TM E 30-420 Handbook on the Italian Military Forces 1943-08-03. TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword 1-5 1 CHAPTER 1. Introduction: Section I. Distinctive Branches, or Specialties 6-11 5 II. Semimilitary Forces 12-19 7 CHAPTER 2. Recruitment and Mobilization: Section I. System of Conscription and Mobilization 20-27 18 II. Professional Cadre and Officers 28-30 28 III. Training, Efficiency, and Morale 31-35 30 IV. Pay and Emoluments 30-38 37 CHAPTER 3. Organization: Section I. Command and Staff 39-44 39 II. Administration 45-46 44 III. Higher Units 47-62 45 IV. Infantry 63-77 57 V. Cavalry 78-82 71 VI. Land Reconnaissance Units 83-86 74 VII. Field Artillery 87-97 76 VIII. Antiaircraft Artillery 98-100 88 IX. Coast Artillery 101-102 91 X. Armored Troops 103-117 92 XI. Engineers 118-120 99 XII. Signal Communications- J 121-132 103 XIII. Chemical Troops 133-137 109 XIV. Motor Transport Agencies 138-140 112 CHAPTER 4. Services, Supply, and Transportation: Section I. Central Organization 141-144 114 II. Services 145-152 116 III. Particular Services 153-169 123 IV. Transportation 170-173 145 CHAPTER 5. Ranks, Uniforms, and Insignia and Identification : Section I. Ranks 174-179 157 II. Uniforms and Insignia 180-194 159 III. Decorations, Medals, and Awards 195-203 175 CHAPTER 6. Armament and Equipment: Section I. Infantry 204-213 179 IL Cavalry 214-221 210 III. Antiaircraft and Antitank 222-230 212 IV, Artillery 231-234 236 V. Armored Vehicles 235-238 261 VI. Engineers . 239-247 269 VII. Signal Communications 248-258 325 VIII. Chemical Warfare 269-269 343 CHAPTER 7. Air Force 270-279 367 CHAPTER 8. Tactics: Section I. Doctrine 280-284 401 II. Principles of Employment 285-288 405 CHAPTER 9. Permanent Fortifications 289-294 408 CHAPTER 10. Camouflage 295-305 417 CHAPTER 11. Abbreviations 306-310 422 CHAPTER 12. Miscellaneous: Section L Road Spaces 311-313 461 II. Flags and Insignia of Certain Units 465 III. Coinage, Weights, and Measures 314-319 468 INDEX 475 RESTRICTED LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1 Map of Italy, showing principal cities 3 2 Map of Italy, showing regions 4 3 Typical organization of a depot command {reparto depdsito) _ _ 22 4 Organization of the High Command in war 41 5 Organization of the infantry division {d visione hindria) 49 6 Organization of the mobile (cavalry) division (divisione Mere) 65 7 Organization of the normal type of infantry regiment {binary division) 61 8 Organization of the Grenadier type of infantry regiment 63 9 Organization of the assault and landing type of infantry regiment 65 10 Organization of the Alpine regiment 67 11 Organization of the Bersaglieri cyclist regiment in the mobile (cavalry) division (divisione cilere) or an army corps 69 12 Organization of a divisional Black Shirt legion 70 13 Organization of the cavalry brigade in the mobile (cavalry) division (divisione Mere) 71 14 Organization of the normal cavalry regiment 72 15 Organization of the artillery regiment in the infantry division. 