Corpo Truppe Volontarie
Encyclopedia
The Corps of Volunteer Troops was an Italian
expeditionary force which was sent to Spain
to support General Francisco Franco
and the Spanish Nationalist forces during the Spanish Civil War
. The CTV was commanded by Mario Roatta
, Ettore Bastico
, Mario Berti
, and Gastone Gambara
.
, most of the elite Nationalist forces were isolated in Spanish Morocco
or on the Canary Islands
. Meanwhile, in Spain
, smaller formations of Nationalists and Guardia Civil forces were locked in combat with pro-government militias, Assault Guards
and those army units which remained loyal to the leftist Popular Front
government. Making the situation more difficult for the Nationalists was the fact that the Spanish Air Force
and Navy
generally remained loyal to the government.
If the Nationalist forces fighting in Spain did not receive reinforcements, the rebellion could soon fail. General Franco
and the other Nationalist leaders sent emissaries to Berlin
and Rome
to ask for help. Both German dictator Adolf Hitler
and Italian dictator Benito Mussolini
responded in a positive manner. They sent transport aircraft and crews to Morocco
to airlift Nationalist forces from there to Spain. The colonial troops from Morocco allowed the Nationalist forces to take the initiative on mainland Spain.
The Italians also used Nationalist-held, and also Portuguese
, harbours as staging points for sending supplies to the Nationalist forces, and also for landing Spanish troops to support the rebellion. Italian submarine
s began to sink Spanish, Soviet and other nations' ships transporting materials through the Mediterranean to Republican harbours. However action by the League of Nations
resulted in the Nyon Agreement of September 1937, which classed these operations as acts of piracy
, and was enforced by the French Navy
and the Royal Navy
.
3 September : Republican forces from Catalonia
, under the command of Captain Alberto Bayo
, made a landing on Majorca. His formations were the target of Italian air forces which attacked on 24 October. On the same date, Italian bombers and fighters launched their first air raid on Madrid
. This was intended to demonstrate to the Republican forces the power of Franco's allies. In the following days, they began a series of bombing raids on the Spanish capital.
2 November : Italian and German bombers and their fighter escorts were attacked by Soviet
aircraft, nicknamed "Chatos
" by the Spanish, which resulted in some losses for the Italians.
12 December : After the failure of Franco's offensive on Madrid, Mussolini decided to send regular army forces to Spain. Mussolini made this decision after consulting with Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs
Galeazzo Ciano
and General Mario Roatta
. Ciano and Roatta were two of the most influential men in Italy at the time. Roatta was made the Commander-in-Chief of the Italian "expeditionary force." General Luigi Frusci
became his Deputy Commander.
23 December : The first formation of 3,000 troops landed in Cadiz
. They were called the "Italian Army Mission."
) were in Spain. At the end of February, the "expeditionary force" was renamed the "Corps of Volunteer Troops" (Corpo Truppe Volontarie, or CTV). The CTV was organised into four divisions:
The Blackshirt (Camicie Nere, or CCNN) Divisions contained regular soldiers and volunteer militia
from the Fascist Party. The CCNN divisions were semi-motorised. There it also had the independent XXIII de Marzo Group
of CCNN infantry.
The Italian CTV also had a Tank and Armoured Cars Group
, Corps Artillery of ten regiments (Groups) of field artillery, and four batteries of anti-aircraft artillery.
3 February to 8 February : The 1st CCNN Division "Dio lo Vuole," in support of the Nationalists, launched an offensive against Málaga
. On 8 February, the Italians and Nationalists captured the city. The Battle of Málaga
was a decisive victory for the Nationalists. About 74 Italian soldiers were killed, 221 wounded, and two missing in the battle.
March : The Corps of Volunteer Troops now numbered over 50,000 troops.
8 March to 23 March : Benito Mussolini
decided that Fascist Italian forces should lead a fourth offensive on Madrid
. This Italian offensive resulted in the Battle of Guadalajara
. The battle ended as a decisive victory for the Republican forces. In contrast, the Italian forces suffered heavy losses. The Italian armor, consisting for the most part of L3/35 tankettes
, proved to be no match for the tanks provided to the Republicans by the Soviet Union
. The Italian offensive was repulsed by a strong Republican counter-offensive. Of the four Italian divisions engaged, only the Littorio Division did not suffer heavy losses. The three CCNN divisions had such heavy losses that they had to be reorganized into two divisions and a special weapons (armour and artillery) group. The 3rd CCNN Division was disbanded and consolidated with the 2nd CCNN Division in April 1937.
