Giuseppe Tellera
Encyclopedia
Giuseppe Tellera was a General in the Italian Army
during World War II.
Giuseppe Tellera was a Lt. General in the Italian Army during the North African Campaign
fought against the British and Commonwealth forces in world war II. General Tellera took over the command of the Italian Tenth Army, which at the beginning comprised four Corps on December 23, 1940 from Lt.Gen Mario Berti
(1881–1964), after having been Chief of Staff under General Balbo and Graziani. He was an experienced staff officer who had served in the Italian North Africa since 1938. The Tenth army had its headquarter at Bardia (Libya), and was formed by, 10th and 12th Bersaglieri Regiments, 12th, 26th and 55th Artillery Regiments, Machinegun battalions (detached from 55th Savona, 17th Pavia, 27th Brescia and 27th Bologna Divisions), the partially motorized and lightly armoured Babini Brigade consisted of 57 M13s, there Bersaglieri’s Bns, one Motorcycle Bn, an Artillery Regt, two Antitank Companies, an Engineers Company and Supply units).
On 8 December 1940, British General Richard O'Connor launched Operation Compass.General Tellera took over command of the Tenth Army at a critical moment. Although the Italian forces had supremacy in numbers, the Italian army had more tanks and human resources than the British, it was the quality of the Italian weapons that was questionable. In addition the troops were almost all infantry, and poorly motorized ,a real handicap in a war of movement However He was deeply committed to fight and resist in the strenuous attempt of defending Cyrenaica by the British invasion, leading his soldiers whom he never abandoned he was hit by a shell splinter, during the battle of Beda Fomm and died in the early morning of February 7, 1941 for the wounds received . Struck by his heroic resistance, the British army buried him with military honors.
For his gallantry in action Lt.Gen Tellera was posthumously awarded with the Gold Medal for military valor, the highest military decoration in the Italian Army.
The award citation read as follow:
“Chief of staff of the Armed Forces North Africa, with organized and active perception, especially in the period that led to the victory of our arms Sidi El Barrani. He took over, in a particularly critical situation, the command of an Army Corps, kept during the forced withdrawal from Cyrenaica Gebel, more serene calm, giving evidence of high-capacity light control and eminent personal worth. In the battle of South Bengasino when the enemy had made impossible the withdrawal of our troops on Agedabia, stopped in a two days fighting, the vehemence of the opponent, and inflict heavy losses, forcing it to desist from its push into Sirtica . Gather the troops remaining in extreme defense in a place of particular importance, he tried repeatedly, with great personal risk, to collect the last means to break through and break the enemy encirclement. In this supreme and heroic effort, fell gloriously on the field, properly sealing a life of dedication to the entire country”.
Sidi El Barrani (AS), September 1940-Agedabia, February 6, 1941.
Italian Army
The Italian Army is the ground defence force of the Italian Armed Forces. It is all-volunteer force of active-duty personnel, numbering 108,355 in 2010. Its best-known combat vehicles are the Dardo infantry fighting vehicle, the Centauro tank destroyer and the Ariete tank, and among its aircraft...
during World War II.
Giuseppe Tellera was a Lt. General in the Italian Army during the North African Campaign
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
fought against the British and Commonwealth forces in world war II. General Tellera took over the command of the Italian Tenth Army, which at the beginning comprised four Corps on December 23, 1940 from Lt.Gen Mario Berti
Mario Berti
Mario Berti was an Italian officer during World War I and General in the Spanish Civil War and World War II.-Personal life.:Mario Berti was born in La Spezia, which is located in modern day Liguria. He was born into an upper-middle class family...
(1881–1964), after having been Chief of Staff under General Balbo and Graziani. He was an experienced staff officer who had served in the Italian North Africa since 1938. The Tenth army had its headquarter at Bardia (Libya), and was formed by, 10th and 12th Bersaglieri Regiments, 12th, 26th and 55th Artillery Regiments, Machinegun battalions (detached from 55th Savona, 17th Pavia, 27th Brescia and 27th Bologna Divisions), the partially motorized and lightly armoured Babini Brigade consisted of 57 M13s, there Bersaglieri’s Bns, one Motorcycle Bn, an Artillery Regt, two Antitank Companies, an Engineers Company and Supply units).
On 8 December 1940, British General Richard O'Connor launched Operation Compass.General Tellera took over command of the Tenth Army at a critical moment. Although the Italian forces had supremacy in numbers, the Italian army had more tanks and human resources than the British, it was the quality of the Italian weapons that was questionable. In addition the troops were almost all infantry, and poorly motorized ,a real handicap in a war of movement However He was deeply committed to fight and resist in the strenuous attempt of defending Cyrenaica by the British invasion, leading his soldiers whom he never abandoned he was hit by a shell splinter, during the battle of Beda Fomm and died in the early morning of February 7, 1941 for the wounds received . Struck by his heroic resistance, the British army buried him with military honors.
For his gallantry in action Lt.Gen Tellera was posthumously awarded with the Gold Medal for military valor, the highest military decoration in the Italian Army.
The award citation read as follow:
“Chief of staff of the Armed Forces North Africa, with organized and active perception, especially in the period that led to the victory of our arms Sidi El Barrani. He took over, in a particularly critical situation, the command of an Army Corps, kept during the forced withdrawal from Cyrenaica Gebel, more serene calm, giving evidence of high-capacity light control and eminent personal worth. In the battle of South Bengasino when the enemy had made impossible the withdrawal of our troops on Agedabia, stopped in a two days fighting, the vehemence of the opponent, and inflict heavy losses, forcing it to desist from its push into Sirtica . Gather the troops remaining in extreme defense in a place of particular importance, he tried repeatedly, with great personal risk, to collect the last means to break through and break the enemy encirclement. In this supreme and heroic effort, fell gloriously on the field, properly sealing a life of dedication to the entire country”.
Sidi El Barrani (AS), September 1940-Agedabia, February 6, 1941.