Le bottiglie della Folgore a El Alamein. Pneumatici e taniche, la logistica della guerra nel deserto

The archaeology of conflict. From El Alamein to other battles in North Africa: the history of war is often a story of mobility and logistics. The Folgore, an elite force of highly trained paratroopers, found itself fighting on foot in the decisive battle. Even the incendiary bottles, which have become part of the Folgore's legendary exploits, were the result of a logistical effort (a recognizable brand of mineral water), the transportation costs of which were, to say the least, disproportionate. The Ariete tanks had a limited range due to their limited fuel supply. The heavy gasoline drums issued to the Italian Army were unmanageable compared to the canisters of the British and, especially, those of their German allies, who had to supply hundreds of thousands to the Italian military. Those canisters, a feat of engineering, are similar to those used today; the Americans also had to copy them, though without achieving their technical perfection. Tires suffered the same fate, worn away by desert rocks, with various armies "cannibanizing" them from abandoned vehicles of all stripes. A story of drivers, engineers, and intendants. Field research, the archaeology of conflict, combines military history, geography, and geology, resulting in the volume "Ruote nel Deserto" (Cierre editions), Theaters of operations, mobility, and logistics of the Royal Army in North Africa. The work of Aldino Bondesan and Toni Vendrame is fundamental to contextualizing the first war of movement of armored and mechanized troops on a massive scale, such as that in the North African theater.