Tu felix Austria... (Interwar Austria)

[Viribus Unitis]

Meierhofer, Gebhard (1979): Militia and Volunteer Fighters in the Austro-Italian War, Vienna: Amalthea

US Volunteers

While there was great interest amongst the German-American, Austrian-American and Italian-American communities to participate in the war, few actually managed to do so. When the war ended most were still scrambling to arrange for equipment and passage, while some were underway or in the process of being integrated into the Armed Forces when the Italians surrendered.

Most volunteer that actually fought were individuals that were already in Europe at the time and arrived as individuals or small groups directly in Austria and Italy or with volunteer groups from other countries and not as an identifiable US volunteer formation. A small minority was already serving in the Italian or Austrian armed forces when the war started as well.

The one group that both arrived as a team and gained attention as such both in Europe and America, were the Flying Seven. The group was lead by Austrian born Johann Eberle, an emigrant and self made man. Amongst many other business interests, he had followed his passion and serviced several airmail routes in the northern US. The others in the group were all of similar backgrounds, either Austrian born or their parents were, and were newly wealthy in the US. Most had made their fortune in the boom years after the Great War ended, were active in German-American social circles in Cleveland and were part of the local aircraft and glider club.

When the headlines of the Italian attack went around the world, Eberle decided to do something. He immediately modified his AR.1 passenger aircraft for a long range flight, sacrificing most of it's transport capabilities for fuel, and recruited several of his pilot friends. They made the Atlantic crossing from New York to Cork, and from there to Salzburg on the 18th of April to much fanfare in the German language media in the US. While their intention had been to ship fighter aircraft from the US, when they arrived as trained pilots they were quickly recruited into the Austrian Air Force and retrained on F-S 28 fighters.

Eberle understood media, and especially the US media. He arranged for his own reports to be sent back, as well as pictures and in one case even video footage of the seven operating out of Innsbruck airport. However he also took care to coach his men in how to deal with journalists and made certain that unlike the Air Force pilots who were secluded from the public, that he and his men were approachable for journalists, especially international ones. Eberle was also known to have constantly tinkered with cameras and attempting to document his flights, producing stunning photos. While they were not the highest scoring pilots in the conflict, Eberle's 17 kills were widely reported, more so in English language media than German, making him one of the most recognised names of the conflict in the Anglosphere. The Flying Seven all together were credited with 55 kills, all of them considered an ace with at least 5 kills.

According to Austrian records just shy of 800 US citizens were active combatants on their side of the conflict. It is assumed that maybe five time that number was in transit or training when the war ended. Italian records were far less complete, but here it is assumed that roughly 200 US citizens fought with the Italian Army. This is largely down to the fact that unlike Austria, Italy did not actively recruit volunteer formations. There seems to be some indication however, that amongst the earliest Italian-Americans who returned after the war to rebuild their home country, were some that had travelled in order to participate in the fighting.

Added to this were an unknown number of people, both from German-American and Italian-American communities, who participated in the war, that had never attained US citizenship, but still returned from there to fight. While they do not show up in the statistics, they can be traced through individual biographies.

Spoiler

Not exactly what I had planned for today, but then again, I'm currently struggling a bit with the pieces I had planed to slot in right there... So have something different that I just had to polish up a bit.

 

[Viribus Unitis]

Dear Susanna,

21.5.1929​

Today we invaded another country. By accident that is. And we are pretty certain that nobody noticed. When we had settled down in the early afternoon in the foothills of the Apennine Mountains, Samuel obsessively studied the maps, and kept on studying our surrounding with his binoculars and the compass. It was in the early evening, shortly after most of the workers had left the fields and we were preparing for the next leg of our journey, that he announced that we had passed into San Marino on accident. Unless we were very unlucky however, nobody should have seen us doing that.

At least I hope so. Over the last few weeks our activities had been noticed every now and again, we had been seen passing through at times. Since rumours spread and soon after our presence was seen as a precursor of an attack by the Italians. So it came that we had been sent further afield. With the Italian counter-attack a week ago and heavy fighting ongoing around Treviso, we were ordered south to cause disruptions. We had cut the rail line between Padua and Bologna in three locations, causing at least two derailments, and had dropped one road bridge over the Po river. We had then directed the bombardment of the rail yard in Bologna by bomber aircraft and similarly directed ground attack aircraft into the harbour of Ravenna just yesterday.

We had hid out in the pine forests outside of the city for three days, observing the coming and going of cargo ships, observing what they carried. Samuel and Harald had then taken the risk and snuck into the port wearing labourers cloth that we had acquired. They managed to place three radio beacons and a number of flares on a timer. We had placed additional ones outside of the harbour itself, and then waited and settled down.

Right on time, an hour after nightfall some Libellen had appeared outside the port, but it seemed some timers of the radio beacons had failed to properly activate them. So we did what we could, directing them in via radio, taking special care to direct them towards what we highly suspected was a ship carrying ammunition. It certainly blew up even more spectacularly than the battleships last month.

