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| March - Mussolini meets Hitler near the Brenner Pass. Hitler used this meeting
to strike at Mussolini's ego and convince him to join the war. He motioned to Mussolini
that if he wanted Italy to be a second rate power in the Mediterranean, then forget about
going to war. But if he wants to bring his nation to glory, then join Germany in the defeat
of France and England. This was too much for Mussolini to hear. He accepts Hitler's offer to
join the war only if Germany's attack on France was successful. He again motioned to Hitler
that Italy was still not prepared to join a war that could last 3 to 4 years. Hitler accepts
Mussolini's offer, knowing that at least the burden of fighting another front was gone.
April 9 - Mussolini received word from the German ambassador that Germany had invaded Norway
and Denmark. Although Mussolini welcomes the news, he was resentful that he was kept in the dark.
Nevertheless, he gives a speech applauding the German triumphs. |
Portrait of Hitler and Mussolini |
FRANCE
May 10 - German troops conquer Belgium and Holland en route to France. Mussolini realizes
that the time was coming for him to act as he promised in support of Germany and the Pact of Steel.
| June 10 - Italy declares war on France and England. Mussolini saw France's
imminent surrender and decided to reap some of the spoils of France. In order to do this,
he needed to absorb as much French land as possible. Mussolini had interest in obtaining
Nice, Corsica, French Somaliland and Tunisia. Italy masses 32 divisions on the French
border and commences an attack. These divisions were severely under equipped whose
artillery was outdated and did not even possess enough pots and pans to feed their
troops. The Italians launched their initial attack through the Little Saint Bernard
Pass in the Alps, but had to stop due to a massive snow storm. Another assault continued
through the French Riviera towards Nice, but that too was stopped in Menton, only 5 miles
inside France. By this time France was ready for an armistice with Germany.
June 12 - Italian Submarine Bagnolini sinks British Light Cruiser
Calypso in the Mediterranean. |
The enemy is listening |
June 13 - Italian destroyer Strale sinks British submarine HMS Odin off Taranto.
June 14 - French naval forces bombard Genoa and Vado.
June 16 - British submarine HMS Grampus is sunk by Italian destroyers.
ERITREA
June 23 - British destroyer HMS Khartoum is sunk off Eritrea by Italian smg. (submarine) Torricelli.
FRANCE
June 24 - France falls to Germany. Mussolini insisted that a surrender be given to Italy as well
or the fighting will continue. Hitler and France oblige. This was a fruitless victory, and the
only thing Mussolini truly received was the knowledge that Germany can win wars without Italy's
assistance. Although the Italian Esercito made little progress in the 2 week war with France,
It's Air Force was very productive. In 14 days, The Regia Aeronautica conducted 715 bomber
sorties and dropped 276 tons of bombs, 1,337 fighter sorties were also carried out. See Italian
Wings.
MEDITERRANEAN
June 28 - Italian destroyer Espero is sunk off Bengasi by Australian cruiser HMAS Sydney.
July 4 - The start of a series of first moves by Italy that led to humiliating
defeats of the British. Lt. Gen Guglielmo Nasi struck westward from Ethiopia into Sudan.
They capture several border towns and arrive within 300 miles of Khartoum. Within 6 weeks,
Nasi conquered British Somaliland, causing the British to evacuate from the Sea at Berbera.
July 5 - British bombers sink Italian destroyer Zeffiro near Tobruk.
July 8 - Reggia Aeronautica bombers bomb the British cruiser HMS Gloucester.
Scoring a direct hit and killing her captain and 17 crewmen. Gloucester survives, but with a
crippled steering gear.
July 9 - Battle of Punto Stilo ends indecisively. Italian battleship Giulio Cesare
is damaged by British battleship HMS Warspite.
July 11 - British destroyer HMS Escort is sunk off Gibraltar by Italian submarine smg. Marconi.
AEGEAN SEA
July 19 -Italian light cruisers Giovanni delle Bande Nere and Bartolomeo Colleoni cruising near Crete
give fight to 4 British destroyers. After 2 hours of naval engagement, H.M.S. Sydney and destroyer
Havock appear off the horizon. The Italian ships realize they are outnumbered 3-1 and decide to
outrun them, but a shell from the Sydney hits the Colleoni, leaving her dead in the water. Within
minutes the Colleoni was torpedoed and sunk. As the British attempt to save the Italian sailors,
Italian bombers appear and begin bombing the British warships, forcing them to abandon the rescue.
Hundreds of Italian sailors die. This omen proved that the Italian Navy is blind due to lack of
radar and that the Italian navy had no coordination with the air force.
MEDITERRANEAN
July 20 - Italian destroyers Nembo and Ostro are sunk off Tobruk by British bombers.
AFRICA
Africa seemed to be a good starting point for Italian expansion. On paper, Italy had an impressive
force; Approximately 172,000 troops forming 14 Divisions and separated into the 5th Army in the west
and 10th Army to the east. Initial estimates in strength showed Italian troops in Libya alone would
overwhelm the British in Egypt by looking at the table below. However, on a strategic level, Italy
only had a 6:1 ratio of Artillery to infantry battalions. The British had 8:1. The British possessed
seventy five 25 pdrs to an Italian division which had twenty four 75mm and twelve 100mm guns.
