The Battle for Bir el Gobi 1941 Part One

The Battle for Bir el Gobi

Part One

by Mauro de Vita

What follows is a description of the battle fought between the Italian armored division Ariete (Ram), the best and best-known Italian armored division in all of WW2, and the British 22nd Armored Brigade on 19 November 1941, during Operation Crusader. The field of battle was a deserted land centered around the well at Bir el Gobi. Because the battle was fought on "Italian" (Libyan) soil, I will use the Italian name, instead of the better-known British version "Bir el Gubi."

The historical notes on the battle and on the military formations which took part in it up to November 1941 were prepared to whet the interest in the TCS title I designed: Ariete. Because of the new armor rules, the publication date of Ariete was pushed back and God (well, in truth, Dean) knows when it will delight those people interested in the subject.

The Italians

Centotrentaduesima Divisione Corazzata "Ariete" (132nd Armored Division Ariete)

Let's start with the history of the Ariete division and of the units assigned to her during that fateful 19 November 1941.

The nucleus of the 132nd armored division Ariete was born in January 1937, when two armored brigades were formed: the Ariete and the Centauro. Each brigade was formed by a Tank regiment of three Tank battalions (two with Fiat 3000 tanks and one with L3/35 flamethrowers), a Bersaglieri regiment , on two Bersaglieri motorized battalions and one Bersaglieri motorcycle company, a small artillery component of one 20/65 AA Battery and one 47/32 AT Company, and one Engineer company. The Army maneuvers held in Western Sicily during August 1937 saw the Ariete in the first line.

Something not well known is that Italy had a motorized warfare doctrine (the Guerra di Rapido Corso) since the early '30s, when most of the other armies in the world were still very far from that concept. Unfortunately, there weren't the means to sustain properly that innovative doctrine, but I am digressing.

The Ariete was enlarged to a full-size division in February 1939. She had a Tank regiment of four tank battalions (for a total of 156 tanks), a Bersaglieri regiment of three motorized battalions, an Artillery regiment of two Artillery groups (75/27), two 20/65 AA batteries and one Engineer company. The doctrine called for a medium tank regiment, but the production of the "M" tanks was slowed by an incredible series of political, more than technical, problems and mistakes, so the Ariete (and her sister armored divisions Centauro and Littorio) was equipped with the L3/35 tankettes, of which over 1,200 were available.

By the summer of the same year the division was ready enough to take part in the Army maneuvers held in North-Western Italy.

At the start of the war, the Ariete was at Verona, under General Baldassarre. She was composed by 8th Bersaglieri Rgt, 32nd Tank Rgt, 132nd Artillery Rgt, and some ancillary units. She was part of the Corpo d'Armata Motocorazzato (Motorized and Armored Army Corps) along with the armored divisions Centauro and Littorio and the motorized divisions Trento and Trieste, all to be soon well known in the following years. At the start of the operations against France, Ariete was in the Cuneo area, acting like a reserve for the Army of the Po, but she wasn't involved in the fighting.

She was then transferred to the Bergamo area and then on the Ligurian coast. On 6 of July 1940, she lost her more modern tanks: I and II/32nd Tank Bns, equipped with the new M11/39, were transferred to North Africa and were replaced by battalions equipped with the usual L3/35s. After the destruction of the Italian 10th Army, the Ariete was sent to North Africa. The first elements arrived in Tripoli on 24 January 1941. On 7 February the bulk of the division arrived, transported by the ships Conte Rosso, Esperia, Marco Polo and Calitea. She was 6,000 men strong, equipped with 117 L3/35 (24 were flame-throwers), 60 guns (36 were AT), 760 trucks and cars and 703 motorcycles. To 132nd Tank Rgt was also attached VII medium tank battalion, equipped with 40 M13/40.

Rommel paired the Ariete with the German 5th Light Division. Involved in the fighting to reoccupy El Agheila and Mersa Brega (24 March-2 April), she was then subdivided in numerous columns and used in the advance to Derna. On 7-8 April, after a long march, 8th Bersaglieri Rgt conquered El Mechili, capturing over 2,000 prisoners coming from the ranks of the 3rd Indian motorized brigade and the HQ of the British 2nd Armoured Division. It is interesting to note that this little but important victory was an all-Italian affair, but the English-language historiography has attributed it to the Germans.

