JOURNAL OF ITALIAN ARMY 1988 N.4 "RIVISTA MILITARE"

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AUGUST 1988

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LUCIO INNECCO Training

GIULIO BEDESCHI Paolo Caccia Dominioni: A Man

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CONTENTS. European Military Press Agency

Number four 19l July-Augu

The aim of Rivista lv1ilitare is lo oroaden and upclale the 1ecl1nical and vocational training of Army Officers E NCOs To this end it funct'ons as a vehic le for the d issemination of mililary ihinking and as a foru m of study c debate. Rivista iviilitare is also intenoed to l)e a means o' informing ll1e general public aoou t tile Army and milit matters lhrougl1 the publication of articles oi current technical and sc en11f1c interest

Dl!lilRIVlnA

ffllLITARE BIMESTR ALE

Politics, Economics and Strategy 2

Security and Model of Defence (Giro Di Martino)

Supplemento al n. 4 della Aivista Militare

14 The Defence of Europe and of Italy

Direttore responsabile Pier Giorgio Franzosi Direzlone e Redazione Via di S. Marco, 8 00186 Roma Tel. 47357373

(Luigi Poli)

Science, Technology and Training 24 Training

Pubblicit a A cura della segreIeria dell'Utticio Riv1s1a M,htare Tel. 6794200 .

(Lucio lnnecco)

Stampa

~ii~;~a~~~~ ~t~igg 1t~ Aoma 1

Spedizlone in abbonamento postale Gruppo IV • 70%.

Condizloni d i cession e per ii 1988 Un fascicolo : Lit 4.000 S4 OM 6 £3 Un fascicolo arre1rato: Lit. 8 .000 S 8 OM 14 £ 6 Abbonamento Italia. UI. 22.000 estero Lit 30 .000. L'importo deve essere versato su c/c po stale n. 22521009 in1esIaI0 a SME Ufficio Rivis!a Militare · Sezione di amministraiione · Via XX Se!lembre 123/A - Roma.

I residenti all'estero possono versare l'importo tramite assegno bancario o vnglia internazionale AuIorizzazione del Tribunale di Roma al n. 944 del Regisuo con decreto 7-6 -1949.

32 The Mechanized and Armored Minor Complex

Sociology 44 Non-Commissioned Officers.

Training, Selection, Employment (Carlo Alfonso Giannatiempo)

History 48 The Historic Cavalry Museum (Carlo De Virgilio)

Militaria 58 Paolo Caccia Dominioni: A Man (Giu/io Bedeschi)

Fascicolo curato da Gian Carlo T orcelli

66 Man On Two Wheels (Gian Carlo Torcelli)

70 Collector's Cards 72 Book Reviews

© 1988 Proprieta letteraria art1stica e se1entifica riservata

Mambo, ot USPI

Un1one S1amoa Penodica 1talla11a

Rules for contributors. Anyone can contribute In lhe i11lerest oi the max mum ob1ectivity of informal on. R1~ M l1 tare allows contributors consi-::ieral)le freedom, although it does nol necessarily subscribe 10 ttleir op1n1ons. art ,cles are publishec unedi ted and iree of any editofal constra ints and are therefore the sole responsibiliiy of Author and reflecl his personal ideas exclusively. The topic must be treated in an or'gi nal way and ihe arti, themselves shoulcl nol exceed t0 typewri tten pages in lenglh The AL1thor. got his reward. •nakcs ove1 his ex s,ve arlicle right to Riv:sta Militare. R v sta Mil'tarc ca n make over Autl1or's exclus,ve artic le right to olher pub tior s and to 1he periooicals of EMP.A. (European Military Press Agency). The articles shoul(j be accompagnec the necessary pholographs. drawings and explanatory tables Each Aul11or is requested lo send a phowg rap h mself. together wilh his "curriculum vitae· and a 10-hnc summary of the arlic le lo be publisl1ed. Rivista Mili reserves the rigl1t to alter Ille article's titl e and to choose Ille typeface in wh ich t ,s set.

Mario Logli: Federico di Montefeltro, oil and acrylic, 80cm x 80cm

A complex and special structure such as the Army cannot at any time prescind from man, who is certainly the most precious of all resources¡ and the incremental factor of the success and performance of the entire orga.n ization.

The debates on the new models of defence, with all the coroll aries and analogical extensions assoc iated with it, always produce a certain apprehension.

The whole matter mutatis mutandis - calls to mi nd the great amount of talking and writing on the reform of our in stitutions.

We can very well study t hese problems and accept with an open mind t he ensuing calm 4

discussions but , if we do not want to devote ourselves to a distractin g Sisyphean task, let us complete first what has already been planned.

Then it will be more rational and tru ly realistic to make sensib le and relat ively inexpensive modifications; they must be suitable for our count ry and not related to abstract concepts imported from abroad and pertaining to other realities.

The ltal ian defence policy is inspired by the princi ples establi shed by the Constitution and regulated by Law 382/1978, wh ich lists the "Princ iples on military disc ipl ine" developed and detai led in the five interservice missions of the "White Paper 1985" . Another reference is undoubtedly the Atlantic Alliance, which for four decades has provided the indispensable framework of security to its member cou ntries, behavi ng as a bal ancing fact or in East-West relat ions. The "defencedeterrence-detente" st rategy remains valid in substance, even after the recent agreements on the " Intermediate Nuclear Forces" (INF), alt hough these did pose some political and strategic problems as regards both t he lesser credibi lity of the US nuclear interventions and the diminished strategic cohesion among the various European Regions.

No doubt the dec li ne of the deterrence concept prompts the reemergence of the "conventional", a sector in wh ich the Soviet Union has an overwhelming superiority.

Hence the option to include in the same negotiations t he reduction of all st rategic, theatre-nuc lear and conventional armaments, as well as the redressing of the relevant balances.

Thus, the negotiations wou ld not look li ke a prog ression towards a preestablished goal , but rather li ke an instrument to preserve the global picture o f international relations, conce ived as a dynamic balance.

W ithin this framework, one should stren gthen also, as regards its " im age", the Atlantic solidarity, pursuing , meanwhile, a more concrete European integ ration in the political field and, particularly, in the defence sector.

Mario Logli: Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, oil and acrylic, 80cm x 80cm

Neverthe less, an opt imistic outlook on the future mu st go hand in hand wit h a realist ic approach to the present delicate situ at ion. A s uccessful outcome of t he negotiat ions is actually c losely connected with a sufficient " contractu al capabi lity" by the West.

Moreover, NATO's reduced capability of global response resulting from t he elimination of the Intermed iate Nuclear Forces - vis-a-vis the c lear c onventional superiority of the Warsaw Pact, calls for t he strengthening of t he Western defensive instrumen t, at least from the qualitat ive point o f view. All t his implies a boost of the "conventional ", particularly from the technological standpoint.

The ach ievement o f a correct balance between the necessity to improve t he defensive inst ruments and the need to promote detente is the very gist of the question. Th is is actu ally t he line followed by the Defenc e Mi nisters of the Alliance who, during t he sess ion o f the Plan ning Committee in December 1987, reaf firm ed the need to promote stabi lity both through initiatives in negotiat ions and by strengt hen ing the "convent ional", already agreed upon w ithin the " Conventional Defence Improvement" (CDI) .

Su ch improvement is substant ial ly li nked to t he imp lementation of the new NATO operational princip les, among t hem the " Follow On Forces Attack" (FOFA) wh ich envisages the in-depth intervention against the enemy forces and presupposes an adequate availability of hig hperformance survey and f ire means, as well as com mand and control equ ipment to be produced mak ing large recourse to the emerging t ech nologies.

This concept seems moreover destin ed to assume an even greater importance as

Tra ining, in peacetime, is the main act ivity of the Arm ed Forces: in fact, the most mode rn and techno logical ly advanced means are of no avail if the personnel is unable to employ them co rrectly and effic ient ly. a consequence of cutbacks in the conventional com ponent; the two blocs cou ld come to an agreement on the withdrawal of forces.

On the other hand, the same conclusions have been reached by the assessments regard ing possible reductions in the theatre short-range nuclear arsenal (triple-zero option) which, by further impairing the capacity of " flexible response" , would again make the whole " conventional" even more important.

It can be said that, contrary to what it could be expected, neither the reductions in the nuclear sector nor those in the convent ional one wou ld result in budget savings. Indeed the contrary is true, both for the deriving costs of verificat ion, wit hdrawal and destruct ion and because the counterside of stability is the credibil ity of the mil itary instrument , vital factors of which are modern ization and qualitative improvements.

5

In order to properly define Italy 's defensive requirements one should consider also its geostrategic position in the Mediterranean area, towards which the centre of gravity of the crises that concern Europe is decided ly moving.

In this context, Italy with its dual role of continental and Mediterranean country: • could be involved in general crises, within th e framework of b loc confrontation; • must protect the southern flank of the Alliance where the indirect threats - indirect but no less probable and no less serious than those aimed at the Central Region - occur with increasing frequency; • in assessing the threat, must take into account also the ne ighbouring neutral and nonal igned nations.

This of course makes the national defence problem all the more complicated.

In addition to the requirements of security on the northeastern border, there are those regarding the defence of t he peninsular and insular territory and - even more the participation of the Armed Forces in interventions o f public interest , within the framework of modern defence which must less and less be confined to its technical/military aspects and increasingly expanded to a global vision of the need s.

The ensuing wide range of options requires - as far as the Army is concerned - an extremely flexible operat ional instrument, credible as regards quantity and quality, made up by a number of " Brigade modules" with adequate backing at tactical and log istic level.

The instrument must accompli sh a balance between operat ional readiness and capability of tactical and logistic support for long periods.

At present, the Army's reality, with its 24 Brigades, does not seem to be adequate to the requirements of the interservice missions pointed out by the " White Paper". The 6

No doubt the dec line of the deterrence concept pro mpts th e reemergence of the "convent ional", a secto r in which the Soviet Union has an ove rwelmi ng superiority. minimum requirement has been assessed in 27 elementary Maj or Units. This is why the Army has planned the emergency constitution of three more Brigades based on existing school and training organizations, to be completed on mobilization.

It is an instrument gauged on a "minimum" requirement which inevitably entails the assignment of several missions to some units, with the ri sks that go wit h it. But - it my opinion - this factor does not affect the Italian military instrument only. Such instrument is moreover conceptually structured for carrying out operations in a selective and limited nuclear environment. Possible developments in the strategy of "flexible response" along t he lines already pointed out will inevitably require its adjust ment.

In an y case, the forces st ill show functional defects and qualitative defic iencies, detected long ago, that are being taken care of compatibly w ith the available resources which hitherto have been insufficient.

In detail, the more p ressi ng needs and the relevant programmes can be in short described as follows.

Mobil ity, which requires a wide selecti on of tracked, armoured and wheeled vehicles, special means for engineers and helicopters.

Current ly the Army has mean s whic h are in part obsolete. In addition, there is a need to improve the defence of the peninsu lar and insu lar territory and the assistance in case of public disasters, by enabling the Major Units to move swiftly through wide areas and by ach ieving , with the necessary gradualness, a larger presence in the South. In order

to attain these goals, we have planned the introduction - as from 1990, over a five-year period - of a 2nd generati on tank (ARIETE) due to replace the " M60" , of wheeled armoured vehicles 8x8 (CENTAURO} armed with a 105 mm gun and of armoured cars 4 x 4 (PUMA}, besides the new tactical wheeled vehicles " of the nineties". The technical operational tests on the prototypes of the nat ional tank and armoured vehicles are currently under way.

Ground Fi re Support, for which we need not only a general modernization of materials but also the introduction of new fire-delivery systems (saturation weapons) and longer-range art illery, able to meet the new operational requirements.

To this end, besides t he revitalizat ion of the M-109 sel fpropelled gun to increase its range from 18 to 24 km, the programme for the acquis ition of the modern MLRS and FIROS 30 mu ltiple rocket launchers, capable of delivering saturation fire at a distance of up to 40 km, are at an advanced stage. New munitions are also being tested, as well as modern types of fire preparation and control systems.

(SAGAT and FIELDGUARD}.

• Antitank defence: st ill shows some quantitative shortcomings. But the programme for the acquisition of long and intermediate range m issile systems (TOW, MILAN) is being completed and we are about to start the distribution of the " FOLGORE" short-range rochet launchers. Meanwhi le, we are also carrying out tb.e comparative trial of the portable Mario Logli: Citta Fossile, oil and acrylic, 50cm x 70 cm

Mario Logli: Azadrin ne/la Citta Morta, oil and acrylic, 70cm x 80cm

NATO'S reduced capability of global response vis-a-vis the clear conventional superiority of the Warsaw Pact calls for th e st rengthen ing of the Western defensive instrument, at least from the qualitative point of view. self-defence APILAS (FR}, PANZERFAUST 3 (GE) and LAW (UK) systems in order to definitely choose and adopt one of them. Moreover, the A-129 anti tank helicopters have started to go into service.

• Antiaircraft defence, in regard of which the firs t steps 8

have been taken in order to do away w ith the quali tative and quantitative shortcomings of short-range missile systems, rapid-fire artill ery and selfdefence systems.

As regards th is sector, we are plann ing to conclude with in a short ti me the technical-

operational tests of the "SKYGUARD-ASPID E" light missi le system , of entirely national design, wh ich wi ll be integrated with the modernized 40 mm gun conventional system. The programme for th e acqu isition of antiaircraft and self-defence missile systems (STINGER-MISTRAL) as we ll as of conventional systems (selfpropelled 25 mm fou r-barrel gun) is also being accom pli shed .

• Command, control, target acquisition and electron ic warfare: in thi s most important area there is an immediate need of modern equipment for detecting and acqui ring targets, of new communication and electron ic warfare means, of systems for the automated management of informat ion and decisions, as well as infrastructure for the relevant instal lations.

To this end, we are boost ing the development of the CATRIN transmission and information f ield system and the import of t he correlated SIACCON Command and Control System .

• Technical and Logistic Support: an extensive review of the Army's administrative, medical and tech nical-logistic organizati on is under way. It will be a streamlining and funct ional reorganization which is indispensable and cannot be delayed.

As regards the new model of log istic su pport of vehic les and materials , we are cons idering the establishment o f "lnterservice Supply Centres" organized on mult iple supply modu les for the various types of materials, with completely automated management procedures.

• Military Infrastructure: a body of infrastru cture adeq uate to the living, working and training needs, is essential in order to improve the "military condition ". The situation, compared to what was '-envisaged by the Nat ional Conference on Mil itary

Mario Logli: Alla Ricerca di un Luogo, oil and acrylic, 80cm x 90cm

Infrastructure of 1986, continues to be critical due to the s izeable cuts of financial resources made in this. sector.

The answer to this serious problem is provided by the "Botta" Bil l on the reorganization of military infrastructure, which proposes a funding , over several years, of building new barracks in a perspective of decent ralization and modernization. In this regard I wish to insist on the fact that the problem must be seen in terms of " decentration " and not o f " ghetto ization ".

Moreover, the Bill provides for service housing and house ownership for the Cadres (Cooperatives, advances on the severan ce allowance, etc.).

Meanwhile, of particular importance is the separate programme for new installations which should replace as many old ones that must be abandoned urgently. In fact, there are plans for the construction of standard barracks for a total expense of 520 bil lion lire.

In relation to this, the location and acquisition of the areas on wi ch the new install ations will be bu ilt is In progress. â&#x20AC;˘ Training: in peacetime it is the main activity of the Armed Forces. In fact, the most modern and tec hnological ly advanced means are of no avail if the personnel is unable to emp loy them correctly and efficient ly.

The improvement of the training activity backed, where possible and expedient, by electron ic devices and simulators, is and remains our primary goal.

And it could not be otherwise, because a good training guarantees the accomplishment of t he institutional tasks, creates security and is gratifying for the entire personnel.

A major obstacle for the development of this fundamental sector is the continuing

The Army, in order to fu lfil l its commitments to the Co untry, must be given the possibility to t rai n, a lbeit with due consideration for the touristic and environmental needs, which undoubted ly deserve all our respect. shortage of shooting ranges.

In order to improve the s ituation - at least in the sector of firing with individual weapons - a programme has been lau nched provid in g for the establ ish ment, by the end of 1993, o f ten c losed shooting ranges, the firs t of which,

located near the Military Town of " Cecch ignola", has been inau gurated recently. This w ill be followed , within the current semester, by those of Albenga and Montorio Veronese and subsequently by the ones located at Bel linzago Novarese and Belluno.

9

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Mario Logli: Recanati in Fuga, oil and acrylic, 60cm x 80cm

The fact remains that a more favourable disposition of t he Reg ions towards th is crucial problem wou ld be high ly desirable. Law no. 898/76 is perceived primarily as a reduction of servitudes; its other no less important aspects are almost ignored.

The Army, in order to ful f ill its commitments to the Country, must be given the possibility to train, albeit with due cons ideration for the touristic and environmental needs whi ch undoubted ly deserve all our respect.

Th is concise survey of the land instrument wou ld be incomplete without a ment ion of the condition of personnel. A com plex and special structure 10

such as the Army cannot, at any time, prescind from man, who is certainly the most precious of all resources and the incremen tal factor of the success and performance of the entire organization.

We need highly motivated and prepared Officer and NCO Cadres as well as enlisted men who participate and are conscious of the high social value of their service and of its significance for the realization of a credible instrument. The attainment of this obj ect ive cannot exc lude the fu lf illment of the men's aspirations after a more decorous standard of living. For the Cadres this means the so lution of problems which regard salaries, promotion norms, housing and the participation of their families in

the nat ional social texture. For the enlisted men we need structures perm itting a more profitable use of time and the acknowledgement of the service as a preferential qualification for their adm ission into the working world.

Having sketched the strategic picture, defined the tasks and pointed out the deficienc ies of the inst rument and the necessary measures to correct them, at least in part, it becomes possible to outline the evolutionary trends of the defence model as far as the Army is concerned. These trends proceed along two interacting directions: the normative one and the organizational/structural one.

The body of the current regulations, based on flexible

Mario Logli: Natura Morta in Piazza, oil and acrylic, 70cm x 80cm

response and advanced defence, is still valid in substance. In the medium term a few adjustments will be perhaps necessary, in order to take into account the changes in the operat ional scenario, caused both by the new technologies - which are real power multipliers - and by the development and progressive diversification of the threat.

This leads us to envisage units of forces more versatile than the present ones and more capable of adjusting to the tasks and to the en vironment.