While the Italians unsuccessfully tried to shoot down the attack planes, not helped by the fact that we had sabotaged several of their searchlights, they had gotten wise to some of our other tactics. For once we were at the receiving end of radio direction finding, and without one very observant gunner on a Libelle we might not have noticed several platoons closing in on us soon enough. So we were once again forced to flee, even as the Libellen emptied the last ammunition they were willing to spare into our perusers. Thankfully our horses had been well rested when we started to flee inland, then south bypassing Ravenna and fleeing over fields all night. It was only in the early morning that we had arrived in the questionable safety of the hills, and even then they were farmed quite intensely, not the wooded foothills we had almost grown accustomed to. It must have been then that According to Samuel we had then passed east of Chisanuova, a village belonging to the strange city state of San Marino. That is if one can trust Samuel, I more and more wonder just who he had bribed to pass his cartography course at university. I myself had been half asleep by that time, the horses thankfully still wiling to move forwards, even if their rider wasn't paying too much attention to anything. So who knows what really happened.

We are being run ragged down here. I understand how we contribute to the bigger picture, drawing attention, drawing resources, drawing troops away from where the Italians will really need them. But at this time I'd rather sleep for a week straight, instead of days of riding, days of frantic activity, interspersed by days of nothing to do, but still being high strung enough that every noise might be an enemy approaching, not getting you any real rest.

I would give everything for a quite afternoon with you, lazing around in the garden, no enemy anywhere within hundred kilometres that might shoot me at any moment.


Hope to see you soon,

Alois

Spoiler

The "Homefront" piece I was working on still doesn't want to work out. So we'll go forwards chronologically again... Unless I somehow get the knot in my mind undone, the next "story" snips will be a Trenches and a Mercenary one, that take place chronological roughly at the same time, just after this. If I can figure out how to, I might reorder Threadmarks, so that the last "Dear Susanna" letter slots in at the right place chronologically, at least for those using reader mode.

There are some (crappy) maps I might post later or the next few days. In addition to the one following here. Those would show the front at certain different dates. I'm investing far more time into the peace treaty maps however. Though at current pace, those likely won't be added here until next year... (Notes currently show 14 "story" pieces before the Armistice, some already written, though unpolished. And then however many "Homefront" ones I can get out, that will fit in in a non-chronological order).

Map of "Dear Susanna" Action:

Spoiler: Map

Made quick and dirt. Base map is a modern Italy... Blue lines where borders would have been both TTL and OTL 1.1.1929. That is unless I missed something. Well, Lago di Lei isn't shown, but it's too small a change to include. Ignore the internal divisions of what back then would have been Yugoslavia as well. Other national borders stayed surprisingly stable.

 

[Viribus Unitis]

Gamper, Hans (1988): Introduction to Twentieth Century Austria, Bozen: Tyrolia Verlag


With Bozen taken by Austrian forces, and the following breakthrough at Franzensfeste, the railway connection through the Eisacktal was under control of the Austrian Army. This cut off five Italian Divisons that had been deployed through the Pustertal into Austria from their primary supply line. With initial success in Lienz, Italian command had decided to reinforce success driving towards Spittal and Villach, instead of defeat at Innsbruck.

While the Italians had taken also Arnoldstein and the length of the Gailtal, the number of supplies that could be brought in on that route was limited. Even more so since the railway station there was still in range of Austrian artillery. That left the Dolomite Railway, a narrow gauge railway built by the Austrian army during the Great War. While it had been recently electrified, it could not cope with the demands so many fighting man produced. The Alpine roads had little more capacity. Mostly built predating the motorised transport they were still affected by snow, limiting capacity further. More so, some of the passes, especially those leading over the border from Italy into the Austrian Gailtal hadn't been repaired from damage sustained during the Great War.

Then, on the 19th ​ of April Austrian special forces destroyed a railway bridge in the lower Kanaltal, disrupting supply even further. When the Austrian 3rd​ Division halted their push at Vernoa, Riva and Bassano del Grappa, only mopping up some smaller formations in side valleys, and the 2nd​ fixed the besiegers of Villach in place, 1st​ and 4th ​Division of the Austrian Army regulars started to push the trapped divisions. Many surrendered quickly. Some did so immediately, others after token resistance. Yet again others escaped south over the mountains, leaving their heavy gear behind. Especially the Blackshirt division however, earmarked for pacification duty, fought a costly last stand. Once again, in a cold calculus, the Austrian generals reinforced those engagements with paramilitary formations, preserving their best trained troops to fight another day.

From there Austrian Forces pushed down the Kanaltal. In an ambitious combined arms attack on the 30th​ of April, advanced formations were deployed via parachute and gliders to take strategic strong points along the Torre and Tagliamento river. Meanwhile the bulk of troops raced south, cutting off surprised Italian troops and often forcing a surrender. Only Undine resisted for six more days, becoming the site of desperate urban combat.

