The Italian Army in Albania

 

 

XVI Army Corps

Denomination :

Corpo di Occupazione di Valona (28 December 1914 - 24 December 1915)

Corpo Speciale d’Albania (24 December 1915 – 19 March 1916)

XVI Army Corps (20 March – 19 June 1916)

Comando truppe Occupazione d’Albania (20 June 1916 – 15 May 1917)

XVI Army Corps (16 May 1917)

attached to the Comando Superiore delle Forze Italiane nei Balcani on 27 October 1918

Commander :

Col. Emanuele Mosca (Commander of 10th Bersaglieri Regiment, 28 December 1914)

Maj-Gen. Emilio Bertotti (20 November 1915 – 8 March 1916)

Lt-Gen. Settimio Piacentini (8 March – 17 June 1916)

Lt-Gen. Oreste Bandini (18 June – 11 December 1916)

Lt-Gen. Giacinto Ferrero (11 December 1916)

Chief of Staff :

Cpt. Bobbio (28 December 1914)

Lt.Col. Armando Mola (November 1915 – 13 March 1916)

Col. Emilio Guglielmotti (20 March 1916 – 12 March 1917)

Col. Luigi La Racine (12 March 1917)

Head of Artillery :

Maj-Gen. Corrado Novelli (20 March – 13 September 1916)

Col. Armando Gamberini (13 July 1916 – 13 June 1917)

Maj-Gen. Aurelio Bondi (18 July 1917)

Head of the Engineers :

Lt.Col. Arturo Giuliano (20 March 1916)

 

38th Infantry Division

Commander :

Maj-Gen., then Lt-Gen. Oreste Bandini (9 March – 17 June 1916)

Maj-Gen. Luigi Baronis (17 June 1916 – 10 June 1917)

Maj-Gen. Emilio De Bono (10 June – 15 March 1917)

Maj-Gen. Arturo Nigra (16 March 1918)

Chief of Staff :

Lt.Col. Eduardo Rovere (19 March – 20 October 1916)

Lt.Col. Renato Michelesi (15 November 1916 – 28 February 1917)

Lt.Col. Enrico Baffigi (28 February – 25 June 1917)

Lt.Col. Alcide Portaccio (25 June 1917)

Allocation :

Corpo Speciale d’Albania (9 March 1916)

XVI Army Corps (20 March – 19 June 1916)

Comando truppe Occupazione d’Albania (20 June 1916 – 15 May 1917)

XVI Army Corps (16 May 1917)

Composition :

“Savona” Brigade (27 February 1916)

“Puglie” Brigade (13 February – 16 May 1916)

“Tanaro” Brigade (26 October 1916)

“Verona” Brigade (1 July 1918)

10th Bersaglieri Regiment (9 March 1916)

XVI Assault Unit (15 May 1918)

XXIII March Brigade (15 May 1918)

101st March Infantry Regiment (15 May 1918)

Territorial Brig. [15th and 30th Territorial Regiment] (15 July 1916)

36th Territorial Regiment (20 June 1916)

38th Territorial Regiment (20 June 1916)

47th Territorial Regiment (20 June 1916 – 1 June 1918)

48th Territorial Regiment (20 June 1916 – 1 June 1918)

2nd Special MG Unit (May – December 1916)

7th Special MG Unit (May – December 1916)

8th Special MG Unit (May – November 1916)

XVI Machine-guns Unit (16 July 1918)

2nd Maxim Armoured Car Squadron with 6 Lancia 1ZM armoured cars (16 July 1918)

15th “Cavalleggeri di Lodi” Regiment (20 June 1916)

16th “Cavalleggeri di Lucca” Regiment (28 February 1918)

22th “Cavalleggeri di Catania” Regiment (20 June 1916)

30th “Cavalleggeri di Palermo” Regiment (26 October 1916)

1st mixed artillery group (9 March 1916)

2nd mixed artillery group (16 May 1917 – 16 July 1918)

40th Siege Group (16 May 1915 – 16 July 1918)

XX Sapper Battalion (9 March 1916)

 

43th Infantry Division

Commander :

Maj-Gen. Angelo Farisoglio (13 March 1916 – 25 October 1917)

Chief of Staff :

Maj., then Lt.Col. Francesco Giordano (13 March – 2 October 1916)

Allocation :

XVI Army Corps (10 March 1916)

transferred to Italy (1 June 1916)

Composition :

“Arno” Brigade (from 10 March 1916)

“Marche” Brigade (from 1 June 1916)

4th Special MG Unit (May – left in Albania when the Division was transferred in Italy)

5th Special MG Unit (May – left in Albania when the Division was transferred in Italy)

6th Special MG Unit (May – left in Albania when the Division was transferred in Italy)

2nd mixed artillery group (left in Albania when the Division was transferred in Italy)

3rd mixed artillery group (left in Albania when the Division was transferred in Italy)

 

44th Infantry Division

Commander :

