Tribute to the Liberation of Italy - Infantry Versus #4
Hello commander,
In today’s final Tribute to the Liberation of Italy Versus we have saved the best for last: the Italians!
That’s right, let’s look at the two Italian divisions - each fighting under a separate flag - to be featured in our new upcoming Steel Division 2 DLC.
In the Axis corner, we have the Repubblica Sociale Italiana’s (RSI: Mussolini’s fascist puppet state based in the north of Italy) 4a Divisione Alpini “Monterosa”. And for the Allies, under the banner of Co-Belligerent (meaning the Kingdom of Italy in southern Italy), the Corpo Italiano di Liberazione.
[h2]Historical Context[/h2]
Wait a minute, you might say: double the fun, with two Italian sides, but how did this come to be?
By the summer of 1943, a wavering Italy was less than happy being Nazi Germany’s ally. Led by Mussolini, Italy’s fascist Kingdom of Italy was far from the monolithic dictatorship like Hitler’s further north; there was the King of Italy to contend with, and a population that was becoming more restive with the day. By this time, the Allies had defeated Italian troops in North Africa, bombed Rome, successfully invaded Sicily, and poised to continue their advance into mainland Italy.
Together with leading members of the government, the Italian King Victor Emmanuel III managed to secure a surrender to the Allies through various covert channels. However, the Wehrmacht knew what was going to happen, having intercepted radio traffic. On the day of the actual Armistice, the 8th of August, the Germans launched an immediate attack across Italy against their former allies. Without clear orders and instructions, many Italian formations collapsed or were taken prisoner or opted to join the Axis. Only a few formations reached the Allied lines in southern Italy.
Mussolini, having been arrested, was rescued in a daring German commando raid. He returned to power and nominally led Repubblica Sociale Italiana’s (RSI), which was based in the north of Italy, until the end of the war. In truth, the RSI was a puppet state of Nazi Germany. The Allies were checked, with the Italian front remaining active until the very end of the war. In the south of Italy, the Co-Belligerent Army was formed, with those troops loyal to the Kingdom of Italy being brought into the Allied chain of command.
A quick note about a gameplay feature common to both battlegroups. Both formations might field only light and medium guns, but a specialty of these Italian-made weapons is that they always have access to a limited supply of AT or HEAT rounds. These can turn even Breda 20mm AA guns into makeshift light AT guns (with almost the same high RoF as AT rifles).
[h2]4a Divisione Alpini “Monterosa”[/h2]
Alpine troops were considered the crème de la crème of the Italian army. However, after the Armistice, the fascist RSI had issues raising a sufficient amount of soldiers for the new 4a Divisione Alpini “Monterosa” and had to make do with whatever was around. This resulted in a formation fielding a gaggle of experienced older volunteers, inexperienced troops, and unwilling recruits who deserted en masse at the earliest opportunity.
The 4a Divisione Alpini “Monterosa” was mostly active as an anti-partisan force, chiefly in the Po valley in northwestern Italy, before moving to the Gothic Line at the end of 1944. Suffering badly from low morale, and with desertion commonplace, the division continued to be used for garrison duties and in operations against local Italian guerillas but never saw combat on the line.
Aside from a few recon armored cars, the anti-partisan division was entirely deprived of armor. For this reason, we have attached the fascist Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana (GNR)’s Gruppo Corazzato "Leonessa" in-game. This armored formation was also organized to fight partisans in northern Italy, but packed a heavier punch thanks to having access to all the remaining Italian armor available to the RSI.
[h2]4a Divisione Alpini “Monterosa” in detail[/h2]
What can you expect from the 4a Divisione Alpini “Monterosa” in Steel Division 2?
Being a mountain division, several of its units will feature the Raider trait.
[h2]Corpo Italliano di Liberazione[/h2]
The Allied formation is the Corpo Italiano di Liberazione, which became the cornerstone of the later Italian Army. Formed in early 1944, the corps quickly grew in size, thanks to a steady influx of recruits and reinforcements. Composed of three brigades, the Italians deployed light infantry, mountain infantry, regular troops, naval soldiers, and even several airborne battalions under one banner.
