La dimensione asimmetrica delle aviotruppe in Italia dagli anni Trenta alla Seconda Guerra Mondiale

Abstract

The idea to use aircraft to insert some ad-hoc trained detachment in the rear area of the enemy was considered in Italy since the second half of the Twenties. In the following years, it was debated in the Air Force Magazine with regards also to the counter-insurgency problem and to expand the manoeuvring capabilities of regular forces, with a focus on what was happening in other countries. During the Thirties, some significant experiments were conducted leading to the establishment of the first parachute unit following a specific initiative of the Air Marshal Italo Balbo, at the time Governor of Libya. Eventually, during the war, some saboteur units were created and deployed in the final stage of the conflict to carry out some innovative and in some way asymmetric operation.