In this perspective the area counterinterdiction acquires a particular consequence, for it is intended to counter a fragmentized threat capable not only of affecting the military instrument but also of producing large lacerations in the socioeconom ic structure of the country; t herefore, the concept of global defence reaffirms itself more and more at every level.

From the organizational point of view, the operational component of the Army will continue to be centred on the Brigade, whose future typology - already thoroughly outlined - envisages, by the mid¡ nineties, the introduction of new elements, such as the reconnai ssance and antiaircraft components, t he increase of the artillery firepower and of the infantry weapons, as well as the improvement of mobility, both tactical and strategical, through greater recourse to wheeled armoured vehicles.

At the same time, the future typology of supports envisages, in substance, improvements in the sectors of command, control and communications, of land and antiaircraft f ire and of logistic support.

Nevertheless, the requirements just mentioned , extending over a period of several years, cannot be entirely met by the present allocations.

There is a financial gap, which

The increase in the expenses derives both from the greater significance of the conventional component and from the need to eliminate the delays accumulated in the course of time due to insufficient allocations in the ordinary budget. should be filled if we are to correct promptly the still existing deficiencies. At this point it seems appropriate to emphasize once more that a quantitative reduction of the forces would not result, contrary to what one might expect, in a reduction of the financ ial burden.

As a matter of fact, the increase in the expenses

derives both from the greater significance of the conventional component - which entails a technological leap forward compared to the present - and from the need to el iminate the delays accumulated in the course of time due to insufficient allocations in the ordinary budget.

Therefore we must fin d solutions provid ing add itional fundings to the Army.

11

Mario Logli: Urbino Minacciata da Fitios e Rogor, oil and acrylic, 100cm x 90cm.

In conclusion, the Army is ready to face, knowing ly and with determination, the challenges of the future. The " collegial" choices are made.

The direction in which to proceed is known. The will ingness to proceed is firm and unanimous.

The results of the assessments as regards the changes in the pol itico-strategic picture and the development of the threat apparently confirm the validi ty of the defence model adopted in 1985 and the dedsions made by the Army in the immediately subsequent years. In the handful of years that separate us from the year 2000 we will do our best to get rid of the shortcomings and delays that still negatively affect the effi cien cy of our instrument.

What I have just outl ined is a general picture that must be completed year after

12

year if we want to see the whole painting acqu ire its accomplished form.

In short, we cannot speak of a process of reorganizat ion with the purpose of defining and accomplishing a complete ly new model of land defence, but rather of a gradual, incessant movement of transformation of structures and materials, constantly striving to achieve a balance between cost and effect iveness.

"The defence" organizat ion - considered in its inflexible economic and "business" meaning - has derived and will derive cons iderable advantages from the increasing introduction of new techniques and new organ izat ional instruments.

Every modern technology in our organ ization has an exceptionally wide scope.

We must be able to foresee: â&#x20AC;˘ more and more in advance; â&#x20AC;˘ with ever increasing farsightedness;

â&#x20AC;˘ with a more and more reduced area of uncertainty.

There is therefore - next to the other requirements the need for a prudent economic strategy, which we must take into accoun t just in order to ach ieve the institut ion al goals of defence, employi ng to the best advantage the resources that the country can al locate to us.

Nevertheless, not every thing can be entrus ted to a machine or to a computer. We must be, simultaneously, enthusiastic and cautions operators of these tools.

Above all , we must be eager to know the things that we are trying to man age, and therefore to "dominate". New aspects of Gorbachev's doctrine as sufficient defence capability, and full correspondence of these new aspects with the military policy which has always been pu rsued by Italy.

Ciro Di Martino

OTO R2.5 'GORGONA' SPECIAL TASK VEHICLE 1+3 2700 kg more than 120 km -hr 500 km TPT turret for gunner protection, automatic T 7.62 FA or TJ2.7 FA tuvet.

Armour protection: against NA TO .7 .62 proje es. _,.f Crew: Weight: On road speed: Range: Armament:

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"How can free individuals live safely in the awareness that their safety is the result of the threat of an immediate American retaliation aiming at avoiding a Soviet attack?"

Ronald Reagan

1/

THE DEFENCE OF EUROPE AND OF ITALY

"Someone will now calculate who has won and who has lost. I reject this attitude and consider it false and deviating. Common sense has won, reason has won, the desire for peace has won".

Mikhai l Gorbachev December 8, 1987

Military and political choices BALANCE OF THE FACTORS OF POWER

The no rthern part of t he world has been at peace tor over forty years. A peace, therefore, having everyt hing in order to be defined as a last ing one.

What are the reasons for t his? They are many and concurrent. Firstly, t he determ ination o f t he h igh

income c lass to end the bitter experiences of the past wh ich had caused noth ing but bereavement and mi sery, war being no solution to the dist ressing problems of the mo ment.

Secondly, the rise of a new negative but high ly efficient element w ith in the comp lex ¡ game of world balance bound to the availabi li ty o f the nuclear weapon by the two blocs facing

each other on the world t heatre.

This elemen t is "NUCLEAR DETERRENCE" by which peace is imposed tor fear of a holocaust. Morally speaking, this is not much of a victo ry, but practically we must admit that it is already a good result.

In fact, we should say that the peace we enjoy today is rather "sui generis", very di fferent from the idyl lic mean ing we would give to the

The Turkish destroyer Savastepe (leading) and the Italian frigate Perseo during the 34th activation of the Allied Naval On-Call Force in the Mediterranean (NAVOCFORMEO)

term, cond itioned as we are by a c lassic or Christian view wh ich cannot unfortunately be found in the reality of our modern world.

We are fac ing a " non war" situation, but not one of true peace and the onl y good thi ng about it is the absence of armed conflicts.

With the spectre of a nuc lear holocaust hovering over us, disagreements are never pushed to th e edg e of a general conflict. Other form s of strategy, of a non military nature, are applied . W ith these, the objectives of war may be ach ieved without a war.

This is virtually how the more open-minded internat ional leaders behave.

In t his disqu ieting situation peace depends on the balance of t he fac tors of power that big, med ium and small nations

16

are able to maintai n; weapons, thei r potential use, the credibility of the defence/offence rat io they manage to express, are elements whi ch still weigh heavily on the possibility of guaranteeing peace.

The role of the Atlant ic Alliance wh ich pursues pol itical object ives o f peace achieved through a cred ible military organization thus becomes partic ularly important.

It is a c lear and consolidated role, summarized in forty years of peace or, rather, of " non war" enjoyed by Europe, to be connected to the effects of "detente-deterrence" which have been regu lating world balance for quite a long time.

The utmost importance of the present existing balances is confirmed by the fact that this Any idea of "unilateral disarmament" would have the result of destabilizing further the reference picture of the nego~iations._

peace is located in the areas where th e two blocs, EastWest, directly face each other whereas in t he rest of the worl d - in the so-called "marginal areas" - th ere have been 450 wars since 1945.

This peace, however, is not indefeasible and the present situation shows s ign s of serious danger.

The fears connected to a possible nuc lear proliferation, i.e. with the development of nations hold ing nuclear forces and the event of an error of calcu lation, always possible, shake the conscience of mankind , which refuses the very thought o f a disastrous war havi ng neit her winners nor losers.

Moral considerations make it necessary to abandon the nuclear armament race which does not seem to offer any reassuring solution. It is high time that the aberran t logic of " assured mutual destructio0" . be overcome.

A U.S. Marines CH-46 Sea -Knight carrying light artillery from ship to shore during amphibious landing operations.

In this context, the signing of the treaty of Washington,, on December 8, gives rise to satisfaction and hope.

There are, however, some worrying questions to be answered .

Will the negotiations eliminate the short and medium range missile capability?

So it seems. There are, in fact, two stages. An initial control to see that launchers and missiles are eliminated and a final inspection on each base to make sure that there are no more missiles. For the following thirteen years the parties are entitled to carry out inspections at very short notice.

Are data supplied by the Soviets complete and do they allow to carry out the activities set down by the negotiations?

This time too, the answer is yes. Moreover, the treaty entitles us to carry out basic inspections of all the Soviet support and employment equ ipment to check the accuracy of these data.

Are there loop-holes or clauses which mcty give rise to future disagreements regarding the interpretation of the treaty?

The text of the treaty is necessarily complex and contains a great number of clauses. At present we have no means of anticipating all future probabilities.

This is why all the treaties regarding armament control include clauses for future consultations, designed to clarify any misunderstanding that may arise.

Are there methods for valid inspections?

Yes, even though the perfect method would require instantaneous inspections at any time and place without the other side being able to oppose a refusal. Actually the method of inspection mutually agreed upon allows for a short notice and regards the missile bases and equipment, the continuous monitoring of the equipment 17

Alpini ready for inspec tion during the NA TO Display Determination '87 Exercise.

used to assemble the SS20s and special measu res to increase the controlling capacity of the U.S. by reconnaissance satellites, on the SS25 bases where illegal activity could easi ly be carried out.

Are we absolutely sure that the Soviets are not hiding missiles somewhere on their territory?

No, but we believe that they cannot test these missiles, train troops for thi s purpose or maintain the necessary basic infrastruct ure. Suc h activities would be most likely found out very quickly.

The important innovation of the treaty is that the Sov iets have accept ed the proposals on the in spections, the short notice controls and the monitoring methods regarding their eq uipment previously used to assemble SS20s.

Actually, the Washington agreement, with the "zero

18

option" on medium and short range missiles (INF) is only the first step towards the destruction (or re-employment!) of 400 nuclear warheads.

A first step towards the "double zero option" which will, instead, be of utmost political importance, far beyond t he technical, mi litary and strategic terms. The Washington Treaty, however, confirms the fact that the way towards nuclear disarmament at zero level has been taken.

Where will this take us?

Optimists believe " it will give us a better life, worthy of a better mankind " .

Pessimists say that "without the fear of a nuclear To be part of a bloc without giving an adequate military and political contribution, means giving up being active participants of the aims and objectives of defence of the bloc itself: it means becoming the object and not the subject of politics.

war, mankind , which is not better than in the past, wi ll happily go on destroying itself, as it did up to Hiroshima" .

The theory of a flexib le response through a balance " with the bomb" having been definitely overcome, we have passed to the balance "of the bomb". Nuclear balance at zero level on one s ide and conventional rebalance on the other.

THE DEFENCE OF EUROPE

Until now Europe had been cut out from these agreements, wh ile converging military and polit ical strategies designed to support important choices in Europe would be elements of security and therefore primary objectives for an authent ic strategy of peace.

MILITARY CHOICES:

The new concept of a Europe without Euromissiles is beginning euphorically to

The Italian ship uPerseo» refuelled at sea by the British replenishment ship «Grey Rover».

take shape. An inventory is now being made of t he mi litary arsenals of the United States and of the Atlantic Alliance in Europe and the options availab le to neutralize the st rategic unbalance caused by the eliminat ion o f medium range missiles (INF) are being examined. The password has thus become "qual ity improvements" in t he wake of the " few but good" philosophy which has red uced the number of nuc lear weapons deployed by NATO in Europe from 7,000 to 4,600 in t he last eight years.

The IN F agreement will now reduce this nu mber by another 400 nuclear warheads.

Meanwhile military experts are elaborating opt ions to make up for these reductions and t hu s avoid unbalances: In the nuclear field the possibili ty of deploying strategic bombers (852-81 ) in Europe, sending addi tional F-1 11 atom ic bombers and employin g dual capacity (nuclear and

conventional) F15 or F16 aircraft, has been examined, together with that of increasing the su bmarines under NATO command or install ing Cruise missiles on sh ips . These are de licate opt ions designed to reshape the defensive pattern of NATO .

In fact, the gradual elimi nation of nuclear weapons w ill shift the burden of deterrence to the conventional forces (whic h is a typically western requirement s in ce the Warsaw Pact must not deter us from attacki ng it).

Considerations of a moral kind make it necessary to abandon the nuclear armament race which does not seem to offer any reassuring solution. It is high time that the aberrant logic of "mutual assured destruction" be overcome.

With a view to the above the signing of the December 8th Washington treaty is a reason for satisfation and hope.

Th is does not mean, however, a conventional armament race. It would be unacceptable to those who have decided on the zero option and this not only pol itically speaking, but also as a mil itary choice. " Someone will now decide who has won and who has lost. I reject this attitude which I consider false and misleading.

Common sense has won , reason has won, the wish for peace has won".

This is how Gorbachev commented t he signature of the Euromissile treaty during the speech before the television of the whole world immediately after the historic event.

One thing is certain . The blank bill s igned for t he zero option will have to be paid some way or other. For Europe the zero option puts an end to a period of low cost defence, made possi ble by t he fact t hat the American nuclear warranty had allowed Europe to elu de the true costs of security.

19

The destroyer Savastepe, Flagship of the Turkish fleet, during the 34th activation of NAVOCFORMED.

In other words, unti l now the Western world has always turned to its technologic superiority to make up, at least in part, for t he we ll -known conventional numeric superiority of the Warsaw Pact.

It is obvious however that whatever the military choices of the coming months, the modernization of the conventional forces will cause an additional economic burden on the already very t ight military budgets.

In fact , after the agreements between the United States and the Soviet Union, the psychosis of the "defence void" in West ern Europe has arisen in the military field. This psychosis spreads out with a speed uneq uall ed by the political wi ll to fi ll the void. In fact, it seems as if some countries may wish to profit from the innovation and thus im pose a kind of hegemony, thanks only to the availability of the nuclear potential.

20

POLITICAL CHOICES

The matter is entirely different and has another value if we discuss the political agreements among the European nations designed to outline an organic picture of security. This is the only way we can real ly agree with the United States and give an instrument of military defence integrated to a united Europe.

The following are four basic concepts to prove the above: First, it is necessary to keep the relationship with the United States active, without giving the impression of believing that the agreement on the Euromissi les may undermine the security of Europe: it is obvious that the protection of Europe by the Americans, even after the agreements w ith Moscow is - and has always been - mostly a political factor, based on the preexistence of an Atlant ic solidarity far deeper t han th e presence of the Euromissiles.

Facts now clearly prove that those who believed in security on ly in connection to t he Euromissiles were mistaken right from the start.

Second, a determining aspect of Western security, until now based mainly on the American nuclear guarantee has changed considerably. By el iminati ng the Eurom issiles the strategic liaison among European defences and the nuclear forces of the United States diminishes. This increases the strategic instability in Europe as well as the risks of a conflict, chiefly in the Mediterranean. The whole Mediterranean Region w ill no longer be tightly linked to the central one as was the case with the Euromissiles; NATO will have to become a kind of all iance w ith " a more variable geometry" . This will be more necessary than in the past.

Third, it is necessary to face the European reali ty and take into account, of course, the nuclear capability of France and Great Britain. This capabi li ty must become a part of a mut ual plan.

Fourth, France is first in an attempt at taking on a nuclear leadership in Europe, while Great Britain is second; but "two countries alone cannot form the defence of Europe" .

Italy too, as fifth most industrialized country in the world, aims at concentrating its military and political attention on the geostrategic areas which, for reasons of geographic contiguity and economic affinity, may be more important for its security. This, of course, wh ile respecting the comm ittments derivi ng from the Alliance.

Finally, the idea of taking a military shortcut to bring about a kind of European unity does not belong to the politi cal tradition which gave life to the sort of union wh ich we somehow have on the continent and which we must safeguard .

When we rightly insist on ¡the opportunity of giving life to a mutual military defence, the latter must be considered as the result of a dialogue and of political agreements which logicall y come first, as was the case with the rise and fall of the CEO. THE DEFENCE OF ITALY

The area of pol itical interest of Italy - and t hi s is of the utmost importance does not wholly coincide with that protected by the Atlantic Alliance: if security is considered globally and not merely from a mi litary point of view, not only cont inental Europe, bu t also the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean are vital areas for our count ry.

I refer to a sure access to the supplies of energy, but also - broadly speaking - to the security of the sea routes leading to the Mediterranean, along which the supplies of raw materials, indispensable to our industrial production, have to travel.

It may be argued that in the c lose competition between East and West there is no place for th e spontaneousness of mediu m powers such as Italy.

This must not mean, however, t hat individual initiatives m1ust be avoided, but rather that they must be coordinated and suited to the

specific possibilities of each member of the Alliance.

I wou ld simply say that being part o f a bloc without giving a suitable military and polit ical contribution means giving up active participation in the Defence aims and objectives of the bloc itself; it means being t he object rather than the subject of politics.

Moreover, Italy cannot remain isolated from the Franco-German integ ration. As it is impossible to oppose it, "one must get on the boat'' .

The problem is t hus that of finding a convinci ng and pl ausible method of deterrence.

Italy's particul ar geographic structu re and collocat ion , bound to cont in ental Europe by the "A lps-Po Val ley" region is deeply set into the Mediterranean. This area , a natural choice for Italy, determines its geo-strateg ic function as a link between Central and Northern Europe and t he coastal countries of North Africa and t he Near East.

In this respect Italy is essent ial for the defence of the southern flank of NATO. The recent events, which have focused a new interest in the areas outside Nato and have increased political and military activism in t he Med iterranean, give Italy a leading ro le in t he defence system of the West.

In fact , the fortu nes of Europe and of the Mediterranean are tig htly connected , especially for a country such as Italy, whose geographic collocation demands a presence in the Mediterranean, co-ordinated both within the European Commun ity and the At lantic Alliance.

MILITARY CHOICES

There are many problems, from the secu rity of the southern f lank of Nato to the local tensions made dramat ic by the intertwin ing o f different interests, but always linked to the logic of the Blocs; we cannot therefore afford delays in the development of a more incisive military presence in the area.

This adds a greater commitment to the defence of t he prim ary interests of our count ry, which has become the fifth industrial power in t he world , to the traditional role of defending the land borders.

All th is demands, for the Army, the creat ion of very effic ient forces, with a strong operational versatility and mobility as regards strategy and tactics. The same holds true for the Navy and the Air Force.

Before studying any organ ic law on the mi litary condit ion , it is thus necessary to study and monitor the new model of defence, the vol ume and typology o f the military instrument, in a realistic national context, desig ned to carry out the missions to whic h it is ass igned. The 1988 Financial Law too must be examined in the light of the com ing change in the model of defence suited to the condit ion ing parameters of the security of Italy. The budget for the Defence does undoubted ly not al low for expansion. Indeed, it seriously penalizes the development of the plans t he Defence had made before the zero option became a reality.

The budget virtually allows t he financing of plans already under way and of those resulting from t he routine modernization of the equipment which becomes technical ly obsolete.

