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Compagnia Nomenclature

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Posted 28 February 2008 by David

Would the Compagnia Fanteria of a Battaglione Fanteria belonging to a Divisione Fanteria, be numbered 1,2,3 & 4? Or A,B,C &D;? Or would they each have unique numbers?
Thanks.

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Posted 28 February 2008 by Lupo Solitario

Companies/batteries are always numbered 1,2,3....

Note: David in italian it's usual placing the adjective AFTER the name and not before as in english, so a unit is or an Infantry Battalion in english or a Battaglione Fanteria in italian...I know it's bit pedantic but this makes your posts a bit..."funny" 😉

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Posted 28 February 2008 by David

Lupo.

In the II Battaglione, would the Compagnia still be numbered 1,2,3 & 4?
Or would they be 5,6,7 & 8?

Thanks.

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Posted 29 February 2008 by Michele

The only (partial) example I have on hand is in the following thread:

https://comandosupremo.com/forums/index.php?threads/italian-garrison-of-pantelleria-1943.82/

which suggests I=1,2,3,4 II=5,6,7,8 etc (at least in 1943)

the number of companies is a problem. Even more complicate (to my knowledge) is for Bersaglieri: for example, Montanari (vol.2) speaks of a 6th and 2nd Bersaglieri companies (8th Rgt.Bers./Ariete, June 1941, one of them in Halfaya, the other in Bardia - I'll have to find the precise quote) and I wondered what battalion did they belong to (III, V or XII??)

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Posted 01 March 2008 by Davide Pastore

michele said:
which suggests I=1,2,3,4 II=5,6,7,8 etc (at least in 1943)
I believe this was the standard for normal infantry through the war (companies numbered inside the regiment, more or less like Germans did). Same for batteries inside an artillery regiment.

OTOH Bersaglieri may have followed rules of their own (since they already numbered their battalions irrespective of the regiments).

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Posted 01 March 2008 by michele

OK, given that Bersaglieri battalions have unique numbers and not numbers relative to the rgt, it is not possible to number the companies consecutively inside a rgt.
However there are two alternatives: 1) number them consecutively inside each battalion (1., 2.,3.) (like in tank battalions) or 2) give them a unique number irrespective of the battalion (like the Alpini units). My guess is that (2) could be the right one.

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Posted 02 March 2008 by Oasis

With regard to 185^ div. Folgore, also cited as an infantry division in NA, there were company numbers as follows (www.congedatifolgore.com):

186° Rgt
III. - 13-14-15 cp.
VI. - 16-17-18 cp.
VII. - 19-20-21 cp

187° rgt
II. - 4-5-6 cp
IV. - 10-11-12 cp
IX. - 25-26-27 cp
X. - 28-29-30 cp

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Posted 02 March 2008 by Davide Pastore

Oasis said:
III. - 13-14-15 cp.
Wrong.
The battalion is V, otherwise the companies should have been 7ª-8ª-9ª (since all were numbered consecutively).

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Posted 03 March 2008 by Oasis


OK Davide, you are right, it was my tiping refuse.
Regards

Toni
 
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