Folgore at El Alamein 1942 185th DIVISIONAL HEADQUARTERS (Gen. Frattini, Col. Bignami), with: DIVISIONAL HQ: 1 HQ - 4 figures (185th CARABINIERI SECTION: 3 figures 186th PARACHUTE REGIMENT (Col. Tantillo) REGIMENTAL HQ: 1 HQ - 4 figures. 186th REGIMENTAL GUN COMPANY (Part): 1 47/32 ATG and 3 crew. V PARACHUTE BATTALION (Maj. Izzo) BATTALION HQ: 1 HQ - 4 figures 1 81mm Mortar and 3 crew 1 20mm a/t rifle and 2 crew 1 MMG and 3 crew 13th, 14th, 15th PARACHUTE COMPANIES, each with 8 figures VI PARACHUTE BATTALION (Maj. Bersonzi) BATTALION HQ: 1 HQ - 4 figures 1 81mm Mortar and 3 crew 1 20mm a/t rifle and 2 crew 1 MMG and 3 crew 16th, 17th, 18th PARACHUTE COMPANIES, each with 8 figures 187th PARACHUTE REGIMENT (Col. Camosso) REGIMENTAL HQ: 1 HQ - 4 figures . 187th REGIMENTAL GUN COMPANY: 2 47/32 ATG each with 3 crew. II PARACHUTE BATTALION (Maj. Zanninovich) BATTALION HQ: 1 HQ - 4 figures 1 81mm Mortar and 3 crew 1 20mm a/t rifle and 2 crew 1 MMG and 3 crew 4th, 5th PARACHUTE COMPANIES, each with 8 figures IV PARACHUTE BATTALION (Lt. Col. Luserno) BATTALION HQ: 1 HQ - 4 figures 1 81mm Mortar and 3 crew 1 20mm a/t rifle and 2 crew 1 MMG and 3 crew 10th, 11th, 12th PARACHUTE COMPANIES, each with 8 figures. IX PARACHUTE BATTALION (Maj. Rossi) BATTALION HQ: 1 HQ - 4 figures 1 81mm Mortar and 3 crew 1 20mm a/t rifle and 2 crew 1 MMG and 3 crew 25th, 26th, 27th PARACHUTE COMPANIES, each with 8 figures X PARACHUTE BATTALION (Capt. Carugno) originally - HQ, 28th, 29th, 30th Companies: The men had been absorbed into the IX Battalion due to losses. RAGGRUPPAMENTO "RUSPOLI" (Lt. Col. Ruspoli) RAGGRUPPAMENTO HQ: 1 HQ Platoon. 186th REGIMENTAL GUN COMPANY (Part): 1 47/32 ATG Platoon. VII PARACHUTE BATTALION (Lt. Col. Ruspoli) BATTALION HQ: 1 HQ Platoon - 4 figures 1 81mm Mortar and 3 crew 1 20mm a/t rifle and 2 crew 1 MMG and 3 crew 19th, 20th, 21st PARACHUTE COMPANIES, each with 8 figures VIII GUASTATORI PARACHUTE BATTALION (Maj. Burzi) BATTALION HQ with 4 figures 1 HQ Assault Engineer SMG Platoon - with 3 figures. 22nd, 23rd, 24th GUASTATORI PARACHUTE COMPANIES, each with 8 figures DIVISIONAL TROOPS 185th PARACHUTE ARTILLERY REGIMENT (Col. Boffa) REGIMENTAL HQ: 1 HQ Platoon with 4 figures. 1st PARACHUTE ARTILLERY GRUPPO: (1st, 2nd BATTERIES) 2 47/32 each with 3 crew 2nd PARACHUTE ARTILLERY GRUPPO: (3rd, 4th BATTERIES) 2 47/32 each with 3 crew 3rd PARACHUTE ARTILLERY GRUPPO: (5th, 6th BATTERIES) 2 47/32 each with 3 crew Anti Aircraft grupo ; 1 90mm gun and 4 crew, 1 heavy truck. 20th PARACHUTE MORTAR COMPANY: 2 81mm Mortars each with 3 crew. 185th PARACHUTE PIONEER COMPANY: 8 figures ( 1 flame thrower, 1 demo charge ) 185th MOTOR TRANSPORT UNIT: 3 medium trucks. ATTACHED UNITS and UNITS PROVIDING GENERAL SUPPORT: FROM CORPS ASSETS: III/1st Eugenio di Savoia CELERE ARTILLERY GRUPPO: 3 75/27 Field Guns and Tractors. I/3rd Duca D'Aosta CELERE ARTILLERY GRUPPO: 3 75/27 Field Guns and Tractors. FROM TRIESTE DIVISION: I/21st Po MOTORISED ARTILLERY GRUPPO: 3 100/17 Howitzers and Tractors. FROM PAVIA DIVISION: III/26th Rubicone ARTILLERY GRUPPO: 3 75/27 Field Guns and Tractors. IV/26th Rubicone ARTILLERY GRUPPO: 3 75/27 Field Guns and Tractors. PARACHUTE DIVISION NOTES The VII Guastatori (Demolition) Engineers are elite, and up to 2 Parachute Battalions, Divisional and Regimental Headquarters, and Parachute Artillery may also be elite. Divisional Troops (Mortars, Pioneers, Transport) are Regular. Attached Artillery are 50% elite and 50% Regular. Carabinieri are the Italian equivalent of Military Police, however they tended to have more of a combat presence than Allied MPs, and could be used to defend the HQ or as a small emergency combat group to "plug holes in the line"! I allow them to be present as part of the HQ defences, which seems a reasonable comprise and acknowledgement of their presence. ALL the Paratroops are all rated as SMG because the standard equipment issued to each man was a MAB38 (Beretta) Sub-Machine Gun and a Combat Dagger, with only a handful of Mannlicher-Carcano 6.5mm Rifles with folding bayonet in use. The other infantry weapon used was the M1930 (Breda) LMG. The whole Division was effectively an extremely Elite force, being hand picked and extensively trained. The whole division could be rated Veteran. Some sources state that the Folgore definitely rated equal to (if not better than) the German Paratroopers of the same period (1942) for Morale, Training and Small Arms Firepower (but lacked the equivalent Heavy Weapons and Overall Firepower of a German Unit). Back to Frontline Vol. 2 Iss. 3 Table of Contents Back to Frontline List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 2002 by Rolfe Hedges This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com