From this point until the end of the war, the commanders of the Italian Corps did not organize their own offensives. Instead they acted under the Nationalist command. Similarly the commander of the German Legion Condor, General Hugo Sperrle
, commanded the Italian air force in Spain.
April to August: As the CCNN Divisions were reduced, Italians began to serve in mixed Italo-Spanish Flechas ("Arrows") units where the Italians provided the officers and technical personnel, while the Spanish served in the rank-and-file. The first were the Flechas Azules (“Blue Arrows”) Mixed Brigade
and the Flechas Negras (“Black Arrows”) Mixed Brigade
, that served respectively in Extremadura and Viscaya from April to August 1937. Also in Viscaya were the CTV's XXIII de Marzo Group and 11 Artillery Groups.
August to September: Roatta's replacement, General Ettore Bastico
commanded the CTV forces including the Division XXIII di Marzo
formed from the XXIII de Marzo Group. The CTV broke the Republican's lines near Soncillo, captured a key pass, the Puerto del Escudo
, and penatrated deep into the Republican rear during the Battle of Santander
, resulting in a decisive victory for the Nationalists. After that they were transferred to the Aragón
Front. Some CTV forces may have been involved in the Battle of El Mazuco
, but details are unconfirmed.
October : After the northern campaigns, the 1st CCNN Division and 2nd CCNN Division was consolidated with the Division XXIII di Marzo and renamed the XXIII de Marzo - Llamas Negras Division.
"Arrows" serving in the Aragon Offensive
and the March to the Sea
with the CTV now under Mario Berti
.
18 March: Barcelona
was the target of thirteen Italian large-scale air raids. The Italian aircraft were armed with incendiary and gas bombs, which resulted in the death of around 2,500 civilians.
November : The Flechas Division was strengthened renamed "Flechas Negras" and the Flechas Azules Brigade was expanded into two other Flechas Divisions that took part in the Catalonia Offensive
the final offensive of the war, along with the rest of the CTV under Gastone Gambara
:
. But they acquired this friend at a high cost in both men and materials. Of the approximate 78,500 men sent to Spain, 3,819 were killed and about 12,000 were wounded. The Italian military left behind roughly 3,400 machine guns, 1,400 mortars, 1,800 artillery pieces, 6,800 vehicles, 160 tanks, and 760 aircraft. But, while the military equipment represented a loss to Italy's war inventory, most of the equipment was obsolete. The financial cost of the war was more debilitating. The cost of the CTV to Italy amounted to between 6 and 8.5 billion lire
. At 14 to 20 percent of annual expenditure, this represented an immense drain on the Italian economy. The high cost of Mussolini's Spanish adventure severely handicapped Italy in the period leading up to World War II
.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
expeditionary force which was sent to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
to support General Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
and the Spanish Nationalist forces during the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
. The CTV was commanded by Mario Roatta
Mario Roatta
Mario Roatta was an Italian general, Mussolini's Chief-of-Staff, and head of the military secret service.-SIM:From 1934 to 1936, Roatta headed up the Italian Military Intelligence Service .-Spain:...
, Ettore Bastico
Ettore Bastico
Ettore Bastico was an Italian military officer before and during World War II. He held high commands during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War , the Spanish Civil War, and the North African Campaign....
, Mario Berti
Mario Berti
Mario Berti was an Italian officer during World War I and General in the Spanish Civil War and World War II.-Personal life.:Mario Berti was born in La Spezia, which is located in modern day Liguria. He was born into an upper-middle class family...
, and Gastone Gambara
Gastone Gambara
Gastone Gambara was an Italian General during the Spanish Civil War and World War II.Born at Imola, he was commander-in-chief of the Corpo Truppe Volontarie during the Catalonia Offensive, the final offensive of the Spanish Civil War....
.