The Ariete continued to fight at Derna, Tobruk, Bardia and Sollum (9 April-14 April). At the end of April, the Ariete was retired from the front line and designed as mobile reserve. Part of the division was involved in bitter fighting in the middle of May, near Sollum, and again during operation Battleaxe (middle of June). Retired near Berta, the Ariete spent the summer of 1941 resting, training, and rebuilding her strength.

The tank component of the division was now centered around the M13/40 tank (which, although not a stellar machine, was anyway a "real" tank compared to the L3/35, more in the class of the famous British "Bren Carrier"), while a new Tank regiment was formed on 15 June 1941: the 132nd, soon to be known as the best Italian armored regiment of the war. It comprised VII (Cap. Urso), VIII (Cap. Casale) and IX (Cap. Buttafuochi) M13/40 Tank Bns. The 32nd Tank Rgt continued to be operational with the 52 remaining L.3/35s. Still with the division were 8th Bersaglieri Rgt (of three battalions) and 132nd Artillery Rgt (on two 75/27 groups).

For recon duty, The 32nd Armored Car Company (with 20 AB41) from XII Bersaglieri Bn was attached to Ariete during the first days of November '41. However, it seems that the 32nd Armored Car Company didn't fight at Bir el Gobi. The new commander of the division was Gen. Balotta.

At the beginning of November the Ariete, reinforced by some artillery groups, was deployed around Bir el Gobi, facing East. On 18 November started Operation Crusader and Rommel ordered the Ariete to redeploy facing South. That caused some problems to 8th Bersaglieri Rgt, which was only partially redeployed when 22nd British armored brigade's Crusaders attacked.

Ottavo Reggimento Bersaglieri (8th Bersaglieri Rgt)

The Corps of the Bersaglieri was founded by Cap. La Marmora on 18 June 1836. The Bersaglieri were formed to act like the light infantry units of other European armies (French Chasseurs, Austrian JŠgers, etc.), but soon became an elite corps.

They fought during the Crimean War (1855), the 2nd (1859) and 3rd (1866) Wars of the Italian Risorgimento, the late-century colonial adventure in Eritrea and the 1912 war against Turkey for the conquest of Libya, which granted the Dodecanese Islands to Italy. During WW1 they still were considered elite infantry, but they now shared that title with the mountain troops (Alpini) and the assault troops (Arditi). They fought again during the 1935-1936 Ethiopian War. Still today, the yearly gatherings of their "veterans" (the people who spent the compulsory one year military service in their ranks) are the second most attended ones in Italy after the Alpini's (around 40,000 people).

In June 1940 there were twelve Bersaglieri regiments. They were usually the motorized infantry complement assigned to the mobile divisions of the Regio Esercito. During the war in the desert the Bersaglieri were often called, in a disparaging way, "chicken soldiers" by their Commonwealth opponents, who were referring to their typical cocked hat/helmet, their usually good combat records notwithstanding.

Things have not changed much with time, I suppose, because still in 1983, during the first Italo-Franco-American peace-keeping mission in Beirut the Bersaglieri of the "Governolo" mechanized battalion were named in the same disparaging way by some British journalists, although the Bersaglieri were assigned to the most dangerous spots of Beirut and were probably the contingent which was most successful in fulfilling the letter and the spirit of that mission -- but I am digressing yet again.

8th Bersaglieri Regiment was formed on 13 November 1870, of three battalions, and based at Palermo.On 10 June 1940 it was at Brescia, composed of the III Motorcycle Bn and the V and XII Motorized Bns. On 24 January 1941 it was sent to Tripoli. Its three battalions, reinforced by two AT companies, totaled 1900 men, 126 vehicles, 60 motorcycles and 16 47/32 AT guns. It fought at El Mechili (7-8 April), Bardia (15 April) and Acroma (22 April) during the first Italo-German reconquest of Cyrenaica.

During the following summer, III Bn was reorganized as a Heavy Weapons battalion. During the battle, it was further reinforced by other two 47/32 AT companies, bringing the total present to four.

The 47/32, used also by the M13/40, technical data were:

The regiment had also some 20mm Breda AA guns. Their technical data were:

Trentaduesimo Reggimento Carristi (32nd Tank Rgt)

Formed on 1 December '38, after the reorganization of 2nd Tank Rgt, it was based at Verona. It was disbanded on 8 February '42.Though still formally part of the Ariete at the date of the Bir el Gobi battle and equipped with some tens of L3/35s, it didn't take part in the combat.

Centotrentaduesimo Reggimento d'Artiglieria (132nd Artillery Rgt)

The Regiment's two motorized 75/27 groups were both present to the action.

