1st Blackshirt Division "Dio lo Vuole" ("God Wills It") (Troop Quality: Trained, Morale: 8) Divisional Troops Headquarters, with: 1 command stand 1 car 1 staff radio truck Supply Troops Headquarters, with: 1 command stand 1 car 1 support stand 1 light baggage truck with field kitchen 1 maintenance truck 2 Medium Truck Sections, each with: 5 medium trucks 1 Heavy Truck Sections, with: 5 heavy trucks 1st Blackshirt Legion Legion Headquarters, with: 1 command stand 1 car 1 engineer stand 1 light truck Supply Detachment, with: 1 support stand 1 light baggage truck with field kitchen 1 medium general supply truck Infantry Gun Battery, with: 1 gun crew stand 1 light truck 1 65L17 Infantry Gun 553rd Blackshirt Cohort "Aquila," Headquarters, with: 1 command infantry stand 1 recon infantry stand 1 45mm mortar stand 1 support stand 3 Infantry Companies, each with: 3 infantry stands Machinegun Company, with: 2 MMG stands Blackshirt Cohort "Leone," with: as 553rd Blackshirt Cohort above 524th Blackshirt Cohort "Carroccio," with: as 553rd Blackshirt Cohort above 2nd Blackshirt Legion Legion Headquarters, with: as 1st Blackshirt Legion above Supply Detachment, with: as 1st Blackshirt Legion above Infantry Gun Battery, with: as 1st Blackshirt Legion above 535th Blackshirt Cohort "Indomita," with: as 553rd Blackshirt Cohort above Blackshirt Cohort "Fologore," with: as 553rd Blackshirt Cohort above Blackshirt Cohort "Falco," with: as 553rd Blackshirt Cohort above 3rd Blackshirt Legion Legion Headquarters, with: as 1st Blackshirt Legion above Supply Detachment, with: as 1st Blackshirt Legion above Infantry Gun Battery, with: as 1st Blackshirt Legion above 635th Blackshirt Cohort, with: as 553rd Blackshirt Cohort above 640th Blackshirt Cohort "Uragano," with: as 553rd Blackshirt Cohort above Blackshirt Cohort "Tempesta," with: as 553rd Blackshirt Cohort above 2nd Blackshirt Division "Fiame Nere" ("Black Flames") (Troop Quality: Trained, Morale: 8) Divisional Troops Headquarters, with: as 1st Division above Supply Troops, with: as 1st Division above 6th Blackshirt Legion Legion Headquarters, with: as 1st Blackshirt Legion above Supply Detachment, with: as 1st Blackshirt Legion above Infantry Gun Battery, with: as 1st Blackshirt Legion above 651st Blackshirt Cohort "Ardita," with: as 553rd Blackshirt Cohort above 630th Blackshirt Cohort "Intrepida," with: as 553rd Blackshirt Cohort above 638th Blackshirt Cohort "Audace," with: as 553rd Blackshirt Cohort above 7th Blackshirt Legion Legion Headquarters, with: as 1st Blackshirt Legion above Supply Detachment, with: as 1st Blackshirt Legion above Infantry Gun Battery, with: as 1st Blackshirt Legion above 724th Blackshirt Cohort "Inflessibili," with: as 553rd Blackshirt Cohort above 735th Blackshirt Cohort "Implacabile," with: as 553rd Blackshirt Cohort above 740th Blackshirt Cohort "Disperata," with: as 553rd Blackshirt Cohort above 8th Blackshirt Legion Legion Headquarters, with: as 1st Blackshirt Legion above Supply Detachment, with: as 1st Blackshirt Legion above Infantry Gun Battery, with: as 1st Blackshirt Legion above 530th Blackshirt Cohort "lnesorabile," with: as 553rd Blackshirt Cohort above 730th Blackshirt Cohort, with: as 553rd Blackshirt Cohort above Blackshirt Cohort, with: as 553rd Blackshirt Cohort above 3rd Blackshirt Division "Penne Nere" ("Black Feathers") (Troop Quality: Trained, Morale: 8 ) Divisional Troops Headquarters, with: as 1st Division above Supply Troops, with: as 1st Division above 9th Blackshirt Legion Legion Headquarters, with: as 1st Blackshirt Legion above Supply Detachment, with: as 1st Blackshirt Legion above Infantry Gun Battery, with: as 1st Blackshirt Legion above Blackshirt Cohort, with: as 553rd Blackshirt Cohort above Blackshirt Cohort, with: as 553rd Blackshirt Cohort above Blackshirt Cohort, with: as 553rd Blackshirt Cohort above 10th Blackshirt Legion Legion Headquarters, with: as 1st Blackshirt Legion above Supply Detachment, with: as 1st Blackshirt Legion above Infantry Gun Battery, with: as 1st Blackshirt Legion above 824th Blackshirt Cohort "Tenbien," with: as 553rd Blackshirt Cohort above 835th Blackshirt Cohort "Scire," with: as 553rd Blackshirt Cohort above 840th Blackshirt Cohort "Carso," with: as 553rd Blackshirt Cohort above 11th Blackshirt Legion Legion Headquarters, with: as 1st Blackshirt Legion above Supply Detachment, with: as 1st Blackshirt Legion above Infantry Gun Battery, with: as 1st Blackshirt Legion above 830th Blackshirt Cohort, with: as 553rd Blackshirt Cohort above 851th Blackshirt Cohort "Vampa," with: as 553rd Blackshirt Cohort above 635th Blackshirt Cohort "Freccia," with: as 553rd Blackshirt Cohort above Independent Blackshirt Brigade "23rd de Marzo" ("23rd of March") (Troop Quality: Trained, Morale: 8 ) Brigade Troops Headquarters, with: as 1st Division above Supply Troops, with: as 1st Division above 4th Blackshirt Legion Legion Headquarters, with: as 1st Blackshirt Legion above Supply Detachment, with: as 1st Blackshirt Legion above Infantry Gun Battery, with: as 1st Blackshirt Legion above Blackshirt Cohort "Toro," with: as 553rd Blackshirt Cohort above Blackshirt Cohort "Bisonte," with: as 553rd Blackshirt Cohort above Blackshirt Cohort "Buffalo," with: as 553rd Blackshirt Cohort above 5th Blackshirt Legion Legion Headquarters, with: as 1st Blackshirt Legion above Supply Detachment, with: as 1st Blackshirt Legion above Infantry Gun Battery, with: as 1st Blackshirt Legion above 540th Blackshirt Cohort "Lupi," with: as 553rd Blackshirt Cohort above Blackshirt Cohort, with: as 553rd Blackshirt Cohort above Blackshirt Cohort, with: as 553rd Blackshirt Cohort above The artillery elements of the Blackshirt divisions were not at first assigned to any one element, but were grouped into the following two formations to be assigned as needed. Divisional Artillery (Troop Quality: Regular, Morale: 8) Headquarters 1 command stand 1 car 1 staff telephone truck 1 engineer stand 1 light truck 2nd Grouppe Headquarters, with: 1 command stand 1 spotter stand 2 cars 1 medium ammo truck with trailer 1 support stand 1 light baggage truck with field kitchen 1 medium general supply truck 2 Artillery Batteries, each with: 1 gun crew stand (ds) 2 medium trucks 1 149L12 howitzer 1 support stand 8th Grouppe Headquarters, with: 1 command stand 1 spotter stand 2 cars 1 medium ammo truck with trailer 1 support stand 1 light baggage truck with field kitchen 1 medium general supply truck 2 Artillery Batteries, each with: 1 gun crew stand (ds) 2 medium trucks 1 100L16 howitzer 1 support stand 9th Grouppe as 8th Grouppe above 11th Grouppe Headquarters, with: 1 command stand 1 spotter stand 2 cars 1 medium ammo truck with trailer 1 support stand 1 light baggage truck with field kitchen 1 medium general supply truck 3 Artillery Batteries, each with: 1 gun crew stand (ds) 1 medium truck 1 75L27 field gun Antiaircraft Battery, with: 1 command stand 1 car 2 gun crew stands 2 20L65 AA guns 2 light trucks Supporting Artillery (Troop Quality: Regular, Morale: 8) Headquarters 1 command stand 1 car 1 staff telephone truck 1 engineer stand 1 light truck 1st Grouppe Headquarters, with: 1 command stand 1 spotter stand 2 cars 1 medium ammo truck with trailer 1 support stand 1 light baggage truck with field kitchen 1 medium general supply truck 2 Artillery Batteries, each with: l gun crew stand (ds) 2 medium trucks 1 100L16 howitzer 1 support stand 2nd Grouppe: as 1st Grouppe above 3rd Grouppe Headquarters, with: 1 command stand 1 spotter stand 2 cars 1 medium ammo truck with trailer 1 support stand 1 light baggage truck with field kitchen 1 medium general supply truck 2 Artillery Batteries, each with: 1 gun crew stand (ds) 2 medium trucks 1 105L32 field guns 1 support stand 4th Grouppe Headquarters, with: 1 command stand 1 spotter stand 2 cars 1 medium ammo truck with trailer 1 support stand 1 light baggage truck with field kitchen 1 medium general supply truck 2 Artillery Batteries, each with: 1 gun crew stand (ds) 2 medium trucks 1 149L12 howitzer 1 support stand 10th Grouppe Headquarters, with: 1 command stand l spotter stand 2 cars 1 medium ammo truck with trailer 1 support stand 1 light baggage truck with field kitchen 1 medium general supply truck 3 Artillery Batteries, each with: 1 gun crew stand (ds) 1 medium truck 