Arditi Arditi was the name adopted by Italian Army elite special forces of World War I . The name derives from the Italian verb " Ardire " ( " to dare " ) and translates as " The Daring Ones " . " Reparti d ' assalto " ( Assault Units ) were formed in the summer of 1917 by Colonel Bassi , and were assigned the tactical role of shock troops , breaching enemy defenses in order to prepare the way for a broad infantry advance . The " Arditi " were not units within infantry divisions , but were considered a separate combat arm . The " Reparti d ' assalto " were successful in bringing in a degree of movement to what had previously been a war of entrenched positions . Their exploits on the battlefield were exemplary and they gained an illustrious place in Italian military history . They were demobilized by 1920 . The name " Arditi " was also used by the supporters ( often war veterans ) of Gabriele D ' Annunzio , during his occupation of Fiume in 1919 – 20 . Their use of a uniform with black shirts and black fez was taken up by Benito Mussolini ' s paramilitary forces , called , in fact , Blackshirts . From 1 October 1975 the flag of X Arditi Regiment ( formed in 1942 in imitation of the IX Assault unit of the First World War ) was adopted by the 9º Reggimento d ' Assalto Paracadutisti Col Moschin ( 9th Parachute Assault Regiment Col Moschin ) . To this day operatives of Col Moschin and COMSUBIN ( COMmando SUBacquei INcursori ) Italian special forces frogmen are known as " Arditi Incursori " and are viewed as the heirs of the Arditi of World War I . The name is sometimes misapplied as a general term for Italian special units such as Bersaglieri . First World War . Early Experiments . The " ardito " concept can be traced back to 1914 when every regiment of the Royal Army was ordered to create a group of explorers trained to act behind enemy lines . The first Arditi units were formed and trained in Sdricca di Manzano , Udine , where the event is still celebrated on the last Sunday in July . Others argue that the so - called " Companies of death " , special patrols of infantry and engineers engaged in cutting or blasting enemy barbed wire , should be considered as precursors of the Arditi . They were easily recognizable by their use of armor and " Farina " helmets . The use of explosives in that role resulted in entirely unnecessary sacrifices of the members of these units . The task of Arditi units was not to clear the way for regular infantry to attack enemy lines , but to completely overrun enemy positions . The most daring volunteers were chosen , particularly those who were not bothered by loud incoming artillery fire close by . The men also studied fencing and were masters of hand - to - hand combat . Once ready , they were sent to the front armed with a dagger and hand grenades . Most didn ' t carry rifles or carbines because they would be cumbersome to fire in the confined spaces of a trench . The Arditi approached enemy trenches while they were being shelled by Italian artillery . Just as the barrage was lifted they would jump inside the trench while the enemy was huddling down , and use their daggers at close quarters to suppress enemy resistance . These primitive tactics were surprisingly effective . Arditi had to hold the positions they conquered for 24 hours and then would be replaced by the regular infantry . Arditi might lose 25 % to 30 % of their numbers during such an attack . Their motto was " " O la vittoria , o tutti accoppati " " meaning " We either win , or we all die " . The typical unit had 13 officers and 400 soldiers selected on a voluntary basis . One such unit was completely wiped out while attacking Monte Osvaldo in April 1916 . In 1916 the supreme command decided to award special status to Arditi units but was reluctant to create new units . The Arditi badge , to be carried on the left arm , included the monogram VE ( for King Vittorio Emanuele ) , and was designed exclusively as a symbol of distinction for these soldiers . This was the first official use of the word " " Ardito " " by the Italian army . Establishment and use . In 1917 as a result of proposals put forward by young officers who were tired of the gruesome bloodshed of trench life , assault units were formed within the 48th Division of the VIII Army Corps , commanded by Captain Giuseppe Bassi . As early as March 1917 the Italian Supreme Command had sent a circular giving information about the constitution of Austro - Hungarian special units . Following a positive evaluation it was decided to establish the new special units , but disagreements on equipment and training delayed the start of operations until July 29 , 1917 , when King Vittorio Emanuele officially sanctioned the creation of Arditi units . The new assault units were formed and then developed independently with training different from that of ordinary soldiers . The better trained German army was the first to adopt the concept of shock assault troops with the Stormtroopers , but the Italians followed their example . A training school was established , as noted above , at Sdricca di Manzano , Udine . The first units were created in the 2nd Army , and by the time of Caporetto there were 27 units , although only a few actually saw combat . In all , approximately 18 , 000 men made up the Arditi units . Many of these men saw combat on the river Piave , where the advance of Austro - Hungarian troops was halted . Arditi used to swim across the Piave , clenching a dagger between their teeth and assault the Austrian and German positions on the other bank of the river Piave . These men came to be known as " Caimani del Piave " ( the Caimans of the Piave ) . Because Austrian uniforms had a stiff collar , the " Caimani " preferred to use a " resolza " knife , typical of Sardinia ( Pattada ) , as this blade could easily penetrate the collar of the enemy uniform ( other arditi formations used a simple dagger ) . Today , the badge worn by CONSUBIN commandoes shows a caiman clenching a dagger in its jaws . This is an emblem chosen to honor the memory of the " Caimani del Piave " . In June 1918 an entire Division of assault troops with nine units was placed under the command of Major General Ottavio Zoppi , and then was expanded to became an Army Corps with twelve units in two divisions . By the end of the war there were 25 assault units , mostly classified as Bersaglieri . The Arditi contributed in a major way to the breakthrough on the Piave that in November 1918 made possible the final victory on