Outfitted to Commonwealth standards (read British uniforms and weapons), the corps as part of the Co-Belligerent Army saw combat in 1944 around Monte Cassino, where it fought well. However, much like its Axis RSI counterpart, the Corpo Italiano di Liberazione was almost entirely deprived of armor support. For this reason, as it was historically during its final operation in July 1944, the battlegroup will be supported by tanks from the 2nd Polish Armoured Brigade.
After the last battles in September 1944, the corps had outgrown itself and was reorganized again. The Allies determined that the efficiency of this large formation could be improved by downsizing it. Replacing the corps, several smaller combat groups were formed. The Italian Co-Belligerent Army fought until the end of the war, transforming into the Italian Army in 1946.
[h2]Corpo Italliano di Liberazione in detail[/h2]
What can you expect from the Corpo Italiano di Liberazione in Steel Division 2?
[h2]What came before[/h2]
We already detailed several pairs of new divisions for the upcoming Tribute to the Liberation of Italy DLC.
[h2]Coming up next[/h2]
That’s it for this time. We’ll be back in two weeks!
Let us know what you think through our Steam forums and Eugen forums, or check our (Facebook and Twitter). Looking for an online game? Visit the kick-ass Discord server or Reddit page.
See you on the battlefield, commander!
In today’s final Tribute to the Liberation of Italy Versus we have saved the best for last: the Italians!
That’s right, let’s look at the two Italian divisions - each fighting under a separate flag - to be featured in our new upcoming Steel Division 2 DLC.
In the Axis corner, we have the Repubblica Sociale Italiana’s (RSI: Mussolini’s fascist puppet state based in the north of Italy) 4a Divisione Alpini “Monterosa”. And for the Allies, under the banner of Co-Belligerent (meaning the Kingdom of Italy in southern Italy), the Corpo Italiano di Liberazione.
[h2]Historical Context[/h2]
Wait a minute, you might say: double the fun, with two Italian sides, but how did this come to be?
By the summer of 1943, a wavering Italy was less than happy being Nazi Germany’s ally. Led by Mussolini, Italy’s fascist Kingdom of Italy was far from the monolithic dictatorship like Hitler’s further north; there was the King of Italy to contend with, and a population that was becoming more restive with the day. By this time, the Allies had defeated Italian troops in North Africa, bombed Rome, successfully invaded Sicily, and poised to continue their advance into mainland Italy.
Together with leading members of the government, the Italian King Victor Emmanuel III managed to secure a surrender to the Allies through various covert channels. However, the Wehrmacht knew what was going to happen, having intercepted radio traffic. On the day of the actual Armistice, the 8th of August, the Germans launched an immediate attack across Italy against their former allies. Without clear orders and instructions, many Italian formations collapsed or were taken prisoner or opted to join the Axis. Only a few formations reached the Allied lines in southern Italy.
Mussolini, having been arrested, was rescued in a daring German commando raid. He returned to power and nominally led Repubblica Sociale Italiana’s (RSI), which was based in the north of Italy, until the end of the war. In truth, the RSI was a puppet state of Nazi Germany. The Allies were checked, with the Italian front remaining active until the very end of the war. In the south of Italy, the Co-Belligerent Army was formed, with those troops loyal to the Kingdom of Italy being brought into the Allied chain of command.
A quick note about a gameplay feature common to both battlegroups. Both formations might field only light and medium guns, but a specialty of these Italian-made weapons is that they always have access to a limited supply of AT or HEAT rounds. These can turn even Breda 20mm AA guns into makeshift light AT guns (with almost the same high RoF as AT rifles).
[h2]4a Divisione Alpini “Monterosa”[/h2]
Alpine troops were considered the crème de la crème of the Italian army. However, after the Armistice, the fascist RSI had issues raising a sufficient amount of soldiers for the new 4a Divisione Alpini “Monterosa” and had to make do with whatever was around. This resulted in a formation fielding a gaggle of experienced older volunteers, inexperienced troops, and unwilling recruits who deserted en masse at the earliest opportunity.
