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A.S. Infantry Regiment questions

WAKEN

New Member
Hi, I am looking for some details for the Infantry Regiments organised as below in June 1940, detail copied from this page: https://comandosupremo.com/tipo-africa-settentrionale/

My questions are in CAPITALS letters

Divisione di fanteria autotrasportabile tipo A.S. (d. at.)

Two Infantry Regiments (regg. fanteria)

Each regiment consists of:
Compagnia Comando (Regimental Command Company)
Compagnia mortai (Mortar Company)
-Three plotoni of two sezioni each (6 x 81mm mortars)
HOW MANY MEN IN EACH PLATOON? ARE THERE JUST RIFLES/CARBINES IN THESE PLATOONS, OR ARE THERE ANY MACHINE GUNS TOO?

Batteria d’accomagnmento (Infantry Support Battery) (4 x 65/17mm infantry support guns) [5]
HOW MANY MEN IN THE BATTERY? ARE THERE JUST RIFLES/CARBINES IN THE BATTERY, OR ARE THERE ANY MACHINE GUNS TOO?

Three battaglioni fanteria (infantry battalions), each consisting of:
-Three compagnia fanteria (infantry companies) each with:
—Plotone comando (Command platoon)
—Three platoni fucilieri (rifle platoons). Each platoon has:
——Two squadre fucilieri (rifle squads), each with:
———Gruppo fucile (rifle group, 11 men);
———Gruppo fucili mitragliatori (light machinegun group with 9 men and two Breda 30 f.m.).
HOW MANY MEN WERE IN THE INFANTRY COMPANY?

-One compagnia armi d’accompagnmento (Weapons company).
—Plotone Comando (Command platoon
—Two platoni mitragliatrici (heavy machinegun platoons) each with:
——Two squadre mitragliatici (machinegun squads) with 2 heavy machineguns each;
HOW MANY MEN IN EACH PLATOON?

—Two platoni mortai d’assalto (assault mortar platoons) each with:
——Three squadre moprtai d’assalto each with three 45mm Brixia mortars)
HOW MANY MEN IN EACH PLATOON? ARE THERE JUST RIFLES/CARBINES IN THESE PLATOONS, OR ARE THERE ANY MACHINE GUNS TOO?
 

WAKEN

New Member
The structure above would give 18 Breda 30 LMGs in an infantry battalion. The text below is from this: https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=56&t=181224
-- Divisione Fanteria 55. "Savona" (mot., A.S. 40 Type)
-- -- Reggimento Fanteria 15. (Each battalion staff, three rifle companies with 12 light MGs each, and one support company with 18 4.5cm mortars and 8 anti-tank rifles.)
-- -- -- Battaglione Fanteria 1./15. – 4 x Compagnie
-- -- -- Battaglione Fanteria 2./15. – 4 x Compagnie - in Bardia
-- -- -- Battaglione Fanteria 3./15. – 4 x Compagnie
-- -- -- Battaglione Mortai – 6 x 81mm Mortar
-- -- Reggimento Fanteria 16. (Each battalion staff, three rifle companies with 12 light MGs each, and one support company with 18 4.5cm mortars and 8 anti-tank rifles.)
-- -- -- Battaglione Fanteria 1./16. – 4 x Compagnie
-- -- -- Battaglione Fanteria 2./16. – 4 x Compagnie - in Bardia
-- -- -- Battaglione Fanteria 3./16. – 4 x Compagnie
-- -- -- Battaglione Mortai – 6 x 81mm Mortar
-- -- -- Compagnia - 5 x 65mm infantry gun
This shows 36 LMGs in an infantry battalion and the support company having 8 anti-tank rifles instead of 8 heavy MGs and no infantry gun company in Reggimento Fanteria 15.
This suggests that Savona was moving towards the May 1941 structure:
Two infantry Regiments (regg. di fanteria) tipo A.S.
Each regiment consists of:
Regimental Command Group
Two infantry battalions, each consisting of:
-Three infantry companies;
—Three infantry platoons;
—One machinegun platoon (4 heavy machineguns)
-One compagnia armi d’accompagnmento e controcarro with:
—One machinegun platoon (four heavy machineguns);
—One anti-tank platoon (four 47/32 c.c.).
One battaglione armi d’accompagnmento e controcarro consisting of: [38]
-Command company;
-One mortar company (nine 81mm mortars);
-One anti-tank company (eight 47/32 cannoni c.c);
-One anti-aircraft company (eight 20/35 c.a.).
I am trying to put together a start of Crusader OOB... hence the posts...

