Despite the continuous reminders of the Italian commands in AS, the delivery of the first samples of "Sahariana" arrived at their destination with considerable delay because the first production batch was destroyed during an air raid on Turin in November 1942. The first eight "Sahariana" they arrived in Libya on November 8, 1942, and were immediately assigned to the 3rd "Saharan" company of Zella. They were all used to set up the "Trucker Training Department of the Saharan Group, later renamed" 3.o Rapid Department "of the" Saharan Group. "Following the arrival of ten other" Saharan ", the unit considered experimental was sent to Hon for training, particularly to train in long-range desert travel, with the aim of completing the training course by mid-December 1942. Needless to say, the training was never completed. unit had its baptism of fire on November 17, 1942 when it collided with a patrol of the LRDG, losing one of its "Sahariana". On November 25 another clash followed, but this time the Italians showed that they had learned their lesson and the LRDG lost half of its eight vehicles, while the Italians none. After the defeat of El Alamein the "Saharan Group" retreated to Tunisia where it formed the "Mannerini Group" to which it was added by 103 to "Arditi Truckers Company". This latter unit also had a theoretical strength that was to include, among other things, 24 "Saharan", plus eight trucks and two cars for staff for services and supplies. Instead it had only 8 which were joined by 5 other war machines during.
All the best
Maurizio