June 10th 1940
4 p.m., M. Reynaud was telephoned by the Ambassador from Rome (M. Francois-Poncet), informing him that Italy had declared war on France and Great Britain.
Mussolini delivered a demagogic speech shortly after this.
June 11th
Little action on Alpine front. RAF sortied over northern Italy and bombed Turin.
June 12th
Still little activity. Italian RA carried out a series of raids on Toulon, Hyeres, Saint-Raphael, Calvi, Bastia & Bizerta, as reprisal for the RAF attack on Turin. The attacking formations were largely dispersed by AA fire, their bomb-aiming was inaccurate, and little damage was sustained by the targets.
Mussolini sent a telegram to Hitler, requesting an "exchange" of 50 German AA batteries (with crew & ammunition) for an Italian armoured division. The AA batteries were for the strengthening of air defences in Piedmont & Liguria. He states that 14 civilian dead and 30 wounded were sustained in the Turin bombing.
June 14th
A French aero-naval bombardment on Genoa by the 3rd Squadron (4 heavy cruisers - Foch, Algerie, Dupleix & Colbert - together with 4 flotillas of light cruisers). These returned to Toulon after the successful completion of the operation. Only the light cruiser Albatross was damaged (by a 152mm coastal gun shell), but managed to reach harbour.
June 15th
The Germans informed Mussolini that Italian help was not required in France. If they wanted to attack on their own, that was their affair.
Mussolini ordered General Badoglio to attack the French frontier on 18th June. Badoglio countered that it would take Italy's forces 25 days to organise an offensive, and that the Germans did not need any help.
Mussolini told him keep out of politics, and not bother moving artillery up to support the attack.
June 17th
Hitler informed Mussolini of the French government's request for armistice negotiations (and suggested talks in Munich).
June 18th
Talks in Munich - Mussolini points out that the Italians had not been asked for an armistice. Hitler contacts the French and makes such a proposal a condition of continuing negotiations.
June 21st
Italian assault launched in the Alps. At dawn, 19 of the 32 Italian divisions massed in the area launched attacks on the French positions.
The Alpine Army had been heavily drawn upon to bolster the crumbling forces in the north. They now consisted of the fortified sectors of Savoy (north), Dauphine (centre) and Alpes-Maritimes (south), manned by fortress units and the 64th, 65th & 65th Reserve "B" Infantry Divisions. Also, as the Italians pushed from the east, the Germans were moving down the Rhone valley and endangering the Alpine Army's rear. General Olry responded by splitting his forces into two groups: one facing north-west against the Germans, the other south-east against the Italians.
The Italians were attacking the French all along the line. In the north, 12 battalions advanced on Bourg-Saint-Maurice, via the Seigne, Petit Saint-Bernard and Mont passes. Despite facing only 4 battalions and 44 guns in this area, they only succeeded in surrounding a small fortified post near the Petit Saint-Bernard pass, but could not take it.
In Maurienne the Italians made a strong advance on Modane, seeking to force the Mont-Cenis, Sollieres, Bellecombe & Clapier passes. At 5:30 a.m. they shelled the La Turra fort with a heavy bombardment, but it continued to resist. Further south, however, French reconnaissance units were outflanked by 2 battalions and driven back from Le Planey to the La Tuille dam.
In Briancon an artillery duel between the Italian fort at Chaberton and a battery of French 280mm howitzers resulted in the silencing of Chaberton within hours.
By the end of the day, the Italians were held everywhere except on the Le Queyras headland where they had managed to encircle the village of Abries.
June 22nd
Italians resumed their attacks along the front. Held everywhere except along the coast, where they made progress in the area east of Menton.
June 23rd
Italians brought up substantial reinforcements, and renewed their assault, but without success.
June 24th
French positions still intact on both northern and eastern flanks in the Alps.
At 9 p.m. order received to cease hostilities on all fronts, effective 12:35 a.m. French Summer Time.