82 16 Organization of the artillery regiment in the mobile (cavalry) division (divisione Mere) 83 17 Organization of the artillery regiment in the armored division 84 18 Organization of the artillery regiment in the Alpme division 85 19 Organization of the artillery regiment in an army corps 86 20 Organization of the antiaircraft regiment 89 21 Organization and assignment of 20-mm antiaircraft batteries 90 22 Organization of the light tank regiment 90 23 Organization of principal engineer units 100 24 Organization of special engineer units 101 25 Organization of the assault pioneer battalion 102 26 Organization of the radiotelegraph battalion in an army 104 27 Organization of the radiotelegraph company in an army corps 105 28 Organization of the signal unit in the mountain division 105 29 Organization of the photographic company 109 30 Table of motor transport loads 131 31 Map of Italy, showing main railroad lines and highways 147 32 Water tank car 150 33 Freight car for transporting acids 151 34 Table of carrying capacity of rolling stock 152 35 Table of relative ranks 156 36 Commissioned officers in service dress uniforms. (The black collar on the brigadier general's uniform indicates the style of uniform prior to June 1940) 163 37 Group of Italian enlisted men 169 38 Identity plate {Medaglwncino di riconoBcimento) 171 39 Individual record book {libretto personale) 173 40 Service revolver and pistols180 41 9-mm automatic pistol, model 910 (Glisenti) 181 42 Service rifles and carbines 183 43 20-mm antitank rifle (Soluthurn) 187 44 6.5-mm light machine gun, model 30 (Breda) 189 45 8-mm medium machine gun, model 37 (Breda) 190 46 8-mm tank-mounted machine gun, model 38 (Breda) 192 47 8-mm medium machine gun, model 35 (Fiat-Revelli) 194 48 8-mm medium machine gun, model 07/12 (Schwarzlose) 195 49 9-mm machine carbine, model 38 (Beretta) 197 50 20-mm heavy machine gun, model 35 (Breda) 199 51 65/17 infantry gun 201 52 45-mm light mortar, model 35 (Brixia) 204 53 81-mm medium mortar, model 35 205 54 81-mm mortar squad 206 55 Firing the 81-mm mortar 207 56 Hand grenades 208 57 Characteristics of antiaircraft guns 215 58 75/27 (2.95-inch) AA gun 216 59 75/46 (2.95-inch) AA gun, model 34 (Ansaldo) 216 60 Detail of the 75/46 (2.95-inch) AA gun, model 34 (Ansaldo). 217 61 AA guns, model 1933 (Ansaldo) 218 62 20/65 (.79-inch) AA gun, model 35 (Breda) 219 63 20/65 (.79-inch) A A gun, model 35 (Breda), ready for trans-port 220 64 47/32 (1.85-inch) antitank gun, model 37 225 65 90-mm antitank gun, self-propelled model 227 66 102/35 (4.016) A A gun 280 67 Characteristics of artillery weapons 241 68 75/27 gun in traveling position 241 69 75/27 gun with shield raised 242 70 90/53 A A and coast defense gun 243 71 149/35 gun 246 72 381/40 raUway gun 246 73 305-mm howitzer 250 74 Characteristics of types of tanks 251 75 L 3/35 tank 253 76 Fiat-Ansaldo 3000 B tank (old model) 254 77 L 6/40 tank 255 78 Renault R 35 tank (French) . 256 79 M 11/39 tank 257 80 Ml 3 (formerly Mil) tank 258 81 M13/40tank 259 82 Cross section of the M 13/40 four-man tank 260 83 S 35, Somua (French) medium tank 262 84 Characteristics of armored cars 263 85 Autoblinda40 264 86 Italian motorized divisions f5howing autocarrette 265 87 S. P. A. Sahariano (Saharan) truck (Fiat) 268 88 Tabulation of bridge equipment 270 89 Girder bridge (ponte metallico) no. 1 271 90 Girder bridge no. 2 (ponte metallico 2) 272 91 Variations of girder bridge no. 2 273 92 Passarella da montagna 274 93 Cableway no. 3 274 94 Ponton and trestle bridges 275 95 Ponton and trestle bridges 276 96 Special raft (Zdttera) 277 97 Friction igniter (miccia da 40) 278 98 Time-delay igniter 280 99 Cross section of antipersonnel mine B4 283 100 Antipersonnel mine B4 284 101 Antipersonnel mine B4 (top view) 285 102 Bomb 4AR 286 103 Antitank mine B2 289 104 Antitank mine B2 (cross section) 289 105 Antitank mine B2 (S. C. G.) 291 106 B2 mine (hinged-lid type) 293 107 Type D mine 295 