Bersaglieri company

Hi, I am assembling a Italian Bersaglieri company for a wargames senario, and I have a basic out line and wonder if anyone has any detailed info on its TO@E.
This is what I have sofar.

Motorised Company HQ ?
1 x Motorised infantry platoon ?
1 x Motorised MG platoon (breda M.37) ?
1 x Motorised ATR platoon (3 x M.36 Solothurns) ?
1 x Motorised Anti-tank platoon (3 x 47/32 guns) ? (could these be semovente 47/32s ?)

I have no idea of men or organisation of each componant.
it would be ideal if I could get the full TO@E and add maybe a tank company of 16 x M.13/40s and some artillery in the shape of 4 x semoventie 75/18s

any info would be most helpfull
Yan.

 

It sounds more like you are trying to make a North Africa style motorized infantry company than a straight Bersaglieri Company. Is that your intention?

 

I am trying form a good all round motorized infantry company T.A. and I thought that using the Bersaglieri as a base for a fully motorized unit with supporting arms I might achive this, reading a book recently call the Unknown Alamein by Charles Messenger it gives the Bersaglieri battalions the same TO@E I have used above, I did not know if the normal infantry battalions had a good all round structure of AT/MG/ATR all together and all motorized in this way. it also states that the Bersaglieri infantry battalions had a motorized troop of AA guns (Breda 20/65s) and morter company with 9 x 81mm mortars, I am basically trying to get a good mixture of fire power for a good wargame.

 

Okay, there is a "North Africa" style motorized or semi-motorized infantry division. These are not really Bersaglieri in every case. The formation described below became common to the armored, motorized and, semi-motorized divisions in North Africa at some point in 1942.

The NA style infantry battalion has just two companies. These are either motorized or semi-motorized. The later are motorized as necessary but often without transport on the defense. Not all semi-motorized formations were reorgainzed this way.

Each company has 4 platoons assigned:

An infantry platoon with three large squads. Each squad has a rifle section with 11 men 10 rifles and 1 smg. It also has a machinegun section with 9 men, 1 smg 6 rifles and 2 machineguns.

A Heavy machinegun platoon with three sections each with 8 or 9 men and 1 HMG. These are sometimes vehicle mounted as described below.

An Antiaircraft / light antitank section with 3 20mm Breda or 20mm Solothrun guns. In many cases this section is mounted on 3 modified Camionetta SPA 43 "Shariana" armored cars (a cutdown de-turreted Autoblinda 41 armored car) or the Camionette Desertica Mod 43 (modified Fiat TL 37 artillery tractor). Each has a 4 to 6 man crew.

An infantry gun / antitank section with 3 4.7cm guns These are also often mounted on the same vehicle types as above. Each has a 6 to 8 man crew (sometimes 4 on vehicles)

When the light antitank and antitank sections are mounted often additional light or medium machineguns 1 or 2 per vehicle are supplied as well.

There are no 81mm mortars in the battalion. These are normally attached from regiment if there is a mortar battalion assigned.

 

The OOB of the Italian forces is pretty confusing

This is a Bersaglieri motorcycle company (1935 organization but was not changed) I assume you are looking for true bersaglieri not the "semi motorized" NA rifle divisions.
1 M/C Staff platoon
1 M/C Radio platoon
1 M/C Replacement platoon
3 M/C Rifle platoons (4 LMG each)
1 M/C MG Platoon (4 MG, Breda 37)
Total 6 officers 10 NCO 102 men 90 motorcycles and 4 light trucks

Truck borne companies at full TOE are larger, I have the following totals for them:
4 officers 11 NCO 160 men. Early war regular foot infantry have a mortar platoon though it's likeky to be the 45mm Brixia not the 81mm, so the increased manpower for the motorized ones is likely to be a mortar platoon not a fourth rifle one.

AFAIK the M/C companies were dropped in late 1942, but Centauro shows the following sub units for it's 5th Bersaglieri regiment in November 1942
- 14th Bersaglieri batallion
- 24th Bersaglieri batallion
- 5th Bersaglieri M/C company
- 22th Bersaglieri support (Heavy) batallion
---- Motorized AA Coy (20mm)
---- Motorized A/T Coy (47mm/32 guns)

so it looks like the M/C were consolidated at regimental level leaving the batallions with two rifle/bersaglieri companies a mortar company with 9 81mm and and an A/T company witrh 24 47mm. AFAIK the support troops will be split amongst the "pure" infantry at the tactical level giving something like T.A. shows.

On the other hand Ariete's TOE (July 1941) shows the 47/32 moved down to batallion level, (8 guns for each of 12th and 5th Bersaglieri) and the Heavy batallion with an HMG a 20mm AA and an 81mm mortar companies though the 20mm were still enroute for the November battles.

IMO for 1941 it would be correct to reinforce your company with some 47/32 guns and attach a 3 tube mortar section but I would not include any 20mm AA.

AFAIK the 20mm A/T rifles were in specialized units as well so they would also appear as "attachments".

Some sources add 9 20mm AA and 9 47/32 to the coy itself for 1942 but keep the mortars at batallion level.

Hope you are as confused as I am

 

So glad to read your replys guys, I am working on them now.
Thanks Yan.