Guardia alla Frontiera
{{Infobox military unit
|unit_name=Guardia alla Frontiera
|image=File:Guardia_alla_Frontiera.png
|image_size=150px
|caption= Guardia alla Frontiera emblem
|dates= 1934 – 1953
|country= Italy
|allegiance= Kingdom of Italy
Republic of Italy
|branch= Royal Italian Army
|type= Border Guard
|role= Mountain Warfare
|size= 8 Corps areas with 27 Sectors
|command_structure=
|garrison= Vallo Alpino
|garrison_label= Regimental Centre
|nickname= Vidoa
|patron=
|motto= Dei sacri confini guardia sicura
|colors= Green
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|battles= World War II
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The Guardia alla Frontiera (GaF) (transl. "border guard"), was an Regio Esercito border guard created in 1937{{Cite web |url=http://www.vecio.it/cms/index.php/guardia-alla-frontiera/322-storia-della-guardia-alla-frontiera |title=History of the "Guardia alla Frontiera" (in Italian) |access-date=2014-12-29 |archive-date=2016-03-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307230645/http://vecio.it/cms/index.php/guardia-alla-frontiera/322-storia-della-guardia-alla-frontiera |url-status=dead }} who defended the 1,851 km of northern Italian frontiers with the "Vallo Alpino Occidentale" (487 km with France), "Vallo Alpino Settentrionale" (724 km with Switzerland and 420 km with Austria) and "Vallo Alpino Orientale" (220 km with Yugoslavia).
In 1940, the GaF had 21,000 military personnel, deployed in eight commands, 27 sectors, and seven regiments of artillery. It manned 1,000 fortifications, 6,000 machine guns, 1,000 mortars, 100 Cannone da 47/32 M35, and another thousand other medium and small-caliber cannons (75/27 and 149/35).
By 10 June 1940 (Italy's entry into the war) the GaF (not counting colonies in Libya and Albania) contained 23 sectors, 50,000 men, 28 battalions "Vallo Alpino", and 22 battalions of fascist militia.
Organization
File:Corpi_d'Armata_Guardia_alla_Frontiera_1940.gif
Each command of the army of GaF could be divided into "sectors" (27 areas of coverage, from I to XXVII, along the border; sectors XVIII, XIX and XX were never realized), which could be broken down into subsectors and so on for ever smaller units. Each command in the field had two or more subsectors which controlled the fortifications. These works were manned by infantry, artillery, engineers, etc. Despite the GaF being predominantly static it also received five light tank (carristi) companies, equipped with Fiat 3000 tanks that over time, due to their age and lack of spare parts, ended largely abandoned in Sector armories or buried to use the turrets as a fort.
The Guardia alla Frontiera disappeared after 1943, but nominally was active until 1953.
[http://valloalpino.altervista.org/bunker/orst-000.php Detailed information on "Guardia alla Frontiera" (in Italian)]
= In Italy =
== Vallo alpino occidentale ==
| style="width:100%; background:transparent"
| align="center" | {| class="wikitable" ! Army Corps !! Sector !! Sector HQ !! Subsectors !! Subsector HQ !! Area responsible | |||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| rowspan="4" | XV - Genoa | rowspan="2" | I Bassa Roja | rowspan="2" | Bordighera | 1/a Destra Roja | Ventimiglia | rowspan="2" | Ligurian Sea - Testa dell'Alpe |
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| 1/b Sinistra Roja | Dolceacqua | ||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| rowspan="2" | V Media Roja | rowspan="2" | Taggia | 5/a Muratone | Pigna | rowspan="2" | Testa dell'Alpe - Balcone di Marta | |
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| 5/b Marta | Molini di Triora | ||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FBCEB1"
| rowspan="7" | II - Alessandria | rowspan="2" | II Alta Roja - Gessi | rowspan="2" | Cuneo | 2/a Alta Roja | Tende | rowspan="2" | Balcone di Marta - Ponte Negri |
| align="center" bgcolor="#FBCEB1"
| 2/b Gessi | Valdieri | ||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FBCEB1"
| rowspan="2" | III Stura | rowspan="2" | Vinadio | 3/a Collalunga - San Salvatore | Vinadio | rowspan="2" | Ponte Negri - Passo di Vanclava | |
| align="center" bgcolor="#FBCEB1"
| 3/b Alta Stura | Sambuco | ||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FBCEB1"
