Italian Paratroopers in North Africa

[von Lucke]

According to this site (which also reflects what I've read elswhere), there were a couple of Italian para battalions in Libya from the start of hostilities in 1940. However, they didn't see combat until January '41:

...in January 1941 were they deployed in Cyrenaica to try to stop the British advance, and that as regular infantry. Officially, the paras only encountered the enemy on 15 January 1941 at Derna, when they were organised in a unit known as Tonini Mobile Group from the name of commander, col. Tonini. From there, the paras fought without interruption as the rearguard of the retreating 10th Army until the last battle at Beda Fomm (February 7th, 1941) when the remnants were forced to surrender.

In CMAK, Italian paras first arrive in July '41 --- which coincides with the arrival of the 1st (Carabinieri) Para Battalion in Libya --- and then goes straight through until the end, May '43.

However, the 1st Para Batt was wiped out between 18-20 December '41 --- leaving an almost seven month gap before the Folgore Division arrives in July '42.

And the remnants of the Folgore Div (all 200 of them) were wiped out at the end of April '43, at Takrouna, Tunisia.

So, in conclusion:

Add paras in from Jan - Feb '41; take them out between Jan - June '42; remove them from May '43.

Thank you for your attention.

PS: Any of you Eye-Tie CM players out there care to throw in yr two lire worth?

[von Lucke]

According to this site (which also reflects what I've read elswhere), there were a couple of Italian para battalions in Libya from the start of hostilities in 1940. However, they didn't see combat until January '41:

...in January 1941 were they deployed in Cyrenaica to try to stop the British advance, and that as regular infantry. Officially, the paras only encountered the enemy on 15 January 1941 at Derna, when they were organised in a unit known as Tonini Mobile Group from the name of commander, col. Tonini. From there, the paras fought without interruption as the rearguard of the retreating 10th Army until the last battle at Beda Fomm (February 7th, 1941) when the remnants were forced to surrender.

In CMAK, Italian paras first arrive in July '41 --- which coincides with the arrival of the 1st (Carabinieri) Para Battalion in Libya --- and then goes straight through until the end, May '43.

However, the 1st Para Batt was wiped out between 18-20 December '41 --- leaving an almost seven month gap before the Folgore Division arrives in July '42.

And the remnants of the Folgore Div (all 200 of them) were wiped out at the end of April '43, at Takrouna, Tunisia.

So, in conclusion:

Add paras in from Jan - Feb '41; take them out between Jan - June '42; remove them from May '43.

Thank you for your attention.

PS: Any of you Eye-Tie CM players out there care to throw in yr two lire worth?