Maletti Group

The Maletti Group, formally known in Italian as Raggruppamento Maletti, was an improvised Italian combined-arms formation created in Italian North Africa during the opening phase of the Second World War. It was established in June 1940 within the 10th Army and brought together medium tanks, tankettes, motorised Libyan infantry, artillery, engineers, transport and supply elements. Rather than being a permanent armoured division, it was an ad hoc grouping assembled to provide the Italian forces in Libya with a mobile striking and flanking capability at a time when Italy's regular armoured divisions were committed elsewhere in Europe. The formation was associated with General Pietro Maletti and initially operated from the Derna area. Its core armoured component included M11/39 medium tanks and L3-series tankettes, supported by Libyan colonial infantry and a range of artillery and anti-tank weapons. The group represented one of the first Italian attempts in North Africa to combine armour, motorised infantry and supporting arms into a mobile formation. Its equipment and organisation were constrained by the limitations of Italian armoured doctrine, vehicle availability, communications, mapping and desert logistics. The M11/39, in particular, was already considered an interim design and was being replaced in Italy by the more capable M13/40. On 29 August 1940, the Libyan Tank Command was created as additional tanks arrived from Italy. The Maletti Group became one of three subordinate armoured groupings under this command, alongside the Aresca and Trivioli groupings. It was also incorporated into the Royal Corps of Libyan Colonial Troops and assigned to the invasion force of the 10th Army. During Operazione E, the Italian invasion of Egypt, the group formed part of the southern column intended to move through the desert south of the British frontier positions and threaten the British flank. Poor maps, inadequate navigation equipment, disorganisation and delays by accompanying formations caused the planned wide flanking movement to fail. The group lost time while trying to reach its intended assembly area near Sidi Omar and had to be guided by aircraft. The Italian advance consequently proceeded mainly along the coastal route. Italian forces reached Sidi Barrani on 16 September 1940, but the Maletti Group remained behind the principal advance and was hindered by supply problems. The invasion halted at Sidi Barrani rather than continuing immediately toward Mersa Matruh. Italian formations established a series of fortified camps separated across the desert, creating a defensive arrangement that lacked mutually supporting fields of fire and depended on patrols and communications to connect the positions. When the British launched Operation Compass in December 1940, the Maletti Group was located at the Nibeiwa camp, one of the principal Italian positions inland from the coast. It contained the II Tank Battalion M with M11/39 tanks, together with several Libyan infantry battalions and supporting artillery, anti-tank, mortar and anti-aircraft units. British forces used surprise, night reconnaissance and a rear attack by infantry supported by Matilda infantry tanks. Italian air reconnaissance detected unusual activity, but the warning did not produce an effective coordinated response, and the camp's defensive layout left a vulnerable approach through the north-western sector. The attack began on 9 December 1940. British artillery first created a diversion, after which the main force attacked from the north-west. A number of Italian tanks were caught while their engines were being warmed, and the British infantry tanks proved difficult for the Italian weapons to stop. The camp was overrun by late morning. General Pietro Maletti was killed during the battle, and the formation suffered catastrophic losses in personnel, equipment and supplies. Contemporary accounts and later histories describe the capture or destruction of much of the group, including hundreds of Italian and Libyan dead and wounded and approximately 2,000 prisoners in the camp. The Maletti Group ceased to function as an effective formation after Nibeiwa. The remaining Italian tank and command elements in Libya were reorganised into other formations, including the Babini Group, which was later destroyed at Beda Fomm in February 1941 during the collapse of the 10th Army and the British occupation of Cyrenaica. The Maletti Group is therefore remembered not as a commercial brand but as a short-lived wartime military formation whose history illustrates the organisational, logistical and doctrinal weaknesses of the early Italian armoured effort in North Africa.