| rowspan="3" | IV Maira - Po | rowspan="3" | Saluzzo | 4/a Maira | Prazzo | rowspan="3" | Passo di Vanclava - Monte Granero | |
| align="center" bgcolor="#FBCEB1"
| 4/b Varaita | Casteldelfino | ||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FBCEB1"
| 4/c Po | Crissolo | ||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFCC99"
| rowspan="12" | I - Turin | rowspan="2" | VI Pellice - Germanasca | rowspan="2" | Pinerolo | 6/a Pellice | Torre Pellice | rowspan="2" | Monte Granero - Col d'Abries |
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFCC99"
| 6/b Germanasca | Perrero | ||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFCC99"
| rowspan="2" | VII Monginevro | rowspan="2" | Cesana | 7/a Cesana | Bousson | rowspan="2" | Col d'Abreis - Passo Desertes | |
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFCC99"
| 7/b Val Chisone | Cesana | ||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFCC99"
| rowspan="2" | VIII Bardonecchia | rowspan="2" | Bardonecchia | 8/a Colomion | Bardonecchia | rowspan="2" | Passo Desertes - Monte Niblé | |
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFCC99"
| 8/b Melmise | Bardonecchia | ||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFCC99"
| rowspan="2" | IX Moncenisio | rowspan="2" | Susa | 9/a Clapier | Susa | rowspan="2" | Monte Niblè - Rocciamelone | |
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFCC99"
| 9/b Moncenisio | Mont Cenis | ||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFCC99"
| colspan="3" |Autonomous Subsector Levanna | Lanzo Torinese | Rocciamelone - Cima Galisia | |||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFCC99"
| rowspan="3" | X Baltea | rowspan="3" | Aosta | 10/a Nivolet - Valgrisenza | Valgrisenza | rowspan="3" |Cima Galisia - Monte Rosa | |
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFCC99"
| 10/b Piccolo S.Bernardo - Seigne | San Desiderio Terme | ||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFCC99"
| 10/c Gran S.Bernardo | San Remigio |
|}
Three artillery regiments supported the sectors of the Vallo alpino occidentale:
- 7th Guardia alla Frontiera Artillery Regiment, in Cuneo
- 8th Guardia alla Frontiera Artillery Regiment, in Venaria Reale
- 11th Guardia alla Frontiera Artillery Regiment, in Savona
== Vallo alpino settentrionale ==
| style="width:100%; background:transparent"
| align="center" | {| class="wikitable" ! Army Corps !! Sector !! Sector HQ !! Subsectors !! Subsector HQ !! Area responsible | |||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| rowspan="4" | III - Milan | rowspan="2" | XI Laghi | rowspan="2" | Varese | 11/a Val d'Ossola | Domodossola | rowspan="2" | Monte Rosa - Pizzo Martello |
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| 11/b Verbano-Lario | Como | ||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| rowspan="2" | XII Valtellina | rowspan="2" | Sondrio | 12/a Morbegno | Chiavenna | rowspan="2" | Pizzo Martello - Cima Garibaldi | |
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| 12/b Bormio | Madonna di Tirano | ||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FBCEB1"
| rowspan="6" | IV - Bolzano | rowspan="2" | XIII Venosta | rowspan="2" | Merano | 13/a Resia | Mals | rowspan="2" | Cima Garibaldi - Cima Libera |
| align="center" bgcolor="#FBCEB1"
| 13/b Passiria | Merano | ||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FBCEB1"
| rowspan="2" | XIV Isarco | rowspan="2" | Brixen | 14/a Brennero | Gossensaß | rowspan="2" | Cima Libera - Pizzo di Alpre | |
| align="center" bgcolor="#FBCEB1"
| 14/b Vipiteno | Sterzing | ||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FBCEB1"
| rowspan="2" | XV Pusteria | rowspan="2" | Bruneck | 15/a Drava | Innichen | rowspan="2" | Pizzo di Alpre - Sella Frugnoni | |
| align="center" bgcolor="#FBCEB1"
| 15/b Rienza | Welsberg | ||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFCC99"
| rowspan="8" | XIV - Treviso | rowspan="4" | XVI Cadore - Carnia | rowspan="4" | Tolmezzo | 16/a Cadore | Santo Stefano di Cadore | rowspan="4" | Sella Frugnoni - Sella Valdolce |
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFCC99"
| 16/b Val Degano | Forni Avoltri | ||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFCC99"
