ITALIAN ARMY-REGIO ESERCITO ORDER OF BATTLE-ORDINE DI BATTAGLIA, 20.

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SEPTEMBER 8TH, 1943-8 SETTEMBRE 1943
PART XIV, FORZE ARMATE DELL’EGEO ( FORCES IN THE AEGEAN ISLANDS, GREECE )

Alexis Mehtidis

Italian Army in the Aegean, 10 May 1943 (details of it appear below).

Comando Superiore delle Forze Armate dell’Egeo ( HQ at Rhodes, under Gruppo Armate Est ? ).
Encompassing all Army, Navy, Air Force, Militia, Carabinieri and Guardia di finanza forces in the
Aegean Sea area occupied by the Italians.

Army : 58000 men ( based on daily rations distributed, Pasqualini L’esercito italiano nel Dodecaneso…,
which is an arbitrary number, of which 28000 in Cicladi Arena, R.S.I. Forze Armate della Repubblica
Sociale – La guerra in Italia 1943)

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Forces in Rhodes, 10 May 1943.

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- Divisione di fanteria ‘ Regina ’ ( 50a ) ( HQ at Campochiaro – Eleousa -, Rhodes ). In nine of the
Dodecanese islands :

- 637a Sezione carabinieri ?

- reggimenti di fanteria 9o, 10o, 309o ‘ Regina ’& 331o ‘ Brennero ’
- 50o reggimento artiglieria ‘ Regina ’ :
I, II & III gruppi da 75/27
350a batteria c/a da 20 mm
- Two independent battalions ( one of these I battaglione / 31o reggimento fanteria ‘ Siena ’ in
Karpathos )
- 201a legione milizia ( battaglioni CCI / 201 & CCCI / 301 )
- L battaglione mortai da 81
- L battaglione chimico
- One ‘ nucleo tattico celere ’
- Sixteen to eighteen positional coastal machine-gun companies
- One 45mm mortar company
- One 50mm mortar company
- CCCXII battaglione carri – also battaglione fanteria carrista and battaglione misto - ( minus
one company, most of its Fiat 3000 tanks were unserviceable ). It is referred by the official
history of the September 1943 events as battaglione carri L, erroneously, but in reality it was
3a Compagnia Carrista di Frontiera / CCCXII battaglione. Pignato refers to it as 3a
Compagnia / CCCXII and then continues saying that it had two companies carri M, 1a
stationed at Kalithea and 2a at Chiaccola ( Maltoni mentions all the battalion as being at
Psinthos ). The unit also had an armoured car platoon (Giuliani ‘ Ansaldo-Lancia 1ZM’, Steel
Masters Hors-Serie No 33 mentions an armoured car company ) that was equipped with
Ansaldo-Lancia 1ZM, though, it is not known if they were serviceable, some being on the
island at least since the beginning of the 1930s and having been built in the end of World
War. These two Lancias were sent to Rhodes in 1936 and had been assigned to Compagnia
Mitraglieri Ciclisti dei R. Carabinieri.
- 1. C.V.33/35 ?
- One engineer unit
- Lacking in services

- Divisione di fanteria ‘ Cuneo ’ ( 6a ) ( HQ at Samos ). In more than 20 islands in total :

- reggimenti di fanteria 7o & 8o ‘ Cuneo ’

- 27o reggimento artiglieria ‘ Cuneo ’ :
comando
reparto comando
one 100/17 gruppo
one 75/13 gruppo
one 75/28 gruppo
one 20mm anti-aircraft battery (196a ?; either in Samos or Rhodes)
- 24a legione milizia ‘Cuneo’ ( battaglioni XXIV & XXV )
- VI battaglione mortai
- One divisional assault infantry battalion
- VI battaglione genio
- Minor units and services

- Raggruppamenti di artiglieria da posizione 35o ( had ex-50o Reggimento Artiglieria

Regina ’ I gruppo da 149/12 ), 36o & 55o :

- gruppi XVIII, XXIII, XXIX, XXX, XXXII, XXXIV, XXXV, XXXVI, XXXIX, XL,
XLI and various independent units. A total of 46 batteries and 9 independent sections :
three 210/8 batteries, ten 149/12 batteries ( one was 405a ), eight batteries and four

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 sections of 105/28, nineteen batteries and five sections of 75/27 mod. 1906 ( coastal and
anti-landing; two of the batterie da 75/27-906 were 39a & 40a – 35o raggruppamento ? -),
six 75/27 batteries ( the last in fixed positions in coastal sectors for infantry support ).
XXXI gruppo da 75/27/06 and LXXX & LXXXII gruppi da 75 AV are also mentioned as
part of 36o ( probably some are another Roman numerals version of a gruppo mentioned
before ). XLIII gruppo ( 721a batteria da 75/27 among its batteries ) is mentioned too,
also mentioned as an independent 149/12 unit.