Background
In July 1936, at the beginning of Spanish Civil WarSpanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, most of the elite Nationalist forces were isolated in Spanish Morocco
Spanish Morocco
The Spanish protectorate of Morocco was the area of Morocco under colonial rule by the Spanish Empire, established by the Treaty of Fez in 1912 and ending in 1956, when both France and Spain recognized Moroccan independence.-Territorial borders:...
or on the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
. Meanwhile, in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, smaller formations of Nationalists and Guardia Civil forces were locked in combat with pro-government militias, Assault Guards
Guardia de Asalto
The Guardia de Asalto , usually shortened to Los Asaltos or just Asaltos, were the blue-uniformed urban police force of Spain during the Spanish Second Republic. It was the urban analogue to the green-uniformed Guardia Civil which patrolled the countryside. The Assault Guards were special police...
and those army units which remained loyal to the leftist Popular Front
Popular Front (Spain)
The Popular Front in Spain's Second Republic was an electoral coalition and pact signed in January 1936 by various left-wing political organisations, instigated by Manuel Azaña for the purpose of contesting that year's election....
government. Making the situation more difficult for the Nationalists was the fact that the Spanish Air Force
Spanish Air Force
-The early stages:Hot air balloons had been used with military purposes in Spain as far back as 1896. In 1905, with the help of Alfredo Kindelán, Leonardo Torres y Quevedo directed the construction of the first Spanish dirigible in the Army Military Aerostatics Service, created in 1896 and located...
and Navy
Spanish Navy
The Spanish Navy is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces, one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Armada is responsible for notable achievements in world history such as the discovery of Americas, the first world circumnavigation, and the discovery of a maritime path...
generally remained loyal to the government.
If the Nationalist forces fighting in Spain did not receive reinforcements, the rebellion could soon fail. General Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
and the other Nationalist leaders sent emissaries to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
to ask for help. Both German dictator Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
and Italian dictator Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
responded in a positive manner. They sent transport aircraft and crews to Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
to airlift Nationalist forces from there to Spain. The colonial troops from Morocco allowed the Nationalist forces to take the initiative on mainland Spain.
The Italians also used Nationalist-held, and also Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, harbours as staging points for sending supplies to the Nationalist forces, and also for landing Spanish troops to support the rebellion. Italian submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s began to sink Spanish, Soviet and other nations' ships transporting materials through the Mediterranean to Republican harbours. However action by the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
resulted in the Nyon Agreement of September 1937, which classed these operations as acts of piracy
Piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the perpetrator...
, and was enforced by the French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
and the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
.
Commanders
The following are the commanders of the Corps of Volunteer Troops and significant battles fought with CTV participation while they were in command:- General Mario RoattaMario RoattaMario Roatta was an Italian general, Mussolini's Chief-of-Staff, and head of the military secret service.-SIM:From 1934 to 1936, Roatta headed up the Italian Military Intelligence Service .-Spain:...
- Commander-in-Chief of the CTV, from 1936 to 1937
- Battle of MálagaBattle of MálagaThe Battle of Málaga was the culmination of an offensive in early 1937 by the combined Nationalist and Italian forces to eliminate Republican control of the province of Málaga during the Spanish Civil War...
- Nationalist victory - Battle of GuadalajaraBattle of GuadalajaraThe Battle of Guadalajara saw the Republican People's Army defeat Italian and Nationalist forces attempting to encircle Madrid during the Spanish Civil War...
- Republican victory- General Ettore BasticoEttore BasticoEttore Bastico was an Italian military officer before and during World War II. He held high commands during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War , the Spanish Civil War, and the North African Campaign....
- Commander-in-Chief of the CTV, 1937
- General Ettore Bastico
- Battle of SantanderBattle of SantanderThe Battle of Santander was fought over the summer of 1937 in the War in the North campaign in the Spanish Civil War. Santander's fall on September 1 assured the Nationalist conquest of the province of Santander and marked the last stand of the Republic's "Army of the North," which was destroyed...
- Nationalist victory- General Mario BertiMario BertiMario Berti was an Italian officer during World War I and General in the Spanish Civil War and World War II.-Personal life.:Mario Berti was born in La Spezia, which is located in modern day Liguria. He was born into an upper-middle class family...
- Commander-in-Chief of the CTV, from 1937 to 1938
- General Mario Berti
- Aragon OffensiveAragon OffensiveThe Aragon Offensive was a Nationalist campaign during the Spanish Civil War, which began after the Battle of Teruel. The offensive began on March 7, 1938, and ended on April 19, 1938...
