The Arditi and the sub machine gun

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I thought it would be useful to take a look at the Arditi use of the sub machine gun. I have compiled an account of their tactics using information from the excellent material written and published on the net by John Farina (grandsonof an Arditi) as the kernel  butverifying and expanding upon this with additional material from other sources.

The twin barrel Villar Perosa (VP) SMG was patented in 1914 soldto Revelli and eventually taken over as a product by Fiat, however asubstantial amount of production was sub contracted to Beretta who manufactured the barrels and breeches. The Italian army at first utilised it as a point defenceweapon or trench stopper. In this role it was mounted in the middle of a substantial armoured shield (that weighed more than ten times the rest of the gun). Effectively it was being used as an LMG. Given the relatively short rangeof the gun this was a role it was not suited to, it was not an LMG.

Ten Col (Lt Col) Bassi of the Reparti d'assalto (the Arditi)set about converting the VP for use as an assault weapon. The shield and its mounting were ditched, sights minimised and a light weight bipod fitted at the muzzle end.  A carrying harness was produced; the bipod was swung back at an angle and the ends fitted into holders mounted on a waist belt whilst a strap was passed round the back of the neck andeach end fitted to the muzzles. As a result the gunner could use his hands to grasp the gun handles. Each VP gunner was accompanied by three ammunition carriers, the four men of a VP team carrying some 5,000 rounds of pistol type ammunition between them.

By mid 1917 the attacking unit of the Arditi was the platoon consisting of an assault squad, two sub machine squads and a support squad(sometimes with flame throwers). Each submachine squad was eight men (two gunners and six carriers). During the attack the sub machine gun squads advanced on the flank providing covering fire whilst on the move as the assault squad entered the trenches. Once the position was taken the VPs could then be used (with the bipod un folded) as a ground mounted weapon against counter attacks. A skilled VP gunner could usually get out three bursts before the magazines wereempty but when firing on the move the tendency was to use single magazine emptying bursts and then put new loaded magazines in the gun. Keeping the gunners in ammunition appears to have been a tactical issue.

The Arditi were shattered after Carporetto (many unitshaving been ‘sacrificed’ in the rearguard) and required re forming. At aboutthis time Beretta began producing a single barrel SMG based very largely on the VP. The new gun (the Beretta M1918) was designed by Tullo Marengoni (who was tobecome the doyen of Italian SMG design). As Beretta already produced much ofthe VP this made sense. Marengoni utilised existing components as much as possible. The existing barrel, mechanism and magazine of one side of a VP was allied with the standard trigger mechanism (with a few mods), stock, folding bayonetand sling of a carbine (or short rifle). Some (possibly all?) were fitted witha dual fire system so that a button allowed the gun to be used both in full automatic and semi automatic modes. The new gun was issued to the reformed Arditi in 1918.

The degree to which these new(ish) guns were used remains asubject for further investigation. One problem is that they looked very like astandard carbine especially since it was the practice to sling them across theback without the magazine in place. I have spotted a Beretta in one of the photos in Osprey’s the Italian Army (recognisable by the fixture for the magazine) and there is a photo of men of the Arditi in 1918 where a man in the foreground appears to be cradling the gun, unfortunately he has his hands just where the fey feature would be.

The gun was certainly still with the Arditi at the end ofthe war as some units that went over to D’Annuzo and eventually took part in the seizure of Fiume were armed with the weapon. It also appears to have found its way to Poland.

Some references

Arditi: elite assault troops, 1917-20 By Angelo L. Pirocchi

Les Hénokiens Beretta Foundation