Cheers
 
The text of the topic is incorrect in fact on the eve of Crusader the Italian infantry divisions had to take on a new organic scheme which, however, was called Motorized Division type AS and just not Type AS 1940 because we were already in 1941 then it is not the exact diction created by the Italian command of the time. However, this change was to affect only three of the currently existing infantry divisions in the peas of the Italian command, namely Pavia, Bologna and Trento while Brescia and Savona had to comply with another type of scheme, although never officially called the division of occupation. type AS. In fact, the thing was never completed in its entirety and all the divisions except Pavia and Bologna entered into action with formations that on the field resembled a hybrid between the new schemes to be assumed and the old ones. In the case of Savona, it then considered a unique scheme because it was placed to guard the Bardia-Sollum line which really had little to do with the organic scheme you mentioned .........
All the best
Maurizio
 

WAKEN

New Member
Thanks Maurizio. From my online research so far I have seen the same comment made about only Pavia and Bologna having completed/nearly completed the change to Motorized Division type AS:
Two infantry Regiments (regg. di fanteria) tipo A.S.
Each regiment consists of:
Regimental Command Group
Two infantry battalions, each consisting of:
-Three infantry companies;
—Three infantry platoons;
—One machinegun platoon (4 heavy machineguns)
-One compagnia armi d’accompagnmento e controcarro with:
—One machinegun platoon (four heavy machineguns);
—One anti-tank platoon (four 47/32 c.c.).
How many LMGs were in a Motorized Division type AS infantry platoon, was it still 2 or had it increased to 4?
I am aware of Savona's static role in the fortified frontier zone. Are you saying that the details in that post on Axis History Forum are wrong?
 
In reality, according to the plans of the SME, the Trento, Trieste, Pavia and Bologna divisions should have assumed the new AS Motorized Division TOE while the Brescia and Savona divisions should have assumed those of the AS-type Occupation Division but in fact these transformations never became operational. Crusader caught the Italian divisions in phase of reorganization and constituted on a "hybrid" between the new and the old formations to assume. However, for the record, the theoretical TOE of the motorized Type AS division was at regiment level this:
regiment
Command 295 men + 261 service men
1st and 2nd Battalion (407 men)
- Battalion command (???) 50 men, 4 heavy machine guns
--5 company with 92 men, 13 light machine guns, 3 45mm mortars and 5 Soluthurn 20mm rifles
- 6 company with 92 men, 13 light machine guns, 3 45mm mortars and 5 Soluthurn 20mm rifles
--7.a company with 92 men, 13 light machine guns, 3 45mm mortars and 5 Soluthurn 20mm rifles
- Accompanying weapons company (decentralized from the accompanying arms battalion) with:
--- machine gun platoon consisting of 29 men and 4 heavy machine gunners
--- anti-aircraft / anti-tank platoon with 16 men and 2 machine guns of 20/35
--- counter tank platoon with 14 men and 2 47/32 anti-tank pieces
--- mortar platoon with 22 men and 3 81mm mortars
3rd Battalion (275 men)
- Battalion command (???) 50 men
- anti-aircraft company with:
--- anti-aircraft platoon (x2) with 28 men and 2 machine guns of 20/35
- anti-tank company with:
--- counter tank platoon (x3) with 22 men and 4 47/32 anti-tank pieces
--- mortar platoon with 22 men and 3 81mm mortars
--company machine gunners with:
--- machine gun platoon (x3) each consisting of 27 men and 4 heavy machine gunners
For a total regimental of 1665 men, 4 cars, 143 trucks, 48 motorcycles, 78 submachine guns, 28 heavy machine guns, 30 anti-tank rifles, 8 20mm anti-aircraft machine guns, 16 47/32 anti-tank pieces and 9 81mm mortars.
Needless to say, the theoretical load was never reached.
All the best
maurizio
 