Maj-Gen. Emilio Bertotti (13 March – 15 June 1916)

Chief of Staff :

Lt.Col. Armando Mola (13 March – 15 June 1916)

Allocation :

XVI Army Corps (10 March 1916)

transferred to Italy (15 June 1916)

Composition :

“Verona” Brigade (10 March 1916)

“Tanaro” Brigade (10 March 1916)

1st Special MG Unit (May – left in Albania when the Division was transferred in Italy)

3rd Special MG Unit (May – left in Albania when the Division was transferred in Italy)

9th Special MG Unit (May – left in Albania when the Division was transferred in Italy)

4th mixed artillery group (left in Albania when the Division was transferred in Italy)

 

“Savona” Brigade 

Commander :

Maj-Gen. Domenico Guerrini (27 September 1915 – 2 February 1916)

Maj-Gen. Giacinto Ferrero (2 February – 9 May 1916)

Maj-Gen. Luigi Baronis (24 May – 18 June 1916)

Col. Giulio Rigobello (ad interim, 18 June – 20 December 1916)

Col. Raffaele Radini-Tedeschi (ad interim, 21 December 1916 – 7 January 1917)

Maj-Gen. Emilio De Bono (8 January – 10 June 1917)

Brig-Gen. Nicolò Oneto (10 June)

Allocation :

Corpo Speciale Italiano in Albania (10 December 1915 – 26 February 1916)

38th Infantry Division (27 February 1916)

Composition :

         15th Infantry Regiment

Col. Cerutti Amedeo (4 August 1915 – 16 January 1916)

Col. Giulio Rigobello (ad interim, 21 January 1916 – 8 May 1917)

Col. Ferdinando Spreafico (22 May – 26 October 1917)

Col. Ezio Babbini (24 December 1917)

         16th Infantry Regiment

Col. Raffaele Radini-Tedeschi (4 November 1915 – 27 October 1917)

Lt.Col. Lionello Bottari (20 November 1917)

“Marche” Brigade

Commander :

Maj-Gen. Arturo Cittadini (1 December 1915 – 22 March 1916)

Maj-Gen. Giulio Amadei (1 April – 18 May 1916)

Col. Alfredo Giannuzzi Sabelli (7 June 1916 – 7 May 1917)

Allocation :

Corpo Speciale d’Albania (12 February – 15 March) – only 55th Infantry Regiment

43rd Infantry Division (15 March – 5 June 1916)

transferred to Italy (6 June – 27 July 1916)

Composition :

         55th Infantry Regiment

Col. Ernesto Piano (19 December 1915 – 8 June 1916)

         56th Infantry Regiment

Col. Vincenzo Ponzi (25 December 1915 – 31 May 1917)

“Puglie” Brigade

Commander :

Maj-Gen. Matteo Quaglia (6 February – 12 June 1916)

Allocation :

38th Infantry Division (13 February 1916)

transferred to Italy (11 – 21 May 1916)

Composition :

         71st Infantry Regiment

Col. Giuseppe Tensini (19 January – 28 September 1916)

         72nd Infantry Regiment

Lt.Col. Pietro Balbi (27 November 1915 – 2 June 1916)

“Verona” Brigade 

Commander :

Maj-Gen. Masaniello Roversi (2 October 1915 – 18 June 1917)

Brig-Gen. Allegro Pavia (1 June – 22 July 1918)

Col. Alessandro Vanzetti (29 July – 27 September 1918)

Col. Egidio Castellano (7 October 1918)

Allocation :

Corpo Speciale d’Albania (9 December 1915 – 10 March 1916)

44th Infantry Division (10 March 1916 – 8 May 1916)

transferred to Italy (9 – 21 May 1916)

raised again in Valona with the troops of the XX Territorial Brigade (1 – 30 June 1918)

38th Infantry Division (1 July 1918)

Composition :

         85th Infantry Regiment

Col. Vincenzo Di Benedetto 7 October 1915 – 19 February 1917)

Col. Giuseppe Zappalà (1 – 29 June 1918)

Col. Paride Scacchetti (2 July 1918)

         86th Infantry Regiment

Col. Pietro Alliana (13 September 1915 – 13 June 1916)

Col. Alessandro Vanzetti (1 June – 22 Jule 1918)

Col. Ferrante Maculani (26 July 1918)

“Tanaro” Brigade

Commander :

Brig-Gen. Sebastiano Rizza (11 March – 13 August 1916)

Maj-Gen. Roberto Brussi (14 August 1916– 10 October 1917)

Maj-Gen. Enrico Cerrina (11 October 1917)

Allocation :

44th Infantry Division (16 March 1916)

38th Infantry Division (26 October 1916)

Composition :

         203rd Infantry Regiment

Col. Vincenzo Carbone (11 March – 26 November 1916)

Lt.Col. Gaetano Ponte di Pino (1 December 1916 – 16 June 1917)