Historic experience denies the statement , someti mes heard in Italy, that a cut to the mi litary budgets wou ld hasten the process of detente and disarmament.

The only real poss ib ility of armaments control and disarmament depends on the Western capacity of giving the USSR a reason for negotiating.

It can only consist in showing that the West is firm ly set upon the idea of redressing t he present strategic balances.

Being t he world as it is and not as we would like it to be, the achievement of a military balance is the only alternative if we w ish to disarm.

In a sense, this is wh at happened with the Euromissiles.

21

The USSR would never have accepted to elim inate t he SS20s, if NATO had not shown its cohesion and the will to deploy the Pershing 11 and Cru ise missi les. This consideration is also well-s uited to the Vienna negotiations o"n the limitation of conventional forces in Europe. If we accepted a "de facto" unilateral disarmament by reduc ing the military budgets, it would not be clear why the USSR should take real structural measures of conventional disarmament which are the on ly ones capable of increasin g the degree of nat ional safety. All this process may instead be started through the modernization of our defensive capabilities, fitt in g them to the new conditions of national security as a whole.

More training in the Units and advanced, if not emerging, technology arm systems . These must be the military choices.

POLITICAL CHOICES

The Italian politicians have shown great satisfaction for the Washington Treaty. In fact, it is the first true " structural" measure for reducing armaments. Therefore, the concern over national security involved in this option did not seem to justify an oppos it ion or a conditioning of the US-USSR agreement to well defined compensatory measures. These, however, will be necessary. The "zero option" wi l I greatly mod ify the entire picture of Italian and Mediterranean security. The elimination of the SS20s and SS12/22s will not put an end to the nuclear threat to our territory. The intercontinental Soviet missi les and those based on submarines can strike objectives throughout Europe.

From the territory of the Warsaw Pact, the SS23s can reach Verona and Bologna.

After the elimination of the Pershing II and Cruise on ly French and British national nuclear forces will directly oppose this threat in Europe.

The non nuclear European countries, such as Italy and 22

Western Germany, will instead be more exposed.

Theoretical ly, the Euromissiles cou ld be rep laced by an expanded role of the central deterrent of the United States for the defence of Europe. Due to the vulnerability of the territory of the United States, we all understand the difficulties and hesitations involved. We cannot ask the US what it can no longer give us.

These are the present political choices, li mited though they may be by the fact that the USUSSR agreements were made over our heads.

CONCLUSIONS

The risk of a generalized holocaust brings us to value peace as a central blessing which cannot be forgone and no longer as a standstill among conflicts as was the case until now in the history of manki nd.

In this respect, the way to disarmament does not allow alternatives, but only the search

for suitable means to carry on in cond iti ons of security and as quickly as possible.

What conditions of security? Those ensu ing from the consi deration that any abrupt unilateral change in the existing balances may have harmful consequences, as it would create vulnerabi lities that cou ld make an attack a concrete possibility.

Therefore, we need a simultaneous and homogenous settlement of the balance, at lower and less critical levels.

The consequences of the zero option cannot be valued per se, but in connection with the evolution of the strategic situation as a whole.

The polemics against t he US-USSR agreement are justified ; but the Europeans cannot ask t he US what it can no longer give, i.e. a complete guarantee to Europe.

Personally I believe that the Washington Treaty is a big deal for the Soviet Union.

Beyond a pacifism which

Above.

American and Turkish sailors raise the Nato flag on a NA VOCFORMED ship.

This integrated multinational force is one of the three which fly the NA TO flag; the other two are STANAVFORLANT (Standing Naval Force Atlantic) and STANAVFORCHAN (Standing Naval Force Channel).

Left.

A-10 Thunderbolt II " Tank Killers" at the Villafranca Air Base.

we find hard to believe, the Soviet Union has taken care of social and economic issues certainly more credible than the moral questions which triumphed in an orgy of offic ial hypocrisy.

The economic crisis of the Soviet Union and the financial needs connected to the second exact ing stage of the "PERESTROJKA" make it compulsory to reduce the mi litary expenses, which cannot be sustained at the present rythm . Exp~nses may be cut down considerably on the emerg ing technology of the foreseeable future nuclear

missilery; the planned, shortterm rep lacement of the SS20s, operationally obsolete as regards the more modern CRUISE, would have made it necessary to make difficu lt and very expensive choices. The zero-opt ion offers a zero-cost solution.

The Soviet Union will thus eliminate old medium range missiles and reach a zero level nuclear balance, while it wil l maintain a more economic conventional superiority, made even more valuable by the fact that the West does not reall y want to engage in a convent ional conflict.

Gorbachev's option against the European nuclear weapons does not mean yielding to pacifist ideals, but is an intelligent poli tical choice to the advantage of the Soviet Union.

In summary, the zero option is positive and acceptable only if it brings to a further gradual reduction of the nuclear weapons, with which deterrence has been

assured until now; it is therefore necessary to find an inversive deterrence, the burden of which must be taken on almost exclus ively by the Europeans.

The problem of security is therefore one of internat ional political will , which must be allowed to develop through a dialogue apt to give rise to mutual confidence as well as through the availabi lity of an "armed secular arm " and the act ual possibility of serious mutual controls.

The disarmament which must be pursued may be the result of a process of cooperation based on the parity of military and political choices.

A system of convinci ng and plausible deterrence must be achieved. The "arms control " is not enough if it is not preceded

by Europe's c red ible wil l to fi ll the gap with the Warsaw Pact in the conventional field as well.

Gen. Luigi Poli Senator of the Republic

23

TRAINING

. .

24

~

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..

A PRAGMATIC APPROACH

To talk of training, as the field in which we all are, or have been, directly involved, seems an invitin g exercise in wh ich to gather experiences, points of view, philosophies and intuition s. It is therefore easy to talk of it. It is not so easy however to pass on to provision s and proposals which are concrete, ration al and new.

In fact, it is difficult to get rid of the mental structures whic h are the result of personal experiences and knowledge often permeated by subjectivity and wh ich stab ilize our cult ure in the field and progressing towards conservative posit ions which , in opposit ion to a constantly dynamic reality, become in time a fac tor of involution. Nature wil l not accept standstills except in the form of that conclusive condition of the vital processes summarised in the expression "requiescat in pace" . Thus, when speaking of t raining it is necessary to filter our arguments th rough objectivity and pragmatism. Let us thus put theories aside and state at once that un less train ing is tightly linked to a foreseeable operational development it will only be the useless response to the requests of our institutions.

In other words, training must be suited to the situations desig ned to accomplish the tasks foreseen by the four Joint-Force Missions. It must be remembered that these situational conditions must be complemented with the technical and conceptual variations brought about by the new weapon systems. This is less obvious than it may seem.

For the reader's sake, it must at once be stated that the aim of these notes is not to philosophize on training, which would be boring and of no use whatsoever. The aim is to examine if and how what is at present being done in this field adheres to t9e reality of our situation and if there are sectors which may be improved or at least up-dated. Everything

said with an eye to our present regulations, development plans and, most of all, to ou r economic and social reality which certain ly does not encourage hopes for a brighter future. No-one can deny that direct experience is and always will be the most efficient way of testing the reliability of the training schemes adopted.

Luckily for all of us, th is experience has been denied us in the last forty years. Unli ke other Armies we have not been involved in the many local conflicts wh ich have martially en livened this restless post-war period. Field hospitals aside, of course. We wi ll therefore have to go by other people's experience. This is no easy task because we have to su it it to our own situation with real ism and humi lity. We learn something from the Falkl and war but merely to confirm that an excel lent individual training, together with aggressiveness and mot ivation, is a power multiplier. This must be bo rne in mind when evalu at ing the forc e ratio. Much more may be learned by the Arab-Israeli wars and, last but not least, the 1982 "Peace in Galilee" operati on.

Distracted as we were by the pol itical imp lications and emotionally involved by our presence in the land of the cedar trees we did not pay the above mentioned operation the attention it deserved. We shall go back on that issue. In any case, an increased interest in all that goes on around us is essential to keep our regulations, doctrines and training techniques vital and productive.

Using other people's experience, especially in matters of combat, is certainly more pleasant and less expensive even if not so efficacious as one's own. However, to be quite sure of its validity one must put it into pract ice.

Unfortunately, what real ly counts is the result of the operat ion. Though conceptually correct , this is certain ly not desirable. Everything considered, a natural calam ity would be

better. Therefore, to exorcise risks and uncertainties, ample space should be al lowed for a val id substitute such as veri ficat ion and " in itinere" updating o f what has already been done or is about to be done as regards changing conditions.

Mutatis mutandis, it cannot be otherwise.

THE SCENE

We feel that the basic picture has not changed very much: we still belong to the Alliance. True, we have high technolog ies, AIR LAND BATTLE and FOFA (1 ), but these regard the fi eld of doctrines more than that of training techniques, at least for what regards t he direct interest of the minor un its. The threat coming from the South is something new, however it concerns mainly the other services and, as regards the Army, brings us back to the techniques of employment typical of combat in part icular environments. It may affect the system , but as I have already said, that is not the object of the present article. Something, however, has changed and more precisely the "eco-social '' environ ment in which the Armed Forces live and work in times of peace. The term " eco-social", though an ugl y lexical form, clearly means that if in the past the environment was unsuitable for our training requirements, the situation has now become worse. In fact, if there was some difficulty in finding training areas in the past, it is now extremely difficult to retain the exist ing ones.

The situation concern ing shooting-ranges is even worse.

To be able to make any kind of ballistic noise, the units wi ll have to be subjected to expensive and dispers ive transfers. Th is is not only due to the fac t that polit ical Authorities, the local ones es pecially, do not easily accept the overcrowding and the noise poll ution to which the image of

25

equipment, organization and doctrine of employment. To ignore this, as often happens, would be to cancel the objective validity of all our doctrinal and training efforts.

We often make the mistake of thinking that we shal l have to face forces trained, equipped, armed and organised like our own.

This is reassuring, but dangerous because we generally overrate our muscles when facing an enemy made in our own image and likeness. In conclusion, it would be wise to remember the immobility, within our well-known economic instability, of the modest resources available to . the Armed Forces. It wou ld be lack of common sense to believe that the situation w ill improve in the future. What can we do about it? Nothing but be sensible and cautious, favour the so-called "cheap" types of training and force both our imagination and technology to meet most of ou r demands by emp loying the available infrastructures and areas. And even less, if possible.

TRAINING

any military unit is linked, and this is understandable, but also to the increasing protests of environment experts, ecologists, Charitas Cristiana and parish priests. This is less understandable and certainly does not help local admin istration s to meet our requests. What else? The organization is also undergoing changes and the introduction of the new weapon systems

26

affects training. In fact , it imp lies a knowledge of the resulting new technical aspects and their use in the existing executive schemes. This may seem quite simple, but only if we ignore the fact that this employment must correspond strictly to the way in which the opposing forces react. The mentioned opposing forces are not phantasms, they are very real as regards weapons,

It was said before that here we were not going to speak of organization and doctrines. This is not altogether true.

A glance at both of them seems necessary in order to set the subj ect in its true background. As we know, we have a mechanised instrument for the requirements of defence on the North-East and an armoured instrument for th e defence of the home territory.

Mountain troops are another problem as they are designed for a specific environment which does not requ ire important interventions in the organizational basic structure.

At present, the mechanised in strument allows us only mobi lity. There wil l be possibilities of manoeuvre, at least at levels higher than the company, on ly in the early 90s ,

when develop ment and modernization program mes wil l have strengthened us as regards direct anti-aircraft defence, su rveill ance of the battle-f ield, command and control.

Everything considered, t his makes our task easier, because it allows us to limit the exercises of ground manoeuvred employment at "m inor complex" level and concentrate on individual t rain ing and on the trai ning of the above complex which, being minor, may easily develop in areas of limited dimensions. It will not then be diff icult, when possible, to reach higher levels with the addition of other modules.

The above stands both for the Field Army and for t he Territorial Army. The reference pictu re wi ll vary, but this mainly concerns Exercises with the Cadres and Command Post Exercises. This confirms that we may concentrate on what has been defined, perhaps irreverently, "c heap" traini ng. As regards doctrine, instead, there are no institutional limitat ions to the instrument.

The sole limitation may come from a lack of imagination and common sense.

Obviously, if the doctrine adopted does not correspond to the real s it uation, if it does not take into account what the enemy forces plan to do, and can do, compared to what we can do, it favours the adversary more than ou rselves. It is neither pleasant nor comforting and it is also methodolog ically incorrect, but when there is a scarcity of resources it is certainly more realistic to start from what is possible and not from what is required , in order to define t he " whats" and t he "hows" . Fortunately, our Constitution comes to our aid summon ing us only to defensive roles wh ich, since protohistory, are less expensive than the offensive ones. Our present doctri ne seems flexi ble enough to allow us ;o link it with the development of real and reliable training schemes. Obviously, a slight reduc t ion in the excessive

executive specifities wou ld do no harm; this would al low a greater general f lexibility as well as a greater possibi lity of adju sting it to local object ives w it hout conceptual distortions.

And now we can speak about t raining , at last. To say t he truth , while previously discussing the scene, the instruments and doctrines, we were always very c lose to the subject matter. To speak of training is easy but, as we said before, is neither idle nor dispersive, s ince training involves most of all the ju nior Cadres, who, due to their limited respons ibilities are inclined to conceptual distorsions for lack of perspective, with negative repercussions on their shortand long-term professional outlook.

The contingent lack of reliable antitank weapons for close combat, as well as the lack of hand - and rifle grenades which may be efficiently employed in acceptable safety cond itions (weapons that may be considered " cheap" but are indispensabl e at close distance and for combat in special environments) usually resu lts in less-than-credible actions on the f ield. This may be noted in train ing when observing an antitank deployment from which light weapons and 88mm rockets laun chers fire . ceaselessly. Th is is an obvious conceptual distortion. In fact, an anti-tank dep loyment to accomp lish its task must avoid engaging direct ly. But when the employment becomes normal, especially with a st ill distant enemy, even if on ly t o make a show for the benefit of an ingenuous observer, t he conceptual fail ure is a sure fact. Un less, of course, we wish to attribute only psychological objectives to t he firing. And more. The always obsolete weapons do not perm it to organise an anti-tank defence bound to urban infrastructure, li mited as it may be, whic h if compared with the opposing forces, could achieve the

greatest efficiency at t he lowest cost. And this not only as regards small tact ics, but also as regards a more comprehensive manoeuvred defence. None of the anti-tank weapons now avai lable can be employed ins ide or from wit hin an in habited centre.

- In live and blank-fi re exercises with troops, great importance is given to the attacks of platoon and company. As is well-known, most of the operati onal tasks are centred on defence, even i f one wishes it to be a manoeuvred and aggressive defence. The offensive, ind ispensable mental projection in all trai ning circumstances, especially as a factor brin ging on aggressiveness, should main ly be developed duri ng the Exercises with the Cadres and Comm and Post Exercises. In the field one shou ld prefer all those defens ive situations marked by a dynam ic conduct at all levels.

- As regards the smallscale executive technique we note, for example, that in training for launching hand grenades we are giving up a priori the idea of having sometime in the future a really efficient weapon. Not the old and pathet ic SRCM. When such a weapon is avai lable, it wi ll be very di fficult to modi fy t he long establ ished gestu res by now affirmed by repetition , by trad ition an by a relative confidence in impunity. The same stands for the individual weapon, made tactically insignificant by its emp loyment in shooting ranges and in the " very tame" live exercises.

Unfortunately, experience teaches us that in most cases the abovement ioned weapon should be employed w ith the same ease and reactiveness as instinctive firin g. In sum, and this stands for al l that has been said so far, we must start c hanging techniques and tactics of emp loyment before introd ucing new weapon systems. The Germans did t his very brilliantly during the Second World War, but the

27

same cannot be said for the Allies and this explains many of their failures, especially as regards tactics.

And we could go on and on. However, in order to avoid sounding too personal I wish to make another example and introduce the knowledge obtained from t he already mentioned "Peace in Galilee" operation. I mention this operation because not much time has elapsed since then and as a proof of how

28

operationally negative t he conceptual distortions may be in the doctrinal , training and organ izational set up. This is also true of a mi litary instrument such as the Israel i one marked by formidable efficiency and remarkable combat experi ence.

The organization and doctrine of emp loyment of the Israeli Army following t he Kippur war experience, had been re-examined and the mechan isation and the speed of

manoeuvre had been further emphasized. With these new features, in fact, t he Israeli Army entered Lebanon to solve once and for al l the problem of the endemic insec urity of its northern boundaries. However, the insufficiencies caused by the fact of having to operate in a situation completely different from that which was at t he base of the revision emerged at once. The nature of the terrain was different: hars h and tormented , with a limited urban ization fragmented astrid e the penetration axes. The opposing forces were different: no powerful armoured and mechanised masses operati ng according to the rigid rules of the Soviet doctrine, but small groups of combatants with an excellent individual equipment, anti-tank in particular, determined and very wel l trained to operate on very impervious terrain. An environment that is, that stressed t he institutional lack by the Israeli forces of an Infantry especially trained to operate on foot in gradual progression and in environmental situations in which the manoeuvering capacity and a powerful air support were of very little help.

Since 1948 there had been no direct experience or possibil it ies of studying a similar s ituation .

The resul t was: a high toll of both men and armoured and mechanized vehicles mainly due to light weapons and portable anti-tank weapons, with a net decline of mechanized and armoured forces no longer able to lead in batt le. The immediate consequences, both unpleasant and dangerous, because occurring in battle were: refusal to operate on sheltered vehicles, considered real death traps, fractioned and widespread employment of tanks, need of grading movements among success ive ambushes. Hence, the worrying conclusion accord ing to whic h the operation cou ld not continue un less penetration routes were reclaimed by dismounted infantry. Another

the field of exp loration most bitter surprise came from the fire support sector. The Artillery, exciting and congenial to us as it may be classified among the used to maximum mobility and "cheap" forms of training . It is perfectly gauged to the however as cheap as it is manoeuvering employment of essent ial and this must be the armoured forces, found stated qu ite clearly. In fact: itself completel y out of place in - Physical training is the an environment which favoured first step for any enterprise the conceptual absurd ity of an requiring both determination and employment "by piece" with a dynamic performance. Its proper sharpshooter technique. attraction is due to the We may get a rough idea of fascinating consideration that it the crisis caused by the above may start and end in the if we consider that 55% of the barracks without disturbing casualities was attributed to anyone as long as the portable weapons. Compared to previous conf licts, losses due to necessary equipment is available. With the help of psychological pathology were some imag ination, the latter also very high. requires modest resources.

