I add my contribution, because both the book and the article on "Ritterkreutz" are mine.
Take note that the article came more then 10 years later then the book and the articles is reinforced with more informations than the book.
Two notes:
First: continuning my researches, I discovered that the organization chart presented on my book is partially wrong. Later I will put here one more correct organization chart of "Leoncello".
Second: the presence of P40. This tank was employed by the Group only in the latest days of the war, when a part of "Leoncello" was sent in Milan, wher Mussolini had moved its headquarters, in a first attempt to make the city as a sort of "fort" in which waiting the arrive of the Allies. This was one of the fantasious projects products in that last spots of the war by many chiefs of Republican Fascism, like the one conceived by Pavolini about the so called "Ridotto" of Valtellina.
In Milan, as a matter of fact, it was planned to concentrate the majors of Fascism in the area of Corso Monforte an Via Mozart, where there were the Prefecture and the command of the Black Brigades, and, for this reason, the little groupo on tankers of "Leoncello" received two P40 tanks from Germans, who also trained them for a little. The tanks was then employed only for garrison's duties and they did not take part in any fights against partisan. The tanks were abandoned by their crews during the insurrection of April 25th and at least one of them was re-used by partisans during that day (with a big and evident comunnist symbol painted on it). The two tanks were produced by Vanzetti's factory, a small factpry that was producind armors under licence during the last perido of wartime.
The history of the two tanks was confirmed in a letter by captain Zuccaro, creator and commander of "Leoncello".
Thrid: the two P40s did not have any symbol of the Armord Group "Leoncello", they had only the usual camouflage pattern of that type of tank.
Paolino
