Italian Military Language

From Michael Mathews --------------------
In the spirit of adding flavor to the North Africa campaign, a friend of mine in Italy has provided me with a list of terms in the military. His name is Arturo Lorioli and I "know" him through the Command Decision mailer group and served under him in a PBEM campaign once. (My battlegroup, starting lost behind the fluid front line was erased from play fairly quickly.)


Anyway, some proper names for Italian units or weapons.

Infantry - Fanteria
Cavalry - Cavalleria
Artillery - Artiglieria
Anti-air - Contraerea
Anti-tank - Controcarro
Field - Campale
Heavy - Pesante
Mountain - da Montagna
Coastal - Costiera
Engineers - Genieri
Assault Eng. - Guastatori
Blackshirts - Camicie Nere (CCNN)
Parachutist - Paracadutisti
Marines - Fanteria di Marina
Motorcyclists - Motociclisti
Motor - Motorizzato (pl, bn, regt) or Motorizzata (coy, brig, div)
Armor
- A) Corazzato (regt) or Carazzata (coy, brig, div)
- B) Carri (pl, coy, bn)

MG - Mitraglieri
SMG - Mochetti Automatici
Mortars - Mortai
Howitzers - Obici
Flamethrowers - Lanciafiamme
Anti-tank rifles - Fuciloni Controcarro
Aromored Cars - Autoblindo
Self-propelled - Semovente
Trucks - Autocarri, Heavy, medium, light = Pesanti, Medi or Leggeri)
Cars - Automobili
Prime movers - Trattori d'Artiglieria
Command - Comando
Staff - Stato Maggiore
Forward observer - Osservatore d'Artiglieria
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Platoon - Plotone (Section for art., Manipolo for CCNN)
Compay - Compagnia (Squadrone for cav., Batteria for art., Centuria for CCNN)
Battalion - Battaglione (Gruppor Squadroni for cav., Gruppo for art., coorte for CCNN)
(Note: anti-tank guns used Plotone, Compagnia and Battaglione terms like infantry)
Regiment - Reggimento (Legione for CCNN)
Brigade - Brigata
Division - Divisione
Corps - Corp d'Armata
Army - Armata
?? - Raggruppamento (a brigade level artillery command, usually the holding unit for corps artillery assets)
Task force - Gruppo Tattico
Detachment - Distaccamento

That pretty well covers it. Note that in Italian the level of the units (platoon, regiment) is always placed before the branch of service. So an infantry division is called a Divisione Fanteria. The type of unit (motor, motorcycle) is after the branch. So a motorcycle MMG stand would be a Mitraglieri Motociclisti. Hope this is entertaining and/or interesting. Makes the order writing more fun. Share with anyone who might be interested.

Michael
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