Col. Domenico Storto (12 July 1917 – August 1918)

Col. Luigi Bonelli (August 1918)

         204th Infantry Regiment

Col. Gastone Rossi (11 March 1916 – 28 June 1918)

Col. Salvatore Pusateri (1 July 1918)

“Arno” Brigade

Commander :

Maj-Gen. Roberto Bassino (18 March 1916 – 19 May 1917)

Allocation :

43rd Infantry Division (18 March 1916)

transferred to Italy (June 1916)

Composition :

         213th Infantry Regiment

Col. Robustiano Lambert (17 February – 19 November 1916)

         214th Infantry Regiment

Col. Ugo Boccalandro (20 March – 17 June 1916)

XXIII March Brigade

Allocation :

38th Infantry Division (15 May 1918)

Composition :

67th March Infantry Regiment

68th March Infantry Regiment

I Territorial Brigade

Denomination :

Territorial Brigade (15 July 1916)

I territorial Brigade (15 May 1918)

Allocation :

38th Infantry Division (15 July 1916)

Composition :

15th Territorial Regiment

30th Territorial Regiment

XIX Territorial Brigade

Allocation :

Formed grouping two independent Territorial Infantry Regiments

38th Infantry Division (19 May 1918)

Composition :

36th Territorial Regiment

38th Territorial Regiment

XX Territorial Brigade

Allocation :

Formed grouping the two independent Territorial Infantry Regiments

38th Infantry Division (19 May 1918)

Composition :

47th Territorial Regiment

48th Territorial Regiment

10th Bersaglieri Regiment

Allocation :

Corpo di Occupazione di Valona (28 December 1914)

38th Infantry Division (9 March 1916)

Composition :

XVI, XXXIV, XXXV Bersaglieri Bns.

18th pack battery (attached to Corpo di Occupazione di Valona)

 

Army Troops

Infantry :

47th Territorial Regiment (December 1915)

48th Territorial Regiment  (December 1915)

XI Guardia di Finanza Bn. (June 1917)

XII Guardia di Finanza Bn. (June 1917)

XIV Guardia di Finanza Bn. (June 1917)

XVI Guardia di Finanza Bn. (April 1918)

XVIII Guardia di Finanza Bn. (April 1918)

Machine guns :

1st Special MG Unit (at first attached to the 38th Infantry Division)

2nd Special MG Unit (at first attached to the 44th Infantry Division)

3rd Special MG Unit (at first attached to the 38th Infantry Division)

4th Special MG Unit (at first attached to the 43rd Infantry Division)

5th Special MG Unit (at first attached to the 43rd Infantry Division)

6th Special MG Unit (at first attached to the 43rd Infantry Division)

7th Special MG Unit (at first attached to the 44th Infantry Division)

8th Special MG Unit (at first attached to the 44th Infantry Division)

9th Special MG Unit (at first attached to the 38th Infantry Division)

Cavalry :

19th Sq. “Sardo” of 15th “Cavalleggeri di Lodi” Regiment (December 1915)

15th “Cavalleggeri di Lodi” Regiment (25 April 1916 – 20 June 1916)

22th “Cavalleggeri di Catania” Regiment (3 May – 20 June 1916)

Artillery :

1st mixed artillery group (attached to 38th Infantry Division)

         3 artillery groups

2nd mixed artillery group (June 1916 – 15 May 1917 and from 17 July 1918)

         4 artillery groups

3rd mixed artillery group (June 1916)

         1 mountain artillery group and 2 batteries

4th mixed artillery group (June 1916)

         2 artillery groups and 1 siege battery

40th siege group (May 1916)

Engineers :

I Sapper Battalion

II Sapper Battalion

III Sapper Battalion

IV Sapper Battalion

CI Sapper Battalion

13th Bridging Cpy

17th Bridging Cpy

24th Miners Cpy

28th Miners Cpy

46th Miners Cpy

Aviation :

VIII Aircraft Group

 

Remarks:

Each of the five mixed artillery groups (raggruppamenti) was composed by some artillery groups (gruppi), including the XXI, L, LIV, LVIII, LIX, LXIV, LXV Mountain artillery groups. As a whole it had 27 batteries.

The 40th siege group (raggruppamento) comprised XXVI, XXX and XLVII heavy field howitzers groups (gruppi). As a whole it had 29 batteries in May 1917, rising to 48 in September 1918.

At the beginning of May 1916 the position artillery of XVI Army Corps comprised:

3 batteries with 87 B field guns, 2 batteries with 120 B guns, 4 batteries with 120 C guns, 2 batteries with 120 A naval guns, 2 batteries with 149mm Krupp howitzers, 1 battery with 152mm naval guns, 1 battery with 210mm mortars.

The 9 Special MG Units were armed with old two barrel Gardner mitrailleuses M. 1886 (calibre 10.35 mm).

All the dates in this page are according the western – Gregorian – calendar.