5th CC.NN. Division "1 Febbraio" explained

The 5th CC.NN. Division "1 Febbraio" (Italian: 5ª Divisione CC.NN. "1 Febbraio") was an Italian CC.NN. (Blackshirts militia) division raised on 15 July 1935 for the Second Italo-Ethiopian War against Ethiopia and disbanded shortly after the war. The name "1 Febbraio" was chosen to commemorate the founding of the Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale on 1 February 1923.^[1]

Organization

Below follows the division's organization during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War and the cities, in which its CC.NN. battalions and companies/batteries were raised.^[1]

• 5th CC.NN. Division "1 Febbraio"
  • 107th CC.NN. Legion "Cairoli", in Pavia
    • Command Company
    • CVII CC.NN. Battalion, in Pavia
    • CLXXXVI CC.NN. Battalion, in Lucca
    • 107th CC.NN. Machine Gun Company, in Pavia
    • 107th CC.NN. Artillery Battery, in Pavia (65/17 infantry support guns)
  • 128th CC.NN. Legion "Randaccio", in Vercelli
    • Command Company
    • CXXVIII CC.NN. Battalion, in Vercelli
    • CXXIX CC.NN. Battalion, in Arona
    • 128th CC.NN. Machine Gun Company, in Vercelli
    • 128th CC.NN. Artillery Battery, in Vercelli (65/17 infantry support guns)
  • 142nd CC.NN. Legion "Berica", in Vicenza
    • Command Company
    • CXLII CC.NN. Battalion, in Vicenza
    • CCXLII CC.NN. Battalion, in Vicenza
    • 142nd CC.NN. Machine Gun Company, in Vicenza
    • 142nd CC.NN. Artillery Battery, in Vicenza (65/17 infantry support guns)
  • V CC.NN. Machine Gun Battalion
  • V Artillery Group (65/17 infantry support guns, Royal Italian Army)
  • V Mixed Transport Unit (Royal Italian Army)
  • V Supply Unit (Royal Italian Army)
  • 2x CC.NN. replacement battalions
  • 5th Special Engineer Company (Royal Italian Army)
  • 5th Medical Section (Royal Italian Army)
  • 5th Logistic Section (Royal Italian Army)
  • 5th Carabinieri Section

The supply unit had 1,600 mules and the mixed transport unit 80 light trucks. The division engaged in war crimes in Ethiopia during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War.^[2]

Sources

• Book: Ettore. Lucas. Giorgio. de Vecchi. Storia delle Unità Combattenti della MVSN 1923-1943. Giovanni Volpe Editore. 1976. 63 to 116 plus errata.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Divisione CC.NN. "1 Febbraio" . Regio Esercito . 17 October 2021.
2. Book: Del Boca . Angelo . Il gas di Mussolini. Il fascismo e la guerra d'Etiopia . 2007 . 9788835958598 .