The Order of Battle, East African Campaign shows the ground forces available to both sides in East Africa on the date that the Italians declared war on Britain and France, 10 June 1940. An update is also provided for the British and Commonwealth forces involved in the 1941 offensive.
Comando Forze Armate dell'Africa Orientale Italiana, 10 June 1940
Commander-in-Chief, Italian East African Armed Forces Command, Amedeo, Duke of Aosta
Commander - Lieutenant-General Luigi Frusci
3rd Colonial Infantry Brigade - Colonel Saverio Maraventano
11th Colonial Infantry Battalion
23rd Colonial Infantry Battalion
30th Colonial Infantry Battalion
70th Colonial Infantry Battalion
4th Colonial Infantry Brigade - Colonel Livio Boneli
14th Colonial Infantry Battalion
25th Colonial Infantry Battalion
27th Colonial Infantry Battalion
29th Colonial Infantry Battalion
5th Colonial Infantry Brigade - Brigade General (General de Brigade) Angelo Bergonzi
97th Colonial Infantry Battalion
105th Colonial Infantry Battalion
106th Colonial Infantry Battalion
6th Colonial Infantry Brigade - Lieutenant-Colonel Agostino Magrini
19th Colonial Infantry Battalion
24th Colonial Infantry Battalion
31st Colonial Infantry Battalion
34th Colonial Infantry Battalion
8th Colonial Infantry Brigade - Colonel Antonio Rizzo
101st Colonial Infantry Battalion
102nd Colonial Infantry Battalion
12th Colonial Infantry Brigade - Colonel Ugo Tabellini
35th Colonial Infantry Battalion
36th Colonial Infantry Battalion
43rd Colonial Infantry Battalion
16tn Colonial Infantry Brigade - Colonel Manlio Manetti
22nd Colonial Infantry Battalion
23rd Colonial Infantry Battalion
47th Colonial Infantry Battalion
53rd Colonial Infantry Battalion
19th Colonial Infantry Brigade - Colonel Enrico Durante
21st Colonial Infantry Battalion
65th Colonial Infantry Battalion
72nd Colonial Infantry Battalion
86th Colonial Infantry Battalion
21st Colonial Infantry Brigade - Colonel Ignazio Angelini
77th Colonial Infantry Battalion
78th Colonial Infantry Battalion
79th Colonial Infantry Battalion
80th Colonial Infantry Battalion
22nd Colonial Infantry Brigade - Colonel Adriano Torelli
3rd Colonial Infantry Battalion
67th Colonial Infantry Battalion
68th Colonial Infantry Battalion
69th Colonial Infantry Battalion
81st Colonial Infantry Battalion
41st Colonial Infantry Brigade - Brigade General Ugo Fongoli
98th Colonial Infantry Battalion
99th Colonial Infantry Battalion
131st Colonial Infantry Battalion
132nd Colonial Infantry Battalion
42nd Colonial Infantry Brigade (forming)
43rd Colonial Infantry Brigade (forming)
116th Blackshirt (Camicie Nere, CCNN) Infantry Battalion/Cohort (or Coorte)
141st Blackshirt Infantry Battalion/Cohort (Coorte)
151st Blackshirt Infantry Battalion/Cohort (Coorte)
164th Blackshirt Infantry Battalion/Cohort (Coorte)
166th Blackshirt Infantry Battalion/Cohort (Coorte)
240th Blackshirt Infantry Battalion/Cohort (Coorte)
731st Blackshirt Infantry Battalion/Cohort (Coorte)
745th Blackshirt Infantry Battalion/Cohort (Coorte)
Six colonial infantry battalions, two colonial cavalry battalions, two irregular colonial cavalry battalions, two garrison commands, and three batteries of 77/28 howitzers
Commander - General Pietro Gazzera