| 16/c Val But | Paluzza | ||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFCC99"
| 16/d Val Chiarsò | Paularo | ||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFCC99"
| rowspan="4" | XVII Tarvisio | rowspan="4" | Pontebba | 17/a Pontebba | Pontebba | rowspan="4" | Sella Valdolce - Monte Termine | |
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFCC99"
| 17/b Ugovizza | Ugovizza | ||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFCC99"
| 17/c Silizza | Tarvisio | ||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFCC99"
| 17/d Val Romana | Fusine Valromana |
|}
One artillery regiment and one autonomous artillery group supported the sectors of the Vallo alpino settentrionale:
== Vallo alpino orientale ==
| style="width:100%; background:transparent"
| align="center" | {| class="wikitable" ! Army Corps !! Sector !! Sector HQ !! Subsectors !! Subsector HQ !! Area responsible | |||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| rowspan="8" | XI - Udine | rowspan="3" | XXI Alto Isonzo | rowspan="3" | Tolmin | 21/a | Trenta | rowspan="3" | Monte Termine - Passo di Piedicolle |
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| 21/b | Polubino | ||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| 21/c | Podbrdo | ||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| rowspan="3" | XXII Idria | rowspan="3" | Idrija | 22/a | Cerkno | rowspan="3" | Passo di Piedicolle - Zolla-Selva di Piro-Cauzze | |
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| 22/b | Idrija | ||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| 22/c | Črni Vrh | ||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| rowspan="2" | XXIII Postumia | rowspan="2" | Postojna | 23/a | Vipava | rowspan="2" | Zolla-Selva di Piro-Cauzze - Monte Grosso | |
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| 23/b | Postojna | ||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FBCEB1"
| rowspan="6" | V - Trieste | rowspan="2" | XXV Timavo | rowspan="2" | Pivka | 25/a Timavo | Pivka | rowspan="2" | Monte Grosso - Testa d'Orso |
| align="center" bgcolor="#FBCEB1"
| 25/b Nevoso | Knežak | ||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FBCEB1"
| rowspan="3" | XXVI Carnaro | rowspan="3" | Ilirska Bistrica | 26/a Trestenico | Ilirska Bistrica | rowspan="3" | Testa d'Orso - Volosca | |
| align="center" bgcolor="#FBCEB1"
| 26/b Bresa | Klana | ||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FBCEB1"
| 26/c Mattuglie | Matulji | ||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FBCEB1"
| colspan="3" | XXVII Fiume | Rijeka | rowspan="1" | Borgo Marina - Monte Calvario | |||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFCC99"
| colspan="4" | ZaraAnche se non ufficialmente previsti settori GaF nel territorio di Zara, un provvedimento del governo del 1939 considera le truppe stanziate a Zara quali appartenenti alla GaF.M. Ascoli, SME, Roma 2003 La Guardia alla Frontiera, p. 301. | Zadar | rowspan="1" | Province of Zara - Dalmatia |
|}
Three artillery regiments supported the sectors of the Vallo alpino orientale:
- 9th Guardia alla Frontiera Artillery Regiment, in Gorizia
- 10th Guardia alla Frontiera Artillery Regiment, in Trieste
- 12th Guardia alla Frontiera Artillery Regiment, in Osoppo
= In Albania =
| style="width:100%; background:transparent"
| align="center" | {| class="wikitable" ! Command !! Sector !! Sector HQ !! Subsectors !! Subsector HQ | ||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| rowspan="13" | 26° - Tirana | rowspan="5" | XLI Scutari | rowspan="5" | Shkodër | 41/a Miloti | Pilana |
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| 41/b Bojana | Oblika | |||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| 41/c Kopliku | Koplik | |||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| Coastal Subsector San Giovanni di Medua | Shëngjin | |||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| Coastal Subsector Durazzo | Durrës | |||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| rowspan="2" | XLII Scutari | rowspan="2" | Shkodër | 42/a | ||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| 42/b | ||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| rowspan="2" | XLIII Kossovo | rowspan="2" | Kukës | 43/a | Kukës | |