- 56o raggruppamento artiglieria contraerei ( also mentioned as ‘…da posizione ’ ) :

- gruppi LXXXIII, LXXXIV, LXXXVI and other units. Seven 75/27 batteries, one 75/27 CK, two
90/63 and ten 20mm batteries ( 134a, 191a – 198a and one independent ). XXXI gruppo da
75/27/06 is also mentioned as being part of 56o.

- Carabinieri units

- Engineer units

- Guardia di finanza units ( compagnia territoriale di Rodi, tenenza di Lero, nucleo di polizia tributaria
investigativa di Rodi, 27 sezioni, brigate & distaccamenti, compagnia mobilitata - also called Compagnia
R.G.F. delle Isole greche dell’Egeo, at Syros, with 3 tenenze at Syros, Naxos & Samos - & 28 brigate? ).

- Services

A XXXIII gruppo da 75/27 da posizione was also probably in either Samos or Rhodes

Navy : 2000 to 2200 men ( including ship crews ) ( 10000 men Arena, R.S.I. Forze Armate della
Repubblica Sociale – La guerra in Italia 1943 ) .

- Comando Zona Militare Marittima delle isole italiane dell’Egeo ( HQ at Rhodes ) :

- Comando Marina di Rodi ( Rhodes )

- Comando Marina di Lero ( Leros )

- Comando Marina di Sira ( Syros )

- Naval forces :

- Destroyer ‘ Euro ’
- III flottiglia Mas ( fifteen Ms & Mas )
- V gruppo sommergibili ( none present )
- XIV gruppo antisom ( two vessels )
- XXXIX flottiglia dragaggio ( twenty-seven vessels )
- Various other auxiliary and smaller vessels
- Coastal artillery :
- Rhodes : eight batteries of various calibers and many heavy machine-guns and 20mm
weapons
- Leros : twenty-four batteries of various calibers and forty-nine heavy machine-guns and
20mm weapons
- Astypalaia : five batteries of various calibers
- Alimnia : three ( two ? ) pieces of various calibers and one 20mm gun
- Santorini : three 76/17 pieces
- Syros : eight pieces of various calibers

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- Naval aviation : 147a squadriglia da ricognizione marittima in Leros ( twelve planes, of which three in
Rhodes )

- Numerous naval observation and signals posts.

Air force : 3,000 men and 64 planes ( 33 operational ) in Rhodes ( 4000 men Arena, R.S.I. Forze Armate
della Repubblica Sociale – La guerra in Italia 1943 ).

- Comando Aeronautica dell’Egeo ( HQ at Rhodes ). Before 8 September the bomber forces ( gruppi
autonomi 87o, 90o & 154o ) were under 30o stormo :

- One independent bomber group ( four squadriglie )

- One independent fighter group ( two squadriglie )
- One transport squadriglia
- One interceptor section
- Various 20mm anti-aircraft guns for airport defence
- Airfields and landing-grounds on Rhodes, Kos and Karpathos ( last one not used since the end
of August )

Forces at the different islands :

- Rhodes ( 37,500 men of all Services – of which 1,004 officers -, the list of units below is not exhaustive,
for artillery check the section on the army too ) : ( corrected by Pasqualini L’esercito italiano nel
Dodecaneso… to 34,000 to 37,000 men, also 27,000 men mentioned )

- HQ Divisione di fanteria ‘ Regina ’

