X Army Corps (Italy) facts for kids
The Italian X Army Corps was a group of soldiers and units from the Italian army during World War II. An army corps is a large military formation, like a big team of soldiers.
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What Was the Italian X Army Corps?
The Italian X Army Corps was a major part of Italy's army during World War II. It was made up of several divisions, which are smaller groups of soldiers. This corps played a role in the fighting in North Africa.
History of the Corps
The Italian X Army Corps fought in North Africa. They were part of a big conflict called the Western Desert Campaign. This campaign involved many battles in the deserts of Egypt and Libya.
The Corps was involved in a very important battle called the Second Battle of El Alamein. This battle happened in November 1942. During this time, British forces launched strong attacks.
From October 22 to November 4, 1942, the British attacks were very intense. They caused a lot of damage to the X Army Corps. The three main divisions that belonged to the Corps were badly hit. These were the Brescia, Folgore, and Pavia divisions.
By November 5, the remaining soldiers of the Corps had to retreat. They moved towards a place called Fuka. However, on the morning of November 7, the last groups of soldiers were captured. This meant they became prisoners of war.
Because of these heavy losses, the Italian X Army Corps was officially ended in December 1942.
Divisions in October 1942
In October 1942, the Italian X Army Corps included these main divisions:
- 17th Infantry Division "Pavia"
- 27th Infantry Division "Brescia"
- 185th Paratroopers Division "Folgore"
Commanders of the Corps
Here are some of the generals who led the Italian X Army Corps:
- Generale di Corpo d'armata Alberto Barbieri (June 10, 1940 – August 4, 1941)
- Generale di Divisione Luigi Nuvoloni (August 24 – December 12, 1941)
- Generale di Corpo d'armata Benvenuto Gioda (December 13, 1941 – August 16, 1942)
- Generale di Divisione Federico Ferrari Orsi (August 17 – October 18, 1942, he was killed in action)
- Generale di Divisione Enrico Frattini (this was a temporary leader)
- Generale di Divisione Edoardo Nebbia (October 27 – November 7, 1942, he became a prisoner of war)
