PARATROOPER
TAKEDOWN CARBINE
INTRODUCTION
Towards the end of 2008, several images of a unique Carcano began circulating online. The Carcano in question was a Moschetto mod.91/38 with its bayonet and handguard removed. Instead of a solid, compact stock, it had a peculiar crack and several additional metal reinforcements in its central area. This was, in fact, a disassemblable carbine featuring a latch and an interrupted groove barrel.
Given the similarity of this project to other Japanese and German paratrooper guns, the internet and several authors immediately began speculating about its origins. They claimed it was a secret Nazi project initiated after the occupation of Italy in September 1943 to supply their paratroopers or elite troops with a highly compact gun for special operations.
While I would argue that such speculations are exaggerated in terms of elevating German appreciation of Italian guns while being at the same time reminiscent of alien conspiracy-level cultural biases ('Italian technicians couldn't have conceived of something like this, it must have been the Germans who shared their paratrooper projects!'), the truth is far simpler and has absolutely nothing to do with the German occupation.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Ascari dell'Aria
Despite what people can think, the first Italian Paratrooper Regiment was not formed within the Italian Army or Air Force.
In fact, the origins of the Italian Paratroopers can be traced back to the Colonial troops under Marshal Italo Balbo, Governor of Libya.
Balbo, being one of the most influential fascist leaders and and basically the main force behind the constitution of the Italian Air force in the late 20s/early 30s, got "exiliated" to Lybia in order to not taka away too much stage from mussolini; here, in this "Golden exile", the Air Marshal improved infrastructures, industry, agricultiure and the overall Lybian Society, integrating the Italian colonists and their relationship with the local population.
Being one of Italy's most dynamic and innovative leaders, Balbo advocated for the formation of a Paratrooper unit as early as the 1930s. However, he soon faced opposition from the stubborn Army staff and the rivalries among the Army, Air Force, and Fascist Party, each vying for the honor of forming and organizing the new corps.
Frustrated by the bureaucratic obstacles to forming a formal unit, he decided to take matters into his own hands.
As Governor of Libya and Commander-in-Chief of the North African sector, he had significant autonomy, despite limited funds and resources. Nevertheless, he utilized his resources to the fullest, called upon high officers from Italy, recruited volunteers from both Army and Askari units, and, in March 1938, established the first, rudimentary Paratrooper school in the Italian Kingdom, the "Libyan paratrooper training camp". He even resorted to commandeering airplanes from the civilian transport service to train the unit in the first months.
The first battalion of these 'Ascari del Cielo' (Sky Askari) was formed with 300 local Libyan soldiers and 30 Italian officers to train and coordinate them. After four weeks of intensive parachute training, the battalion successfully conducted its first jump exercise outside their base at Castel Benito.
The formation and rapid success of this unit prompted the Italian Army to finally establish a formal Paratrooper regiment. With the assistance of several Ascari del Cielo officers, who brought their training experience, an Italian paratrooper school was created in Tarquinia on October 15th 1939.
1° REGGIMENTO PARACADUTISTI
On June 1940 dozens of Officers got assigned to the Paratrooper School and on July 1st the 1st Paratrooper Battalion was formed with volunteers from other Army corps, soon followed by three additional battalions and an anti-tank cannon company, creating the 1st Paratrooper Regiment.
​
The training was rigorous and elite-level, closely following the examples of the Ascari del Cielo and German Fallschirmjager that preceded them.
The first employement was on April 1941, when some units were sent to take the Greek Island of Kefalonia, which they accomplished without meeting resistance.
During 1941, seven additional battalions and two companies were formed, creating two more Paratrooper regiments. The 8th battalion remained independent, serving as the division's sapper/engineer unit. With the strength of three regiments, the 1st Paratrooper Division was established in September 1941.
Anticipating an invasion of Malta (Operation C3), the newly formed division was sent to the countryside near Brindisi for training alongside their German counterparts to learn the best tactics from veterans of the Belgium, Norway, and Crete campaigns.
Since the invasion of Malta was canceled, the division (rebranded as the 185th division "African Hunters" to deceive enemy intelligence) was deployed to the North African Theater in July 1942. Here, after some battles, it was renamed the "Folgore" division in August.
The "Folgore" division covered the southern flank of the Axis frontlines at El Alamein during the British attack on October 24, 1942. Confronted by French forces and the 44th Division, whose mission was to flank the Axis forces and close a pincer movement around them, the "Folgore" resisted strenuously for two weeks of repeated and continuous enemy attacks, always repelling the paratroopers' strong defensive positions.
Paratroopers fought with everything they had been issued: Mod. 91/38 Moschettos, MAB 38A SMGs, Breda 30 and 37 MGs, Wz. 35 and Solothurn Antitank rifles, Mod. 35 47/32 Anti-tank cannons, anti-tank mines, grenades, and even improvised Molotov cocktails.
Even when German units began retreating on November 4th, the "Folgore," along with several other Italian Regiments, remained on the frontlines to cover the retreat of other units (or, in some cases, simply because they were not alerted of the retreat). They surrendered only on the 6th, after destroying all their guns once their ammunition was completely depleted. The British awarded them the Honors of War, a formal, ceremonial recognition of an enemy's combat valor.