The Maletti Group was formed during the early months of Italy's war in North Africa. Italy possessed armoured divisions in Europe, but those formations were required for operations connected with Albania and Greece. The army in Libya therefore assembled a temporary mobile formation from the tanks and vehicles already available in the colony and from armoured units shipped from Italy. The first core elements arrived in Libya on 8 July 1940. They included the I and II Tank Battalions M, equipped with M11/39 medium tanks, which had been transferred from the 32nd Tank Infantry Regiment. These battalions brought approximately 600 men, 72 tanks and a substantial collection of vehicles, motorcycles and trailers. They reinforced the L3/35 tankettes already stationed in Libya. At Derna, the force was organised as the Raggruppamento Maletti under General Pietro Maletti. Its initial composition included Libyan motorised infantry, tank companies, artillery, anti-tank weapons, engineers and transport. A broader armoured command structure followed on 29 August, when the Comando carri della Libia, or Libyan Tank Command, was established under General Valentino Babini. The Maletti Group became one of three groupings within that structure. It included the LX Tank Battalion L and the remaining M11/39 company from the II Tank Battalion M. The group was also associated with the Royal Corps of Libyan Colonial Troops and operated alongside the 1st and 2nd Libyan Divisions. For the invasion of Egypt, the 10th Army planned a northern coastal advance and a southern desert movement. The Maletti Group was assigned to the southern column with the Libyan divisions. Its intended role was to move around the British inland flank, but the operation exposed serious weaknesses in Italian desert mobility. The group lacked adequate maps and navigation equipment and became lost while moving toward its assembly position near Sidi Omar. Aircraft had to help guide it, while the accompanying Libyan divisions were also late. The resulting delays forced the Italian command to abandon the original broad flanking plan and rely more heavily on the coastal road. The Italian army reached Sollum and continued toward Sidi Barrani. By 16 September, Sidi Barrani had been occupied and the advance stopped to consolidate. The Maletti Group was west of the objective and had been slowed by shortages and poor organisation. The Italian army established several fortified camps, including Nibeiwa, rather than immediately continuing toward Mersa Matruh. Operation Compass began on 9 December 1940. Nibeiwa was attacked by the British 4th Indian Division's 11th Brigade Group and Matilda tanks of the 7th Royal Tank Regiment. British planning exploited the camp's isolation, gaps in its minefields and the absence of effective Italian air-ground coordination. The main assault came from the north-west, where the defenders were surprised. Italian tanks were destroyed before they could be properly deployed, while British infantry tanks resisted the available Italian anti-tank fire. The camp fell within several hours. Italian and Libyan casualties were severe, General Maletti was killed, and large numbers of personnel were captured. The destruction of the group formed part of the wider disintegration of the 10th Army during Operation Compass. Surviving armoured and command elements were reorganised into other formations, including the Babini Group, which was later destroyed at Beda Fomm in February 1941. The Maletti Group consequently disappeared as an operational formation after Nibeiwa.

• 1941

  Defeat of the Babini Group at Beda Fomm

  [1]Maletti Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The surviving Italian armoured and command elements were reorganised into successor formations, including the Babini Group, which was destroyed during the defeat of the 10th Army.

• 1940

  Maletti Group formed

  [1]Maletti Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The Italian Army created the mechanised grouping in Italian North Africa as part of the 10th Army.

• 1940

  Tank battalions arrive in Libya

  [1]Maletti Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The I and II Tank Battalions M landed in Libya on 8 July and were assigned to the developing armoured organisation.

• 1940

  Libyan Tank Command established

  [1]Maletti Groupen.wikipedia.org

  On 29 August, the Libyan Tank Command was created and the Maletti Group became one of its three armoured groupings.

• 1940

  Sidi Barrani occupied

  [1]Maletti Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The Italian invasion force reached Sidi Barrani on 16 September, after the planned southern flanking operation had been disrupted.

• 1940

  Destruction at Nibeiwa

  [1]Maletti Groupen.wikipedia.org

  British forces overran the group's camp on 9 December during Operation Compass, killing its commander and ending its operational existence.

• 1938

  Formation of the 32nd Tank Infantry Regiment

  [1]Maletti Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The regiment that later supplied the Maletti Group's principal M11/39 tank battalions was established on 1 December.