The percentage in the Another attract ion is the Vietnam war was 53% with a consideration that it may cover lower rate even in the field of programme gaps or instructors' psychological pathology. lack of professionality as well Another Army, having to as the boredom and repet ition retrench "in itinere", of some dri ll, no matter how organizat ion employment necessary th is may be. doctrines and training methods, - Combat training in all would have faced certain its forms such as personal disaster, as regards tactics at defence techniques, instinctive least. This was not the case, firing techniques and movement only thanks to the unique on the battle f ield, represents capacities of reaction , without the next step. This kind of functional hysteresis, that two training requires a greater thousand years of Diaspora and availability of didact ic forty years of siege have eq uipment and electron ic activated in the Armed Forces simulators. The cost is higher. of Israel. Moreover, we must of However, it may be carried out course cons ider the exceptional entirely within the unit's degree of individual training at infrastructure. al l levels. The Middle East is The possibility of carrying not only the cradle of the th ree out this essential form of monotheist relig ions, but also training within our barracks an inexhaustible source of justifies the apparently li miting teachings in many other fields. label of "cheap" and gives This could not be otherwise some kind of indication for the since a state with a very high infrastructures to be created ex technological preparation and a novo and for the modernisation strong determination to survive of the existing ones. was inserted in a millenarian, The introducti on of the traditional and indom itable local ind ividual soldier first in the conflictuality. But let us go team and then in the minor back to the question of complex may be considered the training. We can divide it into end of the entire train ing cycle. two basic points: train ing as a In this respect, the following whole and individual training. may be said: The latter may then be split up - The above must take in physical training and combat place in ful observance of the training, the former may be general setting for a correct limited to interactions of employment of the un it's individual t,r.~ining in the specificities. employment of a minor complex - The introduct ion in the considered as the basic element team , considered as a for all other emp loyment homogenous formation, achieves formations. Ind ividual training is

the didactic aim of making the so ldier feel at home as much as possible. It must be considered as a mainly theoretic stage wh ich may be developed in previously organized and limited areas.

Moreover, as it is main ly based on team techniques, it may even do without the above mentioned setting. The trai ning with in the squad may even be carried out within the barracks as long as an area not much bigger than a footbal I field is available.

- The theoretic schemat izations allowed at the squad stage are not perm itted at the following stage, that of the minor complex. In fact here prevail operational employment feat ures, especially planned for the unit described and th us it is necessary to use areas outside the barracks. The dimensions of the above areas and the public disturbance caused will be contrarily proportioned to the level of advance infrastructural organ isation and the availability of simulators.

The latter, in particular, wi ll also al low an extremely profitable training with opposing part ies.

Lastly, the great multiplying factor represented by the use of aud iovideo equipment at all train ing stages must also be borne in mind. Not only for the initial demonstration and set up, but also and especially for the comments and explanations on recordings made during the actual performance of exercises.

Nothing is more instructive than the observation of wrong performances which being often due to emot ional involvement are objectively consi dered in a distorted manner by the performer.

CONCLUSIONS The variety of the above considerations and the risk of saying commonplaces makes it necessary for me to conclude with a brief summary.

29

whatever infras tructure and training area already available and employing simu lators and aud iovideo equipment when ever poss ibl e.

- Individual training is the most important stage as it is the basis for any further development and because it may easily be carried out within our normal structures. Moreover, particularly in its sports component, it keeps the participation of staff at a high number even during the inevitable s lacks of the unit's li fe .

- Team train ing centred on the minor complex, must comply w ith the features of the general scene marked by the emp loyment specificities of the unit concerned.

- The barracks must aim at ensuring all the necessary space for the development of individual training and for the initial stage of team training.

The idea of "college" must be considered with a view to the above.

In conc lusion , I must repeat that to speak of train ing wi ll never be idle or pleonastic.

Actually, it wi ll make us overcome condition ing caused by habit, mental laziness and narrow horizons imposed by the need to operate in a permanent lack of resources. If imagination and a greater training mobility all ows us to overcome the usual training conditions we will easily avoid the dullness of the "sentry-box", stimulate curios ity and attention to new ideas.

Attention and curiosity are now acknowledged as the bases of evolution of all living creatures, whether man or beast.

Lt. Gen. Lucio lnnecco

- Training, which is a bas ic point for the efficiency of any Armed Force, cannot be kept apart from the conceptual vision of the situat ion in which t he Force is supposed to operate.

In particular, it must consider the permanent lack of

30

avai lable resources and the reality of the enivornment which are forever reducing the possible areas of operation. In any case, training is the field in which , despite the said difficulties, im provement is sti ll poss ible with a reasonable expenditure, by working on

NOTE (1) The first is the doctrine of employment of the U.S. Army. The second (Follow on Forces Att ack) is an operational NATO concept which envisages the in tervention on the second echelons.

d~ttrdaat opera nel settore dell 'ingegneria civile e della costruzione e gestione di grandi in/rastrutture attraverso ii controllo di sette comparti operativi nei quali si raggruppano le societa controllate e collegate:

PRINCIPALI AZIENOE DEL .GRUPPO

• servizi di ingegneria • costruzioni generali e grandi lavori • concessionarie di costruzione e gestione di infrastrutture • manutenzione di opere pubbliche ed in/rastrutture • concessionarie di edilizia pubblica e di servizio • costruzioni di edilizia residenziale e sociale • infrastrutture urbane di pubblico interesse.

Bonifica

Autostradc Autostrada Pcdcmontana-Lombarda Autostrada Torino-Savona Castalia C idonio Condotte d' Acqua Con.Piem.

Edil.Pro. Edilvenezia Garboli ldrovie Im.Co lnfrasud Progetti Intermetro Isa ltalcontractors Italeco ltaledil ltalgenco ltaliana Monte Bianco ltalpark ltalpostc

Le aziende del gruppo italstat costituiscono uno strumento cui le amministrazioni centrali o locali possono ricorrere per avviare concretamente a soluzione i problemi posti dalla realizzazione di importanti programmi di opere pubbliche, nei vari aspetti propositivi, organizzativi, esecutivi o di supporto.

ltalstat International

Progettazione, coordinamento esecutivo, esecuzione, esercizio di qualsiasi opera di ingegneria civile, tutte le f asi cioe de/ processo realizzativo e della vita di una costruzione, costituiscono la principale specializzazione del gruppo italstat.

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Publication No. 923 of the doctrinal series, published in 1986, fits into the views outlined in publication No. 922 " Employment of the mechanized and armoured combat group" and aims at supplying a set of instructions and regulations on the employment of the mechanized and armoured minor complex.

Rivista Militare, aware of the importance of the issue, publishes, starting from this number, a series of articles with the purpose of contributing to the technical and professional updating of the Commanders at the lower levels.

THE MECHANIZED AND ARMOURED MINOR COMPLEX IN THE DEFENSIVE COMBAT

The minor complex is a variable part of homogeneous or mixed forces placed under a s in gle command and fit for all the elementary tactical acts of combat.

The base on which it is established is the company or - on mountains, in forests and urban areas - the platoon and, as a rule, it acts within the tactical group.

It is cal led "mechanized" when mechanized platoons prevai l; " armoured" when there is a prevalence of tank platoons or when the latter are the same in number as the mechanized platoons. It generally consists of antitank units, sometimes mortars and Engineer units. It may be assisted by fire erogated by mortars, arti llery and ALE (Army Aviation) by the tactical air forces and by antiaircraft weapon systems.

The availability of a wide spectrum of weapons, very diversified in their performance, makes fire - together with movement - one of the main instruments of the action of a minor complex. For this reason, the Commander must organize fire very carefully, coordinating it with movement.

DEFENCE OF POSITIONS

Th is is carried out through structures (strongholds, antitank deployments, permanent fortifications, and sectors of minefields with blocking functions).

ELEMENTARY TACTICAL ACTIONS OF DEFENSIVE COMBAT UNDETERMINED TIME DEFENCE TEMPORARY DEFENCE DYNAMIC OPPOSITION DYNAMIC REACTION

The defence may be as follows: • carried out in undetermined time; • temporary.

34

UNDETERMINED TIME DEFENCE

It aims at guaranteeing the availability of positions of the utmost importance as regards the Resistance Position , performances of dynamic reactions or connection with conterminal sectors.

Therefore, the positions held may be abandoned only on orders of the Headquarters (of the Major Unit or of the tactical group) which had decided its act ivation.

As a ru le, minor mechanized complexes (homogeneous or mixed) including antitank systems, observer officers and if necessary elements of the Engineer Corps, are in charge of defence.

The defence is carried out on positions having a high intrinsic force and, accord ing to the weapon systems allotted, it may act ch iefly in an antitank or antipersonnel role.

The most suitable structure for this elementary tactical act is the stronghold, normal ly nuclear or-in exceptional casesmarked by uniqueness of command; tactical mastering of the access ways to be blocked; complete tact ical and logistic self-sufficiency; 360° reactivity.

The nuclear strongpoint is divided in un itarian platoon structures co-operating one with the other. One or two of these may be formed by antitank deployments.

The unitarian strongpoint, instead, in subdivided in conterminal sectors garrisoned by platoons organized into cooperating resistence centres.

The Commander of the minor complex in charge of establishing a strongpoint develops the relevant conceptual activity and determines the following: - avenues of approach to be blocked - blocked positions to be garrisoned (in integration of the essen tial topographic details indicated by the Commander of the tactical group); initial gravitation of forces, fire and obstacle;

THE UNITARIAN STRONGPOINT

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- employment of the support.

The support may be emp loyed to strengthen t he most tried or engaged platoon strongpoint, to garrison for some particular reason positions which may block possible infiltrations or integrate the action of advanced strongpoints, to develop dynamic reaction.

Dynamic reactions, which often have offensive characteristics, ai m at guaranteeing the working capacity of the platoon strongpoints or at re-gaining positions formerly lost or compromised , and may develop into a subsequent dynamic opposition.

In any case, the dynamic reaction supported by al l the available fire, must: - be firm and timely; - exploit surprise and favourable positions; - aim at striking the aggressor's flank; - develop the highest possible power on the front.

TEMPORARY DEFENCE It aims at wearing out the enemy with fi re at a maximum distance, hindering its manoeuvres or slowing it down or, where possible, blocking it thus favouring th e action of other forces defendi ng positions, encourag ing the performance of dynamic

36

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reactions and so guaranteeing the safety on f lanks or the soldering with conterminal sectors.

As a rule, it is better to avoid the hinging and outflanking of forces when carrying out the temporary defence, so that they may be recovered and the defence in depth may be repeated.

Generally, mixed mechanized and mixed armoured minor complexes are in charge of the defence in depth. They inc lude antitank weapon systems, an observer officer and, when necessary, elements of the Engineer Corps.

It may carry out an antitank and antipersonnel function. The most suitable structures for temporary defence of positions are the antitank deployment and the strongpoint with a markedly long shape characterized by uniqueness of command, tactic mastery of the facility ways to be blocked, tactical and logistic selfsu fficiency suited to the foreseen length of the action , organization fit to give maximum fire power at the front, a shape modelled on the obstac le (minefield, stream , ridge).

The Commander of a minor complex in charge of establishing an antitank dep loyment or activating a strongpoint with a markedly long shape develops the relative

-.--: Mechanized units are ,. .rL characterized by high employment flexibility due to their suitability to act from vehicles and on foot without much varying the operational capacity.

They are equipped with a vast range of arm systems and are fit to maintain , for a long time if necessary, the possession of position acting in defence.

The action of mechanised troops is based on the reactivity of the units and of the single men, on the mobility and the exploitation of the terrain and the fire.

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Tank units are characterized by mobility, power, protection and firing speed of the main weapon and are scarcely vulnerable to artillery, mortars and small calibre fire.

The action of tanks is always aggressive in the dynamic stages, cautions in the methodic or temporarily static stages and is based on the steady exploitation of anything that might give protection, surprise and effectiveness of fre.

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conceptual activity and defines the followi ng: - avenues of approach to be blocked; - blocked posi tions of t he above to be garrisoned (in integration of the essent ial topog raphical part iculars ind icated by t he Commander of the tactical group); - initial gravitation of forc es, fire and obstacl e.

As a ru le, the antitan k deployment and t he long-shaped stron gpoi nt have no s upport. If, however, temporary defence should go on for an undetermin ed length of t ime, the Commander o f t he complex establishes on the moment or desi gnates a su pport unit, giving it the indicat ions regarding its employment.

The organization of t he pos itions cons ists in the choice of fire posit ions to be ass igned to t he avai lable weapons, so that t heir in tegrated firin g action may start simu ltaneously, with the greatest possible power and at the li mit of t he useful range on t he fron t of the structu re.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE ACTION In the defence of positions (temporary or not) t he act ion st arts wit h fire erogated at the greatest distances from t he weapon systems pointing to the front of the structu re, dep loyed on the positions chosen by the

Com mander o f the comp lex to avoid s urprise att acks, exhaust and slow down the enemy and spot out the direction of the attack. Artill ery and mort ars intervene on enemy formations - especiall y on the avenues of approach - to hi nder thei r movement.

The advanced weapon systems, proceeding on di fferent and lateral routes as regards the sectors of intervention , withd raw in order to carry on the action inside th e stru ct ure.

When the enemy enters the range of the arms deployed in the structure, t he different weapon systems fire as far as possible and concentrate all act ion s on the most reward ing and dan gerou s objectives.

The Commander of the minor complex sustains the acti on o f t he platoons with the interven tion of the arm systems if they are kept at his orders and demands artillery and mortar f ire to give priority to the enemy's concent rations and fire bases. When t he enemy forces reach the antitank minef ield and are thereby slackened or blocked, the fi re o f all the weapons of the structure, capable of interveni ng , reaches maximu m intensity and must ai m at achieving the maxi mum wear of the attacker.

If enemy elements man age to open passages in the minef ield, the f ire of all

37

THESTRONGPOINT - TASKS AND O RIENTATION

- first, the longest range arm systems wh ich dep loy on rear positions from where they may, however, strike the enemy forma ti ons; - the mechan ized with short range arm systems follow; - lastly, the st ill available tank units, which alternate fire and movement.

Withdrawal terminates on the assigned rear positions or may give rise to another elementary tactical act: the dynam ic opposition.

DYNAMIC OPPOSITION

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available weapons must be directed on the passages, to li mit the entity of penetrations.

The Commander o f the minor complex informs the tactical group Commander of the deve lopments of the situation and continues fighting, employing, i f necessary, successive fire positions until t he Commander of t he tactical group orders t o abandon the structure. As we have noticed, the conduct of the defence, both as regards temporary and undetermined t ime d efence, develops with modalities which do not differ substant ially, at least in the firs t stages. The

38

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Com mander of the strongpoint may be ordered to abandon the structure j ust as t he Commander of the antitank deployment may be ordered to carry out an undertemin ed ti me defence. In both cases the forces which garrison the structure remain on the spot until the tactical group Com mander decides and orders to abandon it.

The above retreat may be favoured by the intervent ion of units carrying out a dynamic action . When this is not possi ble, contact is broken up by part of t he forces in the foll owing order:

This aims at exhausting and slowing down the attacker by a dynamic resistance based on maximum distance erogati on of al l available fire, des ig ned to block the enemy.

It is usuall y carried out following or before position defence or dynamic reaction and aims at obtaining maximum results and avoiding, at the same time, an excess ive wear of t he un it effecting it.

It is normally the duty of armoured comp lexes (homogeneous or mixed) or mixed mechanized complexes includ ing ant itank arm systems, observer officers and possibly elements of the Engineer Corps; it may also be carried out by dismounted units, against similar forces and in particu lar terrains.

The following are the c haracteristic elements of t he dynamic opposition .

• the constant search for surprise; • fire at the maximum distance; • exploitation of the terrai n.

The Commander of the minor Complex in c harge of carrying out the dynam ic opposition develops the relative conceptu al activity determ in ing the fo llowing : • avenues of approach to be blocked; • blocked positions o f the above, to be garrisoned in succession , in integration of essen tial topog raphical particulars ind icated by the tactical group Commander;

• timin g of the action ; • initial gravitation of forces, fire and obstacle.

The dynamics of the action and the opportunity of erogating maximum distance fire advise agai nst forming a support in advance.

The minor complex which has the task of carrying out the dynamic opposition adopts a different structure accord ing to wheter the action is conducted: • on a vast front (up to 5 Km) and against enemy formations of little consistency (the delaying action is a typica l case); • on a restrained front (up to 2 Km) and against enemy formations of remarkable consistency (action carried out in the res istence pos ition).

DYNAMIC OPPOSITION ON A VAST FRONT

The minor complex consists of one (and possibly two) blocking posts and two or three patrols.

The blocking post is the basic element of the action. It is made of forces at reinforced platoon level whic h normal ly inc lude 2-3 rifle squads, 2-3 long and med ium ra nge ant itan k weapon systems , elements of the Engineer Corps , Observer officer and , when possib le, 2-3 tanks.

Its task consists in making the enemy stop several times against strong positions and operates alon g a main avenue of approach develop ing distance fire actions, especially antitank.

Moreover, it guarantees the cont rol of very protected areas close to activated positions, detaching the outguard .

Patrols represent the most dynamic element of the minor complex. Their entity varies according to environment and si tuations . Generally, each patrol is formed by 2-5 tanks, 1-2 riflemen teams, an observer officer, elements of the Engineer Corps if required , as wel l as long and medium range antitank systems.

Patrols have the tas k of gathering in formation, pre venting enemy patro ls , contributing to

ANTITA 1K DEPLOYMENT (guiding scheme)

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wearing out and delaying the enemy. They operate in a vast space up to 2.5 Km, in the intervals between the roads defended by blocking posts.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE ACTION

The action begins wi th the blocking post deployed in pos itions usually strengthened by an artificial obstacle and with patrols projected forward .

When the enemy reaches the maximum firing distances, patrols start firing and keep the contact as long as possible.

Under the thrust of the enem y, the patrols repeat their

intervention from rear positions aiming at making the enemy converge on the road blocking post.

The latter, as soon as it is able to intervene, starts a maximum distance firing action and carries it on unt il i.t is in danger of being outflanked or engaged. Meanwhile, th'e pat"rols avoid the outflanking of the blocking post, facilitating its disengagement if necessary.

When the blocking post starts its bac kwa rd movement towards the new position, patrols once more take con trol of the entire sector, to repeat the action in depth.