Austrian armies . Shortly after the end of the war , in January 1920 , all units were disbanded . Training . Initially the soldiers were volunteers , but later on unit commanders designated suitable soldiers for transfer to Arditi units . Arditi were usually drawn from Bersaglieri or Alpini ( two Italian military specialties whose soldiers were renowned for their stamina and physical prowess ) . After undergoing tests of strength , skill and nerve , the recruits were trained in the use of weapons and innovative tactics of attack . They also received hand - to - hand fighting instruction with or without weapons ( according to the " Flower of Battle " techniques developed in the Middle Ages ) , all supported by continuous physical training . In particular , Arditi were trained with hand granades , marksmanship and the use of the flamethrower and machine gun . Training was very realistic , and several men were killed during basic training ( particularly hit by splinters from a hand grenade , because their operating procedure provided for a direct assault immediately after throwing a grenade . The rigorous training , team spirit and contempt of danger , but also the privileges they enjoyed , made the Arditi an elite corps , but also created a climate of distrust and jealousy with officers belonging to other units of the regular army . Their military skill , however , earned them respect for the ability to resolve on the battlefield situations tactically impossible for regular army units . Reginaldo Giuliani , a Catholic priest and an Ardito , wrote several books on his experiences including " Croce e Spada " - " Cross and Sword " . Uniform . The uniform of the Arditi drawn from regular infantry units consisted of a Bersagliere cyclist coat with black flames as a lapel patch . Arditi drawn from Alpini units would instead wear green flames on their lapel patch , and Arditi drawn from Bersaglieri units would wear crimson flames . They would also wear a dark green sweater and a black fez ( a hat ) identical to that of the Bersaglieri infantry ( although Bersaglieri wore a crimson fez , rather than a black one ) and trousers . From these uniforms and other insigna , indicative of the army unit of origin , was born a distinction between the Red Flames ( Bersaglieri Arditi ) , Black Flames ( Arditi Infantry ) and Green Flames ( Arditi Alpini ) . The Red Flames were sometimes called Crimson Flames . Many of the Arditi badges and symbols were later adopted by the fascist regime , for example a badge depicting a skull with a dagger clenched between the teeth . The anti - fascist Arditi del Popolo also had their own badge ( skull with red eyes and dagger ) . Their battle cry was " A Noi ! " which could be translated as " To us ! " and can be interpreted as wish for glory and victory . Equipment . Typical equipment of the Arditi was the dagger for hand - to - hand combat , and hand grenades . The grenades were used to create panic and confusion as well as for their disruptive effect . The Thevenot hand grenade frequently used by the Arditi was well suited for assaults , not being overly powerful , but very noisy so as to provoke fear in the opponents . Other weapons included machine guns and flame throwers . The Arditi also used 37 mm and 65 mm cannon against pillbox es and fortification s . In the " Museo del Risorgimento " in Turin , in the hall dedicated to the resistance against Fascism there are a dagger and a hand grenade belonging to the Arditi del Popolo . Due to lack of resources , the first daggers were manufactured from surplus stock of the bayonets from the Vetterli rifle . Each bayonet was cut in half and fashioned into two daggers . The Arditi and fascism . In the postwar period many Arditi joined the ' National Association Arditi d ' Italia ' ( ANAI ) , founded by captain Mario Carli , then involved in the Futurist movement . Carli wrote the essay " Arditi are not gendarme s " in collaboration with Marinetti . A large number of Arditi joined the fascist movement , but support was not unanimous , as is clear from the Arditi del Popolo ( fringe breakaway movement of the ANAI , politically leaning to the maximalist wing of socialism ) . In any case , most Arditi who joined the ANAI transferred to the FNAI ( National Federation Arditi D ' Italia ) , founded on 23 October 1922 by Mussolini ( the ANAI was later dissolved ) . The Arditi were active participants in Gabriele D ' Annunzio ' s coup in the city of Fiume ( Rijeka ) , in modern Croatia . When his original plan for Italian annexation was rebuffed by the government in Rome , D ' Annunzio proclaimed the founding of the " Italian Regency of Carnaro " . With the trade unionist De Ambris , D ' Annunzio promulgated a constitution , the Charter of Carnaro , containing strongly progressive or even radical elements . On December 25 , 1920 regular Italian army troops put an end to the short - lived Republic after brief clashes . The Arditi del Popolo . The Roman section of the Italian Arditi , in contrast to the strong but not yet consolidated movement of fascist squadrismo , became the " Arditi del Popolo " , a paramilitary group that was clearly anti - fascist . Its members came from anarchist , communist , and socialist movements . The Communists constituted the majority , but there were also components such as Republican Vincenzo Baldazzi ( who was one of the leaders ) , and sometimes , as in the defense of Parma , also militants of the Popular Party , such as the adviser Corazza who was killed in Parma in clashes with fascist forces . The movement was born in the summer of 1921 through the work of Argo Secondari , a former lieutenant of the " Black Flame " infantry and an anarchist . The strength of these paramilitary formations were 20 , 000 men enrolled , among them war veterans , who were neutral or strongly anti - fascist . Perhaps the most resonant event was the defense of Parma against fascist squadrismo in 1922 : around 10 , 000 squadristi , first under the command of Roberto Farinacci , then Italo Balbo , had to withdraw from the city after 5 days of clashes against a group consisting of socialists , anarchists and communists , controlled by the heads of the " Arditi del Popolo " ( 350 took part in the battle against the fascists ) Antonio Cieri and Guido Picelli . The Fascist lost 39 men , the " Arditi del Popolo " five . In the following months , many heads of the Arditi del Popolo were jailed or killed by fascist squadristi , sometimes with the collusion of police agencies .