Afterwards, 1st​ Division pushed on towards the east and the Yugoslav border. Only Pola, Fiume and Adelsberg provided significant resistance to this move, though some small Italians formations would fight on in the hills and mountains or the islands of the area for the rest of the war.

Their backs relative secure, garrisoned by volunteers and the first combat ready conscript formations, a large scale offensive across the Veneto followed. The Italian army wasn't entirely unprepared for this, but their internal communication problems, and strategic strikes both by special forces as well as aircraft disrupted the response enough that the Austrians could exploit gaps, and use manoeuvrer warfare to again and again gain overwhelming local superiority. Especially the Austrian and Czechoslovak tank battalions excelled in these engagements.

Yet it was during that push, that the Italians noticed a sudden absence of the Austrian 4th​ Division. It was replaced by several formations that were at the time identified by the Italians as fresh conscripts, but were in fact three divisions of the Shadow Army. Italo Balbo himself ordered a quick counter attack, but this was badly planned, especially since it was supposed to happen under radio silence. Several advances were made, but just as many attacks failed, leaving this counter-attack on the Livenza a costly defat for the Italians.

Even several sorties by the Italian Navy didn't change the situation. After an attack on battleships in Pola harbour, those had been withdrawn to Taranto, leaving the most powerful units more than half a day from their bombardment positions. This gave plenty of warning whenever they sortied, the increase of Yugoslav Royal Navy radio traffic monitoring their passing alone would be a perfect indicator. Yet even against lighter units the Austrians had little that could effectively damage them. This meant that shore bombardments were undertaken quite regularly. Fear of friendly fire as well as bad coordination between the Regia Marina and the Regio Esercito allowed Austrian troops to often simply not be where naval shells fell. The Austrian Air Force flew some strike missions against ships, but lacked the training to do so effectively.

The Battle of Treviso stood out amongst the engagements in the Veneto as the bloodiest. Since in this case the civilian population hadn't been evacuated, they paid a similar toll.

Treviso was also where most of the remaining Italian tank forces were deployed. They hadn't shown much success in earlier engagements, while the Czech Skoda/29 had show itself useful several times. A nearly pure tank on tank engagement happened to the south of the city, leaving the Italian Fiat 3000s and CV-28 off for the worse. Tanks were also deployed in the city, mostly as mobile machine gun nests.

It was then that the missing 4th​ Division turned up again, leading a multi prong attack along the Swiss border towards Milano, Bergamo and Brescia. This caused a diversion of several Italian formations that had been earmarked for fighting in the Veneto. There they would be missed, leading to the final defeat in Treviso and Austrian advance to the line Vicenza-Padua-Chioggia.

Spoiler

Because there needed to be a high level overview. Maps unfortunally not ready yet. If I can find the time, they'll be up before tomorrows piece. Though that might be literally just before.

 

[Viribus Unitis]

As you can see those are slightly higher effort than the "Dear Susanna" map. Not a lot, but slightly. If there are any errors in there or if anything is unclear, please tell me.

Spoiler: April 13

This is the greatest extent of the Italian attack into North Tyrol. The one into Carinthia and East Tyrol is more successful as you'll see in the next ones.

Spoiler: April 17

This is just before the events at Meran, that are covered in "Franzerl" - Austrian troops have pushed back the Italian attack towards Franzensfeste, and moved into the Passeiertal and over the Reschen into the upper Etschtal.

Spoiler: April 19

After the attack on Bozen, though Franzensfeste is still stalled. Also nearly the greatest extent of the Italian attack into Carinthia. As mentioned in the post yesterday, Bozen cuts an important railway line, causing follow on problems.

Spoiler: April 24

The main valleys of South Tyrol are "liberated" down to Vernona and not just yet Bassano del Grappa. The counter attack on Carinthia starts at an unexpected place, through the Pustertal.

Spoiler: April 30

Austrian territory liberated, Fascists refuse to negotiate. Now holding most territories of the old County of Tyrol. Some villages along Lake Garda still hold on due to simple geography. A push down the Kanaltal is in progress, set up for the attacks down the Friaul, that will happen the next day preceded by glider assault.

And apparently there's a limit for embedded media...

 

[Viribus Unitis]

...so I'll continue here.

Spoiler: May 4

Taking care of border garrisons towards Yugoslavia. King Alexander still hesitates, trying to get international guarantees for participating in the war. With Austrians on his border, it gets more complicated.

Spoiler: May 11

The hasty Italian counterattack on the Livenzo

Spoiler: May 23

And now we are caught up chronological to the this evening's upcoming "story" piece.

