Lupo, I believe you are the one I must ask for this; but anyone else who has any information - please chip in!
When my unit was employed in Italy, I remember once passing a caserma with the Republican flag displayed, and some men at the gate. All were wearing black shirts and, when asked in my poor Italian as to what unit they were, said they were (phonetic!) "Siamo la Battalione Emme". They wore golden-colored "MM" on their left shirt collar.
What unit was that and were they combat or rear echelon troops?
Your kindness will be appreciated. Joscha
"Battalione Emme"(phonetic)
Moderator: George Lepre
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Lupo Solitario
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Extremely correct.....standing low performances of MVSN units in 1940, in 1941 was introduced the honor definition of "M Battalions" for those blackshirt units which had showed high quality in battle.
Sincerly I ignore which were the standards required to unit to receive the "M" state (ah, remember that in italian the letter "M" is spelt "emme").
After italian armistice many militia units joined germans so it's really easy you've encountered one of them. Do you remember exactly where and when it happened?
BTW, the italian phrase should have better been "Siamo il battaglione M!"...
at your dispo
Lupo
Sincerly I ignore which were the standards required to unit to receive the "M" state (ah, remember that in italian the letter "M" is spelt "emme").
After italian armistice many militia units joined germans so it's really easy you've encountered one of them. Do you remember exactly where and when it happened?
BTW, the italian phrase should have better been "Siamo il battaglione M!"...
at your dispo
Lupo
"Battaglione M"
Grazie lei, Lupo! Joscha
Battaglione "M
Ï am sorry, but I just do not recall the place name. I still see the entrance to the caserma before my mental eyes, the guard posted there, but I just cannot think of the name. It was after Rome fell, so it had to be just North of the Gustav line..
The caserma probably was a carbon copy of many, many others built under Mussolini, so there is also no help.. .
My friend, I'm an old man and my memory is beginning to slip. Forgive me and please accept my sincere gratitude for your kindness. Tante auguri! Joscha
PS: But I DO remember...."Ante la caserma, sotto quel' fanal....."
The caserma probably was a carbon copy of many, many others built under Mussolini, so there is also no help.. .
My friend, I'm an old man and my memory is beginning to slip. Forgive me and please accept my sincere gratitude for your kindness. Tante auguri! Joscha
PS: But I DO remember...."Ante la caserma, sotto quel' fanal....."
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sid guttridge
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From memory, five "M" battalions served in the Balkans on anti-partisan operations in 1942-43, but three were withdrawn to Italy in mid 1943 purportedly for coastal defence, but more probably to bolster the fading regime.
Again from memory, eight "M" battalions organised into four motorised legions served with 8th Army on the Don in the winter of 1942-43. Their survivors returned to Italy in early 1943 and became the core of the "M" Division in May. One legion became its armoured regiment, two remained as motorised infantry regiments and the fourth became the artillery regiment. (There were also reconnaissance and engineer battalions, but I do not know their source.) It became the only Italian formation to receive German armour and the only one to have supporting arms provided by the Blackshirts. On Mussolini's overthrow the "M" Division was purged of several hundred die-hard fascists and brought into the army as an armoured division (Centauro II?)
There were probably several other "M" battalions, but the above are their main concentrations.
Again from memory, eight "M" battalions organised into four motorised legions served with 8th Army on the Don in the winter of 1942-43. Their survivors returned to Italy in early 1943 and became the core of the "M" Division in May. One legion became its armoured regiment, two remained as motorised infantry regiments and the fourth became the artillery regiment. (There were also reconnaissance and engineer battalions, but I do not know their source.) It became the only Italian formation to receive German armour and the only one to have supporting arms provided by the Blackshirts. On Mussolini's overthrow the "M" Division was purged of several hundred die-hard fascists and brought into the army as an armoured division (Centauro II?)
There were probably several other "M" battalions, but the above are their main concentrations.
I Battaglioni d'Assalto di CC.NN. "M"
The "M" battalions were
V (Tortona)
VI (Mortara)
VIII (Varese)
X (Voghera)
XII (Aosta)
XIV (Bergamo)
XV (Brescia)
XVI (Como)
XXIX (Arona)
XXX (Novara)
XXXIV (Savona)
XXXVIII (Asti)
XLI (Trento)
XLII (Vicenza)
XLIII (Belluno)
L (Treviso)
LX (Pola)
LXIII (Udine)
LXXI (Faenza)
LXXIX (Regio Emilia)LXXXV (Apuania)
LXXXI (Ravenna)
Most "M" battalions fought in Russia. The battalions of the "Tagliamento" Legion were not "M" when they left for the Eastern Front, but were awarded the honour "for war merit".
Some "M" battalions served in the Balkans.
During the life of the MVSN, the "M" collar patches were worn as a matching pair and, during the RSI, one of them was worn on the breast as a badge, rather than a collar patch emblem.
V (Tortona)
VI (Mortara)
VIII (Varese)
X (Voghera)
XII (Aosta)
XIV (Bergamo)
XV (Brescia)
XVI (Como)
XXIX (Arona)
XXX (Novara)
XXXIV (Savona)
XXXVIII (Asti)
XLI (Trento)
XLII (Vicenza)
XLIII (Belluno)
L (Treviso)
LX (Pola)
LXIII (Udine)
LXXI (Faenza)
LXXIX (Regio Emilia)LXXXV (Apuania)
LXXXI (Ravenna)
Most "M" battalions fought in Russia. The battalions of the "Tagliamento" Legion were not "M" when they left for the Eastern Front, but were awarded the honour "for war merit".
Some "M" battalions served in the Balkans.
During the life of the MVSN, the "M" collar patches were worn as a matching pair and, during the RSI, one of them was worn on the breast as a badge, rather than a collar patch emblem.
MVSN (particularly to LUPO SOLITARIO)
hi Lupo
I'm Max fm Italy: as You're interested on Milizia I have a problem to solve:
What do You knows about Polizei-Freiwilligen-Bataillone "Italien" (I-X)?
Some of them cames fm Legioni retired fm Balcania, but apart fm this I have little details only, about them, derived fm the book "Sentire, Pensare, Volere" by Nava/Corbatti" and Tessin/Kannapin "Waffen-SS and Ordnunspolizei in Kriegseinsatz".
I found little details on the web, also, but the summary is far to be satisfactory. Do You knows more?
Ciao - Max
I'm Max fm Italy: as You're interested on Milizia I have a problem to solve:
What do You knows about Polizei-Freiwilligen-Bataillone "Italien" (I-X)?
Some of them cames fm Legioni retired fm Balcania, but apart fm this I have little details only, about them, derived fm the book "Sentire, Pensare, Volere" by Nava/Corbatti" and Tessin/Kannapin "Waffen-SS and Ordnunspolizei in Kriegseinsatz".
I found little details on the web, also, but the summary is far to be satisfactory. Do You knows more?
Ciao - Max