1st Colonial Infantry Brigade - Colonel Guido Pialorsi
1st Colonial Infantry Battalion
6th Colonial Infantry Battalion
8th Colonial Infantry Battalion
18th Colonial Infantry Battalion
9th Colonial Infantry Brigade - Colonel Flaminio Orrigo
2nd Colonial Infantry Battalion
17th Colonial Infantry Battalion
59th Colonial Infantry Battalion
60th Colonial Infantry Battalion
10th Colonial Infantry Brigade - Colonel Giuseppe Cloza
28th Colonial Infantry Battalion
55th Colonial Infantry Battalion
181st Colonial Infantry Battalion
187th Colonial Infantry Battalion
18th Colonial Infantry Brigade - Colonel Bartolemeo Minola
16th Colonial Infantry Battalion
61st Colonial Infantry Battalion
182nd Colonial Infantry Battalion
183rd Colonial Infantry Battalion
23rd Colonial Infantry Brigade
80th Colonial Infantry Battalion
88th Colonial Infantry Battalion
89th Colonial Infantry Battalion
25th Colonial Infantry Brigade - Lieutenant-Colonel Giorgio Rolandi
7th Colonial Infantry Battalion
28th Colonial Infantry Battalion
54th Colonial Infantry Battalion
85th Colonial Infantry Brigade (forming)
86th Colonial Infantry Brigade (forming)
One colonial infantry battalion, four irregular colonial cavalry battalions (forming), one colonial cavalry company, and seven irregular colonial cavalry companies (forming)
Commander - General Guglielmo Nasi
40 Infantry Division "Hunters of Africa" (Cacciatori d'Africa ) - General Giovanni Varda
210th Infantry Regiment
211th Infantry Regiment
40th Artillery Regiment
40th Mortar Battalion
18th Colonial Mixed Engineers Battalion
40th Anti-tank Company
40th Medical Services unit
40th Supply Services unit
65 Infantry Division "Grenadiers of Savoy" (Granatieri di Savoia) - General Amedeo Liberati
10th Grenadiers Regiment
Two battalions of grenadiers and the Uork Amba battalion of mountain infantry (Alpini)
11th Grenadiers Regiment
Two battalions of grenadiers and one battalion of highly mobile infantry (Bersaglieri)
11th Blackshirts of Africa Regiment/Legion (or Legione)
Three battalions/cohorts (coortes) of Blackshirts of Africa
60th Artillery Regiment
65th Mortar Battalion
Savoy Grenadiers Machine Gun Battalion
Neghelli Colonial Cavalry Battalion
65th Engineers Battalion
65th Anti-tank Company
65th Medical Services unit
65th Supply Services unit
2nd Colonial Infantry Brigade - Colonel Orlando Lorenzini
4th Colonial Infantry Battalion
5th Colonial Infantry Battalion
9th Colonial Infantry Battalion
10th Colonial Infantry Battalion
7th Colonial Infantry Brigade - Colonel Tiburzio Rean
13th Colonial Infantry Battalion
15th Colonial Infantry Battalion
45th Colonial Infantry Battalion
11th Colonial Infantry Brigade - Colonel Francesco Prina
51st Colonial Infantry Battalion
52nd Colonial Infantry Battalion
56th Colonial Infantry Battalion
13th Colonial Infantry Brigade - Brigade General Cesare Nam
20th Colonial Infantry Battalion
39th Colonial Infantry Battalion
48th Colonial Infantry Battalion
14th Colonial Infantry Brigade
15th Colonial Infantry Brigade
17th Colonial Infantry Brigade
70th Colonial Infantry Brigade (forming)
1st Light Tank Company (about twelve Fiat Ansaldo L3/35 tankettes)
2nd Light Tank Company (about twelve Fiat Ansaldo L3/35 tankettes)