 

[Viribus Unitis]

Gygax, Josef: Mercenary. Part 2

14-24.5.1929​

Even in late April the situation in the mountain was still dire, especially on a mountain as high as the Ortler with his nearly 4000 meters. While I have to admire the sheer death defiance of the Tyroleans who had weeks earlier cleared and rebuilt the old positions on the mountain, including dragging new guns all the way to the mountain top, I thankfully didn't have to join them. Still, we were deployed high enough up that we kept a wary eye on the weather, not wanting to be frozen in a snowstorm or buried in an avalanche.

To be honest I had expected to stay up here for the rest of the war. While the Italian positions on the mountains around us were hardly as well staffed or supplied as the Austrian ones, I assumed the Austrians were too deeply committed to their other attacks to spare any more troops and supplies for one more. So I was quite surprised when we got a movement warning still dug in on the glacier.

They replaced us with boys, conscripts that had hardly qualified as soldiers with their short training and old men. I heard one of their NCO's grumbling about retaking a position he had gladly abandoned a decade earlier.

We on the other hand were handed shovels and were assigned to clear the pass. To much grumbling my men were only assigned half as many shifts clearing snow, mostly because despite our mercenary nature we were better trained then the conscripts otherwise assigned to this duty. Having us stand guard for an attack that never came made some sense. I didn't understand it at that moment, but I soon learned that we were only assigned to clear snow at all to prevent even more extreme reactions to our presence.

It was three weeks after we had arrived in the area when we were done with clearing not just the pass, but quite a bit beyond. Snow and ice was starting to thin, and according to rumours the first Italian positions were just past the next snow bank. Another round of artillery bombardment had happened earlier the night, preparing for the push. Added to that, once again aircraft passed over our heads. It wasn't unusual, they had bombed positions around us before, or passed over to bomb targets further west, but this time it was different. While even the mountaintops were still dark, the aircraft were illuminated and the chutes of the man that fell out of them glowed red, before they too passed into the dark of the late night.

Even if the officers hadn't ordered us to double down, we would have put in double shifts to clear the last snow. We knew that down there in the valley our brothers in arms were fighting, while we were the only ones that could clear a supply line to them.

On the mountains overhead every now and again short firefights happened. We couldn't really see too much, but as I had assumed them they mostly went in the Austrian's favour. We meanwhile were still working on clearing streets. The way downhill just as, if not more so treacherous as up the Tyrolean side. Every now and then we arrived at small strong points, all put one of them held by the paratroopers.

It was late afternoon when we arrived at Bormio, fighting still ongoing in the city. We added our own skills and the conscripts sheer weight of numbers to the fight, quickly finishing it after a very long day. To be honest, having seen the fortifications afterwards, I was surprised the those insane bastards that had jumped straight into the city hadn't been wiped out long before any support could even get into visual range. It made them people I should learn from, and in our drive westwards learn I did.

It was clear that the Italians hadn't expected the attack, or at least not one that would break through those defences as quickly as we did. The first few days after Bormio we faced little resistance, and those Italian units that were in place clearly were there for the off chance that the Eidgenossen would fully commit, not just economical. As it turned out we were leapfrogging. Mostly the tip of the spear was some element of the 4th​ Austrian, the Liechtensteiners or us. It was telling that the Austrian, as well trained as the 4th​ was, could not commit more of their well trained troops to this front, relying on mercenaries, that mostly were barely regulars. Yet it worked out.

It was my men that took Tirano, in some ways fortunate. Having the railway station in our control several of my contacts could reach us. I had made sent some requests to them earlier, and they delivered. While the Austrians and other volunteers remember the feast of Swiss specialities we created that day, our own people were even happier about the additional supplies we received from surplus stocks back home. Even if the Austrian's logistics were better than I'd have expected, the high operational tempo still left us short several nice to have items.

I can't tell for certain, but most days I assume the Austrians placed us right up on the border on purpose, crafty bastards that they are. Other days I just think that they were the luckiest bastards around, having the chips always fall in their favour. Those days I pray and thank god that some of that luck had rubbed off on me.

Spoiler

So this is the other attack on the map, the one that wasn't really commented on yet. Gygax continues his journey, and it's a learning experience.

Currently considering posting two pieces tomorrow, buffer looks good at the moment.

 

[Viribus Unitis]

So do I wait if the discussion continues? Nah, let's post a snip - there's going to be another one late this evening (local time for me that is).

To follow on with the discussion...

Spoiler: Two hints

On WW2 - It think I've been pretty consistent on how I refer to WW1. Doesn't mean there will not be war or conflict, but unless my sketched out roadmap changes significantly - no WW2 direct equivalent.

And on Balkanization: Italy lacks the nationalist centrifugal force that most other examples showed. Also the Italian Unification was within living memory. Constant pressure would need to be applied to prevent reunification - see the German one in 1990.

