The CSIR arrived on the Eastern Front in mid-July 1941. Initially integrated into the 11th German Army and then in the 1st Panzer Army, the CSIR participated in the campaign until April 1942, when the needs of the front required the sending of two other Italian corps which together with the CSIR were reunited into the 8th Italian Army or Italian Army in Russia (Armata Italiana in Russia, ARMIR).
Upon its arrival in the theatre of operations, authority over CSIR was assigned to the 11th Inter-Allied Army in conjunction with the Hungarian Corps of the Romanian Third Army, as well as both German XI & XXX Corps. Although the Italian troops possessed a small force, they lacked enough armoured vehicles and therefore were unable to sustain a solid operational reserve. Because of this deficiency, when they engaged Soviet Reserves, it would become clear that the force must therefore act as a Strategic Reserve, and concentrate their efforts within the Sector around the Jsvori/Yampol region. The Germans launched an offensive known as the "Battle of the Two Rivers", with the express purpose of annihilating the Soviet troops situated on the banks of the Dniester and Bug Rivers, which resulted in the utilisation of the first of a series of exclusions, namely, the Italian "Pasubio" Division. Their assigned mission was to make a push towards Nikolayev and then work along the right side of the Bug towards the elimination of any and all remaining Soviet Bridgehead positions.[5][6]
Italian troops, through the early periods of operation, were subject to the severity of Weather Conditions and Topography Unique to Ukraine; as it had been raining heavily for an extended period resulting in all the Black Soil having been transformed into a huge expanse of slippery, muddy ground, limiting any chance of being able to move forward. Meanwhile, on the same day as the beginning of the Italian 11th Campaign the "Torino" Division continued to complete its Long March; and "Celere" was reorganised. However, in early August, as soon as the Pasubio Division became available to the front lines for operation, they engaged with the Soviet forces near the Bug River, and this was shortly after being engaged in combat within some degree of success prior to the arrival of the 11th Army Divisions.[7][8]
The Advance to Donetz
After the fast German expansion into Ukraine including Poltava's capturing, Kiev's surrender and Kharkov's falling, the Red Army had to retreat back over the vast majority of this area by the end of October 1941. By this point, Adolf Hitler was convinced that a successful offensive campaign had been set up, so on 2 October he announced that a major offensive would take place before winter and therefore needed large-scale and fast actions to complete it. This urgency placed a heavy burden on units such as the CSIR in Russia that continued to suffer from inadequate transportation and supply lines, which was an issue repeatedly raised by General Messe to no avail. As per instructions on 1 October, the CSIR was to move northeast of Dnepropetrovsk and advance to the Samara River to protect against an enemy attack along the southern front which would encircle Soviet troops near Melitopol. Although there were numerous delays caused by excessive shortages, poor and inadequate river crossings due to poor weather, and extreme autumn weather, the Italian units began to move into their assigned areas around Pavlograd and on the Woltschja River, overcoming determined Soviet rear-guard actions. The Italian Bersaglieri units played an important role in the destruction of the Ulianovka and Pavlograd bridgehead positions in conjunction with the advance guard of the German 198th Infantry Division and captured the fortifications of both locations.[9]
In its rapid advance toward the Sea of Azov, the German 1st Panzer Army had been met with little resistance from the Soviet Southern Front due to the speed of the operation. To capitalise on this opportunity, the German High Command ordered an increase in operations on 8 October, directing forces toward Taganrog, Rostov, and the route to Stalingrad. The plan required that Unit movements occurred in tight timeframes to avoid congested areas exposed to Soviet fire. As part of this operation, units of the "Celere" Italian Division occupied Novo Nikolajevka on 12 October and advanced on two fronts, with Cavalry mounting contact with German units on one flank, while Bersaglieri occupied close quarters with Soviet rearguards on the other flank. Despite the adverse terrain, disruption of river crossings, and engagements where Cavalry patrols encountered heavy automatic fire, the Axis advance continued as Soviet forces continued to withdraw; as they withdrew, they would destroy bridges. The coordination between the "Celere" and "Pasubio" Divisions compensated for the lack of transport available to the remaining Italian units, while mobile tactics and effective artillery support continued to enable the Axis to advance despite the fact that the roads were poor and muddy. After a series of local engagements and seizing of the key villages and rail stations leading up to Stalino, Italian forces continued to advance toward Stalino. There they set up to conduct the final assault.[9][10]
"The Celere has accomplished superb feats in recent days, reviving the glories of its magnificent regiments. Its contribution to the occupation of the Stalino industrial zone was decisive. I feel immense pride in being your leader, because with your intrepid demeanor, you have created new and greater reasons for Italy to be proud. To all... my warmest praise."