The 1,500 guns the Italians possessed were old and their tanks were obsolete, even weaker than the
British bren-gun carriers. The most notable of the British forces in the Region under Wavell's
command, the 7th armored Division (Desert Rats) had 300 armored cars, light and cruiser tanks and
Bren gun carriers.
| Strength |
 Italian |
 British |
| Troops |
208,000
(36,000 Libyan Nationals |
50,000
(86,000 in Middle East Area) |
| Guns |
1,500 |
150 |
| Tanks |
300 |
45 Heavy Tanks |
| Fighter Planes |
450 |
205 |
| Bombers |
140 |
140 |
| The Italian situation in Ethiopia was very similar. Italy had 280,000 troops available with almost 400 aircraft. Of these troops, approximately 200,000 were native Africans and approximately 80,000 were Italian. The British, on the other hand, had only 19,000 troops in British Somaliand,
Kenya and Sudan. Although some of the British troops were made of colonials, the general Italian
military force in Africa was made up of 70% African troops. These troops fought well in hand to hand
combat, but was noted by many Italian officers that they "panicked" when under fire.
August 1 - Italian destroyer Ugolino Vivaldi sinks British submarine HMS Oswald off Cape
Spartivento.
|
Italian attacks on British Somaliland and Sudan |
August 3 - British Somaliland surrenders to Italy.
September 13 - The attack on British forces in Egypt was to coincide with Operation Sealion
(The invasion of England by Germany). When it became apparent to Mussolini that this was postponed
indefinitely, he orders Marshal Rodolfo Graziani to launch his 10th army, made of a total of 7
Divisions, into combat across the Egyptian border. British tanks and armored cars made bold attacks
into Libya, forcing the Italians to transfer troops from the 5th Army to the 10th and acquiring 2,500
motor vehicles and gaining the delivery of 70 M-11 medium tanks from Italy. The British retreated
to buy time and reinforcements. After 4 days and 60 miles inside Egypt, Graziani stops his attack
due to supply logistics. Graziani was now 80 miles west of the British defenses in Mersa Matruh.
To risk going any farther, Graziani said, would risk being defeated until supplies were available.
Mussolini, angered over the sudden stop of the 10th Army, urges Graziani to continue 300 miles
into the port of Alexandria. Graziani was appalled. Eventually Field Marshal Pietro Badoglio
promised 1,000 tanks to Graziani. This promise was never kept. The recent military operations in
Ethiopia and Spain drained Italy of many needed supplies and equipment. Graziani was forced to
change his attack plan and can not penetrate deeper than Sidi Barrani.
MEDITERRANEAN
September 16 - Italian destroyers Aquilone and Borea are sunk off Bengasi by
British bombers.
September 22 - Italian torpedo boat Palestro is sunk off the coast of Albania by
British submarine HMS Osiris.
GERMANY, ITALY AND JAPAN
September 27 - Tripartite alliance formed between Germany, Italy and Japan.
MEDITERRANEAN
October 12 - Italian destroyer Artigliere and torpedo boats Airone and Ariel
are sunk off Tunisia by British cruisers.
ERITREA
October 21 - Italian destroyer Francesco Nullo is sunk off Eritrea by British bombers.
BRITAIN
October 25 - Hardly ever discussed was Italy's involvement in the Battle of Britain.
Against Hitlers wishes and most Italian military leaders, Mussolini sent some 200 aircraft including
73 Fiat BR.20 Stork medium bombers into occupied Belgium to conduct Italy's share of bombing England.
Italian CR.42's over the skies of Great Britain.
Little success was achieved in this campaign due to the poor performance of Italian aircraft
against the British and the edge England had with radar. Italian sorties had to be conducted at
night or a few daylight raids limited to 1,500 pound bombs per aircraft. Within 4 months, the
Italian supply of BR.20 Storks were cut by 25% due to British interceptions. A total of 54 tons of ordnance was
dropped on England. The fighter "gruppi" completed 883 sorties, losing 9 aircraft in combat.
GREECE
October 28 - After only 2 weeks preparation, Italian troops were ordered to cross the
Albanian-Greek border. Italian Generals were outraged at Mussolini's hasty plan. Mussolini chose
to take Greece due to Germany's entry into Romania. Approximately 60,000 weathered Italian troops
were pulled out of Albania to assist in the fall harvest in Italy. The majority of Italians who
conducted this invasion were recruits. Seven divisions of the 9th and 11th Armies were used in
the attack under General Visconti-Prasca. To make matters worse, Mussolini never authorized the
use of the Navy or the Air Force to assist in this attack. This invasion coincided with the Greek
rainy season when the weather dropped below freezing and many Italian soldiers did not possess
winter boots.
From the onset it was apparent that the Greeks intended to fight. The Italians advanced in a 4
pronged attack up to 25 miles into Greek territory. In every turn there seemed to be an ambush
or a destroyed bridge. The Greeks then attacked 3 divisions strong and pushed the Italians back.