Aus dem Schützengraben zu den Sternen, Part 4

23.5.1929​

Felix once again surveyed his Zug. They were perched together a bit too closely on the back of a military truck, but they'd lost their other one truck to an Italian bridge that was a bit too old for modern traffic. Not sabotage, simply never planned to take that much weight. They hadn't yet received a replacement, since fighting to the north in Treviso seemed to consume man and supplies both at an ever accelerating rate.

Most of the man were napping, as military men were wont to do. It was then that Jiri sat up, headphones on his head.

"Trouble." he announced.

Felix noted that several other man were suddenly sitting straighter as well as he asked: "What's it this time?"

"Italian counter-attack on Venice." Jiri told him, still listening in to some report only he could hear.

For second he was baffled and asked: "Aren't we the ones supposed to scout Venice in the first place?"

"Turns out that a few volunteers got a bit lost and the mayor decided to hand over the city." Jiri answered.

Felix cursed, they were still an hour out best he could tell. There might also be Italians between them and the city.

Jiri then added: "Karl also said he could drive twice our current speed."

"In these road conditions?" Felix replied aghast. With the roads back home they were travelling positively sedate. Horse carriages could keep up with them, but then again the roads here seemed to be only give consideration to those. Karl however was crazy. He had applied for leave to participate in the second Großglocknerrennen this summer and was using most of his free time to tinker on his car.

Jiri then added: "It's a volunteer formation and from what confused reports they give they might just be facing a full Italian regiment."

Cursing Felix started hammering at the wall to the drivers cabin, and the truck slowed to a stop. He then quickly dismounted and swung himself onto the bench in the cabin, deliberately not noting that Severin had once again been hanging around Karl.

"Hendl," he addressed Karl while signalling Severin to go into the back, "you heard the news?"

"Not really." Karl answered, even as Jiri was dragging his radio equipment to the front.

"Some volunteers got themselves into trouble. Took Venice and now they have to hold it." Felix told him and Karl started to grin.

"Best speed?" he only asked.

"Best speed." Felix confirmed reluctantly.

Felix check behind himself that the other vehicles were keeping up. Even if Schwarz hadn't caught some shrapnel at that dump called Stretti, he'd have needed to make sure they could keep up. As it was, burden of command rested on him.

At least they had finally gotten some of that Czech body armour right after that incident. It wasn't perfect, from what he was told it could only take one shot reliably, and it didn't do anything to protect arms, legs or neck, but it should help survivability a lot.

They sped along the dirt tracks at reckless speed, flashing past small agricultural fields. Thanks to the dry weather of the last week they'd probably be visible from Triest with the dust they threw up. Occasionally he could see hints of the Venician lagoon to his left over the flat landscape. However that didn't keep his attention, he was far more busy trying to find landmarks he had on his map.

Finally having navigated the bridges over the confusing mess of rivers, canals and irrigation ditches, they saw Mestre before them and Venice out in the lagoon. At a quick flag signal out the window, their attacked gun batteries slowed down and veered off into the fields on both sides of the road they were on.

"I'm getting short range radio chatter," Jiri then informed him, "Seems that at least one of our guns is in the fight."

Glancing at the map in Felix hands he informed them: "Seems as if they are targeting the new harbour that is under construction."

"Right, so we know where to go." Felix answered, checking the map, if he had to give Karl any new directions.

As they sped into the city Jiri then added that it appeared their guns had an artillery observer out in the old town in the lagoon itself.

Felix could see the old Fortress, that protected mainland Venice when it was last Austrian, though the roads to his left when he heard gun fire. He wasn't the only one, since Karl skidded the truck around the next corner and came to a halt. They hadn't fully stopped yet, when Felix heard the thumps of several men jumping of the back of the truck.

In front of them he could see several men, looking like something that might have stopped out of the last war. They were wearing the old grey Landwehr uniforms of the Great War, some firing their M95 rifles around the corner and through one window, while two others were leaning over a third, blood covering his stomach and the others hands.

Felix had to wait for a second for Jiri to get out of the cabin before he ran over towards the enemy. Both of them had their machine pistols ready, map and radio left behind in the truck. The man were faster, Rudolf carrying his modified semi-automatic carabineer at the front.

"Grenades" he shouted to remind his troops, but saw that at least Lukas already had one ready.

Rudolf's rifle chattered away at the corner as he placed himself at the window, the volunteer easily giving space and imminently started reloading his rifle. Good instincts if nothing else.

At the window he saw that they hadn't shot inside, but out again through another window. Dust was still floating in the street beyond, and the only thing moving he could make out was the tip of an Italian Adrian helmet. Felix swung himself through the window, crossed the kitchen and then looked out the other window. Seeing several Italians that had stayed out of the previous possible angles he fired the entire magazine at them, hitting two of them. As he ducked back to reload rifle fire answered, passing through the walls and showering splinters of the kitchen cabinet all over him. Then Jiri fired several controlled burst out the window, and Felix saw that several other man had followed him into the kitchen.

