Battle of Alamein, 2nd
Commands the Folgore paratroopers holding the southern sector during the Second Battle of El Alamein.
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1942 in Italy — Page 3
Explore 121 historical events and records for Italy in 1942.
Historical records for Italy in 1942
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 121 unique records.
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October
Defence of Southern El Alamein
Bignami's Folgore defends the southern sector against repeated British attacks during the opening of the El Alamein offensive.
North Africa Campaign
Monitors the North African crisis from Comando Supremo during the Second Battle of El Alamein.
Second Battle of El Alamein
Arena commands Ariete, initially held in the southern armoured reserve during the Second Battle of El Alamein.
Second Battle of El Alamein
Bitossi commands Littorio when the British offensive begins at El Alamein.
Second Battle of El Alamein
La Ferla leads Trieste as the British Eighth Army opens the Second Battle of El Alamein.
British Attack on Brescia
Brunetti's Brescia sector comes under heavy British attack during the Second Battle of El Alamein.
Armoured Counter-Move
Arena moves Ariete north toward Deyr el-Murra for an Axis armoured counter-move during the El Alamein battle.
Deployment at Podgornoje
Reverberi's Tridentina is shifted to the left of the Alpine Corps in the Podgornoje area.
November
Command of XXXV Corps
Zingales takes command of the former CSIR formation, redesignated XXXV Corps, within Gariboldi's 8th Army.
Leaves XXXV Corps Command
Messe relinquishes command of the former CSIR and XXXV Corps after prolonged service on the Eastern Front.
Axis Counterattack
Arena leads Ariete during the final large Axis armoured counterattack, which fails to restore the El Alamein front.
Battle of Alamein, 2nd
Mussolini supports Hitler's order that Axis troops hold their ground despite Rommel's request to retreat.
Closing the Breakthrough
Ariete moves north under Arena in an attempt to contain the widening British breakthrough.
Destruction of Littorio
Littorio suffers catastrophic losses during the British breakthrough and ceases to function as an effective armoured division.
Folgore Withdrawal
Bignami receives orders to withdraw the battered Folgore formations after days of defensive fighting in the southern sector.
Last Message of Ariete
Arena reports that Ariete has been surrounded and its tanks are still fighting as British armour breaks through.
Fifth Atlantic War Patrol
Fecia di Cossato begins another long Atlantic patrol in Tazzoli, continuing operations against Allied merchant shipping.
North African Crisis
Cavallero confronts the military crisis created by the collapse at El Alamein and the urgent need to preserve forces in North Africa.
Retreat from El Alamein
Brunetti's Brescia withdraws westward from El Alamein, much of the division moving on foot under pressure from British forces.
Operation Torch Response
Mussolini faces a new strategic emergency when Anglo-American forces land in French North Africa during Operation Torch.
Result of Surrender of Italy
Ciano's advice reflects growing Italian recognition that the war is becoming unsustainable.
Retreat from Egypt
Bastico again has formal authority over Italian forces retreating from Egypt as the Axis withdraws across Libya.
Retreat of X Corps
Nebbia commands the remnants of X Corps as surviving formations withdraw from the El Alamein front toward Fuka.
Surrender of Italy
Claims that the war is lost & advises surrender to avoid useless slaughter
Tunisia Bridgehead
Cavallero directs the rapid commitment of Italian forces to Tunisia as the Axis seeks to establish a bridgehead after Operation Torch.
December
Chicago Pile-1 Criticality
Directs Chicago Pile-1 as it achieves the first controlled self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction beneath the stands of Stagg Field at the University of Chicago.
Command of Pasubio
Boselli assumes command of the Pasubio Division during the deteriorating winter situation on the Don.
Soviet Attacks on Alpine Sector
Nasci's Alpine Corps begins facing renewed Soviet attacks against its sector on the Don.
Soviet Winter Offensive
Gariboldi's 8th Army is struck by the Soviet offensive later known as Operation Little Saturn, breaking key sectors of the Don front.
Battle of Pearl Harbour
Japan informs Mussolini they are about to attack the US, Mussolini offers full support
Bombing of Pearl Harbour
Japan informs Mussolini they will attack the US, Mussolini offers his full support
Defence of the Don
Battisti's Cuneense holds positions on the northern Italian front while the wider ARMIR line begins to collapse farther south.
Defence of the Don
Reverberi's Tridentina maintains its Alpine Corps positions while Soviet operations threaten the flanks of the Italian deployment.
Defence of the Don
Ricagno's Julia remains committed on the Don as Soviet pressure intensifies against the Italian 8th Army.
Other events (month unknown)
Chicago Pile Control System
Develops and supervises the control strategy for Chicago Pile-1 using neutron-absorbing rods to regulate the approach to criticality safely.
Chicago Pile Design
Directs the design of a graphite and uranium lattice whose geometry and purity are calculated to permit a controlled self-sustaining chain reaction.
Dvises Hitler to make peace with Russia & concentrate against Britain &
dvises Hitler to make peace with Russia & concentrate against Britain & America
Ed e Subito Sera Collection
Salvatore Quasimodo published Ed è subito sera, a major selection of his poetry. The volume brought together the condensed imagery and existential concerns associated with his early work.
Invasion of Libya
Italy's invasion of Libya is thwarted by Britain who decode messages from Rome
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.