The Italian Army 1940-45 (2): Africa 1940-43 (Men-at-Arms 349)

At its peak the Italian Army contributed 2.5 million troops to the Axis war effort during World War II (1939-1945). In addition to its major role in North Africa, Italy's army invaded, and later bore the main burden of occupying, the Balkan countries. Italy also sent 250,000 men to fight on the Russian Front. In this second book of a three-part study Philip Jowett covers the organisation, uniforms and insignia of the Italian troops committed to both the North African campaign, and the often neglected East African fighting of 1940-41, including the colourful colonial units. Stephen Andrew's meticulous colour plates illustrate a wide range of uniforms. På det tidspunkt Italien gik ind i 2.verdenskrig med Tyskland som allieret, juni 1940, havde italienske styrker kæmpet 40 år i Afrika og underlagt sig Eritrea, Libyen, Italiensk Somaliland og Etiopien. Det var Italiens strategi at udvide sit imperium såvel i Middelhavs-som den Nordafrikanske region. De italienske styrkers organisation, udrustning, våben og uniformering beskrives foruden en kronologisk gennemgang af operationernes forløb indtil 1943 The Italian Army fought on every major front of the European and North African theatres. They fielded a variety of colourfully-uniformed units, particularly against the partisans in the Balkans. In this volume, the author dispels a number of myths about the supposedly inferior Italian troops. The Italian army was Britain's original opponent in North Africa. At its peak, it contributed 2.5 million troops to the Axis war effort. This title covers the organization, uniforms and insignia of the Italian troops committed to both the North African campaign and East African fighting. "BY THE TIME of its entry into the Second World War the Italian Army had been fighting in Africa for over 40 years, establishing an empire by the conquest of Eritrea, Libya, Italian Somaliland and finally, in 1936, Ethiopia (Abyssinia)."