- reggimenti di fanteria 9o, 309o & 331o - I battaglione ( minus two companies ) / 9o fanteria
in Karpathos, I battaglione / 10o fanteria in Leros and the rest in Kos
- 50o reggimento artiglieria da campagna ( three groups )
- Most of the other divisional units
- HQs 56o raggruppamento artiglieria contraerei and raggruppamenti di artiglieria da posizione
35o, 36o & 55o – 143a batteria among the last raggruppamento’s batteries -; among the
raggruppamenti’s groups was 41o ( HQ at Afando – Afandos – with batterie 406a & 711a –
each of four 149/12 pieces at Fronte a Mare, F.A.M. -, two 75/13 sections by the beach of
Afandos and one 105/32 section between Zambica and the San Benedetto plain )
- XLIII gruppo autonomo da 149/12
- 405a batteria da 149/12 ( part of the gruppo above ? )
- 721a batteria da 75/27
- 56a & 232a batterie c.a.
- 167a batteria cannoni autonoma
- Naval Coastal artillery : eight batteries of various calibers and many heavy machine-guns and
20mm weapons :
Batteria Bianco ( 120/45, at Settore San Giorgio )
Batteria Maiorana ( 152/40, at Piazza Rodi )
Batteria Melchiorri ( 152/50, at Piazza Rodi and Settore Calitea )
Batteria Dandolo ( 152/40, at Settore Calato )
Batteria Morosini ( 152/40, at Settore Calato )
Batteria Mocenigo ( 120/45, at Settore Vati )
Batteria Bragadino ( 120/45, at Settore di Vati )
Batteria Alimnia ( 102/35/76, on the island of Alimnia )
- G.d.F. : compagnia territoriale di Rodi, nucleo di polizia tributaria investigativa di Rodi and
other units ( one of the G.d.F. vessels was pirovedetta Postiglioni )
- Settore San Giorgio forces : two 149 mm, two 75 mm, one anti-aircraft 88 mm, three 81 mm
mortar batteries, one 105 mm section, the tank battalion, two infantry companies and one
coastal defence machine-gun company

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 - Piazza Rodi
- Settore Calitea : 331o fanteria and 41o gruppo artiglieria
- Settore Calato
- Settore di Vati
- Presidio di Alimnia ( about 120 sailors, one 102/35, one 76/40, one 76/50 and one 20mm
guns)

Karpathos, 10 May 1943.

- Karpathos :

- I battaglione ( minus two companies ) / 9o fanteria

- I battaglione / 31o reggimento fanteria ‘ Siena ’
- 3a & 11a compagnie mitraglieri da posizione costiera
- 2a compagnia mortai da 45

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 - 197a batteria mitragliere da 20 c.a.
- LXXX gruppo da 75 AV / 36o raggruppamento di artiglieria da posizione
- XXXI gruppo da 75/27/06 / 56o raggruppamento c.a.
- One 76/17 naval battery ( four pieces and three machine-guns – 20mm anti-aircraft ? - )
- Two naval observation posts
- One carabinieri station
- The Naval Official History mentions one field hospital and a total of about 2500 men

- Kasos :

- One naval observation post

- One naval signals station
- The Naval Official History mentions one machinegun company, one 75/27 (76/27 ?, naval ? )
battery, some Carabinieri and some Guardia di Finanza.

Patmos, Leros, Kalymnos, 10 May 1943.

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- Leros ( 7,203 men : 254 officers, 807 NCOs, 5,178 navy NCOs and sailors, 964 soldiers; and 717 ‘
militarizzati ’ ) :

- Army, Finanza, Carabinieri & Milizia ( less than 1200 men ):

- I battaglione / 10o fanteria ‘ Regina ’ ( Dell’Uomo, erroneously, mentions III btg.)

- 8a compagnia mitraglieri da posizione costiera
- About 40 Carabinieri
- G.d.F. : tenenza di Lero ( about 20 troops )
- 402a compagnia mitraglieri della Milizia ( of platoon-strength )

- Navy :

