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Non-Divisional (GHQ) Units
The Italian army, like all other armies, utilized non-divisional units at Army and Corps level and to reinforce certain divisions when needed. Orders of battle reveal the existence of such units as: Grenadier (infantry) regiments, cavalry regiments and squadrons, Black Shirt battalions and legions, medium artillery regiments, Bersaglieri regiments and battalions, an armored brigade, battalions and companies, and machinegun battalions. There were also antitank companies, colonial infantry brigades, heavy artillery battalions, and batterys, mountain artillery battalions, Alpini battalions, and a camel artillery battery.
During the war Assault Pioneers known as “Guastatori” (destroyers) were organized into battalions. They were patterned after similar German units and the Assault Engineer School was organized by a Col. Steiner in Mar ’40. Formations included Corps engineer regiments, mining regiments, pontoon regiments , railway regiment, workshop units, and carrier pigeon lofts. Also included were bridging companies, pontoon battalions, a ropeway battalion, a balloonist section, an electrical mechanics’ company, a firefighting company, a mining battalion, a camouflage battalion, and others.
Chemical Troops
Were responsible for chemical warfare in all forms. Organized into the Chemical Regiment, a number of separate companies and platoons assigned to corps and divisions as required. There were chemical battalions and flame throwing battalions. The war brought the establishment of chemical mortar groups. They made no use of chemical warfare, but had planned to use the 81mm mortar, artillery shells, toxic smoke candles. Truck-borne and knapsack sprayers were devoted for decontamination.
Commissariat Service
Commissariat Service distributed supplies in bulk to the tactical organizations. Where line soldiers handled storage and issue. The provision of rations, forage, clothing equipment, barracks and fuel, and the removal and recovery of these materials when damaged or unserviceable was also under the Commissariat jurisdiction.
Transport Service
Transport Service was divided into rail, water, air, and ordinary transport units. Ordinary included motor vehicle, wagon, pack and cable railway. Motor transport groups were divided into two or more companies, which were then divided into sections of 24 vehicles each.
Raggrummenti
There also existed ad hoc formations known as raggrummenti (tactical organizations of flexible size and mission) that had no fixed establishment. One, for example, was made up of four tank battalions; another of five colonial infantry battalions.
Frontier Guard
The Frontier Guard was part of the quasi military/quasi police Royal Carabineri. They were light forces charged with border security. Organization varied.
Other Organizations
Organization was complicated by the existence of Fascist Militia, Royal Carabineri, Railway Militia, Port Militia, Post and Telegraph Militia, Forestry Militia, Highway Militia, Antiaircraft and Coast Defense Militia, Frontier Militia, and the Royal Finance Guard. Most of these militiamen proved to be somewhat more suited to strutting about in fancy regalia that in serving as soldiers.
Tactics
The war of rapid decision required deep penetration into the enemy rear; but Italian tactics were unsuited to producing that penetration. Prewar doctrine also apparently had nothing to say about the subject of surprise, and assigned rapid exploitation of opportunities to soft-skinned motorized forces and to armored divisions equipped with the 3.5-ton tankettes.
Antitank
Artillery had the primary responsibility for antitank protection. They were supposed to use field guns in this role. Infantry had a secondary responsibility. Infantry weapons included the infantry support guns, antitank companies, and a rather hopeful antitank rifle.
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