1 75L27 field gun Littori Infantry Division In contrast to the above elements, which to a large part were made up of volunteers from the militia and army, the Littorio Infantry Division was sent to serve in Spain. Its choice is rather interesting, as it was made up of men who were called up for service in their mid- and late-20s. Prior to sailing for Spain, the division had served as extras for the film Scipione 1'Africano, an interesting prelude to the action that they were about to see in Spain. (Troop Quality: Trained, Morale: 8) Artillery (Troop Quality: Regular, Morale: 8 ) Divisional Troops Headquarters, with: 1 command stand 1 car 1 staff radio truck Military Police Detachment, with: 2 recon motorcycle MP stands Supply Troops Headquarters, with: 1 command stand 1 car 3 Transport Companies, each with: Headquarters, with: 1 command stand 1 car 1 support stand 1 light baggage truck with field kitchen 1 maintenance truck 2 Medium Truck Sections, each with: 5 medium trucks 1 Heavy Truck Sections, with: 5 heavy trucks 1st Infantry Regiment Headquarters, with: 1 command stand 1 car 1 staff radio truck Supply Detachment, with: 1 support stand 1 medium baggage truck with field kitchen 1 medium general supply truck Infantry Gun Battery, with: 1 gun crew stand 1 light truck 1 65L17 infantry gun 1st Infantry Battalion Headquarters, with: 1 command infantry stand 1 recon motorcycle infantry stand 1 engineer stand 1 support stand 1 medium baggage truck 3 Infantry Companies, each with: 3 infantry stands Machinegun Company, with: 2 MMG stands 2 45mm mortar stands 2nd Infantry Battalion, with: as 1st Infantry Battalion 3rd Infantry Battalion, with: as 1st Infantry Battalion 2nd Infantry Regiment: as 1st Infantry Regiment Machinegun Battalion Headquarters, with: 1 command stand 1 car 1 support stand 1 light baggage truck with field kitchen 1 light general supply truck 3 Machinegun Companies, each with: 4 MMG stands 2 medium trucks 3rd Artillery Regiment Headquarters, with: 1 command stand 1 car 1 staff telephone truck 1st Grouppe Headquarters, with: 1 command stand 1 spotter stand 2 cars I medium ammo truck with trailer 1 support stand 1 light baggage truck with field kitchen 1 medium general supply truck 2 Artillery Batteries, each with: 1 gun crew stand (ds) 2 medium trucks 1 100L16 howitzer 1 support stand 2nd Grouppe: as 1st Grouppe above Antiaircraft Battery, with: 1 command stand 1 car 2 gun crew stands 2 20L65 AA guns 2 light trucks Supporting Elements of the CTV Tank and Armored Car Battalion (Troop Quality: Trained, Morale: 8 ) Headquarters, with: 1 command stand 1 car 1 staff radio truck 1 recon motorcycle MP stands Supply Troops, with: 1 command stand 1 car 2 support stands 1 medium baggage truck with field kitchen l maintenance truck 1st Tank Company, with: 3 CV 3/33 light tanks 2nd Tank Company, with: as 1st Tank Company 3rd Tank Company, with: as 1st Tank Company 4th Tank Company, with: as 1st Tank Company 1st Armored Car Company, with: 2 recon IZ armored cars 1st Motorcycle MG Company, with: 1 command MMG motorcycle stand 3 MMG motorcycle stands Antitank Battery, with: 1 gun crew stand 1 light truck 1 47L32 antitank gun Corps Artillery (Troop Quality: Regular, Morale: 8) Headquarters, with: 1 command stand 1 car 1 staff telephone truck I engineer stand 1 light truck 1st Grouppe Headquarters, with: 1 command stand I spotter stand 2 cars 1 medium ammo truck with trailer 1 support stand 1 light baggage truck with field kitchen 1 medium general supply truck 2 Artillery Batteries, each with: 1 gun crew stand (ds) 2 medium trucks 1 149L12 howitzer 1 support stand 3rd Grouppe Headquarters, with: 1 command stand 1 spotter stand 2 cars 1 medium ammo truck with trailer 1 support stand 1 light baggage truck with field kitchen 1 medium general supply truck 2 Artillery Batteries, each with: 1 gun crew stand (ds) 2 medium trucks 1 105L32 held guns 1 support stand 3rd Grouppe (149), with: as 1st Grouppe above 3rd Grouppe (100) Headquarters, with: 1 command stand 1 spotter stand 2 cars 1 medium ammo truck with trailer l support stand 1 light baggage truck with field kitchen 1 medium general supply truck 