A typical 75/27 group was composed of a Group HQ with:

4 Officers, 5 NCOs, 14 drivers, 55 gunners, 1 car, 1 heavy truck, 2 light trucks, 8 tractors, 1 motorcycle and four guns.

The 75/27 gun technical data were:

Centotrentaduesimo Reggimento Carristi (132nd Tank Rgt)

Formed on 15 June '41, it was destroyed during the 3rd battle of El Alamein (November '42). It was then formally disbanded on 8 December '42.

During the Bir el Gobi battle it was composed by three Tank Bns:

The regimental HQ company was formed with what remained of the 4th Tank Rgt, mauled during the combats of the previous winter.

The 132nd Tank Rgt. was equipped with the M13/40 medium tank. (Under)powered by the 125 HPs SPA-8TM40 diesel engine, the M13/40 had a maximum speed of 30 km/h on road and 15 km/h on irregular terrain, and a maximum independent range of 210 kms. It was equipped with the 47/32 gun, capable of piercing 50mm of armor at 500 meters. In November '41 it was still on equal terms with the British Crusader.

Terzo Reggimento d'Artiglieria Celere (3rd Celere Artillery Rgt)

During the Bir el Gobi battle one of this formation's 75/27 motorized group was attached to the Ariete.

The regiment's two motorized 75/27 groups were sent to Libya in March '41, along with the two motorized 75/27 groups of the 1st and 2nd Celere Artillery Regiments. The three regiments were detached from the three Italian Celere Divisions: 1st "Eugenio di Savoia", 2nd "Emanuele Filiberto Testa di Ferro" and 3rd "Amedeo Duca d'Aosta" (this last well known to players of Enemy at the Gates).

Ventiquattresimo Reggimento d'Artiglieria di Corpo d'Armata (24th Corps Artillery Rgt).During the Bir el Gobi battle one of this unit's 105/28 motorized groups was attached to the Ariete.

A typical 105/28 group was composed by a Group HQ with:

4 Officers, 5 NCOs, 20 drivers, 99 gunners, 1 car, 3 heavy trucks, 5 light trucks, 6 tractors, 1 motorcycle and four guns.

The 105/28 gun technical data were:

Gruppo Milmart (Milmart Group)

On 1 June '41 was formed the X Milmart (Milizia Artiglieria Marittima) Legion. It was formed by the reorganization of the "Gruppo Autonomo Batterie A.S." and contained two field groups and two motorized batteries (1st and 6th).

The 1st Motorized Battery was formed by the reorganization of the 1st anti-ship battery of Benghazi, equipped with 152/45 guns, which was able to evade the British offensive. The personnel of the battery refused to be sent back to Italy and was soon equipped with two 102/35 pieces (an high velocity gun designed to pierce the armor of warships) saved from the fall of Tobruk, which were mounted on two Fiat 634 trucks. Two Fiat 666 trucks were used for the ammo and one armored Fiat 626 truck was used as the fire control station. The 102/35 round weighted 15 kg and its muzzle velocity was 750 meters/second.

During the summer of '41, another five truck-mounted 102/35 pieces were prepared for the 1st Battery and for the newly formed 6th battery. The 6th Battery was formed with personnel coming from the V Milmart Legion of Taranto and arrived at Tripoli in March '41. Other truck-mounted pieces, this time 76/30, arrived from the II Milmart Legion of La Spezia and, along with some 76/40 pieces mounted on Fiat 634 trucks at Tripoli, formed 13th Motorized Battery, then deployed at Sidi Califa, near Benghazi.The 76/40 round weighted 6 kg and its muzzle velocity was 690 meters/second. It had a maximum range of 12 km.

The 1st and 6th Motorized Batteries and part of the 13th Motorized Battery were assigned to CAM Corps (Corpo d'Armata di Manovra) and took part in the Bir el Gobi battle. The 102/35 crews were credited with the destruction of not less than 15 Crusaders during the battle, out of the 57 left on the field by the 22nd British armored brigade. The good performance of the powerful anti-ship 102/35 used in an AT role made clear the need for an heavy AT gun, and the Regio Esercito accelerated the ordering of 30 new 90/53 AT guns, mounted on the good Lancia 3RO trucks.