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| 43/b | ||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| rowspan="2" | XLIV Laghi | rowspan="2" | Piskupat | 44/a | Piskupat | |
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| 44/b | ||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| rowspan="2" | XLV Librazhd | rowspan="2" | Librazhd | 45/a Fieri | Fier | |
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| 45/b Ciamuria | Librazhd |
|}
One artillery regiment supported the 26th Command in Albania:
- 13th Guardia alla Frontiera Artillery Regiment, in Tirana
= In Libya =
== Libyan-Tunisian border ==
| style="width:100%; background:transparent"
| align="center" | {| class="wikitable" ! Command !! Sector !! Sector HQ !! Subsectors !! Subsector HQ | ||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| rowspan="6" | 20° - Tripoli | rowspan="3" | XXVIII Zuara | rowspan="3" | Zuwarah | 28/a | Sidi Milad |
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| 28/b | Regdalin | |||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| 28/c | Sidi abd es Samad | |||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| rowspan="3" | XXIX Nalut | rowspan="3" | Nalut | 29/a | Ain el Ghezaia | |
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| 29/b | Ras el Reab | |||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| Autonomous Subsector Uadi Hammar | Uadi Hammar | |||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FBCEB1"
| rowspan="10" | Tripoli Military Garrison | rowspan="3" | XXXIII Tripoli Ovest | rowspan="3" | Tripoli | 33/a | Sidi Bilal |
| align="center" bgcolor="#FBCEB1"
| 33/b | C. Lupini | |||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FBCEB1"
| 33/c | C. Sottocasa | |||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FBCEB1"
| rowspan="2" | XXXIV Tripoli Est | rowspan="2" | Tripoli | 34/a | Bir ben Milad | |
| align="center" bgcolor="#FBCEB1"
| 34/b | Al-Khums | |||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FBCEB1"
| rowspan="3" | XXXV Tripoli Sud | rowspan="3" | Tripoli | 35/a | Castel Benito | |
| align="center" bgcolor="#FBCEB1"
| 35/b | Bir Langar | |||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FBCEB1"
| 35/c | Suani ben Adem | |||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FBCEB1"
| rowspan="2" | XXXVI Tripoli Sud Est | rowspan="2" | Tripoli | 36/a | ||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FBCEB1"
| 36/b |
|}
One artillery regiment supported the units arrayed on the Libyan-Tunisian border:
- 14th Guardia alla Frontiera Artillery Regiment, in Tripoli
== Libyan-Egyptian border ==
| style="width:100%; background:transparent"
| align="center" | {| class="wikitable" ! Command !! Sector !! Sector HQ !! Subsectors !! Subsector HQ | ||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| rowspan="3" | 31° - Bardia | rowspan="3" | XXX Bardia | rowspan="3" | Bardia | 30/a Sud | Fort Capuzzo |
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| 30/b Centro | Jaghbub | |||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| 30/c Nord | Ponticelli | |||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FBCEB1"
| rowspan="4" | Tobruk Military Garrison | rowspan="2" | XXXI Ras el Meduar | rowspan="2" | Tobruk | 31/a | |
| align="center" bgcolor="#FBCEB1"
| 31/b | ||||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FBCEB1"
| rowspan="2" | XXXII Sidi Daud | rowspan="2" | Tobruk | 32/a | ||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FBCEB1"
| 32/b |
|}
== Libyan Sahara ==
| style="width:100%; background:transparent"
| align="center" | {| class="wikitable" ! G.a.F. Command !! Sector !! Sector HQ | ||
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| rowspan="3" | Libyan Sahara Troops Command - Kufra | Gadames | Ghadames |
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| Serdeles | Ghat | |
| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE5B4"
| Cufra | Kufra |
|}
Notes
{{reflist}}
See also
{{Italian Military}}
{{Border guards}}
Category:Military history of Italy
Category:1937 establishments in Italy
Category:1953 disestablishments in Italy
Category:Army units and formations of Italy
Category:Military units and formations established in 1937
Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1953