Campaign Style

Italian Naval Strength
in the Med WWII

From the Files of Mike Arnovitz


At TARANTO:

    BB Victorio Venetio (ready 1 Aug. 1940) BB Cavour, Cesare
    1st CA Division: Zara, Fiume, Gorzia
    8th CL Division: Diaz, DiGiussano, Savoia
    4th CL Division: Abruzzi, Garibaldi
    7th DD Division: Freccia, Dardo, Saetta, Strale
    8th DD Division: Folgore, Fulmine, Baleno, Lampo
    14th DD Division: Vivaldi, DaNoli, Pancaldo, Malocello
    16th DD Division: DaMosto, DaVarazzano, Pessagno, Tarigo
    3rd TB Division: STocco, Carini, LaMesa, Prestinare
    6th TB Division: Pilo, Mosta, Missori, Sirtori
    SS 1 to 12
    ML Vieste, Arzio
    MTB MAS 1 to 8
    Gunboats: Otranto, Gallipoli, Galante, Cirene

At NAPLES:

    BB Littorio (ready 1 Aug. 1940)
    7th CL Division: D'Aosta, Attendolo
    2nd CL Division: Monteuccoli, Colleoni
    13th DD Division: Grenatiere, Fuciliere, Bersagliere, Alpino
    non-Div. TB: La Fasina, Cantore
    5th TB Division: Cairoli, Schiafino, Abba, Dezza
    10th TB Division: Vega, Sagittario, Perso, Sirio
    SS 13 to 22
    ML Buffaluto, Panigaglio, Pallelunga
    MTB: MAS 9 to 14

At LEROS:

    4th DD Division: Crispi, Ricasoli, Stella, Micotera
    15th TB Division: Solferino, San Martino
    ML: Legano
    MTB: MAS 41 to 60

At SYRACUSE:

    11th TB Division: Cigno, Centauro, Castore, Clinere
    13th TB Division: Circe, Clio, Calliope, Calipso
    14th TB Division: Partenope, Pallade, Polluce, Piciade
    ML: Durazzo, Pelagoso
    MTB: MAS 23 to 34

At MESSINA

    3rd CA Division: Pola, Bolzano, Trieste, Trento
    6th CL Division: DaBarbiano, Banda Nere, Cadorna
    9th DD Division: Alfiere, Orione, Carducei, Gioberti
    11 th DD Division: Artigliere, Aviere, Geniere, Carniccia Nera
    12th DD Division: Lanciere, Carabiniere, Corrazziere, Ascari
    MTB; MAS 15 to 22
    SS(ML) 23 to 30

At SARDINIA:

    4th TB Division: Orsa, Pegaso, Procione, Orione
    9th TB Division: Cassiopea, Canopa, Spica, Astore
    SS 31 to 48
    ML Buccari
    Sub Chaser: Albatros
    MTB: MAS 35 to 40
    MTB: MAS 69 to 78

At TOBRUK:

    1st DD Division: Zeffior, Borea, Espero, Ostra
    2nd DD Division: Euro, Nembo, Aquilone, Turbine
    Gunboats: Valoroso, Palmainlo, Alula
    Coast Defence CA: San Giorgio

At TRIPOLI:

    1st TB Division: Airone, Alcione, ARiel, Aretusa

At VENICE:

    BB Andria Doria (ready in 1 Jan. 1941)
    16th TB Division: Confienza, Palestro
    7th TB Division: Cosenz, Medici, Bassini, Fabrizi
    Gunboat Giovannini

At SPEZIA:

    BB Caio Duillio (ready on 30 Aug. 1940)
    12th TB Division: Altain, Antares, Aldebaran, Andromeda
    2nd TB Division: Papa, Caserino, Chinatto, Montanari
    TB Audace
    Gunboats Rimini, Matteucci

ADD SEPTEMBER 1941:

    GERMAN SS: U-29, U-30, U-31, U-32, U-33, U-34

ITALIAN MERCHANT MARINE:

    200 Light Cargo Ships
    30 Heavy Cargo Ships

AXIS AIR STRENGTH IN THE MEDITERRANEAN

ITALIAN:

    On Sicily: 3 HLBG, 19 FTR
    On Sardinia: 4 HLBG, 6 Ftr
    At Taranto: 10 Ftr
    On Mainland: 3 HLBG
    In North Africa: 6 HLBG, 14 Ftr

GERMAN:

    Dec 1941: Fleigerkorps II (Greece) 2 HLBG, 40 Ftr, 40 DB, 20 Long Range Rec.
    Jan 1941: Fleigerkorps X (Sicily) 2 HLBG, 50 Ftr, 50 DB, 25 LRRECCE

NOTE NUMBER ONE:

AFTER NOVEMBER 1940, ITALIANS MAY CONVERT EACH HLBG INTO EITHER 3 TB or 3 DB.

NOTE NUMBER TWO:

ITALIAN AIR LOSSES ARE MADE UP EVERY TWO MONTHS.

ITALIAN NAVAL COMBAT POWER

    BB: LITTORIO, VITTORIO VENETIO 13-4-12-30-4
    BB: CESARE' DUILIO, CAVOUR, ANDREA DORIA 12-3-7-27-4
    CA: ALL 8" Cruisers 6-4-3-36-5
    CL: ABRUZZI, GARIBALDI 6-3-1-35-5
    CL: ALL REST OF CL 5-2-1-36-5-4TT
    CL: BARI 5-1-1-27-4 (120 mines)
    CL: TARANTO 4-1-1-21-3 (120 mines)
    DD: 9,11,12, and 12 DD DIV 2-1-1-39-6-6TT
    DD: 7, 8 10, 14, 16 DD DIV 2-1-1-38-5-6TT
    DD: 4 DD DIV 2-1-1-35-5-4TT
    DD: 1, 2 DD DIV 2-1-1-36-5-4TT
    TB: 9,10,11,13,14 TB DIV 1-1-1-34-5-4TT
    TB: 4 TN DIV 1-1-1-28-4-4TT
    TB: 5, 6 15, 16 TB DIV 1-1-1-324-4TT
    TB: 2, 3, 7, and Naples non-div TB 1-1-1-32-4-4TT
    TB: 1, TB DIV & 12 2-1-1-31-4-4TT
    ALL SS 6-1-1-15/10-2/1

    MINELAYER SS 4-1-1-15/10-2/1 (40 mines)
    ALL GUNB0ATS 1-1-1-20-3
    ALL MINELAYERS 1-1-1-10-1 (50 mines)
    ALL MTB 3-0-0-47-7
    COAST DEFENCE CA: SAN GIORGIO 10-1-7-22-2
    SMALL MERCHANTMEN 0-1-1-15-2
    LARGE MERCHANTMEN 0-1-2-24-3
    GERMAN U-BOATS 5-1-1-16/9-2/1

SMALL MERCHANTMEN CAN CARRY 200 Troops or 500 tons cargo or 25 Veh.
LARGE MERCHANTMEN CAN CARRY 400 Troops or 10,000 tons cargo or 75 Veh.

AIRCRAFT RANGES

BRITISH

    TB: 12 Squares
    FTR: 12 Squares
    FTR/DB: 24 Squares
    HLBG: 30 squares
    LONG RANGE FTR: 22 squares
    LONG RANGE RECON: 100 squares

ITALIAN

    FTR: 16 squares
    DB/TB: 20 squares
    HLBG: 37 squares

GERMAN

    FTR: 16 squares
    DB: 8 squares
    HLBG: 31 squares
    RECON: 22 squares

Other WWII Italian Units

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© Copyright 1968 by Pat Condray
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