2 Artillery Batteries, each with: 1 gun crew stand (ds) 2 medium trucks 1 100L16 howitzer 1 support stand 4th Grouppe (105), with: as 2nd Grouppe above 4th Grouppe (100), with: as 3rd Grouppe (100) above 5th Grouppe (100), with: as 3rd Grouppe (100) above 6th Grouppe (100), with: as 3rd Grouppe (100) above 7th Grouppe Headquarters, with: 1 command stand 1 spotter stand 2 cars 1 medium ammo truck with trailer 1 support stand 1 light baggage truck with field kitchen 1 medium general supply truck 3 Artillery Batteries, each with: 1 gun crew stand (ds) 1 medium truck 1 75L27 field gun 8th Grouppe, with: as 8th Grouppe above Light Antiaircraft Battery, with: 1 command stand 1 car 2 gun crew stands 2 20L65 AA guns 2 light trucks Heavy Antiaircraft Battery, with: 1 command stand 1 car 1 gun crew stand (ds) 1 75L46 AA gun 1 medium truck An important note about the CTV: It was not a mechanized formation, though it was a motorized formation, a point often lost on students of Spanish Civil War. All elements of the CTV used mechanical transport, so this was one of the first large-scale motorized formation of the 20th century. However, the CTV was not equipped with the needed transport to move all its elements at once, which is the definition of a mechanized formation. There were suffi­cient trucks to move large parts of it, but not the entire formation. The two mixed Italian and Spanish Brigades were the 1st "Blue Arrows" and the 2nd "Black Arrows." Though officially part of the CTV, they did not always serve with it. The organization of these two formations was as follows: Italian-Spanish Mixed Brigade (Blue Arrows) (Troop Quality: Trained, Morale: 8) Brigade Troops Headquarters, with: 1 command stand 1 car 1 staff radio truck Supply Troops Headquarters, with: 1 command stand 1 car 1 support stand 1 light baggage truck with field kitchen 2 Medium Truck Sections, each with: 5 medium trucks 2 Infantry Regiments each with Headquarters, with: 1 command stand 1 car 1 staff radio truck Supply Detachment, with: 1 support stand 1 medium baggage truck with field kitchen 1 medium general supply truck Infantry Gun Battery, with: 1 gun crew stand 1 light truck 1 65L17 Infantry Gun 1st Infantry Battalion Headquarters, with: 1 command infantry stand 1 recon motorcycle infantry stand 1 engineer stand 1 support stand 1 medium baggage truck 3 Infantry Companies, each with: 3 infantry stands Machinegun Company, with: 2 MMG stands 2 45mm mortar stands 2nd Infantry Battalion, with: as 1st Infantry Battalion 3rd Infantry Battalion, with: as 1st Infantry Battalion Brigade Artillery Headquarters, with: 1 command stand 1 car 1 staff telephone truck 1st Grouppe Headquarters, with: 1 command stand 1 spotter stand 2 cars 1 medium ammo truck with trailer 1 support stand 1 light baggage truck with field kitchen 1 medium general supply truck 2 Artillery Batteries, each with: 1 gun crew stand (ds) 2 medium trucks 1 100L16 howitzer 1 support stand 2nd Grouppe, with: Headquarters, with: 1 command stand 1 spotter stand 2 cars 1 medium ammo truck with trailer 1 support stand 1 light baggage truck with field kitchen 1 medium general supply truck 3 Artillery Batteries, each with: 1 gun crew stand (ds) 2 medium trucks 1 175L27 howitzer 1 support stand Antiaircraft Battery, with: 1 command stand 1 car 2 gun crew stands 2 20L65 AA guns 2 light trucks Italian Forces in Spain Overview Early 1937 March 1937 Re-organization September 1937 Re-organization "Drive to the Sea" Re-organization Italian Air Units in Spain Sources Related Quick Guide to the Spanish Civil War [Part 1: CPQ 7] Groups and Factions Stages of the War Jumbo Map of Spain (slow: 188K) Pre-War Spanish Military: Peninsular Army Pre-War Spanish Military: Army of Africa Republican Army Nationalist Army The International Brigades German Forces in Spain SCW CD Charts: Republican (very slow: 389K) SCW CD Charts: Nationalist (very slow: 385K) SCW CD Charts: Aircraft (slow: 51K) Back to Table of Contents -- Command Post Quarterly # 8 To Command Post Quarterly List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1995 by Greg Novak. 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