- 24 batteries ( three 152mm, two 120mm, four 102mm, one 90mm and fourteen 76mm ) and
49 heavy machine-guns and cannons ( three 37mm, fifteen 20mm and thirty-one 13,2mm;
with the following pieces for anti-aircraft defence fourteen 102mm, six 90mm, thirty-eight
76mm, three twin 37mm, fifteen 20mm and machine-guns ) :
Naval batteries :
Ducci ( four 152mm L/50 & one 120mm L/45 at Mount Cazzuni – Katsouni )
San Giorgio ( three 152mm L/40 & one 102mm L/35 at Mount Scumbarda )
Ciano ( four 152mm L/40 at Mount Clidi – Kleidi - )
Farinata ( four 120mm L/45 at Mount Marcello – Markelos - )
Lago ( four 120mm L/45 at Mount Appetici – Apetiki - )
P.L. 388 ( four 102mm L/35 at Mount Diaporoi )
P.L. 899 ( four 76mm L/50 at Cape Asfougaros )
P.L. 690 ( two 76mm L/50 at Santa Marina, Castello dei Bronzi )
P.L. 508 ( two 76mm L/50 at Mount Crumidi – Kromydi - )
P.L. 250 ( three 76mm L/40 at Cape Cazzuni – Katsouni - )
P.L. 432 ( three 76mm L/40 at La Madonna )
P.L. 306 ( two 76mm L/40 at Mount Vigla )
P.L. 763 Alinda ( two 76mm L/40 at Alinda )
P.L. 763 Gurna ( two 76mm L/40 at Gurna – Gourna - )
Anti-aircraft batteries :
P.L. 113 ( four 76mm L/40 at Mount Zuncona – Tsikounas - )
P.L. 248 ( six 76mm L/40 at Mount Palma – Vagias - )
P.L. 262 ( six 76mm L/40 at Mount Scumbarda )
Naval / anti-aircraft batteries :
P.L. 306 ( six 102mm L/35 at Mount Vigla )
P.L. 211 ( four 102mm L/35 at Mount Rahi )
P.L. 227 ( four 102mm L/35 at Cape Cazzuni – Katsouni - )
P.L. 127 ( six 90mm L/53 at Mount Meraviglia – Merovigli - )
P.L. 281 ( six 76mm L/40 at Mount Diaporoi )
P.L. 906 ( four 76mm L/40 at Mount Mouplogourna )
P.L. 989 ( four 76mm L/40 at Cape Timari – Thimari - )
P.L. 888 ( four 76mm L/40 at Blefuti )
P.L. 749 ( four 76mm L/40 at Arcangelo Island – Arhangelos - )
- Sailors units and anti-parachutists squads
- Services
- One destroyer
- III flottiglia Mas
- XIV gruppo antisom.
- XXXIX flottiglia dragaggio ( six squadriglie )
- 9 auxiliiary ships
- 6 minor units

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 - 8 merchantmen

- Air force :

- 147a squadriglia da ricognizione marittima with 12 planes ( of which three in Rhodes ), 7

operational
- About 400 airmen

- Kos ( about 4,000 men ) :

- 10o fanteria ( HQ, II & III battaglioni – Dell’Uomo mentions I & II btg. -, infantry gun
battery and the 81mm mortar company / I battaglione )
- 252a compagnia cannoni anticarro
- 10a compagnia mitraglieri costiera
- 403a compagnia mitraglieri della milizia
- XXXI gruppo artiglieria da 75/27/06 / 36o raggruppamento ( three batteries )
- LXXXII gruppo artiglieria contraerei da 75 AV / 36o raggruppamento ( three batteries )
- 136a batteria / XXIX gruppo da 149/12 / 36o raggruppamento
- 295a batteria mitragliere da 20 c.a.
- 46o plotone trasmissioni
- One searchlight platoon / L battaglione chimico
- One carabinieri unit
- One Guardia di finanza unit
- Three naval observation posts
- One section / 396a squadriglia da Caccia ( 8 planes – of which 4 operational – and two pilots )

- Symi ( 150 men – 20 artillerymen - , the Naval Official History mentions 130 infantrymen with nine
8mm machineguns and 20 artillerymen with two 20mm guns ) :

- 6a compagnia mitraglieri autonoma da posizione costiera

- One 20mm anti-aircraft section ( two pieces )
- Carabinieri
- Guardia di finanza
- One naval observation post ( on Mount Troulos )
- Naval port authority

- Kastelorizo :

- One training unit / 9o fanteria ( one fusilier platoon reinforced with two machine-gun squads
– 12a Compagnia Mitraglieri / 9o fanteria - and one 81mm mortar platoon – two mortars - )
- 242a batteria da 75/27 / 36o raggruppamento ( four pieces )
- 134a batteria mitragliere da 20 c.a. ( minus two sections; four guns)

- Levitha :

- One naval observation post

- Kalymnos :

- 9a compagnia mitraglieri costiera ( 20 men and two machine-guns )

- two 75/27/06 batteries / XXX gruppo / 36o raggruppamento ( fixed )
- Army total : about 350 men
- One naval observation post
- Two naval 20mm guns ( 20 crew )
- The Naval Official History mentions about 20 Carabinieri

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 Samos, 10 May 1943.