I corrected some mistakes of my first letter:
In reality, according to the plans of the SME, the Trento, Trieste, Pavia and Bologna divisions should have assumed the new AS Motorized Division TOE while the Brescia and Savona divisions should have assumed those of the AS-type Occupation Division but in fact these transformations never became operational. Crusader caught the Italian divisions in phase of reorganization and constituted on a "hybrid" between the new and the old formations to assume. However, for the record, the theoretical TOE of the motorized Type AS division was at regiment level this:
regiment
Command 295 men + 261 service men
1st and 2nd Battalion (407 men each)
- Battalion command 50 men, 4 heavy machine guns
-- company with 92 men, 13 light machine guns, 3 45mm mortars and 5 Soluthurn 20mm rifles
-- company with 92 men, 13 light machine guns, 3 45mm mortars and 5 Soluthurn 20mm rifles
-- company with 92 men, 13 light machine guns, 3 45mm mortars and 5 Soluthurn 20mm rifles
- Accompanying weapons company (decentralized from the accompanying arms battalion) with:
---machine gun platoon consisting of 29 men and 4 heavy machine gunners
---anti-aircraft / anti-tank platoon with 16 men and 2 machine guns of 20/35
---counter tank platoon with 14 men and 2 47/32 anti-tank pieces
---mortar platoon with 22 men and 3 81mm mortars
3rd Battalion (275 men)
-Battalion command 50 men
-anti-aircraft company with:
--anti-aircraft platoon (x2) with 28 men and 2 machine guns of 20/35
-anti-tank company with:
-- counter tank platoon (x3) with 22 men and 4 47/32 anti-tank pieces
- mortar platoon with 22 men and 3 81mm mortars
-company machine gunners with:
-- machine gun platoon (x3) each consisting of 27 men and 4 heavy machine gunners
For a total regimental of 1665 men, 4 cars, 143 trucks, 48 motorcycles, 78 submachine guns, 28 heavy machine guns, 30 anti-tank rifles, 8 20mm anti-aircraft machine guns, 16 47/32 anti-tank pieces and 9 81mm mortars.
Needless to say, the theoretical load was never reached.
All the best
 
The Savona division had on the eve of Crusader the following organic conformation on the field:
Divisione di fanteria “di occupazione” "Savona" (55.a):
-Comando con: (hq)
--75.a sezione mista carabinieri
--Compagnia automezzi
--compagnia comando di divisione con: (hq company)
---tre plotoni di cannoni da 47/32
---una sezione contraerea da 20mm
-15.o Reggimento fanteria con: (infantry regiment)
--comando
--compagnia mortai da 81mm (6 pezzi)
--compagnia comando
--1.o, 2.o e 3.o battaglione ciascuno composto da : (battalion each)
---Comando
---3 compagnie fucilieri con 12 mitragliatrici leggere ciascuno
---1 compagnia armi accompagnamento con 18 mortai da 54mm e 8 fucili controcarro da 20mm
-16.o reggimento fanteria con composizione identica al 15.o ma con una compagnia cannoni reggimentale da 65/17 (5 pezzi)
-12.o reggimento artiglieria celere con:
--comando
--1.o gruppo da 100/17 su 1.a e 2.a batteria. La 3.a batteria era ancora a Napoli. (without 3rd battery at Naples)
--3.o gruppo da 75/27 su 1.a batteria, 2.a e 3.a batteria
--255.a batteria anticarro (8 pezzi da 37mm e 4 da 47/32)
--27.a batteria antiaerea da 20mm
--503.a batteria antiaerea da 20mm
--504.a batteria antiaerea da 20mm
-55.o Battaglione genio con: (engineer battalion)
--Comando
--127.a compagnia artieri
--55.a compagnia collegamenti
-45.a sezione sanità (services)
-55.a sezione sussistenza (services)
-155.a autosezione mista (auto section)
All the best
Maurizio
 

WAKEN

New Member
That's fantastic Maurizio. Thanks very much!

Do you have the TOE information for the June 1940 AS infantry regiment?

In my online research for Savona I have seen that Savona had the following batteries with 'coast defence' guns:
8 - 2 guns
27 - 6 guns
503 - 8 guns
504 - 8 guns
From your reply are these actually 20mm AA guns and not 'coast defence' guns?

If you have the time and the willingness to share the same level of information that you have already done for Savona, for the other Italian divisions, and corps units, on the eve of Crusader that would be fantastic!
Ariete
Trieste
Brescia
Bologna
Pavia
Trento
RECAM
XXI Corps artillery, engineer and infantry units
XX Corps artillery, engineer and infantry units

Cheers, Neil
 
Unfortunately at this level I have no information on the 1940 TOE. The fact that you are coastal cannons in the Savona TOE is certainly given by the fact that in many texts the data on the "Bardia fortress" and those on the pure division are confused. The divisional data that I have provided you are correct but the division was also responsible for the defense of Bardia-Sollum and had considerable forces external to its organicity also German. For the field forces of the divisions before Crusader I can see what I have even if I state that I do not have all of them. I will be able to tell you after looking through my notes.
all the best
Maurizio
 
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