1st Army (Italy)


The 1st Army was a Royal Italian Army field army, in World War I, facing Austro-Hungarian and German forces, and in World War II, fighting on the North African front.

World War I

During World War I, the 1st Army bore the responsibility of a long front from Stelvio Pass on the Swiss-Austrian Italian tri-border to the Asiago plateau. It successfully resisted the Austro-Hungarian Strafexpedition. Its sector was later reduced, limiting its role to the defense of the Trentino borders and the Verona area.
Its commanders were:
The 1st Army originated with the Army of Milan which became, in October 1914, the 1st Army. In addition to various army corps, it had available to it large units not included in the army corps: infantry and cavalry divisions and groups of Alpine troops. Even the truppe altipiani command was subsequently placed within this Army. The 1st Army during the conflict participated in conquests, various setbacks and reconquests until the final battle of Vittorio Veneto.
As the 1st World War extended to Italy, this Army was placed under the command of Lieutenant General Roberto Brusati and consisted of the III Army Corps of Milan under the command of Lieutenant General Vittorio Camerana and the V Army Corps of Verona under the command of Lieutenant General Florenzo Aliprandi.
Each Army Corps consisted of three infantry divisions, including field artillery and sapper units. In addition, there was a corps troop consisting of bersaglieri, alpini, cavalry, artillery and other specialists and an army troop consisting of infantry, cavalry, artillery and specialists.
The 1st Army, which now had its headquarters in Verona, was deployed from the Stelvio Pass to the Rolle Pass/Cismon or about 200 kilometers along the war front, with the III Army Corps responsible from the Swiss border to the Lake Garda area and the V Army Corps from Garda to Rolle/Cismon, where the 4th Army began its sector. This was designated the Trentino Front. According to the plans of the supreme commander of the army, the 1st Army was to maintain a strategically defensive posture, not only during the period of the war build-up, but also through the time in which the 4th Army under General Luigi Nava would operate from Cadore to attempt to open a route towards the Tyrol.
The 1st Army, however, was to carry out limited offensives to ensure the security of the Italian border, and occupy any enemy territory, wherever this was possible and convenient. In Cadorna's plan, the 1st Army would defend against any Austrian offensive from Trentino thus protecting the rear of the bulk of the Italian army which was engaged on the Isonzo Front.
With the task of having to stay on the defensive, Brusati was frustrated by Cadorna's inability to understand that the Austro-Hungarians had retreated on a defensive line well beyond the official border. Thus, Brusati's 1st Army carried out offensive operations enthusiastically. Already on 25 May 1915, the day after Italy entered the war, these Italian troops, taking advantage of the fact that the Austro-Hungarian troops were deployed far from the border, conquered terrain of considerable strategic value, such as Monte Altissimo, Coni Zunga and parts of the Val d'Adige and Vallarsa, near Lake Garda.
However, starting from August, after the failure of new attacks against the Austro-Hungarian permanent fortifications that guarded the head of the Val d'Astico, General Cadorna directed the 1st Army Command back to the defensive mode. Nevertheless, Brusati did not give up on further operations aimed at consolidating the front, sometimes deploying his troops in an offensive stance. This alignment led to neglecting the defensive preparations with the bulk of the forces available remaining concentrated on the advanced positions, rather than on the rear positions, more suitable for defensive operations.

Operations in 1916

In March 1916, the information services of the Army had the 1st news of a concentration of Austrian forces in the Trentino sector. These were to be the preparations for the so-called Strafexpedition, planned by the Chief of Staff of the Imperial Royal Austro-Hungarian Army, Field Marshal Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf. This offensive had the intent to defeat the Italian army, unleashing an offensive through the lines of the 1st Army to take the entire Italian Isonzo deployment from the rear. In view of a probable enemy offensive, at his request, Cadorna granted Brusati five further divisions. However, Cadorna remained persuaded that nothing would happen in that sector.
Still Brusati's troops were strung-out after their offensive advances and the state of the defenses was ill-prepared. In disagreement with Cadorna, Brusati deployed the defense at the end of the advanced positions counting on the solidity of the strengthening work carried out until then. In addition, on 1 April, the Army again went on the offensive, launching assaults which achieved some partial successes, but at the cost of the defense.
In the second half of April General Cadorna visited the lines of the 1st Army and on that occasion he even refused to meet Brusati because, according to some, he already had plans to dismiss him. On 8 May Brusati was relieved from command by Cadorna and replaced by General Guglielmo Pecori Giraldi, eight days before the Austro-Hungarian counter-offensive began.
Ultimately the 1st Army along with elements of the newly created Fifth Army prevailed in this major Austro-Hungarian action, helped by the Russian Brusilov Offensive in Galacia which required von Hötzendorf to move troops away from the Italian offensive and to the Eastern Front.
In August 1916, the 1st Army was reorganized and growing, along with the Regio Esercito overall as more draftees reached the war zone. The 1st Army now had six Corps, covering the same frontlines in the Trentino. The III Corps remained under Gen. Camerana. The V Corps was added under Lt. General Bertotti; along with the X Corps under Lt. Gen. Grandi; a new Truppe Altipiani commanded by Lt. General Mambretti and consisting of the XII Corps under Lt. Gen. Zoppi and the XX Corps under Lt. General Montuori; and the XVIII Corps under Lt. Gen. Etna. There was a Corps Troop at Verona consisting of infantry battalions, artillery, bomb units, cavalry and engineer units.
For the balance of 1916, this Army engaged in fights and other actions in what became known as the White War. There were attacks on Monte Pasubio, Monte Cimone, in Val Sugana and numerous small actions in Val Sugana, Val Posina and Altipiano d'Asiago. Many soldiers also died in avalanches.
In November 1916 the 1st Army with Cardorna's consent, had planned "Action K" a small counteroffensive targeting Monte Ortigara using General Mambretti's Truppe Altipiani as well as the XVIII Corps. This action had to be cancelled due to heavy snows. The Italian Command would later reprise and augment the plan for June 1917. On 1 December 1916 Mambretti was now placed in charge of a new Sixth Army taking his XX Corps as well as the XVIII Corps. Added to these troops were two newly constituted Corps, the XXII and XXVI.