39

The antitank units are a fundamental component of the battle against enemy armoured vehicles. Antitank weapon systems exploit their firing range as far as possible, often change position and look for edges from which to fire and, at the same time, reduce the effect of the enemy weapons.

DYNAMIC OPPOSITI ON ON A LIMITED FRO NT

In this case, the minor complex is divided into 3-4 elem ents at p latoon level, each inc luding at least 2-3 antitank long and medium range weapon systems, poss ibly an observer officer and elements of the Eng ineer Corps.

It usually acts along a direction indicated by the tact ical group Commander (which coincide w ith an avenue of approach) and in an area 2 Km wide and 2 to 7 Km deep (average depth of a tactic grou p sector in t he resistence position) with the operating parts under the strict coordination of the Commander of the comp lex.

The dynam ic opposition consits in the combination of the following simp le actions: • static actions, in conn ect ion with natural and artif icial obstacles, during which ambush fire makes the enemy stop or slow down its formations, organization and movement di rec t ions; • backward movements, to reach new positions; • offensive thrusts, carried out from favourable posit ions, possibly prepared in advance.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE ACTION

As a rule, the action starts with all advanced pl atoons operating according to the proceedings of temporary defence from a

40

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linear position chosen in correspondence with a natural or artificial obstac le.

When the dep loyment is no longer conveniently defendable, the complex Commander orders to abandon the positions and co-ordinates the actions of the platoon s, whic h move as follows: - retreat from the positions in groups, under t he protection of t he fire of 1-2 pl atoons and possibly by artillery, mortars and helicopters.

- subsequent movement carried out , by each platoon , along covered routes and by taking advantage of smoke screens. It termi nates on rear positions from where it is possible to have the control of t he enemy or, in particu lar sit uat ions, on positions favouring offensive th rusts.

In each stage of the action , the essential elements of success are fi re, surprise, steady mutual assistance among pl atoons and the speed at which movements are performed.

DYNAMIC REACTION

offensive thrust

ODO[) dynamic opposi tion

It aims at restoring a compromised or critical situation , favouring the performing capacity of a static element of defence or, in particu larly favourable situation s, destroying enemy forces, regain ing lost positions and bringing defence forward once more.

As a rule, the reserve of the tactical group is in charge of this action. The reserve is formed by an armoured minor complex or, when convenient, a mechanized complex acting from combat vehicles; it presupposes that the following be achieved: • a favourable or at least even ratio of forces, obtained t hrough a preventive exhaustion o f the enemy forces; • t he frontal blocking , or at least the slowing down of the enemy penetration , obtained by another active element of t he defence.

Moreover, the dynamic reaction: 41

• is carried out from favourable positions, against an objective of limited depth, along a direction aiming at the f lank of the enemy and is supported by all available fire; • may be concluded with the strengthening of the positions whi le waiting for an eventual replacement, or with the continuation of the efforts in depth or with the start of another elementary tactical act; • it may take on the aspect of an offensive thrust.

The limited depth of the objective and the sustained rythm of the action suggest that it is convenient to employ all the advanced platoons in order to act at the front with the highest possible firing power and renounce the idea o f t he constitution of an armoured support.

DY AM IC REACTIO

DEVELOPMENT OF THE ACTION

The minor complex which is to carry out the dynamic reaction generally begin s the action from an area of initial deployment. In expectation of t he employment, on orders by the tactical group Commander, the complex reaches the subsequent location zone, usually chosen in advance, in relation to each reaction hypothesis. Once the minor complex has taken up its attack formations and deployed t he long and medium antitank weapon systems on positions suitable for accom panying the action, it abandons the area, crosses the starting line and attacks the enemy forces along the assigned direction and aims at destroying them.

The dynamic reaction, supported by all the available fire, is initially developed by a linear formation and the sudden and simultaneous action of all t he weapons, in order to inflict the enemy the greatest possible number of casualities before it can organise an efficient counter-manoeuvre. Then t he attack continues combining fire and movement wi th alternate bounds (by platoon or within the individual platoons).

42

~ movement to reach the staging area

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OFFE NSIVE THRUST

About 300-400 m from the advanced elements of the enemy formation , in correspondence to a line established in advance, the platoons interrupt the alternation of fire and movement, poi nt simultaneously and decided ly on the objective and elim inate the remaining enemy forces by emp loying all their automatic weapons. At th is stage a platoon, generally mechanized, mops up the objective. Th is is of the utmost importance for the subsequent consolidation.

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It aims at strengthening the resistance capability of a structure, I ighten the pressure on another friendly un it or favour the disengagement of tactical complexes in contact. It is a t actical movement aimin g at reach ing the f iring positions, prepared in advance or not, f rom which to fire with maximu m efficiency and security. It differs substant ially from the dynamic reaction for it may be developed also in cond itions of local inferiority.

The minor complex performing it moves from an area close to the employment zone, moves quickly and briefly along a protected rou te and reaches the rear of the tiring posit ions to be used. All combat veh icles simultaneously occupy the appointed posit ion, with their hu lls in defi laded positions, and start tiring simultaneously, as a norm on the flank of the enemy formation. After the first tiring (a maximu m of 2-3 shots for each tank or antitank weapon), the platoon leaders co-ordinate the occupation of alternative emp lacements through brief "combi ng" movements. Once the tiring action is finished, the minor complex may: • in favourable cases, start a dynamic reaction; • retreat along a defi laded route to reach t he assigned location zone or a new firing edge from which to carry out a new offensive thrust; • carry out a different elementary tactical act (dynamic opposition).

43

NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS Training, Selection, Employment

When speaking of noncomm issioned officers it is usual to state that they are the " backbone" of an army, the pivot of a unit and that they affect the ir solidity and effic iency.

In fact, non-commissioned officers have always taken care personally of the soldiers, gu id ing, supporting, spurring them and making sure they get what they need; they take care of their formal aspect, physical efficiency, hygi ene; they give them individual and team training , bring and keep them at an acceptable global standard.

It is the non-commissioned officers who carry out adm inistrative jobs, keep weapons and materials effici ent

44

with a view to operations. They su rvey the working order and maintenance of the infrastructure, make detailed plans, direct and control the ord inary operations.

In brief, today as yesterday and tomorrow, it is the noncom missioned officers who run companies and battalions thus leaving officers time enough to command them.

The above is however true only in those armies having a consistent corps o f noncommi ssioned officers, well trained and selected, motivated by well-defi ned duties and by an accentuated formal importance, a corps of noncomm issioned officers subject t o that of officers, different in

its functions, but not inferior as regards decorum, professional value and self-esteem.

It is a problem of quality, quantity and motivation! Even if only one of t he above is missing, non-commissioned officers tend to intimately detach themselves from the soldiers, lose interest in the unit, search refuge behind a writing desk to become little bureaucrats and end up by experiencing only the physical and family inconveniences of military life, the burden of obedience, the modest econom ic retribution.

I have had reason t o meditate at length on this when the School for Non Comm ission ed Cadets, which I

had the honour to command, was assigned in 1985 the task of developing the training programmes for the basic course of the formative process. ¡ At that time we already wondered what kind of rroncommissioned officers would be required in the future. Moreover, we were already forming cadets which would have been discharged around the year 2020! The reference points were quite clear.

On the one hand, the operational doctrine with the apocalyptic vision of a modern war with the need that, on the battlefield, all elements move automatical ly, synchronically, with minimum control; this requires moral firmness, determination, capacity of judgement, initiative, technical competence - in one word , leadership - of the commanders of minor units.

Then there is the enlisted personnel. Well-known qualities, but also immaturity, di ffused interior fragility, comprehensible difficulties in adapting to a new life. These are all factors requiring, in direct contact w ith soldiers, numerous, capable and motivated cadres.

The third element is the aquisition of informatics which, though enhancing the training possibilities, is likely to make the present manual practices obsolete.

Lastly, the rapid development of the equipment, not necessarily more difficult to use, but ever more often not resistant enough to be "sold ier-proof".

It was assumed, generally speaking, that reenlisted so ldiers would have been emp loyed as operators and repairers and that non-commissioned officers should have carried out the most burdensome training, organizational and control jobs, both as regards emp loyment and maintenance of materials.

It was easy to conclude that in the future the Army must have many noncommissioned officers, that the image of the minor unit commanders will have to be

revalued vis-a-vis the technicians, that both the former and the latter will need more capacity and determination in establishing the right relationship with soldiers instead of avoiding all contacts w ith them, that they wi ll have to act with greater initiative and decisional capacity. We th us go back to what has been said before: quantity, quality and motivation.

It is well-known that the 27.700 regular non-commissioned officers allowed by law, would only satisfy 3/4 of the requirements even in the absence of particular problems and that we may recruit sergeants only in respect of the normal vacancies in the regular component. Otherwise, to make room for the young, we should

discharge the eldest after 20-22 years of service, as is the case in other armies.

It is less known that our war organization , and above all the peacetime formations, are rather scarce; it is sufficient to compare them to those o f other western armies.

It must be added that often the availability in the units is even lower and that the deficiencies regard squad commanders, thus depriving soldiers of their natural instructor - I would say of their po int of support - with clear imp lications regarding physical safety and psychological support, not to speak of training efficiency. We may thus imagine how important it is, for the units, that the Bill of Law on the

45

organic increase in Noncommissioned officers, long in itinere, be approved.

Quality is the result of continuous training and continuous selection.

Fortunately, in the last years it has been possible to enlist more valid cadets, over a third of w hich however wi ll not pass the global formative procedure which we may consider suited to the needs of the year 2000.

In particular, the programme of the basic course favou rs t hat social-cultu ral aspect which has a more direct impact on the relationship between non-commi ssioned officers and sold iers, core of a correct action of command. I must underline here that not even in the future will the noncommissioned officer have to expatiate on the maximum systems, but undoubtedly sett ing the example and knowing the "tools of his trade" is not enough anymore though it remain s the main pivot of professionality.

To have some influence on sold iers, ou r non-commissioned officer must also have a correct Aplomb, express himself in good Itali an , know at least the basic elements of psychology and training technique and be up to date on the main contemporary topics, so that he will not have social and cultural com plexes, make quite clear

46

what he is explain ing and commanding, solve problems with method, act with firmness and authority ... without raising his voice !

I believe that the recent years have been bountifu l in provisions aiming at elevating the quality in the future. This result should be safeguarded from those who would like to return to the Todos Caballeros policy of t he recent past ; it is a process which we should continue.

The fact that merit has become the basis on which to promote officers is the first step towards a more valid selection.

It is true that access to the maximum level is still granted to those considered fit, i.e. almost to everyone, but today the best may gain up to 5 years as regards their less capable colleagues and moreover they may reach the rank of lieutenant in the techn ical and admin istrative list at a relatively young age.

This provision has already had important effects shaking many men from apathy but, if the aim is to reward the best and keep everyone reasonab ly "on the go", a selective evaluation from Warrant Officer to Ch ief Warrant Offi cer cou ld also be introduced.

Service in the units should , however, be a clear advantage

and unit command should likewise be hyperevaluated.

It would also be appropriate that the title of ad jutant shou ld not be related with the mere passing of years, but take on a character of choice, formally dist inguishing the more deserving from those who simply have no demerits.

The Lire 25,000 per month , before taxes, gran(ed for the title might as well be given to everyone, so as not to contin ue con founding things sacred and profane.

As regards traini ng, the establishment of a professional refresher course (IGP) has partly filled the gap existing in that sector. According to me, it is not advisable to anticipate the attendance to the course before going in for promotion to Warrant Officer. Instead, I deem useful the attendance to a second course before going in for promotion to Warrant Officer First Class.

Moreover, as has been the case in other armies for a long time, the establishment of a semestral or annual physical test for service in a unit would be greatly desirable.

Motivation conditions the individual output and collect ive results; the individual commits himself if he is aware of his usefu lness, if he sees a purpose in his work, if he is individually and publicly made responsible of what he does or does not do, if he thinks he can gain or lose prestige w ith in the organization he is working for. .. Otherwise, more often than not, he fades away.

I said at the beginning that the non-commissioned officers are the main pivot of good units, I must now add that it is the officers who form and select good non-comm issioned officers for they decide in which environmental conditions t hey will have to act, give them authority, praise them and support them in the eyes of the sold iers, reward and punish them , correct them , if necessary, without interfering in their work.

As far as I am concerned, have noticed, during a long service in the British Army, what can be obtained from noncommissioned officers when they are given prec ise responsibi li ties at organizational level, a certain freedom of action , much authority ... and much work, all of t his keeping them well under control wit h the necessary fair play.

Afterwards, the officer may well go and stroke the horses with white gloves without diminish ing either his own prestige or t hat of the non-commissioned offi cer.

However, if t he system must work, a sort of "line of technical dependence" is necessary. This line, starting from the mythi cal firs t sergeant of a reg iment goes down to the platoon leader, a chain wh ich, for instance, exi sts in the American army too.

Moreover, if we consider the German organization , we note on ly one jun ior officer in t he company, who is also the "executive"; the remain ing platoons are headed by noncommissioned officers with at least 4 years of service, chosen among th e most rel iable men of equal rank.

I have often taken these models for an example; without difficu lty in Cavalry, but also in Viterbo, I positively struck t he imagi nation of cadets w ho, instead of identifying the noncomm iss ioned officer with the writing desk, the depot or maybe the unskilled work, saw him engaged in personnel management and instruction, in external activities with the same knapsack of the cadets, and they looked with tim id admiration at the School Warrant Officer dri ll ing the battalions under the attentive look of the officers.

I have certain ly not brought forth particu larly original ideas, indeed I am convinced that in the future a good nop.commissioned officer w ill have the same tasks he has always had in every efficient army, but times c hange and he must be trained to act in a human,

operational and technical environment wh ich becomes gradually more complicated , bearing well in mind that the so-called "good executors " will be dead we ig ht in the year 2000 even more than they are today and therefore by putting aside, w ithout ill-advised mercy, those who are unfit, we w ill avoid leaving a bad heritage to those who w ill come after us.

The formation of a good NCO is a long and difficu lt process, but it is certainly not a labour of Sisyphus as some say is the case with the training of conscripts. The formation of the noncomm issioned officer gives the pleasant illusion of being able to be present in the Army and its Corps for decades after having taken off the honoured uniform, but above all it gives the certainty of giving an import ant contributi on to its efficiency because a good army has never existed w ithout a good non-commissioned officer corps.

Carlo Alfonso Giannatiempo

Colonel Carlo Alfonso Giannatiempo, a Cava lry officer on General Staff duty, attended the "Nunziatella" Military School, the Military Academy, the Ranger Course and the War College.

He was platoon leader and troop commander in the " Nizza", "Piemonte" and "Lancieri di Novara" squadrons, and commanded the " Genova Cavalleria" squadron as well as the Non-Commi ssioned Officer School.

Co l. Giannatiemp o served with t he General Staff of the Military Command of Sicily, the Army General Staff and the Hqs. 6th Field Force of the British Army.

He has also been Section Chief at the office of the Secretary General of Defense, as well as ITALCON Chief of Staff.

At present, Col. Giannatiempo is the Chief of the I Branch of LANDSOU TH.

47

THE HISTORIC CAVALRY MUSEUM

The desire of Cavalrymen throughout Italy to see the testimonies of the glory of the Arm and of its best men gathered together in a single seat, began to take shape when, on June 20, 1958; the "Associazione Ente Museo Nazionale dell'Arma di Cavalleria" which on June 11, 1960 took the name of "Societa Amici del Museo Nazionale della Cavalleria ltaliana" was established in Turin. The location was the town of Pinerolo, universally known as the " Cradle of Cavalry", chosen tor its long-lived military traditions and tor historical and moral reasons.

This choice was particularly suitable because Pinerolo was also the seat of the "Caprilli" riding school which, together with the neighbouring riding grounds of Baudenasca, Mombrone and Baldissero whose natural and artificial jum ps were and could still be a school of courage for young Cavalrymen - comp leted the premises of t he Museum in a harmonious whole rich in history and glory.

The Municipality of Pinero lo, sensitive to cultural issues and tourism and aware of the importance of this inst itute, granted the Museum a wing of the former Fenulli barracks, once called Principe Amedeo: this place is particu larly dear to Cavalrymen of all ranks - since it was the headquarters of the Cavalry Applicat ion School for about a century from 1849 - and has become famous in all the world, together with the name of Pinerolo, due to the " Natural Riding Method" of captain Federico Caprilli.

On December 21, 1961, the Minister of Defence, by dispatch No. 1603, sent the Chairman of the Societa Amici del Museo the fol lowing repl y: " IN GRANTING THE REQUEST OF THE NA T/ONAL COUNCIL OF THE NA T/ONAL CAVALRY Left.

The Museum's heraldic crest and some colonial pennons.

ASSOC/AT/ON IT HAS BEEN DECIDED TO ESTABLISH THE HISTORIC MUSEUM OF THE ARM IN THE SEAT OF PINEROLO" . The above dec ision is the true and proper birth certificate of the Museum.

The Director then asked the President that t he Museum be given legal status (this occurred

by Presidential Decree of July 12, 1966 No. 682) and , subsequently, that he officially open the Museum to the public, on October 13, 1968. Recently, the legal status having expired, the Museum passed under the General Staff by Pres idential Decree No. 526 of June 28, 1986; last November, t he General Staff decided that the Museum be part of the Appl ication School of Turin.

Having overcome its difficult beginnings, the Museum gradually became richer, due both to the historic material assigned to the Museum by the Army Staff and to the important cont ribution of public and private boards and sing le Cavalrymen and . their fam ilies who sent antiques, uniforms, weapons, books, documents and photographs, thus turni ng into reality the wish of al l Cavalrymen; donations which at first came only from Piedmont, later started arriving from all parts of Italy and nowadays also from abroad.

At present, donators amount to about 900 units.

In th is generous competition to donate testimonies regarding the threecentury old history of the Arm, next to high sounding names we see those of unknown Cavalrymen who send perhaps only a photograph, faded maybe, together with moving words proving their deep affection for the Arm and the fact that they feel honoured for having worn the loved colours.

In brief, though last to be established , it is not the least important among the Arm Museums, indeed the rarity and preciousness of the th ings it contains make it one of the most interesting museums of its kind in Europe. The variety of

the antiques and the unique and elegant way they are exhibited, capture the visitors' attention. Recently, the members of the Saumur "Cadre Noir" stated: " We feel as it we were in the home of a great fam ily, among memories of our own forefathers, rather than ins ide a Museum". In fact, it seems as if the antiques exh ibited let off a deep sense of humanity wh ich speaks to the eye, the mind and, most of al I, the heart of the lady vis itors too.