- Nationalist victory- General Gastone GambaraGastone GambaraGastone Gambara was an Italian General during the Spanish Civil War and World War II.Born at Imola, he was commander-in-chief of the Corpo Truppe Volontarie during the Catalonia Offensive, the final offensive of the Spanish Civil War....
- Commander-in-Chief of the CTV, from 1938 to 1939
- General Gastone Gambara
- Catalonia OffensiveCatalonia OffensiveThe Catalonia Offensive was part of the Spanish Civil War. The Nationalist Army started the offensive on December 23, 1938, and rapidly conquered Republican-held Catalonia with its capital city from October 1937, Barcelona. Barcelona was captured on January 26, 1939. The Republican government...
- Nationalist victory
1936
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, under the command of Captain Alberto Bayo
Alberto Bayo
Alberto Bayo y Giroud was a Cuban military leader of the defeated left-wing Loyalists in the Spanish Civil War. He was also a poet and essayist.He was born in Cuba and studied in the United States and Spain...
, made a landing on Majorca. His formations were the target of Italian air forces which attacked on 24 October. On the same date, Italian bombers and fighters launched their first air raid on Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
. This was intended to demonstrate to the Republican forces the power of Franco's allies. In the following days, they began a series of bombing raids on the Spanish capital.
2 November : Italian and German bombers and their fighter escorts were attacked by Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
aircraft, nicknamed "Chatos
Polikarpov I-15
The Polikarpov I-15 was a Soviet biplane fighter aircraft of the 1930s. Nicknamed Chaika because of its gulled upper wings, it was operated in large numbers by the Soviet Air Force, and together with the Polikarpov I-16 monoplane, was one of the standard fighters of the Spanish Republicans during...
" by the Spanish, which resulted in some losses for the Italians.
12 December : After the failure of Franco's offensive on Madrid, Mussolini decided to send regular army forces to Spain. Mussolini made this decision after consulting with Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs
Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs
As in most countries, in Italy the Minister of Foreign Affairs, which is the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is one of the most important ministerial positions...
Galeazzo Ciano
Galeazzo Ciano
Gian Galeazzo Ciano, 2nd Count of Cortellazzo and Buccari was an Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Benito Mussolini's son-in-law. In early 1944 Count Ciano was shot by firing squad at the behest of his father-in-law, Mussolini under pressure from Nazi Germany.-Early life:Ciano was born in...
and General Mario Roatta
Mario Roatta
Mario Roatta was an Italian general, Mussolini's Chief-of-Staff, and head of the military secret service.-SIM:From 1934 to 1936, Roatta headed up the Italian Military Intelligence Service .-Spain:...
. Ciano and Roatta were two of the most influential men in Italy at the time. Roatta was made the Commander-in-Chief of the Italian "expeditionary force." General Luigi Frusci
Luigi Frusci
Luigi Frusci was an officer in the Italian Royal Army during World War II.Frusci fought on the southern front for General Rodolfo Graziani during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War...
became his Deputy Commander.
23 December : The first formation of 3,000 troops landed in Cadiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
. They were called the "Italian Army Mission."
1937
January: By this time, approximately 44,000 regular Italian army soldiers and members of the Fascist paramilitary (Fasci di CombattimentoBlackshirts
The Blackshirts were Fascist paramilitary groups in Italy during the period immediately following World War I and until the end of World War II...
) were in Spain. At the end of February, the "expeditionary force" was renamed the "Corps of Volunteer Troops" (Corpo Truppe Volontarie, or CTV). The CTV was organised into four divisions:
- 4th "Littorio" Infantry Division (LictorLictorThe lictor was a member of a special class of Roman civil servant, with special tasks of attending and guarding magistrates of the Roman Republic and Empire who held imperium, the right and power to command; essentially, a bodyguard...
) - A fully motorized infantry division of the Italian Royal Army (Regio Esercito). - 1st "Dio lo Vuole" Blackshirt Infantry Division ("God wants it")
- 2nd "Fiamme Nere" Blackshirt Infantry Division ("Black Flames")
- 3rd "Penne Nere" Blackshirt Infantry Division ("Black Feathers")
The Blackshirt (Camicie Nere, or CCNN) Divisions contained regular soldiers and volunteer militia
Blackshirts
The Blackshirts were Fascist paramilitary groups in Italy during the period immediately following World War I and until the end of World War II...
from the Fascist Party. The CCNN divisions were semi-motorised. There it also had the independent XXIII de Marzo Group
XXIII de Marzo Group
The XXIII de Marzo Group was one of the Blackshirt units sent to Spain during the Spanish Civil War to make up the "Corpo Truppe Volontarie" , or CTV. This unit was attached to the 2nd CCNN Division "Fiamme Nere" during the Battle of Guadalajara in March 1937...
of CCNN infantry.
