8TH Bersaglieri Regiment & Regia Aeronautica smash Australians

Bersaglieri/Sabratha spearhead & civilians welcome the arrival of the German 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion in Benghazi on 4 April 1941. The Australians proved reluctant fighters, offering little or no resistance to the Bersaglieri from the Ariete Division. The British commander, General Philip Neame, blamed the Australians for the loss of Benghazi, Barce, Derna, Bardia, etcetera. At Mechili, 3,000 British soldiers, part of the British-officered 3rd Indian Brigade & 2nd Armoured Brigade, surrendered to the Bersaglieri after covering the Australian withdrawal. But the German 3d Reconnaissance, 8th Machine Gun, & 605th Antitank Battalions caught up with the Bersaglieri & pressing on, captured another 800 Australians. According to German & Italian war records, 50,000 British, Indian, Australian, New Zealand troops & Egyptian Frontier Guards & Senussi Rebels in the pay of the British were captured during Rommel's 1st Desert Offensive, thanks to the whirlwind advance of the Bersaglieri. forum.axishisto... (Source: "101 Italian WW2 victories & counting")
"The Royal Air Force had sent the best squadrons in the Middle East to support the operations in Greece, leaving the bombers and fighters of the Regia Aeronautica a free hand to harass the retreating British mercilessly." (Field Marshal: The Life and Death of Erwin Rommel, Daniel Allen Butler, p. 210, Casemate, 2015)
"By the end of February 1941, 5th Squadra Aerea had more than 120 serviceable aircraft in Tripolitania, while the Luftwaffe had only 80 (20 Bf 110s and 60 Ju 87s). With this modest air support, General Rommel began an offensive on 24 March, and by 13 April had recaptured all of Cyrenaica with the exception of Tobruk. (In the Skies of Europe: Air Forces Allied to the Luftwaffe 1939-1945, Hans Werner Neulen, p. 48, Crowood, 2000)

[@hermanhedning4220]

Great to see a diffrent point of view! The italian army suffered from many setbacks but that dosent mean they didnt fight valiantly on several occassions. This is especially true for elite units like the bersaglieri and folgore.

[@jdewitt77]

You are so right.

[@carlodinechi5989]

Buffoons in their anti-Italian rants ignore the fact that Rommel's first victory in North Africa was an "Italian goal" when Colonel Ugo Montemurro's 8th Bersaglieri Rgt surrounded and forced the surrender of the 3,000-strong Mechili garrison!!!

[@carlodinechi5989]

+Carlo Dinechi Buffoons also forget that Rommel's last victory was also an "Italian goal" when the Bersaglieri Corps overran the US 19th Combat Engineers Regiment defending Kasserine Pass. The Centauro Armoured Division as Rommel's armoured vanguard, cleared the pass for the 10th Panzer Div (with orders to swing north & attack British-held Thala) & the Assault Group Afrika korps (with orders to swing south & attack US-held Tebessa).

[@MrSamurai99999]

Hi, do you know how I can get information about WW2 Italian Bersaglieri servicemen? My girlfriends grandfather was a Bersaglieri, he was in a unit called 4 Gruppo Torino. I looked this up and found that 4th Battalion Bersaglieri was part of 2nd Bersaglieri Regt., however there is no information on this unit. He was captured apparently in 1940 or 41, I assumed he was attached maybe to the very first Bersaglieri who were unfortunately overrun by British tanks when they first arrived in Africa. Thank you if you know anything more I can research.

[@wolverine67044]

Rommel arrived with 2 under equipped under manned divisions hastily assembled to help el doushbag buttnito as he begged the Fuhrer for his help as italians were getting ripped to shreds by tommie who had abt 30k men to italys 400k.
Sure the waps did ok against ethiopia b4 ww2. Thats about it. Italy was the allies best asset in the war. Then the cowards switch sides. Two faced deigos

[@wolverine67044]

@John Smith john where do u see churchswill mentioned in my reply? Your right I referred him elsewhere as a drunk. Everybody knows that. What I didn't know that he was gay. News to me. If its true I wouldnt doubt it though. Your mistaken though that I ever called him gay. In the future if u wish to call me out on something please have your facts straight first b4 opening your pie hole showing everyone your ignorance.
Cheers

[@jdewitt77]

@@MrSamurai99999 Write to the Italian Army Historical office in Rome. They will help you.

[@foxofdesert79]

OMG, my Great Grand father was the sergent of the 8th reggiment

[@MrMenefrego1]

RUN AWAY.... RUN AWAY!