Italian invasion of France

Italian invasion of France
Overview
Date	June 10-25, 1940
Location	French-Italian border
Victor	N/A
Combatants
Armée des Alpes	Gruppo d' Armate Ovest
Commanders
René-Henry Orly General, French Army	Umberto di Savoia Crown Prince of Italy
Strength
200,000	300,000
Casualties
390 Killed: 42 Wounded: 84 Captured or missing: 264	3,880 Killed: 631 Wounded or frostbitten: 2,631 Captured or missing: 1,757

The Italian invasion of France in June 1940, also called the Italo-French War, was the first Italian military campaign during the Second World War. The Italian invaders attacked the French Alps and town of Menton. The French defenders resisted fiercely, but had to surrender ultimately territory to the Cosseria Division.

Background

On 10 June 1940, Italy declared war on France and Britain. With the French Armed Forces collapsing in the face of a German invasion, the Italian Fascist Regime under Benito Mussolini saw a good opportunity in seizing disputed territory through a short invasion. Mussolini had interest in the annexation of Mentone, Sardinia and Corsica.

Italian Divisions attacked through the Little Saint Bernard Pass in the French Alps, but encountered stiff resistance. The Italians suffered major losses but prevailed in the week-long battle, capturing Menton and Briançon in house-to-house combat, and Lablachère on the Riviera Road, after having finally broken through the French Defences at three points on the Isère Valley in the final stages of the operation.

First clashes

On the night of 11/12 June, British bombers operating from French airfields, bomb the Italian cities of Turin and Genoa.

On 12 June, the Italian submarine Bagnolini sinks the British cruiser Calypso with the British only admitting the loss on 15 June.

That day, the Royal Navy attacks Tobruk. The British naval force involved, including the cruisers HMS Liverpool and HMS Gloucester bombard Tobruk and exchange fire with the protecting cruiser San Giorgio. Royal Air Force Blenheim bombers from Squadrons No. 45, No. 55, and No. 211, intervene, scoring a direct hit on the San Giorgio, crippling it with a bomb.

On the night of 12/13 June, Italian 'Alpini' Brigade spearheads crossed the Alpine Border and took up positions on a number of strategic peaks in the Nice-Chambray area.

Under the cover of darkness, the Regia Aeronautica in the form of 33 Sparviero bombers from the 2a Squadra Aerea bombs the French Toulon and Bizerta naval bases, putting out of action nine aircraft on the ground.

On 13 June, the Italian Navy destroyers Strale and Baleno sink the British submarine HMS Odin off Taranto.

On 14 June, the Italians defeat a French counterattack to drive them out of Galisia Hill.

That day, the British 7th and 11th Hussars, supported by a company of the King's Royal Rifle Corps, successfully attack and capture the Italian Capuzzo and Maddalena Forts in Libya.

On the night of 14/15 June, the French Navy in the form of four cruisers and 11 destroyers bombards Genoa, Savona and Vado Ligure. Italian shore batteries return fire and hit the French destroyer Albatros, killing 12 sailors

On 16 June, the British submarine HMS Grampus is sunk by Italian destroyers.

That night, British bombers drop leaflets in Rome in an attempt to stir the civilian population:

“

France has nothing against you. Drop your arms and France will do the same ... Your sons and husbands and sweethearts have not left you to defend their country. They suffer death to satisfy the pride of one man. Victorious or defeated you will have hunger, misery and slavery.

”

On 19 June, in the first dogfights over North Africa, five CR.42s from 84a Squadriglia of the Tobruk-based 10° Gruppo escorting Breda Ba.65 Bombers, encounter four Gladiators from No. 33 Squadron and a Hurricane from No. 80 Squadron. In the fight that takes place, Sergeant Giuseppe Scaglione shoots down the Gladiator piloted by Sergeant Roy Leslie (lost in the action), but the Italians lose two CR.42s and their pilots, Lieutenant-Colonel Armando Piragino and Sergeant-Major Ugo Corsi.

On 22 June, the Italian Air Force carpet bombs the British Mersa Matruh fortress in Egypt.

On 23 June, the British destroyer HMS Khartoum is sunk off Eritrea by the Italian Submarine Torricelli.

Invasion

The main invasion commenced on the morning of 21 June. The Italian troops advanced through the so-called "No-Man’s-Land" on the French side but were not able to penetrate the French defence lines. Along the coast the Italiians sent forward three armoured trains armed with four 120 mm guns to bombard the French coastal batteries. But even on the coast no progress was made.

That day, the French battleship Lorraine, accompanied by the British Cruisers HMS Orion and HMS Neptune, the Australian Cruiser HMAS Sydney', and supported by four British destroyers, bombard the town of Bardia in Italian Libya.

On 22 June, infantry from the Sforzesca Division penetrated into Bois de Sestriéres and Bois de Prairia together with a platoon of Carabinieri and supporting light tanks. The invaders conquered Montgenèvre and la Crete de Chaussard in this action.

That day, supporting aircraft from the Armée De L'Air bomb Cagliari and Trapani, and on 23 June bomb the city of Palermo.

On 23 June 23, Fort Chenillet was captured by Arditi Guastatori, a Carabinieri platoon and infantry from the Assietta Division advancing under heavy French artillery fire. The French were also forced to abandon the fort of Trois Tetes, but continued to resist well all along the rest of the fort line.

The next day, 200 soldiers of the Guardia Alla Frontiera supported by a column of light tanks attacked Moncenisio and conquered Fort Arcellins , Cima della Nunda but the French Chasseurs Alpins checked the Italian advance at le Petit Turra. Nevertheless, Mentone, Briançon, Lablachère and a French Rearguard fall into Italian hands after fierce house-to-house fighting in Mentone and Briançon.