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Its origins lie in the 8th Army Corps Command based at Napoli, formed as a territorial jurisdiction on 22 March 1877. [1] Between 1927 and 1940, it was based in Rome as the Rome Army Corps (VIII) (Corpo d'Armata di Roma (VIII)). [1] With the Italian entry into World War II on 10 June 1940, VIII Army Corps was moved to Piedmont under the Seventh ...
In February 1940, the 8th Army was formed and based in Northern Italy. It was disbanded on 31 October 1940. It was recreated in July 1942, when the Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia was expanded by Mussolini and named Armata Italiana in Russia (ARMIR). For further details see : Italian Army in Russia; Italian participation on the Eastern Front
The Eighth Army then participated in the Italian Campaign which began with the Allied invasion of the island of Sicily, code-named Operation Husky. When the Allies subsequently invaded mainland Italy, elements of the Eighth Army landed in the 'toe' of Italy in Operation Baytown and at Taranto in Operation Slapstick.
The 15th Army Group ration strength was 1,334,000 men, the Eighth Army having an effective strength of 632,980 men, and the Fifth Army 266,883. [ 3 ] [ 2 ] As of 9 April, the Axis in Italy had 21 much weaker German divisions and four Italian National Republican Army (ENR) divisions, with about 349,000 German and 45,000 Italian troops.
General Bruno Malaguti, Chief of Staff of the 8th Army (ARMIR), and Italian officers intently study a map during the invasion of Russia, 1942. In July 1942, Mussolini scaled up the Italian effort on the Eastern Front and the CSIR became the 8th Italian Army. The 8th Italian Army was also known as the Italian Army in Russia (ARMIR).
In 1939, Italy conquered Albania without difficulty and forced King Zog to flee. As would be expected, Italy suffered few casualties. But this occupation stretched to the limit the resources of the Italian Royal Army. In spring 1940, the available oil resources for possible military operations (of the Army and Navy) were for only one year. [12]
Losses of the 8th Army from 20 August 1942-20 February 1943 totalled 87,795 killed and missing (3,168 officers and 84,627 NCOs and soldiers) and 34,474 wounded and frostbitten (1,527 officers and 32,947 NCOs and soldiers). In March–April 1943, the remnants of the Army returned to Italy for rest and reorganization.
8th Army Corps Artillery Grouping: the grouping was mobilized at the outbreak of World War II. On 10 June 1940, the day Italy entered the war, the grouping consisted of a command, a command unit, the XIII Cannons Group with 105/28 cannons, the CXIII and CXIV howitzers groups with 149/13 heavy howitzers, and the 8th Army Corps Specialists Unit.