Description

Italian military historian Pier Paolo Battistelli examines the elite and specialforces units of the Italian Army during World War II. This includes a vast array of troop types, including paratroopers, assault engineers, sea-landing and swimmer units, long-range recce and ski units, and even hand-picked Fascist 'Mussolini' units. It also delves into the specialist tank and armoured units that were created to emulate the German armoured units. While the Italian units discussed enjoyed mixed success, the volume draws attention to the incredibly hard fighting done by some in the deserts of North Africa and the frozen wastelands of Russia. Illustrated with rare archival photographs and specially commissioned artwork, this is a fascinating insight into a little-studied aspect of Axis forces.

Product details

Published Nov 20 2011
Format Ebook (PDF)
Edition 1st
Extent 64
ISBN 9781849085960
Imprint Osprey Publishing
Illustrations 2 b/w
Series Elite
Short code ELI 99
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

Pier Paolo Battistelli

Pier Paolo Battistelli earned his PhD in Military…

Illustrator

Johnny Shumate

Johnny Shumate works as a freelance illustrator li…

Resources

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