At 10p.m., General Olry stated that:
"Of the thirty-two divisions in the Italian army, nineteen were wholly or partly engaged against the outposts - and in a few cases the main elements - of our six divisions.
"We were outnumbered seven to one in Tarentaise, four to one in Maurienne, three to one in Brianconnais, twelve to one in Queyras, nine to one in Ubaye, six to one in Tinee, seven to one in L'Aution and Sospel, and four to one in Menton.
"Our adversary only made contact with, or approached, our main positions in Tarentaise and near Menton. All our fortified advance posts held out, even when encircled..."
June 25th
At 12:35, bugles sounded the cease-fire all along the front. The Franco-Italian armistice came into effect (only due to pressure from Germany).
June 30th
Mussolini drove to Lanslebourg, in Maurienne, to congratulate the Italian troops who had fought on the Alpine front. On the way down from the Mont-Cenis pass he noticed a fort on his left flying the French tricoleur. This was the La Turra fort, 9000 feet above sea level, defended by Sub-Lieutenants Prudhon and Chandesris with nine NCOs and forty-one Chasseurs and gunners. They had held out, despite being surrounded by several divisions, for ten days. Mussolini ordered them to be freed with honours of war.
Army Group West (H.R.H. Umberto di Savoia, Prince of Piemont)
Army Group Assets:
61st Air Force Sqn (recon)
1st Army (Gen.Pietro Pintor)
Army Assets:
4th AA Arty Rgt
2nd Army Arty Group
4th Army Arty Group
7th Army Arty Group
8th Army Arty Group
1st Signal Bn
2nd Cableways Bn
2nd Miners (Mountain Eng) Bn
5th Miners Bn
69th Air Force Sqn (recon)
Army Reserves :
7th Infantry Division "Lupi di Toscana" (Gen. Ottavio Priore)
16th Infantry Division "Pistoia" (Gen. Mario Priore)
22nd Infantry Division "Cacciatori delle Alpi" (Gen. Dante Lorenzelli)
5th Alpini Division (Gen. Amedeo de Cia)
"Celere" (fast - motor) Group
1st Bersaglieri Rgt
3rd Tanks Rgt
"Cavalleggeri di Monferrato" Cav. Rgt
2nd Corps (Gen. Francesco Bettini)
4th Infantry Division (Mountain) "Livorno" (Gen. Benvenuto Gioda)
33rd Infantry Division (Mountain) "Acqui" (Gen. Francesco Sartoris)
36th Infantry Division (Mountain) "Forli' " (Gen. Giulio Perugi)
4th Alpini Division "Cuneense" (Gen.Alberto Ferrero)
Corps Assets :
3rd Guardia alla Frontiera (Frontier Guards) Sector
2nd Corps Arty Group
2nd Eng Group
7th Guardia alla Frontiera Arty Group
14th Guardia alla Frontiera Arty Group
22nd Guardia alla Frontiera Arty Group
"Valle Stura" Alpini Bn
"Val Maira" Alpini Bn
6th MMG Bn
102nd MMG Bn
109th Positional MMG Bn
114th Positional MMG Bn
5th "Artieri" (Construction Eng) Bn
2nd Tank coy
84th Telegraph Coy
152nd Workers Coy
1st Chemical Coy
72nd Searchlights Section
6th Mobile Pigeon-Messengers Unit
3rd Corps (Gen. Mario Arisio)
3rd Infantry Division "Ravenna" (Gen. Edoardo Nebbia)
6th Infantry Division "Cuneo" (Gen. Gen.Carlo Melotti)
Corps Assets :
2nd Guardia alla Frontiera Sector
3rd Corps Arty Group
3rd Eng Group
16th Guardia alla Frontiera Arty Group
"Val Venosta" Alpini Bn