This is because Cavalry is multifarious. Thus, next to the military part - many testimonies of heroic Cavalrymen, - which is preem inent as needs be, there is the sporting aspect - cups and trophies won in competitions throughout the world - , the sentimental aspect - hooves and shoes of famous horses or those died in battle, test imonies of the Cavalryman's attachment to his horse - besides the mundane and romantic aspect represented by souvenirs which Cavalry units gave and still give to the brides of thei r Officers on their wedding day.

I must here mention two moving and meaningful writs: the letter of an elderly Tuscan Cavalryman and the words of a mother; the former wrote: ''Unt il now I have devoutly preserved a corporal jacket, the busby and the cap I used back in 1907. I am now almost eighty and as I have no heirs I am sure that at my death these wou ld end up at a peddler's and the mere thought is a great sorrow for me. If these things are of any interest to the Museum , I would be happy to send them as a gi ft".

The latter, mother of Captain Silvano Abba, Gold Medal who died at lsbuschenskij (Russia) and who took part in the Berlin Olympic Games of 1936, wrote: "I often feel death is just behind my shoulder and tor nothing on earth would I want what remains of my son , which have preserved religiously, to

49

-~ ~ .

fall in the hands of strangers".

There are many other episodes denoting the generous sentiments binding Cavalrymen to their Arm. At present the area of the exhibition occupied by the Museum develops over three storeys and concerns about six thousand square meters.

Antiques are displayed, main ly in chronological order, in several sections which gather testimonies from olden days to our present days.

On the ground floor, in the cross-vault hall which rightly deserves to be called the "Hall of Glory" there are the plaques devoted to the Officers who died for the Motherland when cadets of the Cavalry School.

Their names are divided by Reg iment and next to each of them there is the tac-simile of the rewards for military valour.

Above there is a blockletter inscription: "TO THE CAVALRYMEN OF ITALY HERO/CALL Y FALLEN 路 IN THE IMPETUS AND IN THE ATTACK 路 SECULAR GLORY OF THE 50

ARM - OR DISMOUNTED FROM THE SADDLE 路 TO WAGE WAR WITH ALL THE ARMS - ON THE GROUND AND IN THE SKY - FACING DEATH WITH BRA VERY 路 IN A SACRED OFFER TO THE MOTHERLAND THIS SCHOOL - THEIR FIRST SCHOOL OF BRA VERY PROUDLY CONSECRATES".

On the background of the cross there is the little monument by Canonica devoted to the "Cavalrymen of Italy"; on the right, symbolically guarding the evocative Sanctuary dedicated to the heroes decorated by a Gold Medal for military valour, a harnessed horse in bronze on the base of which there is the following epigraph: "TO THE GENEROUS AND FAITHFUL COMRADES IN ARMS FALLEN FOR THE MOTHERLAND" .

From the ground floor we go to the first floor up a severe Luserna stone staircase; at the top of the first flight there is a plaque in memory of Caprilli. It is the work of the sculptor Bistolfi who portrayed the virile

A " Nizza" Dragoon in WW/ uniform.

traits of the great Maestro against a relief background, above the inscription: "TO CAPTAIN FEDERICO CAPR/LLI HIGHLY DISTINGUISHED MAESTRO OF RIDING WHO TAUGHT HERE FROM 14th MARCH 1904 TO 6th DECEMBER 1907".

In the first floor rooms which preserve the testimonies dated from the end of 1600 to 1939, we may follow the most beautiful deeds of Cavalrymen through testimonies of value and glory, through an interesting collection of uniforms of various ages and through the history of glorious deeds illustrated with documents, antiques, and iconog raph ic representations.

On the right, as you enter there is a section regarding foreign Cavalries, in homage to the international spirit which has always distinguished Cavalry; indeed, in this section the 141 Officers of thirty three nations who came to Pinerolo

The Hall of Foreign Cavalries.

to learn the Natural Riding Method are ideally remembered.

In the ad joining "Hall of Weapons" is a particularly interesting co llect ion of sidearms dating back to the end of the 16th Century and the beginn ing of the 17th, formerly belonging to the Cacherano di Bricherasio fami ly.

It is a panop ly of lances and spears which flanks the two bigger show windows in wh ich are di splayed helmets, morions, armours, sabres and swords, spurs and two armours on mannikins, one of which called "black", painted in this colour, and t he other "wh ite", plain and more valuable. It is an "ammunition" armour from Bresc ia with the name of t he munic ipal ity of origin (Qu inzanel) and the emblem of the Venetian Republ ic slightl y mod ified : the lion, thalis, is depicted in anger (tai l up) and its paw is on a c losed Gospel so that the inscription " Pax t ibi Maree evangelista meus", which

is normally read on the open pages, wi ll not contrast with the symbols and state of war.

On the sides of the show window contai ning an art istic Misericordia o f the 17th Century and Tibetan si lver harnesses damascened in gold of the XVlllth centu ry, there are two show-cases: in the one on the left of the visi tor there is a set of Cavalry muskets going from the last century Vetterlj to the 1891 model and the subsequent modified versions. In the other show-case there are Italian and foreign weapons: among the former the '91 musket taken from the saddle of second lieutenant Azzi, Gold Medal for military valour, another musket of the same kind, but without the bayonet, decorated by the Arabs in s ilver plate and a Mauser-Mann licher rifle, made in Belgiu m, which had been distribuited to the Imperial Guard of Negus Haile Selass ie.

In the corridor-like veranda there is a embalmed sorrel horse harnessed for war on which there is a mann ikin in

the uniform of the First World War; next to it, t he bed on which Colonel Morelli di Popolo lay, after having been mortally wounded in one of the many charges led by the Monferrato Light Cavalry Regiment on June 24, 1859 at Montebello; along t he walls there are Cavalry sabres, sashes, pictures and photographs regarding the School and show-cases with si lver epau lettes and sabres of honour.

In the show-case in front of the entrance door there is t he red shirt belonging to the young " Monferrato Light Cavalryman" Felice Bisleri , who enl isted with Garibaldi when he was only fi fteen and at Bezzecca deserved a Silver Medal for military valour; there is also the sober uniform of the " Guide Garibald ine" and in front, s lightly on the left , a show-case containing the horsegrooming equ ipment.

In the rooms in front of t he entrance, the riding activity carried out before, during and after Cap rill i is commemorated 51

and, along the walls, in a special case, we see a Nepalese XVIII century parchment hippology treati se.

Here one can also see the photographs of military Cavalrymen in individual and collective training activity, over obstacles now belonging to legend such as the Castle of Mombrone, the slipway of Baldissero, the race-course of Baudenasca and so forth to the difficu lt obstacles of Tor di Quinto.

Instructors, all the Commanders of the School and numerous Cavalrymen who made the "Caprilli" method famous throughout the world giving proof of their ability and ath letic spirit, are here remembered together with the great Maestro.

The substantial difference between the old academic method and the new natural method is clearly seen in two sets of large photographs put together on purpose in a single show-case: in the first set one can see the riders inclined backwards and visibly disturbing the horse jumping rigidly and obviously in pain ; in the second set the rider is in perfect syntony with the horse, his bust inc lin ed forward leaving the horse in its natural balance

52

without hindering its spontaneous postures.

In this section one can also see the things belong ing to Captain Caprilli, such as the handles of the wooden case containing the ceramic urn with the great Maestro's ashes, uniforms, and a portrait of the founder of FIAT, Senator Giovanni Agnelli, former regular officer in " Savoia Cavalleria" .

After this, the visitor's attention is drawn once more by the horse, its shoeing, its harness and in the farriery, the place of honour is occupied by an Irish horse called Cromwel l, once ridden by Caprilli; on a cushion are the shoes of the mythical " Nasello ltalico".

Special mention must be made of a scarf representing a true and proper treatise of hippology and training of both horse and Cavalryman. It was given to Cavalry soldiers together with the personal outfit.

From the farriery, through a large closed veranda w ith pictures and prints of very good artistry, one reaches the art gallery containing a few masterpieces such as a triptych

by Cenni , picturing the liberation of Trento; pictures by Cugia, Tanzi, Mazza, Treves, Borgna, Gonzaga, Eco, Scarampi, Quaglino, Chicco;

other pictures are exhibited in other halls and galleries of the Museum.

On the left of the gallery, through a big archway, we reach what is often described as a " Museum in the Museum".

On the central wall , above a chest engraved with the coat of arms o f the former owner, is the large picture by the Risorgimento painter Sebastiano de Albertis titled " Bezzecca" .

There are also four bronze groups among which an original work by Troubetzkoy, one by Campaiola and a group of Risorgimental subject placed on a beautiful chest above which hangs a precious ivory crucifix.

Three show-cases contai ning uniforms, saddlery items, war souvenirs and several decorations complete the room. On the walls, precious engravings of German tournaments and prints of the French Cavalry.

We now enter the hall of the old Officers' Club of the School, called the " Party Room", divided by two arches with a big two-window case at the centre. In the wall-window there are the cups won by the Official Italian Mi litary Team.

Here seven windows disp lay a collection among the most interesting in the Museum. The

Left.

The Hall of the Standards.

Right, from top.

The Carriage Gallery; The Exhibition o f Armoured Vehicles.

main wall is occupied by a window containing a nonregulat ion jacket of t he "brigandage" period as well as the first uniform and several souvenirs of the Piacenza Hussars, the kepys for Lancers and Light Cavalrymen and the sash, called "imperial model" of a yellow-gold material spec kled with blue prescribed by the Sardinian army from 1789 to 1832 when the blue sash was adopted for the Officers; on the right there are cups and souvenirs o f the School ; in the front, in three wall-windows, there is a small statue of an artistic Saint George in ivory, an Indian work donated by Pope Pau l VI, a trophy representi ng an officer of the Austrian Regiment " Prinz Eugen" , gift of Emperor Franz Joseph and lastly a unique Capodimonte piece titled "Cavaliere Arabo" .

The visit ends with another "Piemonte Reale" uniform and with the light blue uniform of the " Guide" with the first busby and the design of that particular headgear called Calpak and never adopted, of 1821 and 1859 respectively.

Special mention must also be made of the thirty statuettes of officers wearing the typical uniform of the beginning of the century, the parade helmets of the Generals of the end of the XIX century and the complete collect ion, from 1822 to 1940, of the helmets used in the first four Cavalry Regiments as well as t he uniform of the Bourbon Cavalry of which there are no other models.

Five table-windows comp lete the room. These contain valuable decorations and souvenirs such as 12 bronzes, 30 pictures precisely reproducing the coat 0-f- arms of the Regiments of the Italian Cavalry as well as etchings and watercolours by Stanislao Grimaldi.

The table-window with the mundane-romantic souvenirs is particularly im portant. On it is a small bronze considered the symbol of the bond between the Cavalryman and his Dame.

From the "Trophy Hall " we go to the "Hall of the Standards", containing authenti c war banners which led Old Piedmont and waved in the compaigns of the National Risorgimento and over the sunbleached lands of Africa. The hal l is dominated by a big window in wh ich thirteen war Banners of the 1860 type are displayed. The flags, worn and

tattered due to age and the vicissitudes of war, rouse t he visitor's deepest emotions.

At the centre of the hall In a special show-case, there is a rare Standard of the " Piemonte Reale Cavalleria" Regiment, a splendid embroidery in the baroque style of the early 18th Century, donated by Umberto II. A wrought-iron wreath of laurel and oak leaves holds two streamers and two cornets (Regimental and Regular Standard), respectively of H.M. Light Cavalrymen and Piedmont Dragoons, of the Restoration period. In this same hall we 53

Left.

E. Cugia: " Cavalry School".

Right.

Baretta: " St. George ...

c an see the sabre t hat Colonel Strada was holding when he charged the Austrians at Villafranca at the head of the " Alessand ria" Lig ht Cavalrymen.

On t he right hand there is a show-case with a rare eighteenth century uniform with armor designed for a ch ild. It is a precious testimony of the un iforms of 1752. It was worn in 1774 by the you ng Count Alessandro di Vallesa, a second lieutenant when he was little over nine years old; behind the uniform , a Piedmontese flag model 1832, with a " white cross on a red background " ; next to th is are the leather hel met s adopted by Carlo Felice in 1814; below there is a drum taken from the French at the Ass ietta in 1747 with the gold Fleur-de-lis on a blue background and the name of the Unit " Regiment de la Fere".

Slightly to the left is the Chapel devot ed to Saint George, Heavenly Patron o f Cavalry.

At the sides o f the entrance there are two inscriptions in rich gilded frames above which is the "Pegasus" o f the old Cavalry School.

The first says: " TO CAVA LRYMEN OF ALL TIMES AND NATIONS FALLEN FOR THE MOTHERLAND", thus dedicating the Chapel to those brave men; the second reminds us of article 52 of the Italian Constitution establish ing a rightduty of the citizen: "THE 54

DEFENCE OF TH E MOTHERLAND IS A SACRED DUTY OF THE CITIZEN ".

In this sacred place it is easy to t hink of all t hose who died in war, the unknown heroes and the majority known to God alone, ideal army of honourable men , example of greatness and reproach for all human cowardice and meanness.

After this short meditation , the visitor can admire the altarpiece picturing a modern-style Saint George by the painter Baretta and the beautiful Via Crucis, masterpiece of the mosaic art o f Montepulciano.

The altar-piece on a gold background superbly represents the strength and generosity of the Cavalryman. The Saint, symbol of Vlrtus, rides the horse rearing before the monster which is attacking it.

The Saint is pictured in the effort of kill in g the dragon with his lance.

At the sides of the baroque altar there are two sculptured wooden windows containing the relic ex ossibus o f Saint George closed in an embossed si lver plated copper shrine of the seventeenth century, mitres and ancient sacred vestments formerly belonging to the first Archbishop of the Armed Forces Monsignor Angelo Bartolomasi and to his successor, H.E. the Archbi shop Carlo A lberto Ferrero di Cavallerleone. The mystic atmosphere is completed

by two big stained glass Cathedral windows of modern make depicting the two salient moments of the investiture of the Medieval Cavalryman: t he blessing of t he palm and the decoration of the spurs.

The visit to the Sacrarium Chapel ends in front of a large panel reprod ucing the famous picture by Porcheddu "The Unnknown Cavalryman" inspired by the question : " WHO WAS THAT UNKNOWN CAVALRYMAN ?" and by the answer: " IT WAS THE UNKNOWN AND GLORIOUS REPRESENTAT/ON OF THE HUMA NLY UNSURMOUNTABLE LIMIT OF THE ACTION OF AN ARM", words pronounced by Marshal Giardino and suggested by far memories of the tragic and heroic vis ion before his eyes while inspecting the lines near Gorizia.

Continuing the visit from Saint George's Chapel one reaches a sm all hall containing the original Flag o f the " Casale" Regiment (1814) and a canvas representing an Officer of the Bodyg uards o f the King of Sardinia. A series of four halls in succession gathers important and interesting findings.

In the first hall one finds the tight-fitting uniform s of the end of the 19th Century, the Dervish uniform (white tunic decorated w ith colou red patches, seventeenth century helmet and " barley grained" camail); a Banner of the Madhi , captured during the battle of Cassala, in 1894, and also the saddle of one of the chiefs, a booty of war.

The next room contains souvenirs of 191 5-1918. There are interest ing show-cases wi th the Gold Medals of Principe Ruffo di Calabria, together with those of Baracca and D'Ann unzio, mementos of the "Paradiso" charge, of the last Cavalryman to die in the First

55

Helmet of the first four regiments (192CJ.1943).

Busby for Lancers and Light cavalry.

(1920-1943).

World War and of the Liberation of Trieste.

Here one can also see the messages launched from planes and those sent by pigeon by the f irst patrol to enter Vittorio Veneto, a big Hungarian bombard, booty of war, compressed-air a grenade launcher and a great amount of documents.

We now reach the last two halls of the first floor: one hall is dedi cated to the glorious battle of Pozzuolo del Friuli where on October 30, 1917 the Italian Cavalry sacrified itself to give a halt to the AustroHungarians who, after Caporetto, were crowding in the plain of Friuli; the other hall preserves relics, paintings of the 1920-1930 period.

On the second floor we see the section s dedicated to the viciss itudes of the last war on the various fronts, the war of liberation and the armoured Cavalry from its reestablishment (1946) to ou r own days, six halls in all.

The souven irs connected to the Ruspo li brothers are quite outstanding: Gold Medals for 56

Military Valour at El Alamein and to those who, for that spirit of adventure which distinguishes our Arm, became Parachutists and wrote pages of glory together with the you ng men of the "Folgore" . Here one can see things belonging to Cadorna, Andrea Paglieri, Gold Medal for Military Val our, executed by the Germans at Fossano, Colonels Bettoni, Pag liano and Ajmone-Cat who commanded the last charges of the Italian Cavalry su ch as the ones at Jagodnij, lsbu'Sensk ij and Poloj; lastly, the souvenirs of the Olympic champion Abba, Gold Medal at lsbu'Senskij.

A sector is ded icated to the Russian Campaign where the "Lancieri di Novara' and the Cavalrymen of "Savoia" distinguished themse lves; among the different souven irs one can admire the only remaining uniform of the Cossacks en listed in the " Savoia" Regiment.

The last two hal ls of the second floor commemorate the operations on African soil. The thirty-three pennons of the Colon ial Battalions and the

brightly-coloured " etaga" and " farmule" as well as the choreograph ic "burnus" are quite outstandi ng ; here one finds the uniforms, the launching and edge weapons, a Coptic tapestry depict ing Saint George killing the dragon, period prints, saddles (rahla) and pack-saddles for dromedaries, camel harness and the f irst very interesting colon ial helmets as well as those used in the operation sung by everyone with t he words "Tripoli, beaut ifu l soil of love... " . In some show-cases there are sidearms and prototypes of uniforms which were never adopted due to t he vicissitudes of war; at the centre of the hail there is a Savari on an embalmed horse.

