12th reggimento bersaglieri

[jwsleser]

Posted 20 April 2006 - 05:23 AM by Reggio O

Unfortunately, I haven't updated much info on this unit for quite sometime; although I probably have more info in notes not yet entered onto the file cards for both the 12. Regiment and the "Littorio" Division, and I'm not quite sure where I got all of this info. I'm sure others here will make the necessary corrections and additions.

The regimental depot was at Regio Emilia. The regiment had the 21. M/C Btn, 23-36 Mot. Btns. I later have the 21. Btn being converted to a motorized support btn, before going to NA. It served with the 133. Littorio Division during the war, and AFAIK it's history essentially mirrors that of the division. So, I have:
June 1940-part of the Armored Corps, Army of the Po.
July 1940-in the Parma area.
February 1941-Liguria
April 1941-Autotrasportabile Corps/2.Army-Yugoslav Campaign
May 1941-Parma area
Mid-December 1941-Napoli
January 1942-Tripoli
February 1942-Homs
Took part in the Libyan/Egyptian Campaign, suffering heavy losses at El Alamein, where remnants were combined with other bersaglieri units' survivors.

OK, comments, corrections and additions....

Regards,
Reggie O.

Posted 20 April 2006 - 09:56 AM by david

I have XXI Battaglione as C.C 12 x 47/32

I also have C.C.C 133 & C.C.C.143; one each in, XXIII & XXXVI Battaglione. Each with 8 x 47/32, at March 1942.

Both are pencilled in, can any one confirm please?

 

[jwsleser]

Posted 20 April 2006 - 06:23 PM by Reggio O

I have three(!!!) different cards on the "Littorio." One one, an older card, I have a note, obviously written at some point after I did the original card, as it is in a darker pencil lead, with the 21. Btn as an antitank btn. I have both the 133. and 143. cos with the division also, but not as part of the btns; so we're both really pretty close on this one.

Regards,
Reggie O.

Posted 21 April 2006 - 03:27 PM by voloire

on 1-24-1942 motorboat Vittoria, that was carring XXXVI Btg of 12° Reggimento ( on 3 coys - 7a -8a- 9a )from Taranto to NA was sunk by british airplanes.

Just 200 men survived. The Btg was reformed in libya on march 1942 with men coming from Italy

Posted 30 August 2011 - 10:52 AM by david

In March of 1942 I have no fewer than SEVEN! Compagnia Contro Carro with 12th Reggimento Bersaglieri.

I think that two of them were 133rd & 143rd, but do we know the other five?

Posted 30 August 2011 - 12:26 PM by arturolorioli

In March of 1942 I have no fewer than SEVEN! Compagnia Contro Carro with 12th Reggimento Bersaglieri.

David, by that time IIRC there were over 800 47L32 in North Africa .... it had become a platoon weapon in all but the name! I'm under the impression that most of the new non-regimental 1942 AT coys were little more than holding units, with the guns attached as needed to infanty subunits in one or two guns increments, when and where needed, and considered integral part of their infantry hosts. Those AT coys would possibly return to life as organic units - and for trasnport/administartive tasks only - when the guns were removed from one unit and reassigned to another, to disappear from the records again. As such, it's very hard to trace their identity, as even in the war diaries it is often found generically reported as "recieved four AT guns, assigned two each to strongpoint X and Y" (if anybody felt inclined to report such a trifiling fact at all) instead of a more formal "recieved 1st and 3rd AT section of ???th AT company". And when you find upper-echelon reports about "seven AT companies are attached to ???th Rgt" it should be better read as "about 40 or 50 extra AT guns have been unevenly split between our strongpoints".

Possibly the only source where to look for the exact names would be Military Post Office lists, or the Corps-level administrative records. In the first case they did have to know (otherwise no way to delivery the post) and in the later cases the chairbound pen-pusher maveriks are likely to have keept their records clean and tidy ... and fully obvilious of what was the real operational-level reality. But I doubt that anything consistent can be found in operational units reports etc.

All the best

Arturo Filippo Lorioli

 

[jwsleser]

Posted 17 April 2014 - 09:03 AM by david

Does anyone have an accurate date of arrival in North Africa for the XXIII battaglione please?

Or for the XXXVI Battaglione please.

Posted 27 April 2014 - 10:48 AM by dicasssette2000

All the 12.o reggimento went in AS on 21 january 1942. The motonave Victoria that was the transport for Hq and 36.o battaglione was hit by a torpedo and sunk. Many bersaglieri died but the remain of units came to Tripoli and on 30 january 1942 the reggimento was at Garian with two coys at Ghibba and Gadames. AT 3 march 1942 the reggimento was at Homs (23.o and 36.o battaglione) and est of Tripoli (21.o battaglione motociclisti and Hq). Hope it helps....
All the best
Maurizio