The Italian CTV also had a Tank and Armoured Cars Group
Tank and Armoured Cars Group
The Tank and Armoured Cars Group was the first armoured formation of the Corps of Volunteer Troops involved in the Spanish Civil War. Between 3 February and 8 February 1937, Italian armour played a successful part during the Battle of Málaga...
, Corps Artillery of ten regiments (Groups) of field artillery, and four batteries of anti-aircraft artillery.
3 February to 8 February : The 1st CCNN Division "Dio lo Vuole," in support of the Nationalists, launched an offensive against Málaga
Málaga
Málaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...
. On 8 February, the Italians and Nationalists captured the city. The Battle of Málaga
Battle of Málaga
The Battle of Málaga was the culmination of an offensive in early 1937 by the combined Nationalist and Italian forces to eliminate Republican control of the province of Málaga during the Spanish Civil War...
was a decisive victory for the Nationalists. About 74 Italian soldiers were killed, 221 wounded, and two missing in the battle.
March : The Corps of Volunteer Troops now numbered over 50,000 troops.
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
decided that Fascist Italian forces should lead a fourth offensive on Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
. This Italian offensive resulted in the Battle of Guadalajara
Battle of Guadalajara
The Battle of Guadalajara saw the Republican People's Army defeat Italian and Nationalist forces attempting to encircle Madrid during the Spanish Civil War...
. The battle ended as a decisive victory for the Republican forces. In contrast, the Italian forces suffered heavy losses. The Italian armor, consisting for the most part of L3/35 tankettes
L3/35
The L3/35 or Carro Veloce CV-35 was an Italian tank used before and during World War II. Although designated a light tank by the Italian Army, its turretless configuration, weight and firepower make it closer to contemporary tankettes....
, proved to be no match for the tanks provided to the Republicans by the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. The Italian offensive was repulsed by a strong Republican counter-offensive. Of the four Italian divisions engaged, only the Littorio Division did not suffer heavy losses. The three CCNN divisions had such heavy losses that they had to be reorganized into two divisions and a special weapons (armour and artillery) group. The 3rd CCNN Division was disbanded and consolidated with the 2nd CCNN Division in April 1937.
From this point until the end of the war, the commanders of the Italian Corps did not organize their own offensives. Instead they acted under the Nationalist command. Similarly the commander of the German Legion Condor, General Hugo Sperrle
Hugo Sperrle
Hugo Sperrle was a German field marshal of the Luftwaffe during World War II. His forces were deployed solely on the Western Front and the Mediterranean throughout the war...
, commanded the Italian air force in Spain.
April to August: As the CCNN Divisions were reduced, Italians began to serve in mixed Italo-Spanish Flechas ("Arrows") units where the Italians provided the officers and technical personnel, while the Spanish served in the rank-and-file. The first were the Flechas Azules (“Blue Arrows”) Mixed Brigade
Flechas Azules Mixed Brigade
In 1937, during the Spanish Civil War, Italians from the Corpo Truppe Volontarie began to serve in mixed Italo-Spanish Flechas units where the Italians provided the officers and technical personnel, while the Spanish served in the rank-and-file...
and the Flechas Negras (“Black Arrows”) Mixed Brigade
Flechas Negras Mixed Brigade
In 1937, during the Spanish Civil War, Italians from the Corpo Truppe Volontarie began to serve in mixed Italo-Spanish Flechas units where the Italians provided the officers and technical personnel, while the Spanish served in the rank-and-file...
, that served respectively in Extremadura and Viscaya from April to August 1937. Also in Viscaya were the CTV's XXIII de Marzo Group and 11 Artillery Groups.