We now go down the staircase decorated with brickwork friezes and tapestry and reach the two galleries facing the hall : the first is a testimony of the period dedicated to the coach and carriage. Here one can admire the flat baggage cart and the gunpowder cart used until the early years of th is century, as well as gigs, horse-breakers and elegant cabs. The second hall contains armoured and wheeled vehicles. This section is always increasing its exhi bits, for it gathers all that regards the present of the Arm: from the Fast Tank model 1935 on which Gold Medal Second Lieutenant Luigi Fuccia was killed (the holes of the ant itank bu llets which h it the hero on the road to France on March 11 , 1937 may st il l be seen), to the wreck of the armo ured car SPA/41 , from the White to the M24 Tank up to the more modern vehicles and lastly t he model 1942 Overland Jeep used by Paolo Caccia Dominion i to recover the Fallen of El Alamein. Before all this it is difficult not to remember the numerous Armoured Units: " Nizza" , "Novara", " Mon ferrato", "Lodi ", " Montebello", " Guide", "Alessandria" , "Firenze", "Lucca" and " Vittorio Emanuele" wh ich fo ught superbly with the new

A bronze represen ting a medieval cavalryman on a 1935 Fast Tank. It Is an allegory of the modern transformation of Cavalry.

vehicles and the old, everlasting bravery.

Today, just as yesterday; though units and vehicles have changed, the miles maintains unchang ed the spirit, the style, the sentiments and the secu lar traditions which distinguish him and which make him a Cavalryman.

The Museum is not on ly a place where trophies are gathered and exhibited, but a cultural centre, modern and throbbing w ith life, which should be of help to all those who wish to deepen their knowledge of Cavalry.

A place where one may study the way Cavalry is employed in war and in peace, the deeds o f its best men, the uniforms, armament, traditions and vehicles used throughout the ages.

This is why the following was established: • historic archives • cinema and photo arc hives • a library divided into two branches: the military one with about ten thousand volumes and the branch dedicated to the horse with , among others, treatises of the 16th, 17th and 18th Century, of great bibliographic value. Among the latter, spec ial ment ion must be made of the ones by Claud io Corte di Pavia, Grisone, Caracciolo, Fiaschi and Baldovino de' Monte Simoncelli.

It must also be underl ined that in all the rooms and halls there are several bronzes of very good make by famous artists such as Canonica, Calandra, Pfeffer, Malvani, A. Rossi, Stanislao Grimaldi, Sarocchi, Crespi, Bexner, Mal issard , Malavolti , De Ruille, Norfin i, Campaiola, Troubetzkoy, Negri, Lancere, Marocchetti, Baldoni , Fremiet, Cuoco, Wick and Vedani.

Those, and they are many al ready, who vi sited the Museum, all agree on the same

comment: " We could not im ag ine".

All those who are st ill jealously keeping testimonies of glory and tradition should think of this: these testimonies should not remain "l ights under the bushel", but become the heritage of everyone so that all may see, know and understand.

He who has never seen the joy sh ine in the eyes often veiled with tears of t he donators when coming back to the Museum and suddendly seei ng the things belonging to t hei r beloved relatives in orderl y display for the admiration of visitors, cannot understand how good it is to give with the aim of keeping alive and often giving a new life to a past which must not be ignored.

This is why Cavalrymen and the ir admirers must gather around t his Inst itute and, also by sacrificing t hei r time and means, engage in improving and enriching what has t ill now been only a dream: the establishment o f a section dedicated to the Caval ry of the

Pre-Unitarian States.

We t hus conc lude this short ideal visit; on leaving the Museum, t he eye will agai n be caught by the basement of the bronze monument in memory of the Cavalryman , where one of the mottoes beautifu lly summarizing the spirit of Cavalry stands out in golden letters: "GENEROUS WITH EVERYONE, FAITHFUL TO ITSELF".

Brig. Gen. (ret.) Carlo De Virgilio

57

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Paolo Caccia Dominioni is certainly not a child of our time. Without arrogance, but by sovereign freedom of spirit, he rises above immediate circumstances.

His life could be placed against the background of every age and the personage would stand out strongly nonetheless. Unique and intangible, always remaining fully himself, he has traversed the history of our century and immersed himself in it with a total flair and humanity, ever present in the heart of the events, ever ready to come running and to consume himself wherever those events have been most incandescent; to be sure, out of an intimate, bold gusto in measuring himself with things and deeds, using a virtually boundless interior yardstick known only to himself; but, above all, driven by his very nature to throw himself into the thick of things wherever his men were gasping in extreme risk and danger, and the handful of heroes drawn up around him represented, in their ardor, the best and most pure that might be offered in any occasion by the generation in which Paolo was living.

For Paolo was and is a man of many generations.

Venerably old (indeed, ancient) but nourished by eternal spirit and fervors, settled in his hermitage, he is still a constant point of reference and attraction for anyone who seeks light and sparks of generous civilization in the grey shoddiness of the present time. And if one wants to seek some certitude on

I

which to hang one's hopes for a better future, it is to him and to men like him , and to their exemplary lives, that one must turn. No one has better known or exercised, throughout the entire course of his life, the supreme art of giving of oneself with divine folly, prodigal of himself like a Saint Francis who gives away all and begins all over out of inexhaustible love; to the extent of isolating himself in his hermitage in the African desert for eleven years to gather the bones of eleven thousand men destroyed by war, and to align them, and to recognize them, and to arrange them , and to guard them, almost as if to bestow on those silent remains a superabudance of the love that the gelid, quarrelsome, hostile people swarming in our cities seem today to not understand or to wish to refuse.

Always generously open to men , ideas and feelings, without measure or calculation , ready to shift from the mystical spiritually of Saint Francis to the warlike impetus of a Saint George brandishing the sword, Paolo is the bearer of a peerless and irrepressible compendium of forces that pulsate, inborn , in his very blood, mixed together and originating down through the centuries, and even drawn from his exacting ancestors, that is, the Colleoni, the Farnese, the Doria. But Paolo makes his illustrious ancestry concrete and interprets it In a modern vein, with a fervor of actions and accomplishments that are

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entirely extraordinary, and that have driven him to commit himself with a passion, to work as an engineer and architect on four continents; and at the same time to act to assert the integral Italian spirit in the fields of art and, equally, in those of battle, from the First World War to the Second in six periods of active duty, up to the supreme adventure of El Alamein, as commander of the legendary 31st Africa Sapper Battalion. And always, with an appearance of detachment and irony but with an unexpressed vei l of tears, he has put on paper the essences of life that made the lives of his comrades, of his brothers in arms, beautiful and tragic.

Paolo paints, draws, creates, etches, erects monuments, writes, determined and indomitable, free-spirited or aristocratic, however his spirit may dictate. Never does he cease attesting to the nobility and valor of those who lived at his side, caressing them lovingly with the pen or brush even when (as in these drawings) he depicts them in a free-andeasy vein, stripping away the myth, and highlighting the minimal components that reduce unquestioned greatness to the proportions of a good-natured, winning reality.

For this is Paolo Caccia Dominioni: an eternal compendium of heroic life, softened at each stroke by the vigilant care with which greatness is minimized in humility and dissolved in the anxious, ever-renewing secret that beats in his man' s heart.

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GREAT EXHIBITIONS "MAN ON TWO WHEELS" (Milan, Nov. 1987 March 1988)

I

"The bicycle is a shoe, a skaic, it is yourself, your foot wh ich has become a wheel. The bicycle is ourselves winning space and Lime ... n.

This is how Alfredo Oriani praised the ' 'steel horse" bo rn as an elegant accessory, dea r to snobs, eccentrics and artists.

The big exhibitio n, opened in Mila n in the Ansa ldo hangar on November 23, 1987 and closed in March, 1988, is a true and proper saga of the bicycle, a splendid rev iew of the proto- hist0ry and hist0ry of the velocipede, a story in great the mes which intert wine wi th our o wn very life: fro m Leonardo Da Vinci's imagi nation to the ninetcemh centu ry " Vclocifcro'', from the bicycle used in war and during the Resistance in the cities, and as a means for evacuating the towns du ring bombings; from the bicycle of the legendary sporting cverm ro the bicycle in an (im mortalized in rhe works of Sironi, Boccioni, Magri tte, Dall, Leger), in literature (mention must be made of the rhymes by Pascoli, Gozzano, Buzzati, Vergani and che above mentioned Oriani), in cinema (the famous " Bicycle thieves"), in songs and bstly in journali sm. ll was the French wh o, in 1895, were the first to exploit the manegeableness of the velocipedes. A few yea rs later, the AustroHungarian troops were also equi pped with shining ' ¡Wafferand".

In Ita ly, rhe official dare of the establishment the "Bersagli eri C iclisti" is Marc h 15, 1898. On th is date, the first company of th is aut hentic speciality was escablished at the Scuola Centrale di Tiro of Parma.

The true founder is the young lieutenant of the Bersagli eri, Luigi Camillo Natali, fond of cycling and conv ineed chat the bicycle wou ld greatly increas<.! the tactical functi on :rnd the speed of the Uersaglieri. H e was also one of the first co join the Italian Touring Club in Milan which just in those years had been established in the wake of the success obtained by the bicycle, (which can still be seen in the coat of arms of the club).

Due co the understandi ng attention and enth usiasm of Ge neral Ca rlo Ferraris, Commandant of t he Scuola Ccnt rale di Tiro of Parma, lieutenam Natali was promoted Captain, and asked co form the first experimen-

66

tal co mpany of cyclist Bersaglieri.

On September I, 1899, a compan y of the second course held at the Parma School, consisting of 120 Bersaglieri, was employed in the great manoeuvres in Piedmont and surprised everyone for the operational speed achie ved.

T hus , the first four cyclist co mpani es, auached IO the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 12th regimenc, were officially escablished.

Among the best elements sum moned to join thi s new speciali ty, we must mentio n Lieutenant Ugo Conti who later became com mander of the 8th regiment in Vittorio Veneto; he was awarded the Military Order o i Savoy and decorated with two silver medals.

It was again Natali who set down the basis for regulations and training programmes and , with his experience, improved 1he bicycle, whose frame could be folded imo two and by loosening a few clamps and using appropriate s houlder straps the vehicl e could quickly be put on one's shoul der.

Drill invo lved 100 Km a day ac an average speed of IS Km an hour, wit h a bicycle weighi ng 26 kilos (the one used by the mac hi ne-gunners reached 40 kilos!).

However, Italian invcnciveness and imagination was, once more, above all expectarions, and soo n a method of fitting a "Fiat Revelli 1914" machine gun was found.

Demonstrations o rganized with a multitude of vol unt eer cyclists later allowed th e establishme nt of a true and proper "mowrist cyclist vo lunteer corps" founded in 1904 and aut ho rised in 1911 to wear the stars o f the army units on its uniform.

Besides the historical velocipedes used in war by our Bersaglieri, the exhaustive anthological review ex hibits tO our adm iration, curiosity and attention, and not wi thout emotio n, rudimcnta l wooden veh icles, the coum of Sivrac's "Celerifero" , Mac Mi llan's velocipede, the 1870 bicycle of Michaux and the "e<:cemric vehicles" of the British sportsmen.

After a period of motorist ic folly, this interesting exhibitio n clearly shows t hat the much despised and neglected "two w heels" has recovered groun d because, basically, it tells o f ourselves and our ancestors.

Gian Carlo Torcclli

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1 - 1st cyclist Bersaglieri battalion Companies of the 3rd, 5th, 6th and 9th regiment Bologna April 1, 1908

2 - Military School - Cyclist unit Cadets and NCO Cadets

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3 - Cadets and NCO Cadets of the Military School Cyclist unit · 1902-1903 course Company drill (side by side platoons)

4 - Postcard (1904) of the 6th Bersaglleri regiment - cyclist unit

5 - Postcard of the National Association of Veteran motorist cyclist volunteers (Milan, Via Bagutta 12)

6 - Postcard of the 12th Bersaglieri regiment (21st, 23rd and 36th battalion)

7 - Postcard of the 9th Bersaglieri regime[lt Cyclist company

8 - Postcard of the 11 th Bersaglieri regiment Cyclist company

67

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GREAT EXHIBITIONS 9

9 - 1895 - Folding bicycle adopted by the French Army at the end of the nineteenth century.

Designed by Charles Morel and known as " Capitain Gerard" (Banatotti collection) 10 - STEYR early '900 " Wafferand" type. Folding bicycle of the Austro-Hungarian Army (Genazzini-Rizzo collection) 11 - BSA 1905 Bicycle equipped with fire extinguisher for ready shortdistance intervention distributed to the Fire Brigade.

(Fermo-Galbiati collection) 12 - PR/NETTI E STUCCHI ea. 1910 Folding bicycle. It could carry a machine gun, and was fitted with a telescopic trestle and folding handle bar so that the bicycle could be used as a support for the weapon in firing position.

(Genazzini-Rizzo collection) 13 - BICYCLE In service with the Army of the German Confederation 14 - BIANCHI 1924 Folding bicycle used to transport the 1914 FIAT REVELLI machine-gun and accessories.

(Genazzini-Rizzo collection)

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68

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15 - BIANCHI 1925 and following models "Unified" model adopted by the Italian army; folding frame with elastic suspensions (Genazzlnl-Aizzo collection) 16 - 0.A.A.E. 1930 Folding bicycle designed and made by the Officine Automobilistiche of the Italian " Aegio Esercito " .

Note the suspensions and the standardization of all moving parts and bolts.

19

17 - THOMPSON 1940 British military bicycle (Genazzini-Aizzo collection) 18 - THE FORTIES Bicycle folding in three parts made for the Jtafian paratroopers during the second world war. ("Leonardo Da Vinci " Museum of Science and Techniq ue) 19 - BSA 1944 Folding bicycle of the British paratroopers.

(Genazzini-Rizzo collection) 20 - "C YCLOTA XI " War years: due to the shortage of petrol, legs have to work (Fermo Galbiati collection)

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69

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COLLECTIONS

COLLECTOR'S CARDS The hi story of collecting , a hobby which is widespread through al I social classes, is lost in the mists of time. The love for "collections" dates back to the birth o f mankind and goes together w ith man 's inst inct for preservation and the gathering of foodstuff first an d then of even unnecessary obj ects.

In order to establi sh a historical reference, the cave man used to hide the booty taken from the caves of others.

While time passed and social communities became more advanced, war booty enriched p ubli c and rel ig ious estates as well as the homes and col lections of a few privi leged persons.

Among the first true co llectors we may mention Tutankhamen , the Pharaoh who asked to be buried with many jewels and, more important , w ith his vast col lection of walking sticks and canes. The Amenhotep II col lection of blu e enamels may rightly be defined "pharaonic " ! Both the Greeks and the Romans were aligned with the Pharaohs, due to thei r territorial conquests. The homes of t he higher classes of that period overflowed with collections of precious obj ects , not so much for a precise cultural interest and aesthetic sense, but for sheer ambition.

However there obvious ly were exceptions: Silla and Lucullus, who had great cultu re and competence, gathered a conspicuous number of books; Caesar was a keen collector of cameos; Verre collected paintings and j ewels.

The obscurantism of the Middle Ages enfeebled the collecting aptitude, while the age of the Crusades great ly favoured collections regarding war and navy, especial ly in Ven ice.

70

Silvano Bonell i is a collec tor of military postcards subdivided as follows: • regimental; • commemorat ing tile l aunching of warships; • air force; • colonial units; • volunlary militia.

The collector has taken part in some exhibit ions (MIian, Bologna, Macerata, Att imi s) and held l ectures on ··Postcards as histori c document s".

In Florence, all members of the Medici family started fabulous collections of all kinds and were soon im itated by the other princely cou rts of the time.

The collections, both sacred and profane, of the Popes of the Renaissance were also very important. Nicholas V, Pius II (Enea Si lvio Piccolomini), Paul II (to whom we owe Pienza, a real architectu ral jewel), Leo X, son of Lorenzo ii Magnifico, Clement VII, are only some of the most famous names.

Among women collectors we must mention Beatrice

Notes on collector Silvano Bonetti

D' Este, Caterina Sforza, Lucre Borgia and, above all, Caterir: de' Medici who ran into debt satisfy her unbridled pass ion collecting; and later, in the eighteenth century, Madame c Pompadour, Louis XV's favourite.

In 1600 Richelieu, Mazari1 and the Roi-Soleil put togethE huge collections and placed them in splendid palaces.

In the eighteenth century Frederick II of Prussia collect a great number of snuffboxes Catherine II of Russia had th

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COLLECTIONS

HEADGEAR The Periz famil y o f Vicenza has given officers to the Alpine Troops for three generati ons and i s tightly bound to the traditions of the Speciality. We present the collect ions of military objects, related to the first and second World Wars, assembled by the fat her, Vincenzo Pcriz. and by t he t wo sons, Luigi and Giovanni.

The collection concerns equ ipment of the Italian, Austria n and Germa n armies and contains:

• 100 headgear pieces; • 60 uniforms; • gas masks:

• ace outrernents; • s ide arms; • fire a rms;

• pl aques and medal s; • regimental postc ards

Notes on collector Vincenzo Periz

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Hermitage built to contain exceptional collections, Napoleon ransacked immense collections throughout Europe more for the sake of power and exhibitionism than for a spiritual and cu ltural need.

Nowadays, the numberless i::ollections exist ing have turned from objects of remarkable value to more modest ones which, however, show that col lectors are interested in the most varied objects as long as they satisfy their cultural , spiritual , psycholog ical and

aesthetic needs.

Actually, the true collector loves to surround ·himself with the things he likes, go objecthunti.ng, satisfy his curios ity of finding out where the object comes from, its historical and geographical context; lastly, with the int imate satisfaction of having found the missing piece, catalogue and arrange it with care and accuracy.

Collect ing means cultural interest , sens itivity, good taste, patience and constancy of purpose.

As already mentioned , the objects collected are

numberless. Of cou rse, we wil l concern ourselves with militari a, i.e. coll ections wh ich somehow regard the Armed Forces and , particu larly, the fol lowing sectors: • insignia; • medals; • crests; • collar badges; • un iforms; • sidearms; • fire arms; • headgear and helmets; • armours; • stamps, cancel lations ; • letter-sealers; • regimental calendars; • military postcards; • miniature soldiers; • decorations and orders of knighthood; • paint ings, scul ptures, objects, photographs of a military nature; • books on uniforms, history, etc., commissions, discharge papers; • match boxes, playing cards and coasters decorated wi th military subjects; • historic and mi li tary surveys and studies.

With a view to the above, " Rivista Militare" publi shes the cards for "collectors of mil itaria" .

These cards, contained in fo lders which are periodically kept up-to-date with new collector cards, contain the following: • a brief introduction to the collection; • a photograph, biographical information and the col lector's address; • some coloured photographs of the most interesting and important pieces o f the collection.

The folders, widely circu lated among collectors, allow to take census of collectors of militaria (who are far more numerous than generally believed) who may get to know each other and exchange opinions, information and material.