321st Medium Tank Company (about twelve Fiat M11/39 medium tanks)
322nd Medium Tank Company (about twelve Fiat M11/39 medium tanks)
Armoured Car Company (Fiat 611 armored cars)
Four colonial infantry battalions, seven colonial cavalry battalions, eighteen irregular colonial cavalry battalions (forming), two batteries of 77/28 howitzers, four batteries of 105/28 howitzers, and one battery of 149/28 howitzers
Commander - Lieutenant-General Carlo De Simone
20th Colonial Infantry Brigade
91st Colonial Infantry Brigade (forming)
92nd Colonial Infantry Brigade (forming)
Seven colonial infantry battalions and two irregular colonial cavalry battalions (forming)
Supreme Commander FF AA AOI: Generalee d'Armata Pietro Gazzera
Total 127,000 men
Scacchiere/Sector Sud: Generale d'A. Pietro Gazzera
(80,000 men)
Zona Sinistra/Left Zone Omo: Generale Britata Antonio Tissi
101st Division: Generale di Brigata Alfredo Baccari
21st Division: Generale di Brigata Ettore Caffaratti
24th Division: Generale di Brigata Emanuele Beraudo di Pralormo
25th Division: Generale di Brigata Amedeo Liberati
Zona Central: Generale Ettore Scala
22nd Division: Generale di Brigata Guido Pialorsi
Zona Dabus-Didessa: Generale di divisione Carlo de Simone
Zona Scacchiere Ovest/West: Generale d'A. Gugliemo Nasi
Total 17,000 Italian & 23,000 colonial troops
Caposaldo/Fortress Uolchefit/Wolchefit: Lt. Colonel Gonnella (4,000 men)
Caposaldo Debra Tabor: Colonel Angelini (6,000 men)
Piazza Gondar: Nasi (30,000 men)
Settore Danaclia: Generale Piacentini
2,400 Italian and 3,300 colonial troops.
Presidio/Garrison Tio-Assab-Rahesta: Capitano di Fregatta Bolla
(800 men)
Presidio Sardo-Dobi: Colonel Umberto Raugei
(1,300 men)
Settore Elidar-Manda: Generale R. Aeron. Piacentini
(100 pilots)
Settore Batie: Generale Frusci
(2,500 Italian and 3,000 colonial troops)
Nuclei Isolati/Independent Units:
Zona Migiurtina: Colonel R. de Maria
Zona Arussi: Generale Alborghetti
Comando Aeronautica Africa Orientale Italiana: Generale di Squadra Aerea Pietro Pinna
Commando Settore Ovest: Generale di Brigata Aerea Collati
4° Gruppo B.T. (Tenente Colonnello Branca)
14° Squadriglia B.T.
15° Squadriglia B.T.
29° Gruppo B.T. (Maggiore Santagata)
62° Squadriglia B.T.
63° Squadriglia B.T.
44° Gruppo B.T. (Maggiore Pecorelli)
6° Squadriglia B.T.
7° Squadriglia B.T.
49° Gruppo B.T. (Tenente Colonnello Porcelli)
61° Squadriglia B.T.
64° Squadriglia B.T.
Squadriglia S.M. (Tenente Tait)
110° Squadriglia O.A.
410° Squadriglia C.T.
411° Squadriglia C.T.
"I Olivetti" Airfield
repair service "Dire Daua" Airfield repair service Gimma Airfield repair service
2° Transport Group R.A.
CRA Addis Ababa
4° Principal Magazine
6° M.S.A. Magazine
Asmara Airport:
repair service
1° M.S.A. Magazine
Squadriglia S.M.
Gura Airfield:
repair service
5° M.S.A. Magazine
1° Transport Group R.A.
28° Gruppo B.T.
10° Squadriglia B.T.
19° Squadriglia B.T.
409° Squadriglia C.T.
413° Squadriglia C.T.
Massaua Airfield: repair service Gondar Airfield: repair service
26° Gruppo B.T.
11° Squadriglia B.T.
41° Squadriglia B.T.
Bahar Dar Airfield
13° Squadriglia B.T.
Dessie Airfield: repair service
27° Gruppo
18° Squadriglia B.T.
52° Squadriglia B.T.
Assab Airfield: repair service
118° Squadriglia B.T.