3rd MMG Bn
103rd MMG Bn
112th Positional MMG Bn
10th "Artieri" (Construction Eng) Bn
7th Telegraph Coy
72nd Telegraph Coy
3rd Blackshirts Bn
4th Blackshirts Bn
8th Mobile Pigeon-Messengers Unit
15th Corps (Gen.Gastone Gambara)
5th Infantry Division "Cosseria" (Gen. Alberto Vassari)
37th Infantry Division (Mountain) "Modena" (Gen. Alessandro Gloria)
44th Infantry Division "Cremona" (Gen. Umberto Mondino)
Alpini Group (4 x Alpini Bns - 2 x Alpini Arty Bns - 1 x Blackshirts Bn)
Corps Assets :
1st Guardia alla Frontiera Sector
5th Guardia alla Frontiera Sector
15th Corps Arty Group
11th Guardia alla Frontiera Arty Group
24th Guardia alla Frontiera Arty Group
15th MMG Bn
108th Positional MMG Bn
111th Positional MMG Bn
9th "Artieri" (Construction Eng) Bn
71st Telegraph Coy
76th Telegraph Coy
100th Radio Coy
33rd Blackshirts Bn
34th Blackshirts Bn
4th Army (Gen. Alfredo Guzzoni)
Army Assets :
1st AA Arty Rgt
1st Army Arty Group
6th Army Arty Group
9th Army Arty Group
5th Eng Group
1st Miners Bn
3rd Miners Bn
5th Air Force Sqn (recon)
2nd Telegraph Coy
129th Radio Coy
Army Reserves :
11th Infantry Division "Brennero" (Gen. Arnaldo Forgiero)
58th Infantry Division "Legnano" (Gen. Edoardo Scala)
2nd Alpini Division "Tridentina" (Gen. Ugo Santovito)
"Celere" Group
4th Bersaglieri Rgt
1st Tank Rgt
"Nizza Cavalleria" Cav.Rgt
1st Corps (Gen. Carlo Vecchiarelli)
1st Infantry Division (Mountain) "Superga" (Gen. Curio Barbasetti di Prun)
24th Infantry Division "Pinerolo" (Gen. Giuseppe de Stefanis)
59th Infantry Division (Mountain) "Cagliari" (Gen. Antonio Scuero)
Corps Assets :
8th Guardia alla Frontiera Sector
9th Guardia alla Frontiera Sector
1st Corps Arty Group
19th Guardia alla Frontiera Arty Group
23rd Guardia alla Frontiera Arty Group
"Susa" Alpini Bn
"Val Cenischia" Alpini Bn
3rd Alpini Group (3 bns)
1st MMG Bn
101st MMG Bn
113th Positional MMG Bn
11th "Artieri" (Construction Eng) Bn
78th Telegraph Coy
83rd Telegraph Coy
96th Radio Coy
11th Blackshirts Bn
3rd Mobile Pigeon-Messengers Unit
4th Corps (Gen. Camillo Mercalli)
2nd Infantry Division (Mountain) "Sforzesca (Gen. Alfonso Ollearo)
26th Infantry Division (Mountain) "Assietta" (Gen. Emanuele Girlando)
Corps Assets :
7th Guardia alla Frontiera Sector
4th Corps Arty Group
8th Guardia alla Frontiera Arty Group
4th MMG Bn
104th Positional MMG Bn
1st "Artieri" (Construction Eng) Bn
73rd Telegraph Coy
92nd Telegraph Coy
98th Radio Coy
11th Mobile Pigeon-Messengers Unit
Alpini Corps (Gen. Luigi Negri)
1st Alpini Division "Taurineense" (Gen. Paolo Micheletti)
Alpini Group "Levanna"
3rd Alpini Rgt
Corps Assets :
10th Guardia alla Frontiera Sector
12th Guardia alla Frontiera Arty Group
103rd Positional MMG Bn
110th Positional MMG Bn
Alpini Bn "Duca d'Aosta"
Alpini ski unit "Monte Bianco"
Alpini "Arditi" (Assault Troops) Unit
13th Blackshirts Bn
(The above was provided by the inestimable Arturo Lorioli, and used with his permission).
Try this excellent French-language site on the Alpine section of the Maginot Line
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