Special Armored Brigade
Encyclopedia
The Special Armored Brigade (Brigata Corazzata Speciale), also known as "Babini Group", or Raggruppamento Babini) was an ad hoc
armored
unit formed by the Italian Royal Army
(Regio Esercito Italia) in Italian North Africa
during the initial stages of the Western Desert Campaign
of World War II
.
The group was formed in late 1940 and was destroyed at the Battle of Beda Fomm in February 1941.
Valentino Babini. The BCS included Italy's most up-to-date medium tanks, the M13/40.
The M13s were a vast improvement over the M11/39s used as part of the Maletti Group
(Raggruppamento Maletti). As opposed to the M11s, the M13s had a superior turret-mounted 47 mm tank gun
. This gun was more than able to pierce the armor of the British light and cruiser tank
s.
The BCS included M13 tanks supported by three Bersaglieri
battalions, one motorcycle battalion, one artillery regiment, two anti-tank gun companies, one engineering company, and several logistics units. Unfortunately, other than command vehicles, the M13s of the BCS were not equipped with radios. Communicating for most Italian tankers required the use of signal flags.
At Derna and Mechili
, the BCS included fifty-five M13/40 tanks of the 3rd Battalion and the 5th Battalion from the 131 Armoured Division Centauro
. This should have amounted to at least one-hundred-and-twenty M13s. But eighty-two tanks had just arrived at Benghazi
and required ten days of "acclimazation
" prior to operation.
At Benghazi
and Beda Fomm
, the BCS included almost one-hundred M13/40s.
The Italians tried to evacuate Cyrenecia in the face of the British advance, but a flying column had gotten behind them and blocked the road. In the course of an attempted breakthrough, the BCS along with the rest of the Italian 10th Army was destroyed or captured.
Ad hoc
Ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning "for this". It generally signifies a solution designed for a specific problem or task, non-generalizable, and not intended to be able to be adapted to other purposes. Compare A priori....
armored
Armoured warfare
Armoured warfare or tank warfare is the use of armoured fighting vehicles in modern warfare. It is a major component of modern methods of war....
unit formed by the Italian Royal Army
Royal Italian Army (1940–1946)
This article is about the Italian Royal Army which participated in World War II.The Italian Royal Army was reformed in 1861 and lasted until 1946. The Royal Army started with the unification of Italy and the formation of the Kingdom of Italy . It ended with the dissolution of the monarchy...
(Regio Esercito Italia) in Italian North Africa
Italian North Africa
Italian North Africa was the aggregate of territories and colonies controlled by Italy in North Africa from 1911 until World War II...
during the initial stages of the Western Desert Campaign
Western Desert Campaign
The Western Desert Campaign, also known as the Desert War, was the initial stage of the North African Campaign during the Second World War. The campaign was heavily influenced by the availability of supplies and transport. The ability of the Allied forces, operating from besieged Malta, to...
of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The group was formed in late 1940 and was destroyed at the Battle of Beda Fomm in February 1941.
History
In late 1940, the Italian Supreme Command moved quickly to organize the Brigata Corazzata Speciale (BCS). In hardly more than a month, the Italians dispatched this volunteer force to North Africa under the command of GeneralGeneral
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Valentino Babini. The BCS included Italy's most up-to-date medium tanks, the M13/40.
The M13s were a vast improvement over the M11/39s used as part of the Maletti Group
Maletti Group
The Maletti Group was an ad hoc "mechanized" unit formed by the Italian Royal Army in Italian North Africa during the initial stages of the Western Desert Campaign of World War II...
(Raggruppamento Maletti). As opposed to the M11s, the M13s had a superior turret-mounted 47 mm tank gun
Cannone da 47/32 M35
The Cannone da 47/32 M35 was an Austrian artillery piece produced under license in Italy during World War II. It was used both as an infantry gun and an anti-tank gun....
. This gun was more than able to pierce the armor of the British light and cruiser tank
Cruiser tank
The cruiser tank was a British tank concept of the inter-war period. This concept was the driving force behind several tank designs which saw action during the Second World War....
s.
The BCS included M13 tanks supported by three Bersaglieri
Bersaglieri
The Bersaglieri are a corps of the Italian Army originally created by General Alessandro La Marmora on 18 June 1836 to serve in the Piedmontese Army, later to become the Royal Italian Army...
battalions, one motorcycle battalion, one artillery regiment, two anti-tank gun companies, one engineering company, and several logistics units. Unfortunately, other than command vehicles, the M13s of the BCS were not equipped with radios. Communicating for most Italian tankers required the use of signal flags.
At Derna and Mechili
Mechili
Mechili is a small village in Cyrenaica, Libya and the former site of a turkish fort. It’s nearly east of Benghazi, and west of Timimi.-Geography:Because of its location in the desert, Mechili suffered in the past from isolation...
, the BCS included fifty-five M13/40 tanks of the 3rd Battalion and the 5th Battalion from the 131 Armoured Division Centauro
131 Armoured Division Centauro
The 131st Armoured Division Centauro was an armoured division of the Italian Army during World War II. It was formed in February 1939, by upgrading the 1st Armoured Brigade . It took part in operations in Albania, Greece and Yugoslavia before returning to Italy...
. This should have amounted to at least one-hundred-and-twenty M13s. But eighty-two tanks had just arrived at Benghazi
Benghazi
Benghazi is the second largest city in Libya, the main city of the Cyrenaica region , and the former provisional capital of the National Transitional Council. The wider metropolitan area is also a district of Libya...
and required ten days of "acclimazation
Acclimatization
Acclimatisation or acclimation is the process of an individual organism adjusting to a gradual change in its environment, allowing it to maintain performance across a range of environmental conditions...
" prior to operation.
At Benghazi
Benghazi
Benghazi is the second largest city in Libya, the main city of the Cyrenaica region , and the former provisional capital of the National Transitional Council. The wider metropolitan area is also a district of Libya...
and Beda Fomm
Beda Fomm
Beda Fomm is a small coastal town in southwestern Cyrenaica, Libya located between the much larger port city Benghazi to its north and the larger town of El Agheila further to the southwest...
, the BCS included almost one-hundred M13/40s.
The Italians tried to evacuate Cyrenecia in the face of the British advance, but a flying column had gotten behind them and blocked the road. In the course of an attempted breakthrough, the BCS along with the rest of the Italian 10th Army was destroyed or captured.