DEFENCE 1017
The Italians have a special African corps in Erythrca, consisting of 3 com- panies of white infantry and 10 native battalions ; also 1 squadron of native cavalry, a local company of artillery (Italians), and a native mountain battery. Its total .strength is about 8,600 of all ranks.
In Italian Somaliland there is a native corps of 15 infantry companies, 1 camel company and 1 artillery company, with Italian officers, and a body of military police. Total strength about 4,700 of all ranks.
III. Navy.
The Italian Navy has undergone complete revision and reduction since the Armistice. It has been decided not to recondition the Dread- nought Ltonardo & Vinci, which was refloated after the explosion which sank her at Taranto. The four super-Dreadnought* of 30,000 tons. which were to mount 8 15 in. guns, will not 1* completed, though dm of them was launched. Two old battleships have been removed from the list, and the others will scon follow. The armoured cruisers are of little value. The list ot light cruisers have been expanded by the accession of six enemy vessels. There have been considerable redactions in the personnel.
The naval administration is under the Minister of Marine, with an assistant secretary ; a Chief of the Staff; a Superior Board which controls the general administration and advises on policy. Under its direction are the of the various services of the personnel, naval constructor* [Genio Navale), ordnance, equipment, engineering, and civil administration. A civil officer administers the department of the merchant marine, which is under the direction of the assistant secretary for the navy. For purposes of local naval administration and defence the Italian littoral is divided into four departments: Spezia ; Naples; Venice; Taranto. The vessels are apportioned, for administrative purposes, between the four departments. There are torpedo stations all round the Italian coasts, the head stations being at Genoa, Spezia, Maddalena, Gaeta, Messina, Taranto, Brindisi, Ancona, and Venice, but some of them are being demobilised. Summary of the Italian navy : —
}>Ieted at end of
tflfl 1920 IttI
Pre-Dreadnoughts .... Armoured cruisers .... Protected cruisers, scouts and flotilla
Torpedo gunboats, etc.
Destroyers . ....
Submarines
5
4 4
48
rt 74
73
4 S6
Some ships of no fighting value are excluded from the ■ummary. The four pre-Dreadnoughts included in the summary in the following table are to be sold.
The tables which follow of the Italian fleet are arranged after the manner of other similar tables in ; this book.