August to September: Roatta's replacement, General Ettore Bastico
Ettore Bastico
Ettore Bastico was an Italian military officer before and during World War II. He held high commands during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War , the Spanish Civil War, and the North African Campaign....
commanded the CTV forces including the Division XXIII di Marzo
Division XXIII di Marzo
The Agrupación XXIII de Marzo was upgraded to Division status as the Division XXIII di Marzo prior to the Battle of Santander. It was one of the ItalianBlackshirts units sent to Spain during the Spanish Civil War to make up the "Corpo Truppe Volontarie" , or CTV.-Battle of Santander August...
formed from the XXIII de Marzo Group. The CTV broke the Republican's lines near Soncillo, captured a key pass, the Puerto del Escudo
Puerto del Escudo
The Puerto del Escudo is a mountain pass at 1,011 meters elevation located in the valley of Luena, to the east of the Sierra del Escudo de Cabuérniga mountain range and on the boundary between Cantabria and Castile in Spain. The source of the Magdalena or Luena River is located there...
, and penatrated deep into the Republican rear during the Battle of Santander
Battle of Santander
The Battle of Santander was fought over the summer of 1937 in the War in the North campaign in the Spanish Civil War. Santander's fall on September 1 assured the Nationalist conquest of the province of Santander and marked the last stand of the Republic's "Army of the North," which was destroyed...
, resulting in a decisive victory for the Nationalists. After that they were transferred to the Aragón
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
Front. Some CTV forces may have been involved in the Battle of El Mazuco
Battle of El Mazuco
The Battle of El Mazuco was fought between 6 and 22 September 1937, between the Republican and Nationalist armies during the Spanish Civil War as a part of the War in the North campaign. The Republican defence of El Mazuco and the surrounding mountains halted the Nationalist advance into eastern...
, but details are unconfirmed.
October : After the northern campaigns, the 1st CCNN Division and 2nd CCNN Division was consolidated with the Division XXIII di Marzo and renamed the XXIII de Marzo - Llamas Negras Division.
1938
March : The Flechas Negras Brigade was expanded into the Flechas DivisionFlechas Division
Flechas Division was created from the Flechas Negras Brigade expanded into a Division sized unit. It served in the Aragon Offensive and the March to the Sea, in 1938, during the Spanish Civil War...
"Arrows" serving in the Aragon Offensive
Aragon Offensive
The Aragon Offensive was a Nationalist campaign during the Spanish Civil War, which began after the Battle of Teruel. The offensive began on March 7, 1938, and ended on April 19, 1938...
and the March to the Sea
March to the Sea
The March to the Sea can refer to:* A rough, but commonly used, translation for the Greek term anabasis** A commonly used title for Xenophon's work, The Anabasis* Sherman's March to the Sea during the American Civil War...
with the CTV now under Mario Berti
Mario Berti
Mario Berti was an Italian officer during World War I and General in the Spanish Civil War and World War II.-Personal life.:Mario Berti was born in La Spezia, which is located in modern day Liguria. He was born into an upper-middle class family...
.
18 March: Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
was the target of thirteen Italian large-scale air raids. The Italian aircraft were armed with incendiary and gas bombs, which resulted in the death of around 2,500 civilians.
November : The Flechas Division was strengthened renamed "Flechas Negras" and the Flechas Azules Brigade was expanded into two other Flechas Divisions that took part in the Catalonia Offensive
Catalonia Offensive
The Catalonia Offensive was part of the Spanish Civil War. The Nationalist Army started the offensive on December 23, 1938, and rapidly conquered Republican-held Catalonia with its capital city from October 1937, Barcelona. Barcelona was captured on January 26, 1939. The Republican government...
the final offensive of the war, along with the rest of the CTV under Gastone Gambara
Gastone Gambara
Gastone Gambara was an Italian General during the Spanish Civil War and World War II.Born at Imola, he was commander-in-chief of the Corpo Truppe Volontarie during the Catalonia Offensive, the final offensive of the Spanish Civil War....
:
- Flechas Negras DivisionFlechas Negras DivisionFlechas Negras Division was created when the Flechas Division was further strengthened with support units and renamed. It served in the that took part in the Catalonia Offensive, the final offensive of the Spanish Civil War...
"Black Arrows" - Flechas Azules DivisionFlechas Azules DivisionFlechas Azules Division was created when the Flechas Azules Mixed Brigade was expanded into two Division sized units the Flechas Azules and Flechas Verdes Divisions. The Flechas Azules Division served in the Catalonia Offensive, the final offensive of the Spanish Civil War...
