The Fast Army Corps or Cavalry Army Corps ( it, Corpo d'Armata Celere) was a

Royal Italian Army The Royal Italian Army ( it, Regio Esercito, , Royal Army) was the land force of the Kingdom of Italy, established with the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy. During the 19th century Italy started to unify into one country, and in 1861 Manfre ...

army corps Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was first named as such in 1805. The size of a corps varies great ...

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 opposin ...

that participated in the

invasion of Yugoslavia The invasion of Yugoslavia, also known as the April War or Operation 25, or ''Projekt 25'' was a German-led attack on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers which began on 6 April 1941 during World War II. The order for the invasion was p ...

History

The Fast or Rapid Army Corps Command was formed on 10 November 1938 in Padua, where it remained stationed until 1941. On 6 April 1941, the Corps was added to the 2nd Army and took part in operations against Yugoslavia. On 13 April it entered Yugoslav territory reaching Bacce,

Karlovac Karlovac () is a city in central Croatia. According to the 2011 census, its population was 55,705. Karlovac is the administrative centre of Karlovac County. The city is located on the Zagreb- Rijeka highway and railway line, south-west of Zagre ...

Duga Resa Duga Resa is a town in Karlovac County, Croatia. It is located about 65 km southwest of Zagreb and 100 km east of Rijeka. Name The earliest reference to Duga Resa is from the year 1380. There are several theories on how the then-villag ...

and

Ogulin Ogulin () is a town in north-western Croatia, in Karlovac County. It has a population of 7,389 (2021) (it was 8,216 in 2011), and a total municipal population of 12,251 (2021). Ogulin is known for its historic stone castle, known as Kula, and the ...

. After the end of the conflict, the units of the Army Corps remained in central-northern Croatia as an occupation force.
On 15 July 1941, the Corps returned to the national territory. By 28 September, all 3 of its Fast Divisions had been replaced and transferred to other units. On 15 November, the Command was moved to form the Special Army Corps Command, which was to operate on the Greek-Albanian front. By that time the Fast Army Corps had lost all characteristics of ''Fast Corps'', except for its name. What remained of the Corps stayed near Padua until 10 May 1942 when it was absorbed by the XXII Army Corps.

Composition (Yugoslavia)

* 1st Cavalry Division "Eugenio di Savoia" *

2nd Cavalry Division "Emanuele Filiberto Testa di Ferro" The 2nd Cavalry Division " Emanuele Filiberto Testa di Ferro" ( it, 2ª Divisione celere "Emanuele Filiberto Testa di Ferro") was a Cavalry or "Celere" (Fast) division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The division was mobilised in 1 ...

3rd Cavalry Division "Principe Amedeo Duca d'Aosta" The 3rd Cavalry Division " Principe Amedeo Duca d'Aosta" ( it, 3ª Divisione celere "Principe Amedeo Duca d'Aosta") was a Cavalry or "Celere" (Fast) division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The division was formed in 1934, and duri ...

Commanders

Claudio Trezzani Claudio Trezzani (Savigliano, 22 March 1881 – Rome, 13 September 1955) was an Italian general during World War II, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Italian East Africa. After the war he became the last Chief of General Staff of the Kin ...

(1938.11.11 – 1940.05.05) * Angelo Pivano (interim) *

Giovanni Messe Giovanni Messe (10 December 1883 – 18 December 1968) was an Italian field marshal and politician. In the Second World War, he was captured in Tunisia, but made chief of staff of the Italian Co-belligerent Army after the armistice of Septemb ...

(1940.05.16 – 1940.11.15) *

Federico Ferrari Orsi Federico Ferrari Orsi (Rivoli, Piedmont, Italy, 18 December 1886 – Egypt, 18 October 1942) was a general in the Royal Italian Army during World War II. He was one of the founders of Torino Football Club and played as a defender in the 1907 sea ...

(1940.11.15 – 1942.05.10) generals.dk
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Notes

References

* {{Large formations of Italy in World War II Army corps of Italy in World War II