I have always been interested from the "historical" point of view in the Russian Campaign, also in memory of my father who participated in it with the "Savoia Cavalleria", writing articles published in trade magazines. Of the participation of Black Shirts of the "Tagliamento" Legion, to the Russian campaign, either for anti-fascism reasons, or for a total mental repression of that historical period, very little is known about it. The fact is, however, that that Legion participates like all other units of the Army, Aviation and Royal Navy in that Campaign.
The MVSN (Voluntary Militia for Homeland Security) 63a Legion CC.NN. assault "Tagliamento" originally formed on a territorial basis by Friulian legionaries, joined by Emilians, was originally made up largely of veterans, who had already participated in the wars in East Africa, Spain, and Albania.
From 5 July 1941 the Legion spent a period of training in Marmirolo in the province of Mantua, then between 9 and 10 August 1941 the five trains carrying the Legion passed the Brenner border and on the 23 of the same month, its transfer began. by ordinary route (on foot) from Trusesti (Romania) to Perwomajsk, where on the 27th the 63rd was placed under the control of the "Turin" self-transportable infantry division. Later the three battalions "M" "Montebello" of Bergamo, "Leonessa" of Brescia, and "Valle Scrivia" of Como also arrived.
On 29 August the Legion was destined to be part of the "3a Celere "by General Mario Marazzani. On 9 September he replaced the" Lanceri di Novara "in the task of defending a stretch of the western (right) bank of the Dnieper, passing to the tactical dependencies of the 3a Rapid division "Principe Anedeo Duca d'Aosta".
He received his baptism of fire in the battle of Petrikowka, which took place between 27 and 30 September 1941. Subsequently he will participate in all the major operations of the Italian troops operating on the Russian front, including the famous "Christmas battle" fought between 25 and December 31, 1941.
In October the Italian expeditionary force was deployed on the left wing of the 1st Panzerarmee by Von Kleist. The CSIR occupied a front that extended for 100 kilometers following the west bank of the Vovcha River. The Blackshirts of the "Tagliamento" Legion were called between 9 and 11 October to support the attack carried out by a German division on the eastern bank of the Vovcha river against the city of Pavlohrad. The action crowned with full success gave way to the race towards the Donec.
Together with the Germans, the Italian troops took part in the advance on Stalino, which began on 13 October, led by the regiments of the "Savoia Cavalleria" and "Lanceri di Novara", as well as the 3rd bersaglieri all belonging to the "Celere". The "Tagliamento" operating with the "Pasubio" reached Dmitrievka on 16 October. On the 20th the Legion reached Podgorodnoje, just evacuated by the Russians.
After Stalino Gorlovka (photo) and the important center of Nikitovka were occupied. The mining towns of Gorlowka and Rikovo today are known as Yenakiieve and Horlivka respectively. The name of Stalino has now changed to Donetsk, it did not derive from the name of Stalin as many think, but it was attributed to it in honor of the great steel production. However, it was changed following the de-Stalinization to which the country was subjected after the death of the dictator.
Italians were called to intervene in support of the 17th German army. The Soviets unleashed their attack on Christmas Eve, this time the Bersaglieri of the 3rd Regiment and the Blackshirts of the "Tagliamento" Legion had to bear the brunt of the Russian attack. The goal was to break the Italian-German front, separate the CSIR from the Germans and penetrate deeply towards the west, until reaching and cutting the road that led to Stalino.
The battle zone was between two railway lines: the Rikowo-Chzepetowka-Debalizewo to the north-west, and the Tchemuchino-Nikitino-Rassypnaja to the east. Their maximum effort was concentrated against the sector held by the Celere, as it covered an area of about 20 kilometers of flat land, devoid of any fortifications, and represented the weakest point of the Italian deployment. The battle lasted until December 31 and had alternating phases. Eventually the Russian offensive was exhausted and the CSIR deployment consolidated on the positions already reached before Christmas. The percentage of losses compared to the strength of the Legion present at the time of crossing the border at the Brenner, in six months of operations had been 65 percent (44 officers and 915 legionaries and soldiers).
In the first months of 1942 no longer engaged in fighting, the Legion remained in Vladimirovka under the command of the "Celere". On April 18 in Charcz'k the symbolic exchange of deliveries took place between the "Tagliamento" and the Croatian Legion in the presence of General Messe, and the commander of the "Celere". In April 1942, the 63rd Legion was called the "CC.NN. Tagliamento" group. Resuming the war activity during the new offensive phase for the occupation of the mining basin of Krasnij Luc, led by the XXXV army corps, or by the veterans of the CSIR with the addition of the recently arrived "Sforzesca" division. For the occasion, the XXXV Army Corps was part of the 17a German army. The group "Tagliamento from the first days of the month had returned to the" Celere "supporting the Croatian Legion in the offensive deployment of the division.
The first phase of the operations involved the occupation of Nikitino by the "Tagliamento", which was occupied in the first ten days of July. To pursue the retreating Russians towards Krasnaja Polyana, on the orders of the CSIR, the command of the "Celere" used the "Mittica" grouping set up shortly before and formed by the "Tagliamento", the Croatian Legion and the III group artillery on horseback.
The task of the XXXV Army Corps was to garrison a sector 60 kilometers as the crow flies, equal to 80 kilometers of the winding bank of the Don River. The "Sforzesca" was the right wing of the entire 8th line-upa armed; to the right of it was 79a division of the German infantry, framed in the XVII army corps of General Hollidt, far left wing of the 6a Army of General Paulus.
Leaving Millerovo at dawn on August 8, the blackshirts of the "Tagliamento" had brought an agricultural center to Popowka which they renamed "the land of geese" given the impressive number of these birds. On the 14th they ceased to be part of the tactical commitment of the "Celere" passing directly under the XXXV army corps, which would have framed, among its own units, a grouping of 6 battalions of CC.NN. The "Tagliamento" Legion, keeping its ancient name, would have been transformed into the "Tagliamento" Group, always made up of the same units. The "Montebello" Group would then come from Italy. Both would form the "January 3" Group, which was assigned to the army corps reserve where it would remain until December to re-enter the line on the Don.
In August 1942, the 3.000 Russia Blackshirts from the "March 23" group had arrived and had reached the front on the Don by the end of the month. Then the militia units were placed in defensive deployment and would no longer participate in other military forces, until the offensives unleashed by the Russians in December. Surrounded by the Soviets, only a few hundred legionaries managed to assemble in Vorosilovgrad. Here, by the time "23 March" reached "3 January", 1.500 survivors were mostly wounded and frozen, the others had already fallen during the retreat or taken prisoner by the Soviets. In January 1943, the "Blackshirts" continued their retreat from Stalino to Dnepropetrovsk along with other departments. In the same period, further north, the tragedy of the Alpine army corps took place, the survivors were finally gathered in the Gomel area, from where in March they would have begun the repatriation. In the Russian Campaign, the Legion earned a gold and a silver medal in the VM
When they left Italy in August 1941, the men of the "Tagliamento" numbered 1.613. The 153 survivors in April 1943, would have become part of the armored division "CC.NN. M". After 8 September they passed into the formations of the Republic of Salò, then following the nemesis of fascism.
Photo: web
