Italy's shock troops
The Arditi had been created and conceived as elite assault troops within the Royal Italian Army in 1917. Their name translates literally into daring or audacious. Their purpose was to operate in aggressive attacks in advance of main infantry, capture positions, and hold them until being reinforced. A notable mythos around the ‘daring’ nature of the Arditi was built up in Italy through propaganda of them attacking trenches with grenades and knives in their teeth. This was bolstered by the publication of various memoirs and accounts – that often strayed heavily into fiction – that blurred the lines further. Whilst the Arditi would not be formally created until 1917, their early precursors already existed. In the words of John Gooch ‘the first Italian assault detachments – which would become the Arditi – developed as an expansion of small units of esploratori who probed enemy defenses in the mountain zones in the first year of the war’. But as Vanda Wilcox also noted; ‘not until the Arditi units were formed in 1917 were any kind of complex tactics taught’.
Arditi Corps, 1918.
The Arditi were first successfully used during the Eleventh Battle of the Isonzo in 1917, but were also present during the disastrous defeat at Caporetto. Following that battle the Arditi were slightly reorganized, and some units were expanded to include flamethrowers.
Retaking Col Moschin and beyond
When the Austro-Hungarian army attacked at the Piave River in June 1918, the Italian army was well-prepared and managed to hold most of the attack around the mountains – losing some of their front-line positions - but were pushed back further near the river. On the 16th June, the IX Assault Unit of the Arditi was tasked with recapturing the summit of Col Moschin at Monte Grappa. In accordance with their training the XI Assault Unit launched a lightning attack on Austrian positions to drive the enemy out and then hold the lines until they could be reinforced by supporting infantry. This attack successfully recaptured positions on Col Moschin, Col della Berretta and Asolone.
IX Assault Unit after the Battle of Col Moschin. Source
Within days the Austro-Hungarian attack had faltered and Italian counter attacks helped recapture much of the lost territory and force the Austro-Hungarians back across the river.
Their efforts cost the Italians 85,000 men who were either killed, wounded, or taken prisoner. The Austro-Hungarian casualties were much steeper at 143,000.
This historian John Gooch has since reflected that ‘the Italians had achieved more than either they or their allies had realized at the time. The Austrians dated the beginning of their collapse from the failure of the Piave’.
The 9th Paratroopers Assault Regiment of the modern Italian Army still bears the name ‘Col Moschin’ in recognition of their attack in June 1918.