- Samos ( about 9,000 men ):

- Divisione ‘ Cuneo ’ HQ
- 8o reggimento fanteria ( battaglioni I & II and one machine-gun company )
- divisional assault infantry battalion
- VI battaglione mortai
- 6a compagnia cannoni c.c.
- 27o reggimento artiglieria da campagna ( three groups and one 20mm anti-aircraft battery –
the Naval Official History mentions about twenty 20mm guns - )
- 24a compagnia mista artieri
- 6a compagnia trasmissioni
- 19a sezione fotoelettrica
- three naval observation posts
- 24a legione milizia ( about 1000 men, from the end of August )
- services
- G.d.F. tenenza / compagnia mobilitata

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 Syros, 10 May 1943.

- Syros ( about 1,500 men – army only ? -; another figure given is 2,000 – including navy ? - ) :

- 7o reggimento fanteria HQ
- II battaglione / 7o fanteria ( without 6a compagnia )
- One mortar company
- One anti-tank gun company
- One Carabinieri section
- G.d.F. compagnia mobilitata ( also called Compagnia R.G.F. delle Isole Greche dell’Egeo,
HQ at Syros, with tenenza at Syros )
- Comando Marina ( about 500 men, four 76/40 pieces and four 76/17 pieces – this artillery is
referred to as two batteries - and two ‘ optical ’ observation posts – one on Syros island and
the other on Gaidaros island; also four minesweepers – ‘ Gallipoli ’, ‘ Otranto ’, ‘Albona ’ & ‘
Rovinio ’ )

- Ikaria :

- One fusilier company

- One machine-gun platoon

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 - Two naval observation posts

- Fournoi :

- One fusilier squad

- Astypalaia :

- The Naval Official History mentions one 10th Infantry Regiment machine-gun company, with
about 300 men. 500 sailors and 300 soldiers Pasqualini L’esercito italiano nel Dodecaneso…

- Patmos :

- One 76mm artillery group

- One naval observation post

- Amorgos :

- One fusilier company ( about 140 men )

- One naval observation post

Andros and Tinos, 10 May 1943.

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- Andros :

- III battaglione / 8o fanteria ( minus two companies; the Naval Official History mentions three
companies of 350 men )
- One naval observation post

- Anafi :

- One fusilier platoon

- One naval observation post

- Antiparos :

- One fusilier platoon ( company ? ) / I battaglione / 7o reggimento

- Kea ( about 90 men – army only ? - ) :

- One fusilier company ( minus one platoon )

- Two naval observation posts

- Mykonos :

- One fusilier platoon

- One naval observation post

- Naxos ( about 700 men, eight Breda 8mm machineguns, eighteen 45mm mortars and two 20mm guns ) :

- I battaglione / 7o fanteria ( minus two companies; the Naval Official History mentions one
HQ company, one riflemen company and one A.A. company )
- Carabinieri
- Guardia di Finanza : tenenza / compagnia mobilitata
- One naval observation post

- Ios :

- One fusilier company ( minus two platoons )

- Paros :

- One fusilier company / I battaglione / 7o reggimento

- Folegandros :

- One fusilier platoon

- One naval observation post

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 Santorini and Anafi, 10 May 1943.

- Santorini :

- III battaglione HQ / 7o fanteria ( about 500 men – including army units below ? - )
- 10a compagnia / III battaglione / 7o fanteria ( minus one platoon )
- 12a compagnia mortai
- One naval observation post

- Serifos :

- One fusilier platoon

- Two naval observation posts

- Sikinos :

- One fusilier platoon

- Sifnos :

- One fusilier company ( minus two platoons ) / I battaglione / 7o reggimento

- One ( two ? ) naval observation post

- Kythnos :

- Three fusilier squads ( about 60 men )

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- Tinos :

- One fusilier company ( minus one platoon )

- One naval observation post

Note : There were more naval observation posts and signals stations on more islands than the ones
mentioned.

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