[david]

Can anyone confirm a date of arrival in N.Africa for this unit please?

Thanks. :)

[GLADIVM]

No exact date but in between February / March 41

Yours

GLADIVM

[david]

Thank you. :)

[Lupo Solitario]

No data for the 3rd but the 2nd arrived in late January. I'd tell that there should not be a great difference...

[voloire]

the 1° Reggimento Artiglieria Celere arrived in Lybia on february 1941, with 2 groups;
2° Reggimento Artiglieria Celere, arrived in Tripoli on jenuary 14, 1941, with 2 grups. After one year of combats e 59 day of of siege, the regiment was destroyed.
3° Reggimento Artiglieria Celere, arrived in Tripoli on february 1941, with 2 groups. Artillery Regiment of Divisione Brescia, was completely destryed at El Alamein.

Per il Reggimento, ora e sempre VOLOIRE

[david]

Thank you. :D

[david]

There appears a IV Gruppo. 3rd Reggimento D'Artiglieria Celere in Spring of 1942.

Do we know when it arrived in North Africa?
Or if it was raised in North Africa from existing guns & Personnel?

[Oasis]

voloire, on 13 June 2005 - 02:28 PM, said:

the 1° Reggimento Artiglieria Celere arrived in Lybia on february 1941, with 2 groups;

2° Reggimento Artiglieria Celere, arrived in Tripoli on jenuary 14, 1941, with 2 grups. After one year of combats e 59 day of of siege, the regiment was destroyed.

3° Reggimento Artiglieria Celere, arrived in Tripoli on february 1941, with 2 groups. Artillery Regiment of Divisione Brescia, was completely destryed at El Alamein.


Per il Reggimento, ora e sempre VOLOIRE

the artillery of Brescia was 1° Reggimento...

[Oasis]

david, on 10 May 2012 - 12:22 PM, said:

There appears a IV Gruppo. 3rd Reggimento D'Artiglieria Celere in Spring of 1942.

Do we know when it arrived in North Africa?
Or if it was raised in North Africa from existing guns & Personnel?

it results to me the arrival in NA of 3° R. Celere between 8 and 26 february 1941.

the IV Gruppo/3 Articelere was always present in NA since february 1941 on three batteries;
in 1942 from march to 10-11 july IV Gruppo was on two batteries 75/27-06 and one 65/17, destroyed with Sabratha on 10-11 july with Gruppi I° and III°: will be saved only II° and Comando.
I do not have any further info of a IV° Gruppo, but the remnants of 3° Articelere (Comando and II° Gruppo) were operative until 23 october, when aggregated to Littorio to form 133° Reggimento Artiglieria Corazzato. Definitely destroyed on 6 november with Littorio (disbanded on 21 november).

Regards
Toni

[david]

Thanks Toni.

I originally had the 3rd Reggimento Celere on just the three Gruppi on arrival in North Africa.

[Oasis]

david, on 11 May 2012 - 11:32 PM, said:

Thanks Toni.

I originally had the 3rd Reggimento Celere on just the three Gruppi on arrival in North Africa.

David,
to be correct (I hope...), arriving in NA on 8 february '41 three groups (II-III-IV plus HQ)- as I/Gruppo (former III°) was horse mounted in Italy. II° and III° 75/27 were assigned to Pavia (I do not know about IV° maybe with Corpo d'Armata?); on 15 august '41 Pavia reports the presence of three gruppi (one 100/17 and two 75/27) but no roman numbers; in october, with Pavia only II and III° gruppo with 4th sezione mitragliere (20/65), one gruppo was probably sent to Corpo d'Armata. And then more movements to follow... if you will like I will give more info...
Toni

[david]

Yes please

[Oasis]

Oasis, on 12 May 2012 - 03:06 PM, said:

David,
to be correct (I hope...), arriving in NA on 8 february '41 three groups (II-III-IV plus HQ)- as I/Gruppo (former III°) was horse mounted in Italy. II° and III° 75/27 were assigned to Pavia (I do not know about IV° maybe with Corpo d'Armata?); on 15 august '41 Pavia reports the presence of three gruppi (one 100/17 and two 75/27) but no roman numbers; in october, with Pavia only II and III° gruppo with 4th sezione mitragliere (20/65), one gruppo was probably sent to Corpo d'Armata. And then more movements to follow... if you will like I will give more info...
Toni