Italian troops battled for Gorlovka's control, taking control of a city with roughly 120K individuals. Prior to attacking the city, the Italian 9th Infantry Division "Pasubio" spent one week clearing minefields from the vicinity of Gorlovka.[11][12] At the same time, the 3rd Cavalry Division mounted an aggressive attack to take control of Rukovo, an industrial community just south of Gorlovka.[13] Then, on 2nd of November, troops of the "Pasubio" Division advanced from Gorlovka's west while 3rd Cavalry Division troops came from the southeast. The Soviet 296th Rile Division was charged with defending Gorlovka. The "Pasubio" Division's 80th Infantry Regiment "Pasubio" was engaged in extremely close combat, house-to-house, while the division 79th Infantry Regiment "Pasubio" was advancing through the centre of Gorlovka with far less resistance and with the support of artillery provided by the 3rd Cavalry Division's 3rd Horse Artillery Regiment. Approximately 600 Soviet soldiers were taken as prisoners, though it remains uncertain what the complete Soviet casualty count. After the defending 296th Rifle Division withdrew from Gorlovka, a few days of combat continued as Italian troops continued their advancement towards Gorlovka and the surrounding areas to drive out the remaining defenders.[14]
Occupation of Nikitovka, Ubeschitsche and Chazepetovka
In November 1941, the battles that took place around Nikitovka were some of the most challenging for the Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia on the Eastern Front. In early November, the 80th Infantry Regiment "Pasubio" advanced beyond Gorlovka towards Trudovaja until they were attacked by the Soviet Union’s 74th Division, which was attempting to exploit the open I.K. (Italian-KG German) gap between the Italian and German forces of approximately 40 kilometres in length. The 80th Infantry Regiment "Pasubio" was immediately surrounded, as the regiment did not have any supplies of food, ammunition or water; however, they counter-attacked immediately and were able to throw back the Soviet forces and seize Nikitovka on the 6th of November. Nevertheless, they had now found themselves in an extremely vulnerable position and the pressure on both flanks was increasing. The 79th Infantry Regiment "Pasubio" attempted to break through the encirclement, but it was not until the 3rd Bersaglieri Regiment arrived later that the attempts to break out were successful. Harrowing incidents such as the death of a Russian woman, Juliana Andr, resulted from efforts to bring water to toiling troops during this critical time indicated how severe ownership was. By 12 November, the exact same supply problems and continuing siege of the wounded soldiers were creating horrible consequences. On the edge of surrounding Nikitovka on the night of 12 November, the XVIII Bersaglieri Battalion and XX Bersaglieri Battalion of the 3rd Bersaglieri Regiment were pinned down by heavy fire which caused Colonel Caretto to evacuate his troops. When a snowstorm struck that evening, it enabled the 80th Infantry Regiment "Pasubio" to retreat from the wounded, frostbitten and leave behind 130 dead and 553 wounded,[15] although the Italians tactically won the Nikitovka battle and restored contact with their main lines, the overall strategic balance of the Eastern Front still remained in Soviet favor.[16][17][18]
"In the tough, victorious battle waged yesterday by the troops under your command, I was particularly close to you, with all the passion of a commander. You have accomplished superb things that honor the CSIR. My highest praise to all the commanders and soldiers. A most vibrant and moving greeting goes to the 3rd Bersaglieri and Colonel Caretto, their worthy commander"
After the unsuccessful assault around mid-November, General Messe ordered a renewed attack on the Soviet salient extending out into the Italian Theatre. This second operation would be larger, have a more complex plan and feature the combined efforts of the "Pasubio" Division and "Torino" Division. An Italian advance would no longer advance directly toward the Yelenovka - Ubescicce line. Instead, the Italians would advance in two columns toward the village of Chazepetovka approximately 15 km north of Yelenovka and then turn east then bend south to the final objective.[19]
On 4-5 November, after reconnaissance was done, the "Torino" Division attacked at 6 November against the Soviet 95th NKVD Regiment. Strong Soviet resistance limited the initial Italian gains, but the 81st Infantry Regiment "Torino" found a more suitable course of advance some kilometres to the west. By 7 November the regiment advanced on the Soviet position penetrating deeper and encountering stronger organised resistance as it approached. Just after noon Italian troops reached Chazepetovka, a small village still in Soviet control, the last major obstacle to Chazepetovka.[20]
The capture of the village was extremely important to the survival of the attacking units due to extremely low temperatures of -30 C degrees. Italian units were under fire from the village and both flanks, and the combat is described below.[21]
Battle of Christmas 1941
The goal of the attack was to open the path to Stalino and threaten vital Axis railway junctures.[22]
