Little Saturn: Death of the Armata Italiana in Russia

In July 1942, Benito Mussolini scaled up the Italian participation on the Eastern Front as a show of Fascist solidarity. Seven new divisions departed for Russia, bringing the total deployed there to ten. General Italo Gariboldi took command of the newly reorganized and expanded force called the Italian Army in Russia (Armata Italiana in Russia, or ARMIR), also known as the Italian 8th Army. The ARMIR was subordinated to German General Maximilian von Weichs' Army Group B and included the 2nd "Sforzesca" Infantry Division, 3rd "Ravenna" Infantry Division, the 5th "Cosseria" Infantry Division, 156th "Vicenza" Infantry Division, 2nd "Tridentina" Alpini Division, 3rd "Julia" Alpini Division, and the 4th "Cuneense" Alpini Division. These new divisions joined the Torino, Pasubio, Prince Amedeo Duke of Aosta divisions already in Russia. The ARMIR also incorporated an aviation command from the Regia Aeronautica with a limited number of fighters, bombers, and transport aircraft.

In late autumn 1942, the ARMIR was operating on a 250-kilometer front along the Don River, covering the left flank of the German 6th Army between Hungarian and Romanian forces, and supporting the struggle for Stalingrad. Heavy snow and severe frost were hampering troop movements, and defenses were minimal.

The Soviets launched the "Operation Uranus" on 19 November 1942, aiming to encircle and isolate the German 6th Army with a double envelopment. They struck at the weak Romanian 3rd and 4th Armies to the north and south of Stalingrad, meeting successfully at Kalach four days later. To exploit this victory, the Soviet general staff planned a winter campaign of continuous and highly ambitious offensive operations, codenamed "Saturn".

German General Eric von Manstein launched Operation Winter Storm on 12 December to relieve the trapped armies at Stalingrad. The Soviets moved up their Saturn timetable (renaming it Little Saturn) and launched a counteroffensive using 2nd Guards Army to block the German advance. They then ordered Kuznetsov's 1st Guards Army and Lelyushenko's 3rd Guards Army to attack from the north, encircling and then reducing the 200,000 soldiers of the Italian 8th Army at the Don, and advancing to Millerovo. Manstein sent the 4th Panzer Army to the aid of the encircled Italian troops, but the relief effort failed, though some breakouts by the Italians were somewhat successful. In February 1943, the surviving remnants of the Italian 8th Army were disbanded by Il Duce; a quiet end for the brave men of ARMIR.