Italian Parachute Assaults

Freiritter · Post by **Freiritter** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 9:32 pm

Did Italian paratroops ever conduct an airborne assault during WWII?

Cordially,

Freiritter

Lupo Solitario · Post by **Lupo Solitario** » Wed Mar 24, 2004 1:25 am

Only the conquest of Cefalonia in April 1941 (without fighting, too. There were no defenders on island)

For the rest, only commando action

sid guttridge · Post by **sid guttridge** » Wed Mar 24, 2004 4:48 am

Hi Lupo,

Was the Cephalonia a parachute drop?

From memory, I seem to recall that seaplanes may have been used to deliver the troops.

Cheers,

Sid.

DrG · Post by **DrG** » Wed Mar 24, 2004 9:18 am

There was the air drop on Cefalonia: http://www.geocities.com/kumbayaaa/itro ... a1941.html.
Then the large commando operation made by the ADRA (Arditi Distruttori Regia Aeronautica) made by 14 squads of 10 men each started in the night of 13-14 June 1943: http://bunker.altervista.org/wwadra.html (Italian text)
Some Italian parachitists of the Reparto Camionettisti attached to the 2. Fallschirmjäger Division took part to an airborne attack on the day before Christmas of 1943 in Russia, the losses were 26 wounded and killed (Italian article in this page: http://www.italia-rsi.org/farsi/farsidislocazione.htm ).
At the end of WW2 the Italian Cobelligerent [with the Allies] Army took part to operation Herring: http://www.comandosupremo.com/Herring.html.

DasReichX · Post by **DasReichX** » Wed Mar 24, 2004 9:25 pm

Cefalonia is a place of a massacre, isn't it?

FB · Post by FB » Thu Mar 25, 2004 1:35 am

DasReichX wrote:Cefalonia is a place of a massacre, isn't it?

Correct. The Aqui Division (and other smaller units) were "terminated" there.

best regards

Lupo Solitario · Post by **Lupo Solitario** » Fri Mar 26, 2004 8:58 am

FB wrote:
DasReichX wrote:Cefalonia is a place of a massacre, isn't it?
Correct. The Aqui Division (and other smaller units) were "terminated" there.

best regards

Addition: it happened in september 1943, more than two years after the named airdrop

Enrico Cernuschi · Post by **Enrico Cernuschi** » Fri Mar 26, 2004 10:52 am

Hello Sid,
the float planes (Cant. Z 506) landing was a Quixote enterprise by less than 100 Reali Carabinieri which arrived at Corfù on 28 April 1941. Everything went well as the local Greeks Regiment - three battalions of home guards - were willing to surrender, accorging their HQ orders, asking only for food (like at Cefalonia). The floatplanes were then used at Cefalonia too, on 30 April 1941, after the paratroopers drop, and, on 1 May, at Zante.
Bye EC

sid guttridge · Post by **sid guttridge** » Mon Mar 29, 2004 2:22 am

Hi Enrico,

Thanks. I am not going mad after all! There was a little truth to my memory.

Do you know anything about a seaplane landing by Italian-equipped Peruvian troops behind Ecuadoran lines in 1940 or 1941? I think the Peruvians landed a company to seize a port in the Ecuadoran rear.

Cheers,

Sid.

Enrico Cernuschi · Post by **Enrico Cernuschi** » Mon Mar 29, 2004 8:41 am

I knew about paratroopers actions but not float planes landings. Is there any further detail available? EC

sid guttridge · Post by **sid guttridge** » Tue Mar 30, 2004 3:32 am

Hi Enrico,

Somewhere deep in my garage, buried under thousands of other books, I have several Peruvian and Ecuadoran military histories that I picked up while back-packing in South America in the 1980s. Unfortunately they are so deeply buried I can't get to them at present. If I ever do, I will let you know.

Cheers,

Sid.

Paddy Keating · Post by **Paddy Keating** » Sat Apr 03, 2004 2:18 am

I read somewhere that the Peruvians beat Hitler to the use of paratroopers in unit strength, dropping in March 1940, and that Hitler was a bit miffed as he wanted to be the first to use this new weapon. I didn't know that they were Italian-equipped. I would love to know more about this operation. The Italians parachuted in East Africa but in such small numbers that it didn't really really qualify as an airborne operation, a little like the delivery by parachute of a couple of replacement officers to 2 PARA in the Falklands in 1982.

PK

Freiritter · Post by **Freiritter** » Mon Apr 05, 2004 8:40 am

Did any Italian paras serve in Yugoslavia?

Cordially,

Freiritter

Enrico Cernuschi · Post by **Enrico Cernuschi** » Mon Apr 05, 2004 11:49 am

No. There were some little sabouters activities in Dalmatia in 1944-1945 against the just occupied Dalmatia harbours, but also if they were made by penny-packets patrols of X MAS men of the NP (Nuotatori-Paracadutisti, swimmers-paratroopers) they were carried by small submarines of the CB class manned by the X MAS sailors, not airborne.
Bye EC

Lupo Solitario · Post by **Lupo Solitario** » Tue Apr 06, 2004 4:10 am

to be correct: in winter 1942-43 the 185th Para Regiment had a tour of duty in Isonzo valley but IIRC they stayed always on this site of pre-war border (XXIII Corps operation area). Anyway that is actually Slovenia

bye
Lupo