The attack was conducted on Christmas day by the Soviet 35th and 68th Cavalry divisions plus the 136th Rifle Division, and was primarily aimed at the Italian 3rd Cavalry Division "Principe Amedeo Duca d'Aosta", later reinforced by parts of the Italian 9th Infantry Division "Pasubio" and 52nd Infantry Division "Torino".[23] Bearing the brunt of the attack against numerically-superior forces, the 3rd Cavalry Division held their sector. The limited Soviet gains were rolled back by Dec 27, when formations from the "Pasubio" and "Torino" divisions, plus the German 318th Infantry Regiment (with supporting armor), counterattacked and regained the lost ground. In the end, for the cost of 168 dead and 207 missing, the Italians had defeated the Soviets, who lost over 2,000 dead; the Italians also took 1,200 Soviet troops prisoner and captured 24 76mm guns, 9 anti-tank guns, and large stockpiles of machine guns and vehicles. The Italian victory was partly due to close collaboration between their infantry and artillery.[24]
The 3rd Bersaglieri Regiment played a decisive part in the fighting, defending against ten-fold superior forces before falling back, and participating in the counterattack.[25]
Battles of Izyum
Throughout 1942, both the Italian Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia and the Soviet Union faced numerous challenges during their battles within the Samara-Izyum theatre. Some of these challenges included continual air and artillery bombardments from opposing forces, (in addition to freezing temperatures), but also included being battle-weary and outnumbered (due to constant losses). The soldiers often held forward observation posts for their units, like in Voroshilova, where the 63rd 'Tagliamento' Legion experienced near daily air raids and artillery bombardments until they were relieved from their position on January 20, and subsequently moved back to Hill 311.7, where again the unit suffered heavy losses due to the Soviet January Offensive that started towards[26]
The Bereka and Samara Rivers and was directed towards Losovaya and Krivoroshije. As a result, the German Army, (17th), as well as the Italian forces, were put under incredible stress during this period.[27][28]
In an effort to demonstrate Italy's support in Russia, General Messe created an improvised task force known as the 'Musinu' Group, which was formed from remnants of various Italian military branches, such as engineers, dismounted tank crews, artillery, and cavalry. The 'Musinu' Group participated in numerous difficult engagements at Soviefka, Nikolajevka, Petrovka, and Snamenovka and suffered significant losses before being replaced by another ad hoc task force commanded by Colonel Giusiana. During February and March of 1942, reinforced with additional Bersaglieri, artillery sections and the Skiers Battalion "Monte Cervino", the Italian forces helped to successfully stop numerous assaults by the Soviet forces against their positions at Novaya Orlovka and Orlovka, as well as both the Pasubio and Torino sectors, and later joined German troops in a counteroffensive launched on March 22 that significantly helped to stop the ongoing Soviet offensive. At that point in time, both sides were significantly weakened by the prolonged war, compounded by the fact that spring was now upon both nations (the thaw).[26][29][30]
In July 1942, Mussolini scaled up the Italian effort on the Eastern Front and the CSIR became the 8thItalian Army. The 8thItalian Army was also known as the Italian Army in Russia (ARMIR). The ARMIR was subordinated to German General Maximilian von Weichs' Army GroupB. His justifications were the Italian duty to fight Soviet Bolshevism and the requests by his German allies for additional forces, Operation Barbarossa having been longer and costlier than they expected. General Messe and many other traditional officers opposed further commitments to the Eastern Front, seeing it as of little importance and cautioning further subordination to Germany, but Mussolini overruled them. Italian General Italo Gariboldi took command of the newly formed ARMIR from General Messe. As commander of the CSIR, Messe had opposed an enlargement of the Italian contingent in Russia until it could be properly equipped. As a result, he was dismissed. Just prior to commanding the ARMIR, Gariboldi was the Governor-General of Italian Libya.[31]
Notes
↑In July 1942, Mussolini scaled up the Italian effort on the Eastern Front and the CSIR became the 8th Italian Army. The 8th Italian Army was also known as the Italian Army in Russia (ARMIR). Italian General Italo Gariboldi took command of the newly formed ARMIR from General Messe. As commander of the CSIR, Messe had opposed an enlargement of the Italian contingent in Russia until it could be properly equipped.
↑Other generals and subordinates, such as Aminto Caretto and Alessandro Bettoni Cazzago, contributed significantly, but Messe was the main commander and led the major battles.
↑Other generals and subordinates, such as Ivan Galanin, Andrey Yeryomenko and Nikolai Vatutin contributed significantly, but Zhukov was the main commander and led the major battles.
↑Messe was dismissed and replaced by Italo Gariboldi, and the CSIR was merged into ARMIR officially ending CSIR in 1942.
References
↑Amministratore. "C.S.I.R. - Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Russia". www.unirr.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2025-11-22. The fighting continued unevenly, until, with the arrival of significant reinforcements, the enemy was forced to retreat to its starting points. This was the CSIR's last operational activity as an autonomous large unit later CSIR was merged into ARMIR on July 1942
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