2° Ro 37 (bis) Section
25° Gruppo: Tenente Colonnello Cogangeli
8° Squadriglia
9° Squadriglia
65° Squadriglia
66° Squadriglia
British and Commonwealth forces, 10 June 1940
Commander-in-Chief - General Archibald Wavell, Cairo
Commander - Major-General William Platt1st Battalion Worcestershire Regiment
1st Battalion Essex Regiment
2nd Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment
Six machine-gun companies of the Sudan Defence Force
GOC East Africa Force - Major-General D.P. DickinsonTemplate:SfnPlayfair"Southern Brigade"/1st Brigade King's African Rifles (KAR) - Brigadier Charles Christopher Fowkes
"Northern Brigade"/2nd Brigade KAR Brigadier Colin Frederick Blackden
East African Reconnaissance Regiment, later named "East African Armoured Car Regiment"
22nd (Derajat) Mountain Battery (Frontier Force)
British Somaliland
Commander - Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Reginald Chater to 11 August 1940, Major-General Reade Godwin-Austen from 11 August to 17 AugustSomaliland Camel Corps
1st Battalion Northern Rhodesia Regiment
2nd (Nyasaland) Battalion King's African Rifles
3rd Battalion 15th Punjab Regiment (from 1 July)
1st Battalion 2nd Punjab Regiment (from 7 August)
2nd Battalion The Black Watch (from 8 August)
1st East African Light Battery (Four 3.7" howitzers)
British and Commonwealth forces during the 1941 offensive
Commander-in-Chief - General Archibald Wavell
Commander - Lieutenant-General William Platt
Corps artillery and armour
B Squadron 4th Royal Tank Regiment (RTR) (about six Matilda II infantry tanks)
68 Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery (RA) (two batteries)
Jammu and Kashmir Mountain Battery, Indian Army
Battery, Sudan Horse, Sudan Defence Force
P Battery (Anti-tank) Royal Horse Artillery (RHA)
41 Light Anti-aircraft Battery, Royal Artillery
Corps infantry reserve
Two Motor Machine Gun Companies, Sudan Defence Force
No. 51 Commando (a mixed Arab and Jewish battalion raised in the British Mandate of Palestine. Attached to Indian 5th Infantry Division for periods of the campaign.)
4th Indian Infantry Division - Major-General Noel Beresford-Peirse
The Central India Horse (21st King George V's Own Horse) - the Divisional reconnaissance regiment
5th Indian Infantry Brigade, Brigadier Wilfrid Lewis Lloyd
1st Battalion Royal Fusiliers
3rd Battalion 1st Punjab Regiment
4th Battalion (Outram's) 6th Rajputana Rifles
7th Indian Infantry Brigade, Brigadier Harold Rawdon Briggs
1st Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment (detached to Briggsforce)
4th Battalion 16th Punjab Regiment (detached to Briggsforce)
4th Battalion 11th Sikh Regiment (detached to Gazelle Force)
11th Indian Infantry Brigade, Brigadier Reginald Savory
2nd Battalion The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
1st Battalion (Wellesley's) 6th Rajputana Rifles
4th Battalion 7th Rajput Regiment (until January 1941)
3rd Battalion 14th Punjab Regiment (from January 1941)
2nd Battalion 5th Mahratta Light Infantry
Gazelle Force, Colonel Frank Messervy1st Duke of York's Own Skinner's Horse (detached from 5th Indian Infantry Division)
4th Battalion 11th Sikh Regiment (detached from 7 Brigade)
3 motor machine-gun companies of the Sudan Defence Force
390th Field Battery of 144 Field Regiment (detached from Indian 5th Division)
