Changes

During Rommel's first desert offensive (also known as the first ''Benghazi Derby'') and start of the [[Siege of Tobruk]] in April 1941, Rommel was often critical of his generals as well as the Italian Supreme Command, but praised the Bersaglieri on numerous occasions, such as the encircling action of the 8th Bersaglieri Regiment during the [[Battle of El Mechili]] that resulted in the capture of 3,000 British Imperial troops.

During Rommel's first desert offensive (also known as the first ''Benghazi Derby'') and start of the [[Siege of Tobruk]] in April 1941, Rommel was often critical of his generals as well as the Italian Supreme Command, but praised the Bersaglieri on numerous occasions, such as the encircling action of the 8th Bersaglieri Regiment during the [[Battle of El Mechili]] that resulted in the capture of 3,000 British Imperial troops.

That same month, the 4th Bersaglieri Regiment fought successfully in General [[Ugo Cavallero]]'s second spring offensive during the [[Greco-Italian War]], capturing the Greek fortress of Koritza on April 15th<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?dat=19410415&hl=enKORITZA&id=in0tAAAAIBAJ&nid=1946&pg=3136,2463178&sjid=xZgFAAAAIBAJ KORITZA TAKEN ITALIANS CLAIM]</ref>, and the 5th Bersaglieri Regiment along with the ''Centauro'' Armoured Division defeated the Yugoslavian Army counteroffensive in Albania in the [[Battle for Skutari]] in mid-April 1941.<ref>"For 48 hours the Serbs have been moving in wave upon wave through rain and snow against Scutari, on the southern shore of a lake of the same name, only to be mowed down by Fascist machine-gunners and scattered by Italian airmen, war front advices said. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1917&dat=19410415&id=JHtGAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_ucMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1084,5315859&hl=en Serb Attacks Beaten Off By Italians, Schenectady Gazette, 15 April 1941]</ref>  

That same month, the 4th Bersaglieri Regiment fought successfully in General [[Ugo Cavallero]]'s second spring offensive in Albania during the [[Greco-Italian War]], capturing the Greek fortress of Koritza on April 15th<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?dat=19410415&hl=enKORITZA&id=in0tAAAAIBAJ&nid=1946&pg=3136,2463178&sjid=xZgFAAAAIBAJ KORITZA TAKEN ITALIANS CLAIM]</ref>, and the 5th Bersaglieri Regiment along with the ''Centauro'' Armoured Division defeated the Yugoslavian Army counteroffensive in Albania in the [[Battle for Skutari]] in mid-April 1941.<ref>"For 48 hours the Serbs have been moving in wave upon wave through rain and snow against Scutari, on the southern shore of a lake of the same name, only to be mowed down by Fascist machine-gunners and scattered by Italian airmen, war front advices said. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1917&dat=19410415&id=JHtGAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_ucMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1084,5315859&hl=en Serb Attacks Beaten Off By Italians, Schenectady Gazette, 15 April 1941]</ref><ref>"Their courage, like that of the defenders of the Metaxas line, was to no avail; as so often happens to troops occupying a static position in mobile warfare, the battle was being decided elsewhere; List now detached SS 'Adolf Hitler' from the main axis of advance of XXXXth Corps and sent it forward in the direction of Koritsa. Far from counter-attacking, however, the demoralized Greeks gave way and thus allowed the Italians to occupy the town without resistance on 15 April. With 9th Armoured Division crossing the upper Aliakhmon and reaching Servia on the next day, the British forces on the Olympus found themselves surrounded on both flanks. Following a decision made by Wilson three days earlier they now started falling back across Thessaly to Thermopylae, leaving in their wake 20,000 Greek troops who, being less well endowed with motor vehicles, failed to escape in time and were captured by the Germans." Martin van Crevald, Hitler's Strategy 1940-1941: The Balkan Clue, p. 162, Cambridge University Press, 1973</ref>

During [[Operation Barbarossa]] (the invasion of Russia) in August 1941, the 3rd Bersaglieri Regiment formed part of the Italian spearheads tasked with securing bridgeheads over the Dnieper and Don Rivers for the German 11th Army, a task which they carried out successfully and suffered heavy casualties defending them during the Russian counterattacks mounted during the [[First Battle of Kiev]].<ref>"From the 20th to the 26th of August Italian Forces have been subjected to extremely fierce Soviet attacks along the Don River. The Bersaglieri, Cavalry and Black Shirts have untiringly repulsed the attacks which wave after wave were launched in the desperate attempt to break through the Italian lines." Il Marco Polo, Issues 13-14, p. 126, Shanghai, 1941</ref>  

During [[Operation Barbarossa]] (the invasion of Russia) in August 1941, the 3rd Bersaglieri Regiment formed part of the Italian spearheads tasked with securing bridgeheads over the Dnieper and Don Rivers for the German 11th Army, a task which they carried out successfully and suffered heavy casualties defending them during the Russian counterattacks mounted during the [[First Battle of Kiev]].<ref>"From the 20th to the 26th of August Italian Forces have been subjected to extremely fierce Soviet attacks along the Don River. The Bersaglieri, Cavalry and Black Shirts have untiringly repulsed the attacks which wave after wave were launched in the desperate attempt to break through the Italian lines." Il Marco Polo, Issues 13-14, p. 126, Shanghai, 1941</ref>