...
1-16 nov '41: two gruppi 75/27 and two RMV to reinforce Ariete, then on 17 nov. one battery 100/17 and two 75/27 with XXI° CdA.
29 nov: II° and II° Gruppo with germans and Pavia.
7 dec: on line with Pavia towards Bir el-Gobi.
8-9 dec: retreat with PAvia.
11-17 dec: on Balbia road east of Gazala, q.181, Carmuset el-Regem and q.204.
13-14 dec: overwhelmed one gruppo at q.181; one battery 88 at q.154/186 as rearguard.
14-17 dec: with Pavia, left only one battery 100/17 and two 75/27.
19-22 dec: Ain Gebara, El-Abiar, Er-Regima.
23-31 dec: on Balbia, north of Agedabia.
13 jan '42: 3° Articelere, always with Pavia, receives XIX° Gruppo 88/55.
5 feb: 3 Articelere is dissolved.
1 mar - 25 may: 3 Articelere is reconstituted as artillery regt of Sabratha (until 24 july): Comando e Servizi, I° Gruppo 100/17 (3 btrs), II° Gruppo 100/17 (3 btrs), III° Gruppo 75/27-11 (three btrs), IV° Gruppo on 2 btrs 75/27-06 and one 65/17, V° Gruppo 88/55 ca/cc (3 btrs), plus 2 btrs 20/35aa (403 and 406).
1-8 july: 3 articelere with 7° Bersaglieri at XXI° CdA.
From 9 july again with Sabratha.
10-11 july: 3 articelere overwhelmed with Sabratha, Gruppi I°-III°-IV° destroyed.
11 july: V° Gruppo with Ariete.
15-18 july: 3 articelere on line with only three 88mm and five 20mm.
25 july: Sabratha is dissolved, survivors of Comando and II° Gruppo with Littorio.
30 sept: 3 articelere has only one 88mm.
From 23 october, 3 articelere is reconstituted with Littorio (133° Rgt artiglieria corazzata): Comando e ervizi, II/133 Gruppo 75/27 (three btrs), CCCII° or XXXII° Gruppo 100/17 (three btrs), DLIV° Gruppo (8 M41 self-propelled 75/18sp plus 2 command w/o gun), DLVI° Gruppo (8 M41 self-propelled 75/18sp plus 2 command w/o gun), XXIX° Gruppo 88/55aa Flak (three btrs, 8 guns), 406^ btry 20mm (6 mitragliere), 5^/133 btry 20mm (6 mitragliere).
23-30 october: 2^ btr corazzata with Folgore, destroyed 1-2 november.
4 november: 3 articelere overrun with Littorio, then on 6 nov. pratically annihilated.
7 nov: com. Villani of 3 articelere is wounded.
21 nov: Littorio is officially dissolved.

Toni

[david]

Thanks.

And now some questions........

Why was 3rd Celere with Pavia for so long? I thought that Pavia's Artillery was 26th Regiment.

[Oasis]

david, on 13 May 2012 - 05:10 PM, said:

Thanks.

And now some questions........

Why was 3rd Celere with Pavia for so long? I thought that Pavia's Artillery was 26th Regiment.

Until 21 january 1942.

[Oasis]

david, on 13 May 2012 - 05:10 PM, said:

Thanks.

And now some questions........

Why was 3rd Celere with Pavia for so long? I thought that Pavia's Artillery was 26th Regiment.

Ref. 26° rgt. artiglieria "Rubicone"

31 mar '41: present in NA only grp I (75/27) and II (100/17), Command and RMV in Italy until the end (december) of 1941, so it was decided to give to Pavia 3° rgt articelere, 2° rgt articelere (until 8 apr '41) and two gruppi from CdA (II/24 and XLIIaa).
3 rgt Articelere will be assigned to Pavia together with incomplete 26° until 21 jan 1942.
31 dec '41: 26° R. art. reduced to 70% after withdrawal, 3 reg Articelere left with only one gun 75mm.
5 jan '42: gruppi I-II of 26° are completed
21 jan '42: 3 Articelere rgt left Pavia now only with 26° rgt art. completed.
30 jun '42: Pavia artillery is 26° rgt on three gruppi (I and III) 100/17 plus IV° 75/27 and XLIX/16° 105/28 (CdA).
15 july '42: destroyed I/26°.
30 july '42: only some pieces of 26° on the frontline, Pavia division sent back to Marsa Matruh to be reconstituted.
22 october '42: III-IV/26° on the frontline with Brescia and Folgore.
5 nov '42: withdrawal of southern sector, III/26° left in rearguard with infantry II/27 Pavia. Then dissolution in the desert.

Regards
Toni