Italian 102 Motorised Division Trento

The 102nd "Trento" Motorised Division saw extensive service in the North African campaign. During the Battle of El Alamein the 3rd Battalion, 62nd Regiment of the "Trento" Motorised Division on 17 July attacked with a column of tanks and succeeded in destroying the Australian 2/32nd Battalion that had stormed the feature Trig 22 held by elements of the Italian 32nd Combat Sappers Battalion. (Although the Australian Official History of 2/32 battalion describes the counterattack force as "German", the Australian historian Mark Johnston reports that German records indicate that the Italians were indeed responsible for overrunning the Australian battalion. Barton Maughan, Australia's official historian has written that "two forward platoons of the 2/32nd's left company were overrun, 22 men were taken prisoner" but fails to shed more light on this attack.)

The Australian 2/28th Battalion was also lost in an attack on the 62nd Regiment of the "Trento" Motorised Division entrenched along Sanyet el Miteiriya. The Australians lost about 65 men dead and 490 were captured in the attack when the Armoured Reconnaissance Group of the "Trieste" Division launched a counterattack in support of the "Trento" infantry. (Paolo Caccia-Dominioni, Alamein 1933-1962: An Italian Story, Allen & Unwin, pp. 87-88)