Battaglioni Lavoratori in A.S.

[jwsleser]

Posted 18 July 2010 - 06:25 PM by Dili

I have this at War start in XX Corps:

VIII Battaglione lavoratori
IX Battaglione lavoratori

Total of both Btg: a 2362 men force

In another thread here there is also a reference to a 4 Battaglione ragruppamento lavoratori della Libia.

Anyone knows more?

Posted 19 July 2010 - 06:46 AM by Lupo Solitario

no, "battaglioni lavoratori" (worker battalions) are a usual army asset as pure manpower for no combat duties and were formed with people unfit for first line. Sincerely I've never understood if they had weapons...

Posted 19 July 2010 - 09:19 AM by dor1941

I noticed Montanari (A.S., Vol. II-Tobruk, p. 777) lists some battaglioni lavoratori in the order of battle in North Africa for April 1st, 1941 (excerpt):

Comando Superiore Genio
comandante: gen. Luigi Grosso

I raggruppamento speciale genio su:
-II battaglione artieri
-II battaglione artieri minatori
-battaglione guastatori
-battaglione idrici
-battaglione speciale

II raggruppamento speciale genio su:
-battaglione collegamenti del Comando Supremo
-IV battaglione collegamenti
-VII battaglione collegamenti
-XI battaglione collegamenti
-LXV battaglione collegamenti

I raggruppamento compagnie lavoratori su:
-V battaglione lavoratori
-VI battaglione lavoratori
-VII battaglione lavoratori

II raggruppamento compagnie lavoratori su:
-I battaglione lavoratori
-II battaglione lavoratori
-III battaglione lavoratori
-IV battaglione lavoratori

Autogruppo speciale genio

Posted 19 July 2010 - 09:19 AM by dor1941

Unfortunately Montanari does not give the locations of these units, or say much about them in the text-the index of units excludes them entirely.

I found it surprising that the IV battaglione lavoratori you mentioned (from my earlier post) was operating so close to the front that it was caught up in the fighting for the Sollum-Sidi Omar positions in Crusader (Nov 1941). I had assumed that such units would build and maintain roads, airfields, etc. in a largely civil role-since I thought they were unarmed-but its presence in the frontier posts obviously shows it was involved in constructing these positions, and apparently left there to expand and/or maintain them.

I also would be interested in learning more about these units.

David R

Posted 19 July 2010 - 03:31 PM by Dili

Thanks. Yes am interested in this construction units, doesn't matter if they do combat.

David R you list "raggruppamento compagnie lavoratori" but they have battalions not companies, any explanation?

Also any info when they arrived or were formed?

VIII and IX Battaglione lavoratori I referenced above arrived in May 1940 so maybe it is not out of question that were already there at Italian war start being I-VII numbers.

One more question ,Comando Superiore Genio is the top level of engineer command in Africa above Armies and Corps, am i correct?

Posted 20 July 2010 - 06:49 AM by dor1941

David R you list "raggruppamento compagnie lavoratori" but they have battalions not companies, any explanation?

No, I can't explain why they weren't referred to as "raggruppamento battaglioni lavoratori"-perhaps just an oddity of Italian organization. These battalions were definitely composed of companies but there may have been an arbitrary number of companies in each battalion. I haven't seen any evidence of an established TO&E; for the battaglioni lavoratori.

Also any info when they arrived or were formed?

None found.

VIII and IX Battaglione lavoratori I referenced above arrived in May 1940 so maybe it is not out of question that were already there at Italian war start being I-VII numbers.

Possible, but I cannot confirm this. I don't have the earlier volumes of the Italian official histories.

One more question ,Comando Superiore Genio is the top level of engineer command in Africa above Armies and Corps, am i correct?

This is certainly correct.

David R

Posted 20 July 2010 - 04:40 PM by Dili

Thanks!