The following is the Italian Order of Battle at the beginning of the Second Italo–Abyssinian War as of October 8, 1935.
Comando Supremo Africa Orientale
Commander: General Emilio De Bono to 11/1935, Field Marshal Pietro Badoglio 11/1935 – 6/1936
7th Artillery Group (77mm/28)
Granatieri Battalion (coming from Italy)
Alpini Battalion (coming from Italy)
Guardia di Finanza Battalion (coming from Italy)
3 Assault Battalions (still in Italy)
7th Artillery Group (149/13) (coming from Italy)
Engineer Unit Comando Supremo Africa Orientale
Bombardment, Reconnaissance, and Fighter Aviation Command A. O. – Gen. Aimone Cat
3rd Air Brigade – Bgd. Gen. Ferruccio Ranza Eritrea with:(145 aircraft)
HQ Flight – (4 x Ca.101)
Recon Squadron (un-numbered), with :
34th Recon Flight (8 x Ro.1) attached to Eritrean Corps
38th Recon Flight (10 x Ro.1)
41st Recon Flight (10 x Ro.1)
103rd Recon Flight (9 x Ro.37)
116th Recon Flight (10 x Ro.1)
118th Recon Flight (10 x Ro.1) attached to 2nd Corps
131st Recon Flight (10 x Ro.1)
Libyan Recon Flight (11 x Ro.1) attached to 1st Corps
106th Fighter Flight (7 x CR.20)
4th Bombers Squadron – Bgd. Gen. Attilio Matricardi
14th Bomber Flight "Hic Sunt Leones" – (10 x Ca.101 D/2)
15th Bomber Flight "La Disperata" – (10 x Ca.101 D/2)
27th Bomber Squadron
17th Bomber Flight (5 x Ca.111)
18th Bomber Flight (5 x Ca.111)
Hydroplanes Detachments (4 x MF.4 and 2 x CANT 25)
7th Bomber Wing detached to Somalia with 38 aircraft – Bgd. Gen. Ferruccio Ranza (see below)
1st Corps – Ruggero Santini
26th (Assietta) Division – Gen. Enrico Riccardi
30th (Sabauda) Division – Gen. Italo Gariboldi
5th (Pusteria) Alpine Division – Gen. Luigi Negri Cesi
4th (3rd of January) CCNN Division (still in Italy) – Gen. Alessandro Traditi
X Battalion indigeni (Eritrean Ascari)
XV Battalion indigeni (Eritrean Ascari)
Banda dello Scimezana (native troop)
5th Cavalry Squadron Group
3rd Motorized Artillery Group (77mm/28)
5th Motorized Artillery Group (105mm/28)
Artillery Command of positions of Agame
1st Corps A.O. Engineer Unit
Libyan Recon Flight (11 x Ro.1)
2nd Corps – Pietro Maravigna
19th (Gavinana) Division – Gen. Nino Salvatore Villa Santa
24th (Gran Sasso) Division – Gen. Adalberto Principe (Adi Ugri-Quala zone)
3rd (21 April) CCNN Division – Gen. Giacomo Appiotti
Gruppo Bande Altopiano (native troop)
10th Cavalry Squadron
Artillery Group Command (100mm/17)
Artillery Command of positions in western Tigre (Eritrean Ascari)
2nd Corps Engineer Unit
118th Recon Flight (10 x Ro.1) (Libyan)
Eritrean Corps – Alessandro Pirzio Biroli
1st Eritrean Division – Gen. Salvatore di Pietro
2nd Eritrean Division – Gen. Achille Vaccarisi
1st (23rd of March) CCNN Division – Gen. Ettore Bastico
1st Battalion Group CCNN dell'Eritrea – Filippo Diamanti
1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Italian East Africa Backshirts Infantry Battalions
East Africa Blackshirts MMG Company
Banda dell'Hassamò (Irregular troop)
6th Cavalry Squadron Group
Native Cavalry Squadron Group (Eritrean Ascari troop)
2nd Motorized Artillery Group 77mm/28
3rd Motorized Artillery Group 100mm/17
4th Fast Tanks Squadrons Group
Artillery Command of positions in eastern Tigre
Eritrean Corps Engineer Unit
34th Recon Flight (8 x Ro.1)(Libyan)
Western Lowlands Zone – Brig. Gen. Amedeo Couture
XXVII Battalion indigeni (Eritrean Ascari)
XXVIII Battalion indigeni (Eritrean Ascari)
Irregulars Foot Bands Group
"Celere" (fast) Group
Eritrea Fast Tanks Squadron
Eastern Lowlands Zone – Brig. Gen. Oreste Mariotti
XXIV Battalion indigeni (Eritrean Ascari)
XXVI Battalion indigeni (Eritrean Ascari)
Libyan Battalion
Massaua Irregulars Band
Northern Dankalia Irregulars Band
Southern Dankalia Irregulars Band
7th Artillery Battery (120L25)
37th Artillery Battery (77L28 – pack camels)
Sent to the front in Feb. 1936
3rd Corps – Gen. Ettore Bastico
27th (Sila) Division (coming from Italy) – Gen. Francesco Bertini
1st (23rd of March) CCNN Division – Gen. Filiberto Ludovico from Eritrean Corps
Formed in Jan. 1936
4th Corps – Gen. Ezio Babbini
5th (Cosseria) Division – Gen. Pietro Pintor
2nd (28th of October) CCNN Division – Gen. Umberto Somma
5th (1st of February) CCNN Division (still in Italy) – Gen. Attillo Teruzzi
Organized in March 1936
Celere Column A.O. (Eritrea) - Ten. Gen. Achille Starace
82nd CCNN Battalion "Mussolini"/6th CCNN Battalions Group, motorized
3rd Bersaglieri Regiment
8th Artillery Group (77mm/28, motorized)
Included truck-transported machine-guns, armored cars, altogether 3000 men and 500 motor vehicles.
Southern Front – Somaliland
Graziani Column – General Rodolfo Graziani
29th Division (Peloritana) – Gen. Giuseppe Pavone
Libyan Division (Libyan Colonial troops) – Guglielmo Nasi
6th (Tevere) CCNN Division (still in Italy) – Enrico Boscardi
Aosta Lancers Cavalry Regiment
6 Battalions, Royal Colonial Troop Corps (Arabo-Somali Colonial troops)
Camel Mounted Artillery
6 Dubat Bands (Companies of Somali Irregulars)
Ogaden border region command – Colonel Luigi Frusci
9 L3 tanks, 20 Armoured cars
6 Royal Colonial Troop Corps Battalions (Arabo-Somali Colonial troops)
6 Dubat Bands (Companies of Somali Irregulars)
150 trucks
Sultan Olol Dinke Column (Feudal Army) – Sultan of Sciavelli, Olol Dinke
1000 Dubat (mounted Somali warriors of the Ajuran clan)
7th Bomber Wing – Bgd. Gen. Ferruccio Ranza (38 aircraft)
25th Bomber Squadron, with :
8th Bomber Flight (10 x Ca.101 bis)
9th Bomber Flight (10 x Ca.101 bis)
Recon Flight (10 x Ro.1)
107th Fighter Flight (8 x CR.20)
Notes:
The 7th (Cirene) CCNN Division was deployed in Libya to threaten the Suez Canal should the British close it to Italian traffic. It was never deployed to Ethiopia, but was considered to have taken part in the campaign. It actually acted as a local garrison and engaged in various construction projects.