Some Paratrooper units that managed to disengage and reach other retreating columns continued fighting in Tunisia, reorganized into the 185th "Folgore Battalion" under the 66th Infantry Regiment "Trieste." After several battles, the Battalion was further disintegrated, surrendering with the rest of the Italian units on May 11, 1943.
Some paratroopers managed to be repatriated after El Alamein and the failed Tunisia campaign, and were redistributed in northern Italy, some to recover their wounds and others to reorganize the Paratrooper regiments still in training.
When the Armistice of September 8th arrived, the Paratroopers found themselves divided, like many other Italian corps, between the choice of continuing to fight under Mussolini with the Germans, surrendering and being interned in German Lagers, or going south and joining the Allied forces under the King and General Badoglio. Many officers decided to fight the Germans, while others chose to join them.
One of the worst episodes occurred in Sardinia, where the XII battalion decided to join the 90th panzergrenadier division, mutinying against their superior officers and murdering the chief of staff, Alberto Bechi Luserna.
Thus, the Paratroopers maintained their presence both in the Italian Social Republic and among the Co-belligerent forces in southern Italy.
Paratroopers at Kefalonia, April 1941
1st Paratrooper Division during Training near Brindisi
Paratroopers of the "Folgore",
​in the El Alamein southern sector
Paratrooper POW
​in May 1943, Tunisia
Alberto Bechi Luserna,
Paratrooper chief of staff
Paratroopers of the co-belligerant "Nembo" division,
​ready to take part of Operation Herring On April 1945
GUN DESCRIPTION
MARKINGS
​The gun began its life as a 'Standard' Moschetto mod.91/38. The quotation marks around 'Standard' are due to the date and manufacturer of this specific gun: every single part bears the Terni Arsenal markings. These markings can be found on the barrel, receiver, and as an official cartouche, on the stock. The barrel is marked '1941 Terni,' while the stock carries a '1942' date. As you might have noticed, Terni in 1941 was not producing Mod.91/38 carbines; its production was exclusively focused on Mod.91/38 and later Mod.91/41 rifles.
The Gun is Serial Number 2, branded on its stock as any other Italian Carbine. That both indicates that the gun was made by an Italian Arsenal and that more than one prototype were made.
SPECIFICS
The Moschetto mod. 91/38 had its stock cut in half, directly in front of the receiver's front end. Each divided section was reinforced with a meticulously shaped metal guard, both at the cut itself and surrounding it, secured in place by two transverse screws.
On the underside of the front metal guard, there is a small spring-loaded latch. The rear metal guard has a corresponding notch to accommodate this latch, keeping the gun securely together when needed.
The Moschetto's barrel had its threads cut in three places to create interruptions, allowing the barrel to be rotated half a turn and be free for the take down.
The barrel itself features an additional metal ring in front of the rear sights, used to secure the barrel firmly in place. This metal ring extends into the stock and is intercepted by a transverse lug, which holds the gun parts steadily together.
So the missing handguard is a necessity, since the gun in this configuration needed a specially carved handguard. The missing bayonet instead may be due to the lack of need of a stick bayonet for paratrooper use (or even, its possible safety hazard during jumps.
REGOLI'S PATENT
Regoli Aimone was a second Lieutnant of the Italian Army. Born in Torino on June 23rd 1914, he obtained a degree in Mechanical Engineering at the Torino University. He seems to have developed a keen propension for mechanical contraptions, which he will apply to his military service.
In June 1940 he was among the first officers assigned to the Paratrooper School of Tarquinia (it is noted as "1st Granatieri Regiment, troops Depot), where he had his first launch on November 27th.
Here he managed to develop and register several patents related to his paratrooper activities. Most are related to the improvement of airdropped objects, one is a patent for a brand new grenade device (not available in the archives) and the last and most important for our discussion is the patent for a "System or device to easily disassemble small arms with long barrels, specifically the mod.91 Rifle and Carbine".
This patent was presented on September 14th 1942, and was Approved definitively on March 4th 1943.​
THE CHICKEN OR THE EGG DILEMMA
Over the decades, several collectors and authors have attributed the inspiration for the takedown paratrooper rifle to the Germans, which could be entirely accurate. However, very few, if any, have delved into the actual development of the takedown rifle. While we have several patent drawings from Mauser for the hinged stock (adopted by the Japanese as the Type 1 Paratrooper Rifle), there is a dearth of primary sources regarding the later takedown version's development or service. Our knowledge is primarily limited to photographs from the Luftwaffe/Fallschirmjager ordnance service demonstrating the gun's disassembly and reassembly.
Then there's the so-called "Type 100" Paratrooper Rifle, developed by the Japanese Navy from existing Type 99 rifles. As most Japanese ordnance enthusiasts are aware, the "Type 100" designation in Japanese military service nomenclature would indicate a gun developed in 1940. Is it possible that the Japanese, specifically the Navy, were so advanced in paratrooper logistics and armament as to develop a takedown paratrooper rifle before the Germans even realized its absolute necessity after the Crete invasion in mid-1941? Or is it more likely that this nomenclature was added retroactively after the Type 1 and Type 2 paratrooper rifles reached an advanced development stage?
We do have this Italian patent dated September 1942, clearly indicating its final step. But what preceded it? Who among the Axis forces was the first to develop this takedown process and subsequently share it with the other two powers? I eagerly await the discovery of primary sources to shed light on these questions.
