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Italian Garrison of Pantelleria 1943

jwsleser

Administrator
Staff member
Posted 24 February 2008 - 08:22 PM by territoriale

Does anyone know what units were garrisoning the island at the time of its surrender?

Thanks,

Martin

Posted 28 February 2008 - 12:24 PM by Michele

Garrison of Pantelleria, Juny 1943:

3 Infantry batalions:
I/5 rgt.f."Aosta" (HQ-cp, 1st, 2nd,3rd rifle-cp., 4th MG-cp.)
II/5 rgt.f."Aosta" (HQ-cp., 5th, 6th, 7th rifle-cp., 8th MG-cp.)
III special mobile btn (in part motorized)(from 140th rgt.f.) (HQ-cp., 9th ,10th,11th rifle-cp, 12th mg-cp)

Brigata speciale (special brigade):
HQ "comando Truppe" Pantelleria
10 independent MG-companies of the G.a.F.(526,535,654,655,656,657,658,753,540,455)
1st, 2nd, 3rd static MG-companies "Aosta"
21st special company/5th rgt.f."Aosta"
6th special company/ II /129th rgt.f.
7th special company/ II / 129th rgt.f.
201st mortar company (81mm mortars)
independent light tank company/4th tank rgt. (L3 tanks)
static airport defence

Artillery
CL(150th) mixed artillery batalion(268th btr 65/17, 3rd btr 75/27 from 3th rgt.art.celere)
Elements of IX(9th) Milmart legion:
- HQ Milmart "Pantelleria"
- I AA-art.btn
- II art.btn.
- II AAMG-btn

in total they had:
batteria R.M. "Giuseppe Caminita"
batteria R.M. "Strascia Agostino"
batteria R.M. "Paolo Roccella"
batterie P.M. P.T. - 129,174,185,292,299,341,356,382,406,471(c.a.),637,688,738,859(c.a.) piu' altre tre batterie P.T. non specificate singolarmente

Engineers
HQ "Lavori di Guerra" of Pantelleria
107th worker company
108th worker company
47th worker company
208th engineer company
50th mixd engineer company

Services
138th field hospital
139th field hospital
a R.M. hospital
28th autosezione
etc.

All was divided in three sectors (north, west, east)

In total there was (25 may 1943):
420 officiers, 620 NCO, 10617 men
(compare with the fact that the island had 12.000 inhabitants!)

Milmart artillery:
22 batteries:
3 - 152/45 (12 guns)
3 - 120/50 (13 guns)
1 - 76/40 against ships (4 guns)
2 - 90/53 (12 guns)
13 - 76/40 (72 guns) anti aircrafts and ships

the AA defense had also
23 mtg 20mm
18 mtg 13,2 mm
19 mtg 8mm
50 mtg 6,5 mm
 

jwsleser

Administrator
Staff member
Posted 28 February 2008 - 12:59 PM by territoriale

Michelle,

Thanks for the comprehensive reply to my query; interesting to see that it had a regular infantry, rather than a territorial or coastal infantry, garrison.

Martin :D

Posted 28 February 2008 - 06:58 PM by Michele

The source is the USSME book about the campaign in Sicily and Calabria (title more or less "Le operazioni in Sicilia e Calabria").

The curious thing about all those 5th rgt "Aosta" units is that they should have been "special" units created by the regt depots, because 5th rgt was in Sicily at full strength (as it is clear in the book). So in principle I am not sure that they were not hastly mobilized units (have to reread the book).

PS: about the batteries, I don't remeber exactly what P.T. and P.M. mean.

Posted 29 February 2008 - 02:50 PM by territoriale

Michele,

Does the Official History also say what the garrison of Lampedusa was at this time?

Thanks,

Martin

Posted 10 March 2008 - 12:36 PM by Michele

Here you have the garrison of Lampedusa (same source):

HQs:
-Navy island HQ
-Army HQ Lampedusa
-static defence HQ
-mobile defense HQ

Infantry:
- 365th, 617th, 653rd, 656th, 601st, 625th "G.a.F." MG-company
- 13th, 14th, 15th independent company "Lupi di Toscana"/77th inf.rgt.
- 3rd independent flamethrowers company
- three mortar platoons (81mm)
- two antitank rifles platoons
- independent light tank platoon (4 L tanks)/3rd tank company
- special service company/5th rgt. "Aosta"
- HQ company for army troops

Engineers:
- 49th, 122nd, 125th, 47th worker company
- 51st mixed independent engineer company
- 6th independent special bridge engineer platoon

Artillery:
- VI independent MILMART batalion "Lampedusa" (9 batteries)
- 45th btr. 75/27 (army)
- HQ DICAT Lampedusa (AA defense of the airport)
- 625th AA-btr (75/46)
- two AA-btr. (75/46) DICAT
- 89th, 90th, 20th independent AA-section (20mm)
- 10th AA-section (Scotti)

Airforce:
- Lampedusa airport

Services:
...



All divided in three sectors:
Levante(=east), strongpoints: Cala Francese, Cala Calabra, Cala Pisana, Punta alaimo, Cala Pietra
Ponente(=ovest), strongpoints: Cala Galera, Albero Sole, Cala Madonna, Cala Greca
Porto(=harbour), strongpoints: Maluk, Punta Sottile, Guiccia, Centro Porto, Lanterna
 

jwsleser

Administrator
Staff member
Posted 10 March 2008 - 12:44 PM by Lupo Solitario

I wonder why using infantry units from 77th Infantry regiment which had the depot near Brescia....

Posted 09 March 2014 - 11:06 PM by Alexderome

If admiral Pavesi was the gouvernor of Pantelleria and generale di brigata Achille Maffei chief of troups of R.E., what was the role of general d'Amico (if in any case he was on the island) ?
Thanks for tour help
ALEX
 
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