Operations in 1917

As part of a re-organization several new Corps were created and assigned to the 1st Army including the XXIX, V, XXVI, and XXII Corps. At this time the Trentino Front was defended by the III Corps from Stevio to Garda; the XXIX Corps, V Corps, X Corps, three Corps of Truppe Altipiani from Garda to Sugana.
The 1st Army did not take part in any major defensive or counteroffensive battles in 1917. The 1st Army did, however, defend the Asiago Plateau during the Battle of Caporetto which helped the retreating Italian troops to set up a strong defensive line at the Piave River in November.
However, the White War continued in 1917 for the 1st Army through a series of small actions :
  • Corno di Cavento with the 5th Division, Casina Garioni / Casina Pascon with the X Corps,
  • Mascio with the III Corps, Vallagarina at Mori and Mt. Giovo with the XXIX Corps,
  • Val di Ledro, Val Posina,
  • Massico dell'Ortler,
  • Val Concei and Dosso Prighen,
  • Val Giudicare,
  • Mt. Altissimo and
  • Val Camonica.

    Operations in 1918

Although the 1st Army was part of the re-organization of the Italian Army after Caporetto, the modifications were originally quite minor. In January 1918, the Order of Battle was essentially the same as the October changes except for the addition of the XXV Corps to the Truppe Altipiani under Gen. Zoppi. However, in March, the III Corps and a new Corps, the XIV were transferred to the newly created 7th Army which became responsible for the Stelvio-Garda Sector. Furthermore the Truppe Altipiani were dispersed to other Italian Armies, including the newly re-constituted 6th Army which took over responsibility for the defenses at Asiago and the re-organized 4th Army which also took over responsibility for the mountain defenses at Mt. Grappa in their western zone.
The 1st Army saw limited action in the mountains between January and May. There were continuous patrols which occasionally led to small firefights and artillery shelling. This Army saw minor action in Mt. Cornone, Tre Monti and the Val Lagarina subsector, and the Vallarsa.
During the Austrian Offensive in June 1918, the 1st Army was responsible for the defense at the Trentino Front. There were no major offensives or Italian counteroffensives launched in this zone, although the Austro-Hungarians applied some offensive pressure in support of its Operation Radetzky. On 15 June, the Italian Division 6 consisting of the Czechoslovak Legion in Italy was assigned to the 1st Army. However, after this battle, operations began to pick up beginning in August with the following small battles:
  • Battle of Dosso Alto di Zurez – – On 3 August, north of Monte Altissimo, the XXIX Corps retook this position which the Austrians had held since 15 June.
  • Battle of Monte Majo in Val Posina – On 30 August, the V Corps captured Hill 1500 opposite Il Dente di Cane.
  • Nord Sano – On 11 September, Arditi with support from a Czech Regiment took an Austrian post near Mori and captured 12 prisoners.
  • Dosso Alto and Sasso Sega – On 21 September, Czech Legion fought off an attempt by the Austrians to re-capture this position.
  • Cima Tre Pezzi – On 24 September, bersaglieri and Czechs took a position here, assisted by artillery fire from the British Division of the adjacent Sixth Army.
  • Vallone di Belassi – Alpini in a counterattack on 25 September captured Austrian positions in Collegio across from Valle Scarabozza.
  • Pasubio – Col Santo – On 26 September, Bersaglieri fought off an Austrian attempt to attack Monte Corno.