Royal Artillery, Brigadier William H. B. Mirrless
1 Field Regiment RA
11/80 Field Battery RA
52/98 Field Battery RA
25 Field Regiment RA
31 Field Regiment RA
Engineers
4 Field Company King George V's Own Bengal Sappers and Miners, IE
12 Field Company Queen Victoria's Own Madras Sappers and Miners, IE
18 Field Company Royal Bombay Sappers and Miners, IE
11 Field Park Company Queen Victoria's Own Madras Sappers and Miners, IE
5th Indian Infantry Division - Major-General Lewis Heath
1st Duke of York's Own Skinner's Horse (reconnaissance regiment) (detached to Gazelle Force)
9th Indian Infantry Brigade, Brigadier Mosley Mayne (to 1 March) Brigadier Frank Messervy (from 1 March to 13 April), Brigadier Bernard Fletcher (from 13 April)2nd Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment
3rd Battalion 5th Mahratta Light Infantry
3rd Royal battalion 12th Frontier Force Regiment
3 motor machine-gun companies of the Sudan Defence Force
10th Indian Infantry Brigade, Brigadier William "Bill" Slim (to 21 January), Lieutenant-Colonel Bernard Fletcher (from 21 January to 20 March), Brigadier Thomas "Pete" Rees (from 21 March)
1st Battalion The Essex Regiment (until late November 1940)
2nd Battalion Highland Light Infantry (from late November 1940)
4th Battalion 10th Baluch Regiment
3rd Battalion 18th Royal Garhwal Rifles
29th Indian Infantry Brigade, Brigadier John Charles Oakes Marriott
1st Battalion the Worcestershire Regiment
3rd Battalion 2nd Punjab Regiment
6th Royal Battalion 13th Frontier Force Rifles
Royal Artillery, Brigadier Claude Vallentin
4 Field Regiment RA
28 Field Regiment RA
144 Field Regiment (Surrey & Sussex Yeomanry Queen Mary’s) RA
Engineers
2 Field Company King George V's Own Bengal Sappers and Miners, IE
20 Field Company Royal Bombay Sappers and Miners, IE
21 Field Company Royal Bombay Sappers and Miners, IE (see Premindra Singh Bhagat)
44 Field Park Company Queen Victoria's Own Madras Sappers and Miners, IE
Briggs Force - Brigadier Harold Rawdon Briggs
1st Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment (detached from 7 Brigade, Indian 4th Infantry Division)
4th Battalion 16th Punjab Regiment (detached from 7 Brigade, Indian 4th Infantry Division)
Brigade of the East (Brigade d'Orient) (Free French) - Colonel Ralph Monclar
1er Bataillon de Legion Etrangere (1st Battalion of French Foreign Legion)
Batallion de Marche 3 (3rd provisional battalion of Senegalese tirailleurs)
3e Cie du 1er bataillon d' infanterie de marine (3rd Company 1st marine infantry battalion)
1er Escadron de Spahis Marocains (1st Squadron of Moroccan Spahis)
1er Groupe d'Artillerie Coloniale (1st Colonial artillery battalion)
One motor machine-gun company of the Sudan Defence Force
One Battery from 25th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery (Indian 4th Infantry Division)
7th Field Company King George V's Own Bengal Sappers and Miners, IE
Gideon Force (in Gojjam Province, Ethiopia) (Colonel Orde Wingate)
Sudan Defence Force Frontier Battalion
2nd Ethiopian Battalion
Mission 101 (in Gojjam Province, Ethiopia) (Brigadier Daniel Sandford)
Many "Operational Centres" - small groups of officers and NCOs operating in enemy territory providing training and arms to Ethiopian patriot forces loyal to Emperor Haile Selassie I and co-ordinating their operations.
