense, so trying to write doctrine on how to attack with such a company was likely seen as unnecessary. The employment of these weapons in the defense was already well covered in existing manuals.

My experience in reading 2GM R.E. manuals (especially those addressing larger units like battalions-divisions) is that they only offer general/generic guidance and little 'this is how you do it' instruction. As such, no real need to write a new manual as the principles still applied.

It wasn't unknown for units to write/print their own manuals if the commanders felt it was needed. I don't know whether Superlibia ever published a manual.

I will be interested to read if anyone else is aware of any such manuals.

Pista! Jeff
 

Dili

Member
Seems i can post again.
The force composition points to an almost exclusive defensive posture and was aknowledged that it would not be good for offensive.
 

jwsleser

Administrator
Staff member
When I first began to research the A.S. tipo 42 organization, I had assumed the bersaglieri and the motorizzata battalions remained unchanged to provide an offensive infantry capability. I later learned that they too were included in the reorganization. I don't find any serious attacks executed by Italian infantry after the adoption of the organization.

Pista! Jeff
 

Eugen Pinak

New Member
Guys - thank you for the information.

Jeff, I'm sure that on the platoon, squad/gun level there was no new to learn. But on the company level the battle had to be entirely different from standard, prescribed in the previous manuals. Battalion battle will be different (thought to a lesser extent) too. And I find it strange to rely on the initiative of the local commands in such an important respect.

I don't find any serious attacks executed by Italian infantry after the adoption of the organization.
I thought at Gazala, Second Tobruk and First El Alamein Italian infantry attacked regularly?
 

jwsleser

Administrator
Staff member
Eugen

I can't demonstrate that such manuals were never written. All I can say is I have searched for this type of information and came up empty handed. :(

And I find it strange to rely on the initiative of the local commands in such an important respect.
Comando Superiore A.S. ran its own training program for new units/personal arriving in A.S. This wasn't merely acclimatization or special techniques. It was basic training. Read Richard Carrier's 'Some Reflection on the Fighting Power of the Italian Army in North Africa'.

But on the company level the battle had to be entirely different from standard, prescribed in the previous manuals.

Only if you believe that the infantry in A.S. were executing the type of offensive you are thinking about. One discussion point on the forum here at CS was when did the units truly transition to the A.S. tipo 42 structure.

What does an infantry attack look like in A.S. 1942? The R.E. recognized by 1942 that the German were the offensive power in A.S. Not the Italian units. It is one reason the A.S. tipo 42 was adopted.

Gazala saw the bulk of the Italians demonstrating against UK positions, but not actually pressing the attack. The main effort against Tobruk was the German units, «Ariete» and «Trieste». How were the bersaglieri and motorizzata units organized at the time. Was it the enginneer units that really did the close in fighting to clear the way for the mechanized forces?

1st Alamein was a mobile battle where armored units gained ground and then the infantry tried to hold it. How many infantry assaults did the Italian units actually attempt during that battle?

The issue of how the Italian infantry units fought in 1942 is a great research topic. Like the divisione binaria, the tipo 42 structure has never been truly analyzed.

Pista! Jeff
 

Eugen Pinak

New Member
Jeff, thank you for the details on tactics and training of Italian troops in Africa. I had no idea Comando Superiore A.S. had much input in troop training.

The issue of how the Italian infantry units fought in 1942 is a great research topic. Like the divisione binaria, the tipo 42 structure has never been truly analyzed.

Indeed. Even official Italian story of the army doctrines goes into almost no detail on "binaria" and zero on "AS-42" and other local variations :(
As a result I have official sources on how "binaria" was created, how it was planned to fight - but not on how it actually fought. Weird :/
 

jwsleser

Administrator
Staff member
Yes Storia della Dottrina e degli Ordinamenti, vol. II, part 2 is basically the history of the R.E. 1940-1943. No real analysis of how well the doctrine and organizations worked during the war. Disappointing.

Pista! Jeff

 
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