The ''Ascari del Cielo'' were the first

paratrooper A paratrooper is a military parachutist—someone trained to parachute into a military operation, and usually functioning as part of an airborne force. Military parachutists (troops) and parachutes were first used on a large scale during Worl ...

s of the Italian armed forces. They all were born in

Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Suda ...

and with

Arab The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...

- Berber ethnicity. They constituted the majority of the troops of the Battalion (later regiment) "Fanti dell'Aria", created in 1938, that fought in the Desert War during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

History

In spring 1938 the royal colonial troops in Libya created two battalions of Ascari paratroopers, who, together with a battalion of Italian paratroopers, formed shortly after the 1st Paratroopers Regiment "Fanti dell'Aria". The word "ascari" indicated that they were colonial (and not Italian) troops. On March 22 1938 the Paratroopers Battalion was formed. The battalion consisted of about 300 native Libyans and thirty Italian officers and NCOs. They were under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Goffredo Tonini and stationed at the airport of Castel Benito near Tripoli. After four weeks of training was launched simultaneously the entire

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions a ...

outside "Castel Benito airport" with the use of 24 three-engined Savoia-Marchetti SM.81, belonging to the 15º Stormo of the

Italian Air Force , colours = , colours_label = , march = (Ordinance March of the Air Force) by Alberto Di Miniello , mascot = , anniversaries = 28 March ...

. Another launch was done a few days later and carried out at night. Some casualties happened, like with Ugasci Mohamed Ben Ali who was the first paratrooper to die (twenty paratroopers died in exercise launches before

). They were noticed and appreciated even by

Hermann Göring Hermann Wilhelm Göring (or Goering; ; 12 January 1893 – 15 October 1946) was a German politician, military leader and convicted war criminal. He was one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi Party, which ruled Germany from 1933 to 1 ...

, when paraded in front of him in 1939. In the summer of 1940 the Ascari del Cielo were nicknamed "Diavoli neri" (Black devils) and numbered 500. In September, during the Italian invasion of Egypt, the 1st Paratroopers Regiment "Fanti dell'Aria" assaulted the positions of the

Coldstream Guards The Coldstream Guards is the oldest continuously serving regular regiment in the British Army. As part of the Household Division, one of its principal roles is the protection of the monarchy; due to this, it often participates in state ceremonia ...

Sollum Sallum ( ar, السلوم, translit=as-Sallūm various transliterations include ''El Salloum'', ''As Sallum'' or ''Sollum'') is a harbourside village or town in Egypt. It is along the Egypt/Libyan short north–south aligned coast of the Mediterra ...

and forced them to withdraw. In January 1941, with the beginning of the British counter-offensive, the ''Ascari del Cielo'' were renamed ''Gruppo Mobile Tonini''. By February 1941 they nearly cease to exist as an effective combat force after the British offensive during

Operation Compass Operation Compass (also it, Battaglia della Marmarica) was the first large British military operation of the Western Desert Campaign (1940–1943) during the Second World War. British, Empire and Commonwealth forces attacked Italian forces of ...

. In December 1942, the last of these paratroopers were captured in the advance of Montgomery in Libya after the battle of El Alamein.

Notes

Bibliography

* Girlando Raffaele. ''I paracadutisti libici. Immagini e commenti storici'' Editrice New Italia. Roma, 2006

History

Notes

Bibliography

See also