Poppo
In the Cooler
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2012
- Messages
- 3,457
I have read my father' s cousin book written many years ago in a form of a diary.He was liutenant of artillery in the 3°btg. 61° RGT. infantry " Trento".
Apart from his constant research for food, the book shows the attitude and thinking of an Italian officer during the war in Africa. Since the beginning of his travel to Tripoli, he noticed the cowardy of southern italian officers trying to avoid the front. He was volunteer as many young men at that time, believing the fascist propaganda and attracted by adventure. But very soon, he saw the reality behind the regime propaganda: most of the italian carreer officers hidden behind the lines doing nohing or trying to make money, ( one of them stealing camels and reselling to the same tribe ex owner.But also says about some arabs selling water and some food to the italian soldiers in the desert at exorbitant prices...Once he was tired of this and let some of his men stealing and kicking off the arab who never came again!). Pretended fortified strongholds made of a simple anti tank ditch and some barberwire; confusion in the command, lack of materials. He writes that the italian artilley had 75\27 ww1 tubes while the british artillery, renovated in 1938, had the "25 pounder" ( about 88 mm) able to shoot to 12-14 km, a double distance than the italian artillery who could shoot to 6 km! So they had to take position very close to the enemy lines!
He made all the ride from Tripoli and was there at the falling of Tobruk and arrived at El Alamein, the last stop. The relationship with the DAK was good and he had some german friends coleagues with whom they made dinners in the tents during the night. But he said that not always the relation between italians and germans were good on the front. He writes that the italian postions were better done than the german ones, very light, probably because the germans were fatalists. The Italian colonel had to make report to the german commander. He also talked of the braveness of the germans in the fightings.
At El Alamein soon were big holes in the axis line and his battalion, forming wedge into the enemy lines, was isolated to the nearby units.
Rommel admired their behaviour letting the line resist and made them mention in the bulletin of the Afrika Korps, while they weren' t mentioned in the italian one.
The fightings and the british bombings began every day heavier and he felt it was the end so he destroyed the documents, letters and maps making them in tiny pieces, and putting it under the ground. Then he made an examination of conscience and had no remorse: dead, wounded or prisoner was the same, he accepted his fate.
Another attack, rockets enlightning the place and they had to shoot on everybody, italians and british to reject the attack. Then a group of british soldiers run toward them with their head lowered and their rifle with fixed bayonet. He jumped and huged tight 2 british and all the 3 rolled down. Some british soldiers thought one italian was a fascist because he wore a mourning band and he saved his life explaining what the sign was....But in the confusion he forgot to leave his handgun so one brit took it off and held it against him( there were still inside 4 bullets), he sais something in english so that hearing their language the british saved his life.
Then he was sent by boat prisoner in India were he was well treated.
Apart from his constant research for food, the book shows the attitude and thinking of an Italian officer during the war in Africa. Since the beginning of his travel to Tripoli, he noticed the cowardy of southern italian officers trying to avoid the front. He was volunteer as many young men at that time, believing the fascist propaganda and attracted by adventure. But very soon, he saw the reality behind the regime propaganda: most of the italian carreer officers hidden behind the lines doing nohing or trying to make money, ( one of them stealing camels and reselling to the same tribe ex owner.But also says about some arabs selling water and some food to the italian soldiers in the desert at exorbitant prices...Once he was tired of this and let some of his men stealing and kicking off the arab who never came again!). Pretended fortified strongholds made of a simple anti tank ditch and some barberwire; confusion in the command, lack of materials. He writes that the italian artilley had 75\27 ww1 tubes while the british artillery, renovated in 1938, had the "25 pounder" ( about 88 mm) able to shoot to 12-14 km, a double distance than the italian artillery who could shoot to 6 km! So they had to take position very close to the enemy lines!
He made all the ride from Tripoli and was there at the falling of Tobruk and arrived at El Alamein, the last stop. The relationship with the DAK was good and he had some german friends coleagues with whom they made dinners in the tents during the night. But he said that not always the relation between italians and germans were good on the front. He writes that the italian postions were better done than the german ones, very light, probably because the germans were fatalists. The Italian colonel had to make report to the german commander. He also talked of the braveness of the germans in the fightings.
At El Alamein soon were big holes in the axis line and his battalion, forming wedge into the enemy lines, was isolated to the nearby units.
Rommel admired their behaviour letting the line resist and made them mention in the bulletin of the Afrika Korps, while they weren' t mentioned in the italian one.
The fightings and the british bombings began every day heavier and he felt it was the end so he destroyed the documents, letters and maps making them in tiny pieces, and putting it under the ground. Then he made an examination of conscience and had no remorse: dead, wounded or prisoner was the same, he accepted his fate.
Another attack, rockets enlightning the place and they had to shoot on everybody, italians and british to reject the attack. Then a group of british soldiers run toward them with their head lowered and their rifle with fixed bayonet. He jumped and huged tight 2 british and all the 3 rolled down. Some british soldiers thought one italian was a fascist because he wore a mourning band and he saved his life explaining what the sign was....But in the confusion he forgot to leave his handgun so one brit took it off and held it against him( there were still inside 4 bullets), he sais something in english so that hearing their language the british saved his life.
Then he was sent by boat prisoner in India were he was well treated.
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