These Italians however didn't break, like many others before had under the assault of automatic fire and liberally used grenades. These were here to fight and that would get ugly fast.

 

[Viribus Unitis]

Meierhofer, Gebhard (1979): Militia and Volunteer Fighters in the Austro-Italian War, Vienna: Amalthea

Yugoslav Volunteers

Austrian Yugoslav relations were complex in the years leading up to the Austro-Italian war. While common interests existed, both economical and militarily, relations were still poisoned by the Great War. At first glance this makes the number of Yugoslav volunteers surprising, until one looks deeper into the ethical make up of those forces. Serbs and Montenegrians were only found rarely, Slovenes and Croats make up the bulk, with a small number of Bosniaks, Germans and Hungarians added in.

This is mainly down to internal politics of the Kingdom. While King Alexander attempted to forge a Yugoslav identity, he was still seen as favouring the Serbs. His public fight with the largest Croat party, the Croat Peasants Party didn't help, nor did persistent rumours that he was just waiting for an excuse to abolish parliament and rule as an absolute king. Meanwhile a mere ten years after the split a nostalgia for the Habsburg monarchy developed. This was helped along with media. As it happened, the only company producing and dubbing Serbo-Croat language films was headquartered in Vienna certainly influencing this further.

While there was some sentiment that volunteer fighters were a release valve for troublemakers, soon their return as combat veterans was more feared. When Alexander finally ordered a partial defensive mobilisation he used this to integrate or disarm volunteer groups that had yet to leave the country. Especially Serbs were funnelled towards an expanding army, to ensure it's loyalty in the upcoming troubles some feared.

Despite a notable Italian community remaining in Yugoslavia, there are non known to have travelled to Italy to join their Armed Forces. Most that wanted to make such a move, had already done so in the last decade when there was significant population movement.

Some 25.000 Yugoslav volunteers served as part of the Austrian Armed Forces, the most famous amongst them the Gottscheer Regiment. While named and organised around the German speaking minority of Gottschee, less than four hundred of it's soldiers were actually Gottscheer German. More could claim some family or geographical relation, but a majority of the unit were Slovenes. Organised by Friedrich Samide of Mitterndorf, a number of Gottscheer men started their journey towards the Austrian border with little concrete planning. Along the way they picked up stragglers, friends and strangers, numbering just shy of 1300 when they crossed the Yugoslav-Austrian border. There they were armed and thrown into a quick training course. With a decent amount of veterans bulked up by a lot of youth who seemed to have picked up at least some soldiering skills somewhere, they were deployed quickly. This was mostly down to operations in Görz and Istria, where despite best effort of the Italian government, a large minority of Slovenes still lived. They were used as second line troops, communicating with the locals, but were even then involved in fighting on occasion. As with many other light infantry units serving with the Austrians at the time, the Gottscheer too managed to acquire two batteries of Italian field guns. With Italian gear, especially artillery, pressed into Austrian service anyway, they received some quick training in the operation of these guns.

Despite their usefulness as translators, they were then involved in the fighting across the Veneto. Again, mostly in second line duties, but given the manpower strain, sometimes they found themselves holding on the front line, though usually they only encountered stragglers. On 14th​ of May they then lost one of their artillery batteries to naval gun fire. While they had been evacuating already, battleship shells have a large splash radius and three guns were rendered unusable.

It was on 23th of May, while the battle of Treviso rage and sucked in Italian troops that should hold the front line, that by chance the Regiment once again found itself ahead of the front line. It was them who, still thinking that there were Austrian Army regulars in front of them, first approached the inland parts of Venice. There they were approached by locals flying a white flag, wanting to declared the city an open city.

Samide as commanding officer, a radio operator and a small number of other Gottscheer did cross over the lagoon into Venice itself in order to negotiate. It was while they were still negotiating with the Venetians over terms of surrender, when an Italian army unit, ironically the 83rd​ Infantry Regiment "Venezia", returned to the city. Seeing it in hand of Austrian troops, they quickly readied for a counter attack. In their most famous action the Gottscheer managed to repel the Italian attack. They didn't however, as depicted in a famous post war comedy, fire their artillery from the island city, but from the mainland. The only action that happened on the island was some artillery and bombing spotting via radio.

The Gottscheer were quickly reinforced by regular army soldiers, preventing any further combat in Venice. They were still famously credited with saving the city from the retaliatory destruction by Italian hands.

Spoiler

Some hints to what's going on in Yugoslavia - and some hints to what is different. I was certain there was something else I felt the need to mention, but it can't have been important if I don't remember.

And here something else. Inspired by discussions I've taken a raw map that I've had and threw something together in about five minutes. It certainly won't happen as that, but there are a few ideas in there that might or might not get mentioned as fringe or even not so fringe ideas...