"Blue Arrows" - Flechas Verdes DivisionFlechas Verdes DivisionThe Flechas Verdes Division was a division of the Spanish army. The name means "Green Arrows" in Spanish. It was created when the Flechas Azules Mixed Brigade was expanded into two division-sized units: the Flechas Verdes and Flechas Azules Divisions. The Flechas Verdes Division served in the...
"Green Arrows"
1939
February : Following the victory of Franco and the Nationalists over the Republicans, General Bastico and the Italian volunteers withdrew from Spain.Aftermath
On 1 April 1939, the success of the Nationalists meant that the Italians now had a friendly regime in the western MediterraneanMediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
. But they acquired this friend at a high cost in both men and materials. Of the approximate 78,500 men sent to Spain, 3,819 were killed and about 12,000 were wounded. The Italian military left behind roughly 3,400 machine guns, 1,400 mortars, 1,800 artillery pieces, 6,800 vehicles, 160 tanks, and 760 aircraft. But, while the military equipment represented a loss to Italy's war inventory, most of the equipment was obsolete. The financial cost of the war was more debilitating. The cost of the CTV to Italy amounted to between 6 and 8.5 billion lire
Lire
Lire is a French literary magazine covering both French and foreign literature. It was founded in 1975 by Jean-Louis Servan-Schreiber and Bernard Pivot.-External links:*...
. At 14 to 20 percent of annual expenditure, this represented an immense drain on the Italian economy. The high cost of Mussolini's Spanish adventure severely handicapped Italy in the period leading up to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
See also
- Italian Royal Air ForceRegia AeronauticaThe Italian Royal Air Force was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946...
(Regia AeronauticaRegia AeronauticaThe Italian Royal Air Force was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946...
) and Aviation Legion (Aviazione LegionariaAviazione LegionariaThe Legionary Air Force was an expeditionary corps from the Italian Royal Air Force. It was set up in 1936 and sent to provide logistical and tactical support to Francisco Franco's Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War, alongside its German equivalent, the Condor Legion, and the Italian ground...
) - Italian Royal NavyRegia MarinaThe Regia Marina dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification...
(Regia MarinaRegia MarinaThe Regia Marina dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification...
) and Submariners Legion (Sottomarini Legionari) - Legion Condor
- Operation Ursula - German Navy (KriegsmarineKriegsmarineThe Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
) U-boatU-boatU-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
operations in support of the Francoist and Italian navies - Operation RügenBombing of GuernicaThe bombing of Guernica was an aerial attack on the Basque town of Guernica, Spain, causing widespread destruction and civilian deaths, during the Spanish Civil War...
- the bombing of Guernica - Luigi FrusciLuigi FrusciLuigi Frusci was an officer in the Italian Royal Army during World War II.Frusci fought on the southern front for General Rodolfo Graziani during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War...
- Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the CTV - Giorgio PerlascaGiorgio PerlascaGiorgio Perlasca was an Italian who posed as the Spanish consul-general to Hungary in the winter of 1944, and saved thousands of Jews from Nazi Germany and the Holocaust.-Early life:...
- served in the CTV with honors. He later used his appraise letter from Franco to pass for a Spanish diplomat in Budapest, saving thousands of Hungarian Jews from the Nazi extermination camps. - Santoña AgreementSantoña AgreementThe Santoña Agreement or Pact of Santoña was an agreement signed in the town of Guriezo, near Santoña, Cantabria, the August 24, 1937, during the Spanish Civil War, between politicians close to the Basque Nationalist Party , fighting with the Republican Side, and Italian forces fighting with the...
- the surrendering of the Basque Army to the CTV.
Sources
- de Mesa, José Luis, El regreso de las legiones: (la ayuda militar italiana a la España nacional, 1936-1939), García Hispán, Granada:España, 1994 ISBN 84-87690-33-5
- Leon Wyszczelski "Madryt 1936-1937" Historical Battles published by Ministry of National Defence, Warsaw 1988.
- Some details from the Republican perspective on the Italian military in Spain appears in the works of Luigi LongoLuigi Longothumb|right|Luigi Longo portrayed on a 1981 [[USSR]] postage stamp.Luigi Longo , also known as Gallo, was an Italian communist politician and secretary of the Italian Communist Party from 1964 to 1972.-Early life:...
, a former organizer of the International Brigades. - Information on Italian army activities appearing in this article was taken from lacucaracha.info "La Cucaracha": Civil War in Spain 1936-1939 Official website.