Page 273 - The Secret War in the Italian front in WWI (1915-1918)

CHAPTER TWELVE

stations located in Osoppo and Gorizia
(picture 12.2a) .
35
This last picture as well as the records of the
radio-telegraphic Section of the 2 Army
nd
(picture 12.2b) show that the Headquarters
of the 7 Corps and its subordinate 62 and
th
nd
3 Divisions did not appear as part of the
rd
radio network, since they had relocated
shortly before, in the frame of the initiatives
aiming to block the Austro-German offensive.
Moreover, when the attack began, some
stations comprised in the network were still
setting up: two of these stations were assigned
to the 4 Corps Headquarters, and to the
th
depending 43 Division Headquarters, which
rd
also were transferred only a few days earlier
and had to face the enemy offensive without
relying on radio communications .
36
In short, there was a significant lack of wireless
connections just in the area where the Italian
lines had been breached. Out of the three
Corps directly involved in the breakthrough 12.2b List of radiotelegraphic stations of the Italian 2
nd
(4 , 7 and 27 ), the only Headquarters with Army with indication of the stations being installed on 24
th
th

th
a functioning radio device was the 27 Corps October (ISCAG Archive)
th
under the command of General Badoglio. It was
equipped with a 200-Watt radio station stored in multiple transportable ‘coffers’ and could be connected
to the depending Divisions or units operating in the adjacent sectors, to the Headquarters, 2 Army in
nd
Cormons, through Cividale del Friuli, and to the Supreme Command in Udine.
The unavailability of radio stations in many Headquarters of the 2 Army Corps and Divisions
nd
was not considered, until now, a factor behind the scarcity of connections between most significant
combat units after the devastating bombing that anticipated the Austro-German attack.

24 ocTober 1917
Th
The report of the Telegraphy Inspectorate of the 2 Army reads: “no wireless stations of the 4 th
nd
Corps was active on the 24 October (the equipment at the Headquarters and of one Division was
th
installed but not operational). On the contrary, the stations of the 27 Corps worked throughout 24
th
October, and some even on the next day. The other radio stations ceased working as soon as their
respective Headquarters ordered them to do so” .
37

a
nd
35 2 Army Inspectorate of STM, Organizzazione dei servizi di comunicazione della 2 Armata prima dell’offensiva nemica,
nd
(2 Army Communication Services organization before enemy attack), p. 3 - 4, ISCAG, Coll. 232. The Picture is in AUSSME,
Series E1, env.105.
th
36 Only the 50 and 46 Divisions of the 4 Corps in Srpenica and Smast were connected to the network, but not to the
th
th
Headquarters they reported to. The 32 Reserve Division was also without radio. The other incomplete installation served
nd
the Headquarters of two brigades.

nd
37 Inspectorate for Telegraphic Services, 2 Army,Organizzazione, op. cit., p. 6.
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