Spoiler: The non-canon map

So Austria adds about ~11 million ethical Italians, not gonna work out.
France adds some more digestible ~5,5 million. That's a mere 12% of their population. I'm sure that will help internal stability.
The rightly named "Kingdom" of "Italy". It's basically the red belt of Italy at the time. It'll flip communist as soon as every greater power turns their back. And keeping Italy in the name just asks for trouble.
The return of the Papal State - I don't think I need to comment further.
Yugoslavia also gets some ~2,5 million new citizens. And they don't fit in. Big surprise. Dysfunctional internal politics...
Both Sicilies - as mentioned in comments - the Mafia states.
Spanish Sardinia is one of those things that should come out of the left field for some here. There is some precedent historical and linguistical to support it even. But well, Spain isn't without it's own problems, without adding to it.
And British Lampedusa is one of those last minute things thrown in that is growing more and more on me... I might even keep that one.

 

[Viribus Unitis]

Spoiler

So I'm still not happy with that one, but I want to use Ferdinand as a character down the line. So we've got to make some introductions... Warning, out of chronological order if that wasn't obvious.

Tales from the Homefront, Ferdinand, Part 1

18.4.1929​

"So you're my new assistant." a voice greeted him from within the office.

Ferdinand carefully manoeuvred himself around several boxes of files and pushed the door open with his crutch. The man inside didn't look anything special. Brown hair, moustache, a bit on the thin side, though lean might have been more accurate. If it wasn't for the fact that he was wearing a Schutzbund uniform right here in the heart of the Bundesministerium für Heereswesen. It would have been thought impossible a mere week ago. In fact a bit more than a week ago Ferdinand himself had been part of a pub brawl against some young men wearing the same uniform.

In turn the new Staatsekretär mustered him equally. Lacking a proper uniform himself, Ferdinand had turned up in his suit. Deutsch's view fell on some pins at his left lapel and then concluded: "Ah, one of Schuschnigg's people."

"I was assigned as one of your people." Ferdinand answered calmly.

"Oh, I'm not offended. In the same position I'd have assigned myself a watchdog as well. Considering everything, I'm very much Vaugoin's watchdog here right now." Deutsch replied.

He then gestured at the crutch and asked: "The way you walk that's something recent?"

"Ah, yes. Bullet wound, through-and-through at Berg Isel." Ferdinand answered.

Deutsch nodded and asked again: "Sturmschaaren?"

"No, Akademische Legion." Ferdinand answered honestly. If he had been Sturmschaar, he'd have turned up in uniform, just as Deutsch.

This time Deutsch blinked, then thought about for a moment: "I think I saw a report earlier that they are still on the front-line? Unlike those drunks the Viennese one turned out to be?"

Ferdinand snorted at that: "Hardly any less drunk. And those with training, be it Sturmschaar, Heimwehr or Schützen were deployed away from the Legion. So were all those Austrian's lacking training. They've been sent of to basic training. What's left over, what's been deployed to South Tyrol are some Germans and Luxembourgers that didn't have enough from the short taste of combat yet."

"I see. Yeah, I think something similar might have happened here. And Graz probably as well. Right, we'll just have to ignore veterans who fought in the Bruderkrieg who have called for them to be deployed in that case…" Deutsch observed, "anyway, training is probably a good place to get up to speed. If you could look what box the conscription plans are in? And probably the equipment ones as well. I've spoken to Theodor earlier, but I've been more out of the loop on what he and Vaugoin have been up to thank I realised and if I am to be a watchdog, I better learn what's going on."

Ferdinand looked around, seeing both Deutsch's new office as well as the secretaries office he'd come through were nearly completely filled with boxes: "That might take a while. And I might need help with lifting when I find them."

He lifted the crutches and tapped his cast to make his point.

Spoiler

And I fear that one needs some explanations...
Ferdinand is an OC.

Julius Deutsch is the new Staatssekretär at the Bundesministerium für Heereswesen. Confused yet? I think you won't lose any meaning if we call a Staatssekretär a Junior Minister. They are usually appointed party politicians, responsible for part of a Ministry and more often than not used as implied there as a watchdog for coalition partner Ministers. Bundesministerium für Heereswesen can be litterally translated as "Federal Ministry for Armed Forces Stuff". Other nations call the equivalent Ministry of War or Defence, or as partially implied here, Ministry of the Army. Deutsch himself was already mentioned in other places, he's a Social-Democrat, was already Staatssekretär in that Ministry once, but at the time it was the office that was later renamed Bundesminister. Confused yet? He was also OTL as TTL the one to build up both the Schutzbund as well as the labour atheletics movement. When froced to chose between the two, he was always on the side of the Schutzbund. He's got the new job due to the new national unity coalition.

The lapel pin... Let's go deep into conspiracy territory... No Ferdinand is simply part of the same student fraternity as Schuschnigg. Nothing entirely unexpected at the time.

Vaugoin of course is Minister, had been Minister for a while. He CS.

