Italian Arditi Military Report

The Italian Arditi

Mount Fratta

Udine

• This battle was the inaugural battle of the official Italian Arditi and occured during the eleventh Isonzo battle
• In it, the Arditi stormed the Austria-Hungary front line
• They were able to capture five hundred prisoners, eight machine guns, and two mortars
• In this battle, the Arditi suffered only light losses
• Their victory was overshadowed by the tardiness of the regular infantry

• At Udine, the Second Army's Arditi acted as rearguards for the infantry.
• They had to defend Udine from the enemy
• While defending Udine, 391 men were killed/injured and 70 men were captured after running out of ammunition

Mount Asolone

Belpoggio

Mount Corno

• The partial recovery of Mount Asolone occured right after the capture of Mount Corno
• Again, the Arditi was able to move under enemy watchmen and through enemy fortification to gain another victory
• Although the Arditi were successful, they lost 324 men on this raid

• The capture of Belpoggio occured around the same time as the capture of Mount Fratta, although with a different Arditi unit
• This attack was also a success
• The regular infantry arrived late again and were unable to fully exploit the victory

• This capture was truly exceptional
• 5 Arditi soldiers, under the enemy watchmen, climbed the mountain, taking 26 prisoners and killing the others
• They were also able to hold their positions until a more fortified regular army arrived

Col Moschin

• From June 15-16, the Arditi division of the Eleventh Reparto staged three counter attacks on Col Fenilon, Col Fagheron and Col Moschin.
• At Col Moschin, the Arditi took just 10 minutes to execute its mission
• The Arditi also took about 400 prisoners
• The Attack of Col Moschin is one of the most well-known Arditi attacks

Mt. San Gabriele

• The capture of Mt. San Gabriele was the most successful Arditi ofensive maneuver
• After brief artillery fire, the Arditi stormed the initial defenses and cleared the trenches with hand grenades and flamethrowers

• The Arditi captured over 3000 prisoners as well as 55 machine guns and 26 trench guns
• The Arditi suffered about 61 deaths and 200 wounded out of 500 men

Conclusion

• The Arditi became one of the most efficient soldiers in World War One
• They had the highest kill/death ratio (they killed more people than most other corps for every person they lost)
• Their effective tactics resulted in numerous Italian victories, and the Arditi remains one of the greatest distinctions of World War One

Mount Osvaldo

• Although the unofficial Arditi had multiple successes in 1916, this attack was one of the greatest failures of the group
• In the Attack on Mount Osvaldo, the Arditi was completely wiped out, losing all of its members
• The Arditi unit was disbanded before being revived and becoming an official part of the Italian Army

Aftermath

• The Arditi left one of the greatest war legacies ever
• Their unique tactics inspired the modern-day special operation units, storm troopers, and guerrila soldiers
• They also set new standards for elite soldiers such as the US Marines
• The repercussions of this tentative Italian experiment can still be felt in warfare today

Links

http://books.google.com/books?id=e6yln-CNKtMC&pg=PA4&lpg=PA4&dq=italian+arditi+numbers&source=bl&ots=Dayo-zvIbj&sig=Tsvb8HOWArSXHj0him-auJE1hrA&hl=en&sa=X&ei=D0b_UJv-KfHr0QG3moCYDw&ved=0CD4Q6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=italian%20arditi%20numbers&f=false

http://www.worldwar1.com/itafront/arditi.htm

Overview

• The Italian Arditi was a body of of highly trained assault soldiers
• They are similar to storm troopers and special operation forces
• They are experts at close combat, and are the most daring soldiers
• The Arditi is not afraid of incoming artillery fire, and are masters with grenades and daggers
• They show extreme discipline to perfect their difficult task
• More than anything, they strike fear into their opponents

Strategy

• In World War I, trench warfare led to stalemates at the French-German border
• The Arditi hoped to end that
• The regular army would shell the trenches
• Right after the shelling was finished, the Arditi would jump in and slaughter the unsuspecting soldiers
• Hand-to-hand combat is a necessity in this task
• Afterward, the regular army comes in and battles the weakened opponent
• Although at every attack, the Arditi would lose 25%-30% of its numbers, its tactics were extremely effective

Creed

• The Italian Arditi have beliefs that most soldiers do not share
• Primarily, they lack the fear of a common soldier, running headfirst into trenches
• Additionally, they demonstrate discipline to hone their superior skill
• Their goal is to completely wipe out the enemy, and their victory lies at the very last trench
• Their motto : "We either win or we all die."
• Their use of extremely violent tactics allows only the most hardened soldiers to shoulder the burden
• They have an almost reckless abandon for their lives
• These soldiers are the top tier Italian soldiers

Origin

• The Arditi started out as an expirimantal group in 1914, with only the most daring soldiers invited
• Their original missions included cutting barbed wire traps and ambushing the enemy
• When the war started, each regiment had a group of "esploratori," the results of the first scouts
• Then, groups of the esploratori formed individually, and those groups became the first Arditi
• They were pretty successful in 1916, but got wiped out completely in one mission
• The Arditi gained the support of the King, and more groups created the Arditi that the Italians utilized in World War I

Major Battles

• The Attack of Monte Osvaldo - April 1916
• The Capture of Mount Fratta - August 1917
• The Capture of Belpoggio - August 1917
• The Capture of Mt. San Gabriele - September 1917
• The Defense of Udine - October 1917
• The Capture of Mount Corno - May 1918
• The Recovery of Mount Asolone - May 1918
• The Attack on Col. Moschin - June 1918