An ad hoc Italian mobile combined-arms formation intended to provide the 10th Army with armoured, motorised and artillery support in the Western Desert.

• Medium tank · 1939

  M11/39

  The M11/39 was the principal medium tank associated with the group's armoured core. It was an interim Italian design whose limitations were already recognised before the North African campaign, leading to plans for replacement by the M13/40. The Maletti Group used the type in company and battalion-level formations, but its armament and tactical shortcomings made it poorly suited to confronting heavily armoured British Matilda infantry tanks at Nibeiwa.

• Tankette

  L3/35 and L3/33

  The L3-series tankettes formed part of the armoured support available to Italian and Libyan units in North Africa. They were substantially lighter than the M11/39 and were used for reconnaissance, infantry support and mobile security rather than as equivalents to British infantry tanks. Their thin protection and light armament limited their value in a set-piece assault or against modern armoured vehicles.

• Military formation · 1940

  Motorised Libyan infantry

  The Maletti Group included several Libyan infantry battalions moved by motor transport. These units provided the formation's close protection, camp defence and ability to accompany its tanks across the desert. Their mobility was intended to distinguish the group from the largely unmotorised Italian infantry divisions operating in the same army.

• 1940Operazione E

  Egypt · Italian North Africa

  The Maletti Group participated in the Italian invasion of Egypt as part of the southern column. It was intended to conduct a broad desert flanking movement but became lost because of inadequate maps and navigation equipment. The plan was curtailed, and the Italian advance proceeded mainly along the coastal axis before halting at Sidi Barrani.

  Outcome. Sidi Barrani was occupied, but the wider advance stalled and the Italian army adopted a dispersed fortified-camp posture.

  Source
• 1940Operation Compass

  Egypt

  The British counter-offensive opened with an attack on the Nibeiwa camp, where the Maletti Group was concentrated. British artillery, infantry and Matilda tanks attacked from the north-west, exploiting surprise and weaknesses in the camp's defensive arrangement.

  Outcome. Nibeiwa fell on 9 December. The group was effectively destroyed, General Pietro Maletti was killed and large numbers of Italian and Libyan troops were killed, wounded or captured.

  Source

• 1940

  Adopt a southern desert flanking roleStrategy

  Background

  The 10th Army intended to use the Maletti Group with the Libyan divisions to move around the British inland flank during the invasion of Egypt.

  Action taken

  The group advanced through the desert toward Sidi Omar, but insufficient maps, navigation equipment and logistical coordination caused it to lose its route and fall behind schedule.

  Aftermath

  The broad flanking plan was abandoned, and the Italian advance relied more heavily on the coastal road.

  Source

• 1940

  Consolidate at Sidi BarraniStrategy

  Background

  After reaching Sidi Barrani, the Italian command did not immediately continue toward Mersa Matruh.

  Action taken

  The 10th Army established a chain of fortified camps, including Nibeiwa, separated across the desert.

  Aftermath

  The camps were vulnerable to sequential attack because they were too far apart to provide mutually supporting fire and depended on imperfect patrol and communications links.

  Source

• 1940

  Maletti Group formed in Italian North Africa[1]Maletti Groupen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  An ad hoc mechanised formation was created within the Italian 10th Army and organised around M11/39 tanks, tankettes, motorised Libyan infantry and supporting arms.

• 1940

  Maletti Group incorporated into the Libyan Tank Command[1]Maletti Groupen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The creation of the Libyan Tank Command placed the Maletti Group among three principal armoured groupings operating in Libya.

• 1940

  Maletti Group reaches the Sidi Barrani area[1]Maletti Groupen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The formation participated in the Italian advance into Egypt during Operazione E, although its southern flanking movement was delayed by navigation and logistical problems.

• 1940

  Maletti Group destroyed at Nibeiwa[1]Maletti Groupen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  British forces overran the Nibeiwa camp on 9 December during Operation Compass, killing General Pietro Maletti and effectively destroying the formation.

1. 1Maletti Groupen.wikipedia.org