108 Antitank mine N5 297 109 Antitank mine N6 298 110 Metal tube mine 301 111 Railway mine (old pattern) : 303 112 Railway mine (new pattern) 304 113 Antipersonnel (2-kg) pressure mine 305 114 Antipersonnel trip mine, type 2 307 115 Electrical mine, type 2(B) i 308 116 Antipersonnel trip mine, type 9 309 117 Pressure mine, type 9 311 118 Antitank mine, type 9 313 119 Mine, type N 315 120 Road and field mine 316 121 Road and field mine (details) 317 122 Shell mine 319 123 Pressure mine with grenade exploder 321 124 Items of camouflage equipment 324 125 Searchlight unit (120-cm) 824 126 Types of radio 327 127 Type O. G. M. rotary key telephone switchboard (with circuit diagram for 10 lines) 328 128 Characteristics of the various types of telephone wire 329 129 Circuit diagrams of Morse telegraph set. (The black holes indicate the positions of the plugs.) 331 130 Repeating coil for simultaneous phantom telephony and simplex telegraphy, model O. G. M. (1928) (with circuit diagram) 335 131 Heliograph rectifier of 80-mm optical signaling apparatus 336 132 Generator of 80-mm optical signaling apparatus 337 133 Showing use of the converter of the 1 80-mm phototelephonic set 338 134 List of radios 339 135 Types, numbers, characteristics, and applications of storage batteries 340 136 Diagrams of communication nets 342 137 List of gas bombs 349 138 List of Italian incendiary bombs 351 139 Portable flame thrower, model 35 352 140 Portable flame thrower, model 35, showing nozzle 353 141 Portable flame thrower, model 40 355 142 Italian flame-thrower tank, L 3/35, with trailer 356 143 Military gas mask, M31. (The separate type canister is attached.) 357 144 Protective clothing 361 145 Organization of the Air Ministry 368 146 Territorial organization of the Air Force 372 147 Tactical organization of the Air Force 374 148 Strength report of Italian Air Force, April 1943 375 149 Aircraft in operational use 376 150 SM-82 transport planes in flight 377 151 Markings of Italian aircraft 378 152 P-108, long range bomber 379 153 Cant. Z-1007 Bis, Alcione (Kingfisher), medium bomber 380 154 BR-20, Cicogna (Stork), medium bomber 381 156 SM-79, Sparviero (Hawk), medium bomber 382 156 CA-310, Libiccio (Southwest Wind), reconnaissance bomber. 383 157 CA-311, reconnaissance bomber 384 158 SM-82, Canguru (Kangaroo), transport 385 159 SM-85, dive bomber 386 160 Cant. Z-606B, Airione (Heron), flying boat 387 161 Cant. Z-501, flying boat 388 162 RE-2001, Falco II (Falcon), fighter 389 163 RE-2000, Falco I (Falcon), fighter 390 164 MC-200, SaeUa (Thunderbolt), fighter 391 165 MC-202, Saetia II (Thunderbolt), fighter 392 166 MC-205, fighter. (This fighter resembles the MC-202 in appearance.) 393 COLOR PLATES Plate I Army service dress and field uniforms: conunissioned officers 174 II Army field uniforms: noncommissioned officers and enlisted men 174 III Army tropical uniforms: officers and men 174 IV Miscellaneous Army and Black Shirt uniforms 174 V Air Force uniforms: commissioned officers 174 VI Insignia of rank of general officers 174 VII Insignia of rank of company and field officers 174 VIII Insignia of rank of noncommissioned officers and enlisted men 174 IX Collar patches of infantry regiments and divisions 174 X Collar patches and devices of arms and services (other than infantry of the line) 174 XI Insignia of arm or service 174 XII Insignia of arm or service (continued) 174 IX RESTRICTED Digitized by Google Books. "TME 30-420." "Restricted." "3 August 1943."