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BOOK REVIEWS

I

Mino Milani: " Romanzo Militare" (A Military Novel), Camunia Publishing House, Milan, 1987, 26,000 Lire.

Mino Milani, who originall y comes from Pavia, has a varied literary activity: historic (Garibaldi and the history of Pavia), as a writer o f novels (Love stories and Selin a), his is also that melancho ly cow-boy, To mmy Riv e r, various film se t tings and, moreover , the column "La Realta Romanzesca¡¡ on the well-known weekly magazine " La Domenica del Corriere".

Mllanl's latest work "Romanzo mililare" is a histori c novel which arouses emotions and carries one away with its moving and pressing dialogues and with its detailed knowledge of his tory rarely fou nd in novel writers.

The structure of the work rem inds us of Stend hal and we sometimes breathe the aura of Buzzalti in his " The Desert of the Tartars".

Se t in 1869, events take place between Cosenza, and the Sila; Caprano is the tiny centre where military headquarters have to conduct a "police" operation against the last, bloody blows of the brigandage in southe rn Italy and especially in Calabria.

General Sacchi, 48 years old and from Pavia, Is appoin ted commander of the military garrison and sent to capture the c hief brigand Palma and his gang.

General Sacchi real ly exis ted and was a heroic fo llower of Garibaldi (in the biography of Garibaldi he is mentioned at least three times: during the evacuation and contin uation of the combat in Rome, after the ba ttl e wit h Oudinot's men, in 1859, whe n, tho ugh a supporter of Mazzini, together with Medici and Bixio he puts aside his republican beliefs and follow s Garibaldi In the hosti lities and lastly wh en together with Crispl, Bixio, Medici, Missori,

Calvin o and o thers he at tends the wedding of Canzio and Teresita, Garibaldi's daughter, in Caprera). Back to the book, however, general Sacchi reaches Caprano for an action of repression whic h lasts two months and here, around this character and a small number of officers under his command , is where the book is set.

The character of general Sacchi stands o ut above all the others for the complexity of his disposition, for his tormenting doubts, his rending interior conflicts, his benevolent social analysis of brigandage (which makes him consider Palma an objective enemy more than a bandit) and for his recollections of his South American love Encarn acion, the dream of the good lemur.

The general and his moral conflicts mirror the greater social conflicts between the South, doubtful of its iden tity, (after the establi shment of the Kingdom of Italy wi th Florence as capital) and the North still unable to reach out to all the regions of Italy. In the novel, in fact, certain characters of northern ori gin c riticise and give harsh judgemen ts on th e people of the South and - probably at limes when the fight against brigandage seems to give no results - express thei r wish to detach the regions of the South fro m uni fied Italy.

Whi le scanning the human soul, the drama of a people militarily unified withou t considering the different ethnrcs, traditions, c ul t ure, pol i tical op in ions, social and econ omical con ditions, etc., emerges in Its en tirety: this, however. is what has to be paid for the unification of all peoples.

Today we look onto even more dra matic systems of people on the road towards unification.

The novel, bes ides be ing one o f historic interpretation and enquiry. is made of adventures, temperamental conflicts and veri similar garrison events. The passages regarding garrison life are mos t enjoyable and depict relations among officers, orders issued. scarcely hidden irritations. the grum bling of the troops and the methods used with them opposed by th e stri cter officers, the presence of certa in people aiming only at obtaining carreer advancements, deceits and excellent behaviours in very precarious situations.

In this worl d marked by human sent imen ts, heroisms, atrocious revenges, cowardice, silence. the faces of the stiff colonel Ranza, the restless lieutenant Albertario and other characters o f minor depth, but no least importan t, emerge in all the ir vividness.

Special mention must be made of the plastic movement, in the background of the even ts, of the Calabrian people, swarming with peasants, herdsmen, shepherds, impoverished aristocrats and notables wh ich often frames and gives a strong colour to the events which take place in the garrison and its ro ugh territory.

In the weaving of the novel three w omen make their brief appearance: Encarnacion, general Sacchi 's love who died of child-birth, unreal, yet present; Maddalena, Patma¡s m istress, dumb, wretched and sorrowful ye t grateful for the understanding of

her sufferings; Stefania, lieutenant Albertario's lover, ambiguous and depressed , worried and tende r.

We here wish to conclude, briefly quoting the words of the literary critic, Alfredo Barberis: "These are pag es of scan ty words, drenched with acrid tastes, dust, atrocities which Milani tran sforms in scenes of war taken not from Epinal 's prin ts, but from "military" Fattori's dramatic palet te.

W ith a fi nal judgement in te legraphic style, Barberis qualifies "Romanzo militare" as a book which absolutely must be read.

Raff aele Pugliese

Sil DI \ll.l.\1-ll\, CHl:st

LE STAMPE DEL RlSORGIMENTO DEL MUSEO DI VILLAFRANCA '-'-a-. a...,.,-.....,.. . ,..SlilNrlll . ~ r,,-..

G. Fagagnini, G. Tavan (editors): "Le Stampe del Risorgimento del Museo di Villafranca" (The Risorgimento Prints of the Villafranca Museum).

Published by the Managing Committee of the Library and Cu ltural Activities of Villafranca di Verona; 1986, 162 pages, 13,000 Lire.

The most famou s "square", the best known among all military deployments (and more renowned, for Ita lians al least, tha n the Wellington and Waterloo "squares") was the one formed at Villafranca on June 24, 1866 by uni ts of the 49th Infan try regiment around the august person of His Roya l Highness the Crown Prin ce Umberto di Savoia on the border of the dusty road on the outsk irts of the city, now co m memorated by an obelisk hidden from sight and memory.

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BOOK REVI EWS

The Ri sorg ime nt o o f V illafranca, however, does not end with thi s important epi sode for another determining event took place within the old walls of th at beautiful c ity in the Vene to region: the Treaty or Peace or Armistice (in fact we may only speak of preliminaries for peace) signed in the Gandin i-Bugna palace on July 11th, 1859, between the Emperors of France, Napoleon Ill and Austria, Franz Joseph. This brought about the end of the second War o f Independence.

Th us recognising it self in the salient page of it s history, Villafranca has decided t o consecrate the memory of i t by establishing a Museum containing important documents, pri nts and various souvenirs gift o f Lu ig i Carlott i d i Cavr i ana to t he Municipal i ty.

The importan t c ollecti o n of pri nts shown in the volume which tells the history of the Museum and it s collections is part of the precious material donated to th e Museum.

The p ri nt s, wh ich c onfirm t he importan c e of Vi lla fr anca d uring t he Rl sorgimen t o, are divided in different sectors. They represe nt a succession of events over decades forming the temporal space of the Italian Risorgimento: from the fatal Five Days of Milan in '48 to the revo lt of Vicenza; from the salient episod es of th e fi rst battle of Custoza seen both from " our" point of view and from that of the Austrians (t he dog, mascot o f the "Prohaska" reg iment, w ounded and lamed at the Rotonda o f Vicenza), th e battle of Novara in March, 1849; the glacis of Marghera and the Austri an lagoon outposts. And then the year 1859: the San Martino and Sollerino " plans", Vittorio Emanuele and the Zouaves in Palestro, the captu re of Magenta.

Further, th e Crimean expedition and Garibaldi in Sicily. Lastly, mention must be made of the important series of politicians, mili tary, martyrs and persecuted.

The gallery of portraits of the followe rs o f Garibaldi is also very precious; among the latter is Enrico Cosenz in 1859 with Garibaldi in the Cacciatori delle Alpi Corps.

The former became army Chief of Staff afte r the Unity of Italy. Like many other famous names he had been trained and educated w i t h in t he austere m il i ta ry c o ll eg e " Nunziatella" whi ch on November 15th, 1987, celebrated it s 200th anniversary.

Engravings are of high quality and their ori gin is varied: from the prints of the Terzaghi brothers of Milan (the magnificient portraits o f the offic ial leaders of the Risorgimento), to the lithograph s of the Adam brothers of Munich, to those printed

by Briola of Tu ri n and Alberti of Brescia, Legros and Marazzoni of Milan.

Last l y, t he Frenc h prints of th e Becquet bro thers, of Mori n and Rousselot are really remarkable. The declared aim (and, according to us, achieved) is tha t of starti ng a reasoned inventory of the historic materia l ava ilable.

In view of th is, the an alytica l indexes in Part Ill of the vo lume are very useful and appropriate. It becomes easy to look up the

74

c haracters, places, engravers and printers.

In sum, the volume is a good example of how one can (and must) rearrange a ric h herit age of history with intelligence, love and competence.

Gian Carlo Torce lli

to keep updated, has permeated all social c lasses in all sectors. We live in an era of " stealth " airplanes, of satellites which see, hear and photograph everything; before being fought on the battle field, wars and conflicts are fought in advance on the basi s of the availbili ty of the most advanced tech nical means.

The author, Mario de Arcangelis, left active servi ce in the Navy as Rear-Admiral and co-operated wit h civilian firms in the field of electronic defence systems. In th is work he gives a very c lear picture, supported by documentary evidence, o f how espionage is structured and carried ou t and how It affects the most varied aspects of that subtl e, invisible, silent war which has never ceased and which is fought day after day.

Ferd inando Schettino

M. de Arcangelis: "La storia dello spionaggio elettronico Dalla prima guerra mondiale ai raids americani contro la Libia" (The History of Electronic Espionage - From WWI to the American Raids Against Libya), Mursia, 1987, pp. 245, 22,000 Lire.

Before the Second World War there was virtua lly one way of spying: that of secret agent s, wit h limited techn ical means for gathering confidential informati on wh ich we re made available by the rud imental tec hnique o f th e ti m e. Ho weve r, t he tec hnologic revolution which has c hanged, in the last decades, our enti re life, has also brough t about radical changes in secret services. If, in the c ivi lian field, electronics has completely turned over the trad itional bearing axes of production and moved them to areas of little interest, in the military fie ld, together with the most advanced research on nuclear weapons and space systems, it has t otally c hanged the conce pt s of war, strategy and tactics. Nowadays the winning card belongs to whoever has the mos t adva nce d kn owle dge of el ec tron i c technology. Hence, the unending race of natio ns to ge t to know and se ize the knowledge of other nations.

Espionage, essentially based on electro nics, " intelligence" aimed at seizing as much as possible from the enemy in order

Rivista di Cavalleria, (Cavalry Journal), bimonthly of the Cavalry National Association, 5, Via Damiata . 00192 Rome Number 6/1 987 of the "Cavalry Journal '' bimonthly of the Cavalry National Association is now available.

The magazine, enriched by a prin t symbolizing the ideal continuity between the Cavalry of yesterday and the Cavalry of today is published in a limited number of copies intended for subscribers only and opens with an article by General Michele Caforlo, National President of the Association.

In the artic le " Cavalleria? Chi era costei?", General Rodol fo Puletti outlines the vici ssitudes of the Arm in the post -war years.

General Edm ondo Zavattar i writes about the colonial Cavalry squadrons and this subject is seen within the vaster theme of the Cavalry in East Africa.

BOOK REV! EWS

The magazine then publishes a ki nd of brief chro nicle of the most salient events which have recently taken place within units and departmens, from Nizza Cavalleria to Savoia, from the Cavalleggeri Guide to the Military Riding School, to the Infantry and Cavalry School.

After an art icle dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Pozzuolo del Friuli battle of October 31 , 1917, large space is given to the activities of the National Assoc iation an d individual Sections.

The Cavalry Journal, sold only th rough subscriptions, may be requested by paying a minimum amount of Lire 15,000 on postal account No. 58927005, in the name of Rivista di Cavalleria, 5, via Damiata, 00192 ROMA. Ferdinando Schettino

G. Bedeschi (editor): "Fronte Italiano: c'ero anch'io" (Italian Front: I was there), Mursia Publishing House, 720 pages.

A new volume, particularly interesting for the readers, has just been added to the co llection: "Testimonianze tra cronaca e storia" edited by G. Bedeschi and of which six volumes have already been published.

This book concerns those military men who were closely involved in the vicissitudes of the second world war and even more those who, though not wearing a uniform, suffered the atrocities of war as well as most of those who only received information on the war, as Giuseppe Arcaroli remarks in his in¡ troduction to the book. Survivors of that time are few and will be less and less. Their memories are not only appropriate, bu t necessary and must be stamped in the

memory of whoever is intent on building the future of peace.

During 54 months of war, old men, women , chi ldren and men of all ages, were invol ved with soldiers in the vicissitudes of war and, maybe for th e first time in the his t ory of Italy, s hared its fate. It is therefore only fair to give those who made History a c hance to speak though remai ning anonymous with the ir little lives and great aspirations. The people are the main characters of this book. The people who go by us everyday, whom we do not notice, bu t who could often tell us stories of little great heroes. Stories still vivid in the memory of the events experienced.

As th e editor writes: "Many circumstances emerge from th is book and acquire transparency, the re lations among people, minor events wh ich mark the hours of unknown people minute by minute; at the end, however, one real izes that the days of History spring from this unending and infinitesimal acting, bearing and suffering, under the blows of events, much more than they do from the will of leaders".

The civilian vict ims of the 1940-45 war were more than one hundred and fifty thousand, between dead and missing, more than half the toll of Italian soldiers. It is thus important to stop and look at the fate of these innocent vict ims and let those who were present speak of those days with their own voice, made hoarse by the passing of time, but totally lacking in rhetoric. We can meet them and talk to them, if we wish: at the end of each statement, the editor gives name, surname and address of each of those who have contributed in making this book, just as if we could to uch with our own hands the live real ity of th ese words.

These words come mostly from women who with their extraordinary energy often managed to fill the gap between the tragic daily needs and the relat ionship with the men too often far away and un reachable .

Bedesch i then goes on: "These women, their throats dry, often had to swallow despair and turn a smile on th eir lips, soothe the ir sons when bombers passed high in the sky or threatening and armed men shouted on the threshold".

On the basis of the previ o us testimonies this book too, in the tragedy of soldiers at war, brings o ut the purest characteristics of the military vocation, not only for the sake o f duty, but also for all that may defend and honour human dignit y every time this is th reatened and despised, scorning all ce lebrative triumphalism.

We read of soldiers and old men, women and children brought tog ether by the same sorrowful fate; stories written by simple people, sometimes cont rad ictory as regards time and place, but for this same reason even more spontaneous, honest, genuine, to ta lly deprived of manipulations.

The contribution of the National Associat ion of Civilian War Vict ims, of its c hairman Giuseppe Arcaro li, his co llaborators and associates who recalled the vicissitudes they experienced wa s decisive to the making of the book.

Arcaro li himself underlines the impor-

lance of t hese "pa ssages of true experiences, often still stained with blood, to be handed down to our young, to those who can not remem ber because they did not experience these events bu t who may consider the pages of this book like a vi aticum o f life, so that such trag edies wi ll never happen again.

Carlo Felici

"Alcide de Gasperi" Foundation for peace and international cooperation: "Deterrenza nucleare e morale cristiana", (Nuclear Deterrence and Christian Moral) edited by Vincenzo Tornetta, introduction by Ciriaco De Mita, folder No. 1, Fratelli Laterza, Bari, 1987, 247 pages , 25,000 Lire.

The problem of nuclear war cannot and must not be considered on e regarding only strategy experts. Deterrence meaning the poten tial use of the most dest ruct ive weapons ever produced by man, concerns all livi ng beings and presents aspects and raises questions, particu larly of a moral kind, wh ich have from the very start been object of attentive thinking in all c lasses of public opinion.

At present, characterized by Increased difficu lties with in international relations, the yearn ing for peace cannot consis t only in a demonstration of good will moved by an ideal or a moral scruple. It is obviously necessary to evaluate the multiple aspects and interactions which characterise international society and often cau se tensions whic h th rea ten peace, but even more necessary is the true proposition to under-

75

BOOK REVIEWS

stand the problems and try to find a solution without causing conflicts or actual violence.

The book confirms that Christian moral judgement on deterrence depends on the degree of responsibilit y of whoever expresses it. A theologian or a moralist, worried by the way their teach ings will be employed, cannot, bu t express thei r unappealable condemnation of the use of violence and of all weapons - particularly nuclear ones - refusing deterrence as well despite its defensive nature. On the contrary, such a condemnation is deemed inadmissible by the episcopal Conferences of those countries too close to the potential enemy such as the Federal Republic of Germany or where national defence and independence are a strongpoint such as in France.

The Pope, universal guardian o f doctrine and morals, must take into account the s ituation of all Churches, thus his position cannot but be an intermediate one.

In the message addressed to the first Special Sec tio n of the United Nations' General Assembly, Pope John Paul II stated on June 11 , 1982: " In the present con ditions, a deterrence based on the balance of the blo cs - ce rtain ly not conceived as the final aim itself, but as a stage on the road towards g radual disarmament - may still be considered morally acceptable".

The fact remains, however, that international balances are chang ing a little too quickly and never before has mankind had to face risky alternatives which give rise to dramatic questions not o nly among Chris tians but in all people having an ethic conscien ce. The sudden change of events, the present rea lity of nuclear weapons and the ensuing problems find religious and lay authorities experiencing and thinking the same way. The ou tcome is an ever growing debate which is essential in order to make publ ic opinion aware of the problems

involved.

The work, edited by Ambassador Vincenzo Tornetta, marks the beginning of a series of " Quaderni di cultura della pace:• by the Alcide De Gasperi Foundation and is intended to explain, particularl y as regards moral implications, the abovementioned change wh ich raises questions of the utmost importance wit hin present international balances. The vol ume contains a series of eight monographic essays by scholars of ability, both Italian and fore igner. These are followed by a documentation of the most importa nt oecumenical sources and a complete and comprehensive bibliography.

This is already culture of peace, for the very first objective of this cu lture is that of informing public opinion on the main problems besetting mankind and underlining the questions rising from this situation and awaiting some kind of reply.

Ferdinando Schettino

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II diario di un combattente in Llbia Interessante diario di Stefano Longo, giovane ufficiale dei bersaglieri in Libia net 1912, illustrato con pregevoli disegni.

Riporta osservazioni di persone e cose senza alcuna retorica, con sentimenti di calda umanita e vivace senso di umorismo.

Verra inviato in omaggio a coloro che, entro ii 31 dicembre 1987, si abboneranno per l'anno 1988 alla Rivista Militare, versando L. 22.000 sul c/ c postale n. 22521009 intestato a Stato Maggiore Esercito - Rivista Militare - Sezione d i Amministrazio· ne - Via XX Settembre 123/ A - oorn- Roma.

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