With the assistance of England, who pledged support for Greece, the Royal Air Force pounded Italian
installations in Greece and Albania, the Italians retreated back into Albania. One-third of Albania
was now under Greek control.
SUDAN
November 6 - The British mount their counteroffensive in the Sudan town of
Gallabat. 7,000 troops under the command of Sir William Slim storm Gallabat with tank
and infantry. Without air cover, he was unable to achieve his goals. The Italian Air
Force shot down 5 gladiators and bombed his troops, killing 42 and wounding 125. The
attack on Italian forces ended with a British withdrawal.
Italy's Duke of Aosta, towers over his troops made up of mostly African colonials.
ITALY
November 11 - The H.M.S. Illustrious conducts a bombing of the Italian base in Taranto
which damaged 3 battleships and crippled Italy's chance of securing the Mediterranean.
Italian battleship Conte Di Cavour is sunk in shallow water and put out of action for the
remainder of the war.
MEDITERRANEAN
November 20 - Italian torpedo boat Confienza sinks in the Adriatic after being
rammed by a merchant vessel it was escorting.
November 27 - Battle of Cape Teulada ends indecively.
GREECE
December 4 - Mussolini instructs Dino Alfieri to fly to Berlin and request German assistance
in the invasion of Greece. Hitler see's no choice but to assist Italy. The Italian Fascists knew
their pride had now been broken once they asked for help. The military's confidence in Mussolini
was now beginning to disappear due to his hasty and ignorant orders.
MEDITERRANEAN
December 5 - Italian torpedo boat Calipso sinks after hitting a mine near Tripoli.
EGYPT
December 9 - Marshal Graziani debates whether to continue his attack into Egypt or wait
for supplies. He decided to deploy his infantry divisions into strong points facing East and
South at Sidi Barrani. He then requested some motorized transport to assist in furthering the
invasion, but Mussolini rejected this request for the planned invasion of Yugoslavia. Wavell's
British forces receive reinforcements including 31,000 motorized troops, 120 guns and 275 tanks
(50 of which were Matilda's and 100 Cruisers), 60 armored cars and 150 aircraft
(among them Hurricanes which outclassed all Italian fighters in the region). Wavell consolidates
his forces under General Richard O'Connor. The British attack Sidi Barrani under General O'Connor
and the Italians were caught completely off guard. The Italians fought hard as they tried to
organize their forces, and General Pietro Maletti, while still in pajamas, was killed while
shooting at the British with his machine gun. This attack yielded 2,000 Italian prisoners.
NEBEIWA
Italian artillery men encounter the British Matilda's for the first time and fought against
them with great bravery, but with little success. An English combatant at the scene described
the battle:
"The Italian and Libyan dead were everywhere. The guns were piled around with
empty cases where men had fired to the very last. The Italians...fought like hell in Nebiewa."
December 16 - The British begin winning battle after battle, Italian tanks were no match to
the British Matilda's and British naval bombardments. The Italians realized that if their
artillery cannot defeat the Matilda's, then neither could the infantry. However, the Italian
Maletti Group manage to use their 37 and 47/32 mm. guns to destroy 35 of the 57 Matilda's in
an engagement and the Tummar posts destroyed another 14 Matilda's. The remaining 57 Matilda's
were destroyed in Bardia and Tobruk. But Italian forces under Graziani are quickly losing
battles and did not posses the transport for an effective strategic withdrawel. Within 2
weeks of combat, the Italians are forced back 200 miles to Tobruk and lose 115,000 Italian
and African colonials who had surrendered or been captured by February of 1941.
December 18 - British submarine HMS Triton is sunk in the Adriatic by Italian torpedo
boats.
GREECE
December 17 - British bombers attack the Italian naval base in Rhodes, Greece.
ALBANIA
Mid December - The Italians finally halt the Greek advance into Albania, but do not have
enough supplies to mount a counteroffensive until the German reinforcements come in.
December 18 - British naval forces bomb the Albanian port of Valona.
MEDITERRANEAN
December 23 - Italian torpedo boat Fratelli Cairoli sinks after hitting a mine off
the coast of Tripoli.
December 29 - Italian torpedo boat Antares sinks Greek submarine Proteus off
the coast of Albania.
Sources: World War II, Time Life Books, Italy at War; World War II, Time Life Books,
The War in the Desert; Italian Wings, Destroyers of World War 2 and Cruisers of World War 2
by Mike J. Whitley; courtesy Stefan Schlemmer> "The North African Campaign 1940-1943:
A Reconsideration"; Lucio Ceva. Decisive Campaigns of the Second World War; Edited by
John Gooch: Journal of Strategic Studies. Volume 13. March 1990. "Of Myths and Men: Rommel
and the Italians in North Africa, 1940-1942"; James J. Sadkovich. The International History
Review, XIII. 2. May 1991, pp.221-440. I Paracadutisti Italiani 1937/45; Giuseppe Lundari,
Pietro Compagni. Editrice Militare Italiano-Serie "De Bello" 09; "Italian Aces of World War Two": Giovanni Massimello and Giorgio Apostolo
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