The Academic Legion are a self-organised student militia. They had participated in the 1848 revolution and the Austro-Prussian war - the Bruderkrieg mentioned here - with some success. They weren't allowed to reform during WW1. Someone was quick to act here, but the units were hollowed out just as fast. Their reputation will suffer from that. Of course Luxembourgers turn up where you won't expect them, but the University of Innsbruck was due to bilateral treaties their pseudo state university at the time.

The Theodor mentioned here is Theodor Körner. OTL he commanded the Volkswehr before it was replaced with the Bundesheer and was then removed from command quickly because he was SD. Here he was kept on as highest ranking general. He's the kind of person who can and will compromise. OTL he ended up the first elected President of the Second Republic.

And that makes the explanation section longer than the post itself. I'll see myself out.

Another piece is in the works and should be ready in the evening.

 

[Viribus Unitis]

no named author (1980): Tanks in Treviso, in: Vorwärts. Bundesheermagazin, Year 50, Number 7

"I know that my tank lasted longer than most others. Oddly, that is despite our platoon leader shouting for support over the radio up in the turret for what felt like an hour. Through my drivers viewport I saw an artillery shell fall on one of their tanks. It must have been an illusion, because while it stopped for a moment and I felt hope, he quickly started moving again.

After having been taken prisoner I was on the same train as some of their tanks that were taken back to the depot for repairs. They were pock marked and battered, but I have no doubt that they were in service again before the war ended."

Enzo Coppola, Caporale of the Regio Esercito on the Battle of Frescada


When a mere decade after the last war Austrian troops crossed the Piave once again it became clear that the Italian situation was dire. Mere days earlier a counter-attack on the Livenza had failed completely and the strength to defend the whole length of the river line just wasn't there. So Italian commanders decided on abandoning large parts of the river line and concentrate on the vital railway junction in the city of Treviso.

This decision turned out to be well timed, since Austrian logistics needed a few days to catch up with the fast operational tempo, not helped by opening another front in the Veltlin. Still, with Trevsio seen as just as important by the Austrians their early attacks over the river concentrated there as well. It would turn into a two week long meat grinder. With artillery shells for once in short supply, most of the fighting took place between infantry, fighting street to street. The fact that Italian civilians remained in the city and were only slowly evacuated on the trains that brought in supplies made it all the more bloody.

In this situation both the Italian and Austrian tanks saw wide spread use as mobile machine gun nests. Their 37mm guns saw less use, mainly to demolish enemy strong points in buildings. While it wasn't in line with neither Austrian nor Italian pre war planning, an infantry supported tank was quickly seen as the quickest way to advance in the city.

So it happened that both parties sent most of their tank forces into the city. On the 21th of May some 120 Fiat 3000, both the original 1921 model as well as some of the upgraded 1928 models, as well as forty CV-28 tankettes, copies of the British Carden Loyd, advanced on the city from the south-east. They had to unload from their railcars early, due to ground attack aircraft knocking out the engine. There they were met on open field by sixty Skoda LT vz 28, both Czechoslovak and Austrian. They had been on their way into the city as well, but diverted on initiative of their own officers once the presence of Italian tanks had been reported.

The ensuing Battle of Frescada is often cited as the first true tank battle, since engagements between armoured units during the Great War were only small scale.

The battle ended in an Austrian victory, even the retreating Italian tanks were quickly run down by the Austrian tanks.

Several conclusions were drawn from the fighting. Tankettes at best would serve in niche roles. Their armour could on occasion even be penetrated by infantry weapons, and almost certainly by machine guns with speciality ammunition, while at the same time not adding enough utility. In a fight with tanks that mounted larger guns they were death traps. While some countries continued to produce them as a cheaper alternative to tanks, they were mostly replaced by fast, unarmoured wheeled vehicles in the vein of the Austrian Tashankas or by tracked gun carriers that mostly doubled as troop transports similar to the British universal carrier vehicle family.

The Fiats, especially the upgraded ones, fared better. However they hadn't been planed with tank on tank engage in mind. Both commonly mounted guns, as well as the ammunition load showed that. Their main duty was seen as engaging infantry, with the high explosive and shrapnel shells to achieve that goal, if they weren't primarily equipped with machine guns. They had some success damaging enemy tanks, but only two Skoda tanks were deemed too damaged to repair after the battle.

The Skoda's were in a different class. They were faster, better armoured and better armed. Aside from their machine guns, each of them carried a main gun that was higher velocity than even the upgraded Fiats. They also reloaded a significant amount of armour piercing rounds from their support vehicles before they went off to engage tanks. This allowed them to win the fight decisively.

Spoiler

So a more intense weekend. Not sure if I'll keep it up, since I've written 15000 words for something other than this today... Oh well.
Nothing really special in the post, but something that amused me to write. In the end that's what happens when late 1910s tanks run into what is essentially a mid 1930s design. It's just no contest. Observers however will draw conclusions and other militaries will change according to this.