The 4a Divisione Alpini “Monterosa” was mostly active as an anti-partisan force, chiefly in the Po valley in northwestern Italy, before moving to the Gothic Line at the end of 1944. Suffering badly from low morale, and with desertion commonplace, the division continued to be used for garrison duties and in operations against local Italian guerillas but never saw combat on the line.
Aside from a few recon armored cars, the anti-partisan division was entirely deprived of armor. For this reason, we have attached the fascist Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana (GNR)’s Gruppo Corazzato "Leonessa" in-game. This armored formation was also organized to fight partisans in northern Italy, but packed a heavier punch thanks to having access to all the remaining Italian armor available to the RSI.
[h2]4a Divisione Alpini “Monterosa” in detail[/h2]
What can you expect from the 4a Divisione Alpini “Monterosa” in Steel Division 2?
Being a mountain division, several of its units will feature the Raider trait.
- The 4a Divisione Alpini “Monterosa” is almost entirely made up of Italian RSI soldiers, and as such, will be fully voiced by native speakers (apart from some German planes).
- Aside from the Autoblinda 41 and AS.42 20mm (already featured with the 4. Fallschirmjäger), the RECON category of this battlegroup includes the new Bersaglieri heavy recon squads and GNR light scouts, with armored transport options including AS.42 and Autoprotetto AS.37.
- The mainstay of the troops will be the new Alpini soldiers. The mix of quality will be reflected with the main Alpini featuring the Raiders trait, while one third will be Alpinie Reclute with the Disheartened trait on top of their Raider trait. Several cheaper GNR squads are also available.
- The attached Armored Group “Leonessa” includes a variety of domestic materiel, ranging from armored cars to tanks. The core strength is composed of M13/40, M14/41 and M15/42 medium tanks. There are also some examples of the P26/40 tank (heavy according to the Italians, but considered medium by most other nations).
- The SUPPORT category will contain MG-42 and Italian M37 HMG, Brixia light mortars, M41 Lanciafiamme, Obice 65/13 65mm support guns and Dovunque supply trucks.
- You’ll find Panzerschreck, PaK 40 guns and Semovente 47/32 light tank destroyers in the AT section.
- The battlegroup’s AA forces include the new Cannone CA 20/65 20mm guns, either towed or self-propelled as Dovunque CA 20mm. It also features a few attached Cannone 90/53 CA dual-purpose guns. This latter unit is quite similar to the German 88mm, although slightly better against tanks but with lesser HE damage.
- The 4a Divisione Alpini “Monterosa” has only light artillery support, with 81mm mortars, Obice 75/13 75mm howitzer (same as the Romanians) and the Obice 100/17 100mm guns. The Germans provide a little off-map support with a Beo. Storch observer calling on a 172mm battery.
- Air support includes the new RSI SM.79 Sparviero light bomber, C.205V and G.55 fighters, as well as Luftwaffe Me-410 A-3 recon, Fw.190 and Ju-87 fighter bombers, as well as “Beute” Re.2002 Ariete fighter.
[h2]Corpo Italliano di Liberazione[/h2]
The Allied formation is the Corpo Italiano di Liberazione, which became the cornerstone of the later Italian Army. Formed in early 1944, the corps quickly grew in size, thanks to a steady influx of recruits and reinforcements. Composed of three brigades, the Italians deployed light infantry, mountain infantry, regular troops, naval soldiers, and even several airborne battalions under one banner.
Outfitted to Commonwealth standards (read British uniforms and weapons), the corps as part of the Co-Belligerent Army saw combat in 1944 around Monte Cassino, where it fought well. However, much like its Axis RSI counterpart, the Corpo Italiano di Liberazione was almost entirely deprived of armor support. For this reason, as it was historically during its final operation in July 1944, the battlegroup will be supported by tanks from the 2nd Polish Armoured Brigade.
After the last battles in September 1944, the corps had outgrown itself and was reorganized again. The Allies determined that the efficiency of this large formation could be improved by downsizing it. Replacing the corps, several smaller combat groups were formed. The Italian Co-Belligerent Army fought until the end of the war, transforming into the Italian Army in 1946.
