The 10th Army () was a field army of the Royal Italian Army, which fought in World War I and in Italian North Africa during World War II.
World War I
Formation
After the Battle of Caporetto (November 1917) the Italian Army (Regio Esercito) was reorganized by Armando Diaz. In the summer of 1918 (after the Battle of the Solstice) the Command continued to modify these changes and in preparation for the Italian Offensive planned for October 1918, the new 10th Italian Army was formed on 14 October. It was a British–Italian Army under command of the Earl of Cavan. It consisted of 1 Italian Army corps, the XI Corps (Italian) (Corpo d'Armata) of Lt. General Giuseppe Paolini. 37th division of Maj. General Giovanni Castagnola (Brigata Macerata of Brig. General Florenzio Tagliaferri, 121st and 122nd Infantry Regiments; Brigata Foggia of Brig. General Raffaele Radini Tedeschi, 280th and 281st Infantry Regiments) 23rd Bersaglieri Division of Lt. General Gustavo Fara (VI Brigade of Brig. General Giovanni Deo, 8th and 13th Regiments; VII Brigade of Brig. General Alessandro Pirzio Biroli, 2nd and 3rd Regiments) 2 divisions of the British XIV Corps of the General James Babington. 7th Division of Maj. General Thomas Herbert Shoubridge (20th, 22nd and 91st Infantry Brigade, 22nd and 35th Field Artillery Brigade, 2 batteries of trench mortars plus a pioneer battalion). 23rd division of the Maj. General H.F. Thuillier (68th, 69th and 70th infantry brigades, a group of cavalry squadrons, the 102nd and 103rd field artillery brigades, 2 batteries of trench mortars and another pioneer battalion).
At the same time General Jean César Graziani of France was asked to command another new Italian Army (joint), the 12th Army consisting of I Corps (Italy), the 52nd Division – Alpini (Italy) and 23rd Division (France).
The Final Battle
The newly constituted 10th Army participated in the victory of the Battle of Vittorio Veneto (October–November 1918). The Army was inserted between the Italian 8th and 3rd Armies at the Piave River. The 8th Army was to cross the Piave River and advance to Vittorio in order to split the Austro-Hungarian Trentino Army from the ones defending Piave. The 10th Army was to protect their right flank. They were also expected to cross the Piave by breaking the Austro-Hungarian defenses at Grave di Papadopoli, a large island in the river.
The 10th Army was augmented by the addition of the following Italian troops prior to the battle: XI Reparto d'Assalto (Arditi). A squadron of cavalry of the 11th Cavalleggeri di Foggia. Three battalions of engineers: two bridge building units and one sapper unit. 10th and 14th armored car squadrons. Artillery: 2 field artillery regiments and a bomb group. Fifty Sailors (18th Pontieri Company)
The pontieri played an important preparatory role by transporting a contingent of British soldiers by boat to the island to surprise the Austro-Hungarian garrison there and gain control of the island before the commencement of the battle.
The 10th Army provided one of the early successes in the Battle as it established a bridgehead on the left bank of the river, despite high and fast waters (floods) in the river. In fact, elements of the 8th Army had to improvise and use the 10th Army's crossings in order to initially get across the river and then achieve the capture of Vittorio. The 10th Army proceeded to speed across the Italian countryside crossing the Tagliamento River towards 1) Tolmezzo (the XIV Corps) and 2) Udine (the XI Corps) as the Austro-Hungarian Army rapidly retreated and then collapsed.
The 10th Army was subsequently joined in the Battle by the 332nd Infantry Regiment (United States), as part of the British XIV Corps; the American regiment forming the advance guard of the corps. On 4 November, when the Italian armistice came into effect, the line of the 10th Army was Basagliapenta-Meretto di Tomba-Coseano-S. Daniele-Pinzano.
World War II
In 1940, the 10th Army was based in Cyrenaica (eastern Libya) and faced the British in the Kingdom of Egypt, a British ally. The 5th Army was based in Tripolitania (western Libya) opposite French Tunisia.
When Italy declared war on 10 June 1940 the 10th Army consisted of five divisions and the 5th Army consisted of nine. After the Fall of France at the end of June, several divisions were transferred from the 5th Army to strengthen the 10th Army, which was increased to ten divisions.