Italian tanks in Greece and or Balkans

You'll need to be a little more specific as to what you mean by "armor"...Italian vehicles were often used by anti-partisan units in rear areas depending on the time in question.

The Italians initiated the campaign in the Balkans in 1941 by invading Albania and their failures on the Greek frontier (and elsewhere) required German help to correct and ultimately conquer and occupy Greece and Cyprus.

Italian units later served on the Russian front as well and were part of Barbarossa, so you could find Italian armor there depending on location and timeframe. HTH!

wbill76

You'll need to be a little more specific as to what you mean by "armor"...Italian vehicles were often used by anti-partisan units in rear areas depending on the time in question.

The Italians initiated the campaign in the Balkans in 1941 by invading Albania and their failures on the Greek frontier (and elsewhere) required German help to correct and ultimately conquer and occupy Greece and Cyprus.

Italian units later served on the Russian front as well and were part of Barbarossa, so you could find Italian armor there depending on location and timeframe. HTH!

Do you mean Crete?

By armor I mean the M13/40 and semovente assault gun. I know the Italian had really light armor in Russia and a few T-34's.

Eric, yes Crete...not Cyprus.

Tankluver, not out of the question to see M13/40s in the Balkans and Greece. Not too sure about the deployment history on the semovente, so can't say either way there.

I don't have a short yes or no answer, but I can present some facts.

As far as  armoured units go, Centauro Div. was present when Italy first invaded Greece on October 28, 1940.   At this time though it was equipped with only the L3 and L5 tankettes.  This unit received it's first M13/40 tanks in December 1940, and deployed them at Klisura in January against the Greeks but lost many of them to artillery fire. 

The Greeks where able to hold their own and actually pushed back into Albania where a stalemate occurred.  Hitler intervened in the Spring of 1941 and the country was eventually overrun.   During the Balkan campaign, Italy also brought in the Littorio Armoured Div.

Both these units would eventually be posted to North Africa.  I can't say for sure that they left their tanks behind to be used by Italian occupation forces.  Those that had suffered mechanical or battle damage is probable.   I think after Italy surrendered, this is when it was more likely to see their main tanks pressed into service  for anti-partisan activity.

regards,

Jack