Regia Aeronautica

Historically, the battle of Bir el Gobi was fought without any air support on either side. However, the following air units were within supporting distance and could have intervened. 155ø Gruppo Caccia (155th Fighter Group) Formed in 1939, this unit arrived in Libya during January '41. It was based at El Agheila and then at Benina (April), Derna and Gambut. During Operation Crusader it was employed in the ground attack role.

This Group had twenty operational Fiat G.50bis (Freccia) fighters based at Gazala. The G.50 was the first modern all-metal monoplane with retractable landing gear of the Regia Aeronautica, which abandoned the obsolete biplane formula only in 1939.It was lightly armed with two 12.7 mm Safat MGs, one of them firing through the propeller blade, and was capable of a maximum speed of 470 km/h at 6,000 meters. The 1935 original project included also a 20mm gun, but it was soon discarded. This aircraft was faster and more robust than the Cr.42, but a lot less agile. The "G" was for the name of the designer, Giuseppe Gabrielli.

Before the Italian entry into the war, 35 G.50s were sold to Finland, which used them until 1944, even if after the "Winter War" with the USSR, where Finland was hard pressed to use everything with a blade. It was soon retired from the first line and used in a trainer role. Because of the complex and often corrupt relationships between Regia Aeronautica, Government and Fiat, the mediocre G.50bis (the "bis" was a slightly improved version) was kept in production even after the end of 1940, although the superior Macchi MC.200 and Reggiane Re.2000 were already in use by the Regia Aeronautica. The "funny" thing is that the best of the lot in 1940, the Re.2000, wasn't utilized by the Regia Aeronautica (probably because Reggiane wasn't so well connected in the "right" Government circles), but equipped the air forces of Hungary (270 machines) and Sweden (60 machines), where it was considered a good fighter.

By the middle of 1941 the G.50bis was ever more often used in a fighter-bomber role with the addition of supports for two 100 or 160 kg. bombs under the wings.

Its production continued almost until the Italian Armistice of September '43, even considering that far superior machines were produced by other Italian firms: Reggiane, with its Re.2000, Re.2001, Re.2002 and Re.2005 models, and Macchi, with its MC.200, MC.202 and MC.205 models. In late '43, the same Fiat produced the splendid G.55, although too late to be employed by the Regia Aeronautica (but it was put to good use by RSI's Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana).

376 Gruppo Caccia (376th Fighter Group)

Formed in April '41, it was transferred to Castel Benito (Tripoli) in May, then Gazala (August) and Bir Hackeim. During Operation Crusader it was employed in the ground attack role. This Group had nine operational Fiat Cr.42 (Falco) fighters based at Bir Hackeim.The Cr.42 was probably the most maneuverable biplane in the world in 1939, more agile, if less well armed, of the Gloster Gladiator. It was capable of a maximum speed of 440 km/h at 6,000 meters. Anyway, its production started when the first versions of the Bf-109 and Spitfire were already flying!

The "Cr" was after the name of the designer, Celestino Rosatelli, father of the highly successful Cr.32 fighter which outclassed the French and Soviet models during the Spanish Civil War.In the hands of the skilled early-war Italian pilots, very good at aerobatics, it was able to face even the Hawker Hurricane and survive, although its victories were rare, because of its light armament (two 12.7 mm Safat MGs firing through the propeller blade).

By 1941 it was hopelessly outclassed by virtually all the other Allied and Axis fighters, so it was used in the fighter-bomber (with the addition of supports for two 100 kg bombs under the wings) and night-fighter roles (with the addition of two little searchlights under the wings), for which it was totally unsuited, just to keep open Fiat's production lines, in the very same way as the G.50bis.

Some final comments on the Fiat planes. After the start of the war both the models were criminally kept in production for years (in case of the Cr.42, until June '43), literally throwing away a lot of the few and precious industrial capabilities of Italy, just to satisfy the greed of Fiat's master, too proud to build under license greatly superior models from other firms.

Some 1,800 of the Cr.42 (at right) were built, and 900 of the G.50/G.50bis. So, 2,700 almost worthless fighters were built by Fiat out of the total of 11,500 planes (all kinds) built in Italy until September '43, a staggering 23.5%.

Worse, many good Italian pilots died in those flying coffins after 1940 without the slightest possibility to compete with their Allied counterparts.

For gamers and historians seriously interested in an realistic English-language picture of the WW2 Regia Aeronautica, I warmly advise Courage Alone - The Italian Air Force 1940-1943, by Chris Dunning, published by Hikoki Publications, 1998.

Part two of this article will deal with the British forces and will describe the battle.

Bir el Gobi: Part 2

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