Commander - Lieutenant-General Alan Cunningham
Corps troops
1 East African Armoured Car Regiment (less two squadrons)
1st South African Light Tank Company
1st South African Medium Brigade (1st and 2nd Medium Batteries)
53rd East African Light Battery
4th Rhodesian Anti-Tank Battery
1st South African Division - Major-General George Brink
1st South African Infantry Brigade - Brigadier Dan Pienaar (detached to 12th African Division until 7 March, 11th African Division until 9 May, then Indian 5th Infantry Division from 10–22 May for Amba Alagi)
1st Duke of Edinburgh's Own Rifles
1st Royal Natal Carabineers
1st Transvaal Scottish
3rd South African Armoured Car Company
4th Field Brigade (10, 11, 12 Field Batteries) South African Artillery
1st Field Company, South African Engineers
2nd South African Infantry Brigade - Brigadier F.L.A. Buchanan
1st Natal Mounted Rifles
1st Field Force Battalion
2nd Field Force Battalion
2nd South African Armoured Car Company
12th Field Company, South African Engineers
5th South African Infantry Brigade - Brigadier Bertram Frank Armstrong
1st South African Irish
2nd Regiment Botha
3rd Transvaal Scottish
1st South African Armoured Car Company
5th Field Company, South African Engineers
One platoon 1/3 King's African Rifles (Machine gun platoon)
Divisional Artillery:
3rd Field Brigade (7, 8, 9 Field Batteries) South African Artillery
6th Anti-aircraft Battery (one section), South African Artillery
3rd Anti-tank Battery, South African Artillery
11th African Division - Major-General H. E. de R. Wetherall
21st (East African) Brigade - Brigadier Alan MacDougall Ritchie (detached to 1st South African Division from 27 February until 6 April and to 12th African Division thereafter)
1/2 The King's African Rifles
1st The Northern Rhodesia Regiment
1/4 The King's African Rifles
53rd (Gold Coast) Field Company, West African Engineers
26th (East African) Brigade - Brigadier William Alfred Dimoline (detached as an independent brigade for the duration of the campaign)
2/2nd Kings African Rifles
4/4th Kings African Rifles
3/6th Kings African Rifles
23rd (Nigerian) Brigade - Brigadier Gerald Smallwood
1st The Nigeria Regiment
2nd The Nigeria Regiment
3rd The Nigeria Regiment
52 (Nigeria) Light Battery West African Artillery
51 (Nigeria) Field Company, West African Engineers
1st East African Armoured Car Regiment (C Squadron)
One platoon 1/3 King's African Rifles (Machine gun platoon)
Divisional Artillery
7th Field Brigade (5, 17, 18 Field Batteries) South African Artillery
6th Anti-aircraft Battery (one section), South African Artillery
1st Anti-tank Battery, South African Artillery
Engineers
16 Field Company, South African Engineers
12th African Division - Major-General Reade Godwin-Austen
22nd (East African) Brigade - Brigadier Charles Christopher Fowkes until 3 March then Lieutenant-Colonel Colin Frederick Blackden (detached to 11th African Division from 23 February to 1 March and from 12 March to 26 July)
1/1 The King's African Rifles
1/6 The King's African Rifles
5th The King's African Rifles
22 Mountain Battery Indian Artillery
54 Field Company, East African Engineers
25th (East African) Brigade - Brigadier W. Owen (detached to 1st South African Division until 6 April)
2/3rd Kings African Rifles
2/4th Kings African Rifles
27 Mountain Battery, Indian Artillery
Detachment Somaliland Camel Corps Armoured cars
24th (Gold Coast) Brigade - Brigadier Collen Edward Melville Richards
1st Gold Coast Regiment
2nd Gold Coast Regiment
3rd Gold Coast Regiment
51 (Gold Coast) Light Battery West African Artillery
52nd Gold Coast Field Company, West African Engineers
1st East African Armoured Car Regiment (B Squadron)
One company less one platoon 1/3 King's African Rifles (Machine gun)
Divisional Artillery
1st Field Battery South African Artillery
6th Anti-aircraft Battery (one section), South African Artillery
2nd Anti-tank Battery, South African Artillery
Engineers
3rd South African Field Company
British Somaliland
Commander - Brigadier Arthur Reginald Chater1st battalion 2nd Punjab Regiment (until end March 1941) (from Aden)
3rd battalion 15th Punjab Regiment (from Aden)
Somaliland Camel Corps (reforming)
