Armoured unit of the Italian Royal Army during the Second World War
Babini Group (Raggruppamento Babini/Brigata Corazzata Speciale)
M13/40 tanks on the streets of Tripoli, March 1941
Active
1940–1941
Country
Italy
Branch
Army
Type
Armoured brigade
Commanders
Notable commanders
General Valentino Babini
Military unit
v
t
e
Western Desert Campaign
1940
Invasion of Egypt
Compass
Nibeiwa
Sidi Barrani
1941
1st Bardia
Tobruk 1941
Mechili
Beda Fomm
Kufra
Giarabub
Sonnenblume
Tobruk siege
2nd Bardia
Twin Pimples
Brevity
Skorpion
Battleaxe
Crusader
Flipper
1st Bir el Gubi
Point 175
2nd Bir el Gubi
1942
Acrobat
Gazala
Bir Hakeim
Tobruk 1942
Mersa Matruh
1st Alamein
Sidi Haneish
Alam Halfa
Agreement
Bigamy
Caravan
Nicety
2nd Alamein
Bertram
Braganza
Outpost Snipe
El Agheila
Associated articles
Frontier Wire
Devil's gardens
Fort Capuzzo
Maletti Group
Camouflage
Babini Group
Combeforce
3rd Indian Motor Brigade
Baggush Box
Sonderkommando Blaich
The Babini Group (Italian: Raggruppamento Babini, also known as the Special Armoured BrigadeBrigata Corazzata Speciale) was an ad hoc armoured unit. The group was formed by the Italian Royal Army (Regio Esercito Italia) in Italian North Africa (Libya) at the start of the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. The group was formed in Libya, to be part of an armoured division assembled from tanks in the colony and from units sent from Italy. The new division was incomplete when the British began Operation Compass in December but the Babini Group fought in defence of the area between Mechili and Derna in late January.
On 23 January, the group managed to inflict tank losses during a counter-attack on the 11th Hussars and force a delay in the Australian advance on Derna. The group then formed a rearguard for the 10th Army as it retreated from Derna and Mechili round the Jebel Akhdar towards the port of Benghazi. The Babini Group was destroyed south of the port at the Battle of Beda Fomm (6–7 February), when the Litoranea Balbo (Via Balbia) was cut by Combeforce. The Italians failed to concentrate their remaining tanks at the head of the column before Combeforce was reinforced and were defeated in detail, with possibly only nine tanks escaping to the south.
The BabiniGroup (Italian: Raggruppamento Babini, also known as the Special Armoured Brigade Brigata Corazzata Speciale) was an ad hoc armoured unit. The...
Artillery Regiment 20th Army Corps Artillery Regiment BabiniGroup at Marsa Lucch (General Valentino Babini) I Tank Battalion "M" 4th Tank Infantry Regiment...
and the BabiniGroup (General Valentino Babini), which had already lost some of its tanks in the British capture of Tobruk. The BabiniGroup had an establishment...
defending Mechili consisted of the BabiniGroup, the Piana Motorised Group and the Bignami Column. The BabiniGroup comprised 138 officers, 2,200 men (which...
of the command and tank units arriving in Libya were combined in the BabiniGroup which was also destroyed at the Battle of Beda Fomm (6–7 February 1941)...
last division, to a line between Derna and Berta, while directing the BabiniGroup (Special Armoured Brigade) to Mechili. After being informed by Graziani...
100 mi (160 km) towards Derna and the BabiniGroup (BCS – Brigata Corazzata Speciale under General Valentino Babini), with about 300 tanks, at Mechili....
The Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) was a reconnaissance and raiding unit of the British Army during the Second World War. Originally called the Long Range...
Valentino Babini (5 December 1889 – 29 December 1952) was an Italian general during World War II. He was one Italy's foremost pioneers in tank warfare...
When Italian troops advanced into Egypt in September 1940, the Maletti Group got lost leaving Sidi Omar and had to be found by aircraft. In spring and...
attack there. This gap would be mined and wired; the 7th Motor Brigade Group and 4th Light Armoured Brigade (7th Armoured Division) would cover the minefields...
Armati della Libia, Generale di Divisione (Major-General) Valentino Babini 1st Tank Group I Tank Battalion "M" / 4th Tank Infantry Regiment (M11/39 tanks...
was en route. The Support Group attack failed and by nightfall the 7th Armoured Brigade had been joined by the Support Group and the remnants of the 6th...
articles Frontier Wire Devil's gardens Fort Capuzzo Maletti Group Camouflage BabiniGroup Combeforce 3rd Indian Motor Brigade Baggush Box Sonderkommando...
reserve and split it into a northern group (15th Panzer Division and 133rd Armoured Division "Littorio") and a southern group (21st Panzer Division and 132nd...
Brigade Group (Gatehouse) 7th Motor Brigade Group (James Renton) 3rd Indian Motor Brigade Group (Filose) 29th Indian Infantry Brigade Group (Denys Reid)...
The most southerly part of the attacking formation, a Kampfgruppe (battle group) of the 90th Light Afrika Division (90. leichte Afrika Division), Generalmajor...
flying 900 sorties during the day. To the south, on 5 July the New Zealand group resumed its advance northwards towards El Mreir intending to cut the rear...
units reached Benghazi, Rommel formed them into columns, Group Schwerin was sent to Tmimi and Group Fabris, composed of motorcyclists and the Ariete divisional...
north surrendered to the 16th Australia Infantry Brigade and the Support Group of the 7th Armoured Division outside the fortress. In all, some 36,000 Italian...
articles Frontier Wire Devil's gardens Fort Capuzzo Maletti Group Camouflage BabiniGroup Combeforce 3rd Indian Motor Brigade Baggush Box Sonderkommando...
left of the attack and 21st Panzer on the right, with a motorised infantry group (detached from the 90th Light Division and commanded by Generalleutnant...
7th Armoured Brigade, assembled at Mersa Matruh and sent the 7th Support Group forward towards the frontier as a covering force, where the RAF also moved...
Division "Sabratha" and the BabiniGroup, an improvised armoured brigade, which had lost some of its tanks in Tobruk. The BabiniGroup, had all of the Fiat M13/40...
articles Frontier Wire Devil's gardens Fort Capuzzo Maletti Group Camouflage BabiniGroup Combeforce 3rd Indian Motor Brigade Baggush Box Sonderkommando...
That left Tellera with only the 61st Infantry Division "Sirte" and the BabiniGroup. Tellera, who had served as a staff officer during the First World War...
Italian Tactical Group Ariete. In his diary, Rommel wrote: Late in the morning, a superior enemy force launched an attack on Tactical Group Ariete, which...
Capuzzo, Musaid and Sollum. The 7th Armoured Brigade Group and the artillery of the Support Group were to engage and destroy the German tanks, which were...
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