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185th Airborne Division Folgore or 185ª Divisione Paracadutisti Folgore was a Parachute Division of the Italian Army (in Italian ''Regio Esercito'') during World War II. ==History== The division was formed on 1 September 1941 in Tarquinia, as the 1ª Divisione Paracadutisti. The division was intended to be used in Operation Hercules - the planned Axis invasion of Malta. Initially the division was made up of the following units: * Division headquarters and headquarters company * 1st Parachute Infantry Regiment (later renamed 185th Parachute Infantry Regiment) * * Headquarters and Headquarters Company * * II Parachute Infantry Battalion * * III Parachute Infantry Battalion * * IV Parachute Infantry Battalion * * 1st Regimental Cannon Company (with 47/32 M35 antitank guns, nicknamed ''elefantino'' - little elephant, for his shape) * 2nd Parachute Infantry Regiment (later renamed 186th Parachute Infantry Regiment) * * Headquarters and Headquarters Company * * V Parachute Infantry Battalion * * VI Parachute Infantry Battalion * * VII Parachute Infantry Battalion * * 2nd Regimental Cannon Company (with 47/32 M35 antitank guns) * 3rd Parachute Infantry Regiment joined the division on 3 March 1942 (later renamed 187th Parachute Infantry Regiment) * * Headquarters and Headquarters Company * * IX Parachute Infantry Battalion * * X Parachute Infantry Battalion * * XI Parachute Infantry Battalion * * 3rd Regimental Cannon Company (with 47/32 M35 cannons) * Parachute Artillery Regiment (later renamed 185th Parachute Artillery Regiment) * * Headquarters and Headquarters Battery * * I Parachute Artillery Group (with 47/32 M35 cannons) * * II Parachute Artillery Group (with 47/32 M35 cannons) * * III Parachute Artillery Group (with 47/32 M35 cannons) * VIII Parachute Engineer Battalion * Mining and Explosives Engineers Company * Signal Engineers Company * Division Service Units Each Parachute Infantry Battalion fielded one Headquarters and three Parachute Infantry Companies. Each Parachute Artillery Group fielded one Headquarters and two Parachute Artillery Batteries armed with 47/32 M35 cannons. The VIII Parachute Engineer Battalion fielded one Headquarters and three Parachute Engineer Companies. The Division was well equipped with modern automatic weapons (Beretta submachine gun, Breda M37 and Breda M38 heavy machine guns) and many support weapons, giving the paratroopers of the division a good firepower against infantry and light tanks, but without any transports or medium and heavy artillery. After the cancellation of the invasion of Malta the division was sent to the North African theater. However it left the 1st Parachute Infantry Regiment with one battalion in Italy as foundation for the 184th Airborne Division ''Nembo''. In June 1942 the divisions name was changed to 185th Airborne Division ''Folgore'' and its regiments renumbered and renamed as well. In North Africa the division participated in the Battles of El Alamein, where the division was the protagonist of a strong resistance against the attacking Commonwealth forces, managing also to drive off some attacks conducted by tanks and heavy infantry. In the course of the Second Battle of El Alamein the division was completely destroyed. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「185th Airborne Division Folgore」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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