[h2]Corpo Italliano di Liberazione in detail[/h2]
What can you expect from the Corpo Italiano di Liberazione in Steel Division 2?
- The battlegroup will feature plenty of cheap, versatile units in its RECON tab with a previously unseen max of 10 slots. These include regular scouts, elite Alpini Gpo. Esplorante (with sniper rifle), heavy Bersaglieri, and a L35 C/C tankette (with C/C meaning anti-tank as it is armed with a… 20mm anti-tank rifle), ... It can also count on recon troops from 2nd Polish Armoured Brigade.
- A wide variety of different infantry can be encountered within the Corpo Italiano di Liberazione battlegroup. These include Alpini mountain troops, the latter with the Raider trait. There are also regular Fucilieri, Arditi assault infantry, San Marco naval infantry, and a few airborne Paracadutisti and pioneer Guastatori Para. units. Infantry units are equipped with British weaponry, such as Thompson, Sten guns, Lee Enfield rifles, and Bren LMGs, but with some elite soldiers retaining Beretta SMGs, and even some Panzerfausts.
- Several Polish units from 2nd Armoured Brigade are featured in various categories: Zwiadowcy with Stuart Recce, Jeep HMG and Staghound in RECON; Komandosi commando infantry; Sherman III including leader variant and Stuart V in TANK; Wolverine tank destroyer and 17-pdr towed gun in ANTI-TANK; Crusader Mk.2 in AA.
- The TANK category has an average number of slots (5 out of 10), quickly growing in price. Choices are limited to previously mentioned Polish Sherman III and Stuart V units.
- SUPPORT features a good amount of slots, and quite cheap as well, and includes the usual allotment of HMG units, the Breda M37, Brixia light mortar, M41 Lanciafiamme, Obice 65/13 as a support gun, L35 tankette and its flamethrower variant L35 Lanciafiamme and Dovunque supply trucks. Commanders come either on foot, as a L35 Cmdo, or as Polish Sherman I Sztab.
- The battlegroup’s anti-tank forces are relatively light, with PIAT units, Cannone 47/32 47mm guns, as well as Cannone 57/50 (6-pdrs provided by the British). As mentioned before, several Wolverines and 17-pdr guns courtesy of the Polish brigade can also be deployed.
- The AA category is very limited, with a few expensive slots. The options are Cannone CA 20/65 20mm, either towed or self-propelled as the Dovunque CA 20mm. The Poles provide a handful of heavier Crusader AA Mk.2.
- Artillery units are entirely Italian: 81mm mortars, Obice 75/13 75mm light mountain guns (same Skoda 75mm as used by the Romanians and some German battlegroups, but without radio), Obice 75/27 75mm light field guns (with radio), Obice 100/17 100mm and Obice 105/25 105mm (same as Romanian Schneider 105 with radio).
- The AIR category features quite a potent array of units, which includes the Italian C.205V, and Re.2002 Ariete, as well as P-39Q and Spitfire Mk.Vb/trop fighters. There are also Z.1007bis and Baltimore bombers. The RAF provides a few recon Spitfire PR. Mk. XI and rocket Beaufighter Mk. X as support planes.
[h2]What came before[/h2]
We already detailed several pairs of new divisions for the upcoming Tribute to the Liberation of Italy DLC.
- In our first Versus post, we put the spotlight on two new Armored battlegroups: the 26. Panzerdivision with its special AA forces and the supersized 6th South African Armoured Division. Check out the Versus blogpost here.
- In our second Versus, we looked at two Mountain formations: the German 5. Gebirgs-Division and the specialised 8th (Indian) Infantry Division. Read all about it in this Versus blogpost here.
- Our third Versus we shone a light on two Infantry battlegroups: the Axis 4. Fallschirmjäger and the US-led international Task Force 45. Read all about it in this Versus post here.
[h2]Coming up next[/h2]
That’s it for this time. We’ll be back in two weeks!
Let us know what you think through our Steam forums and Eugen forums, or check our (Facebook and Twitter). Looking for an online game? Visit the kick-ass Discord server or Reddit page.
See you on the battlefield, commander!