[Muti]

Another penal unit for Twilight. This time an Italian one, ruled (only nominally) by a right-wing politician in late stages of the war.

Brigata Penale "La Disperata", Italy, December 1999

Regimental Headquarters (3x M557, several civilian vehicles)

1x Penal Tank Battalion (16x Leopard I, 3x M113)

1x Penal Motorized Infantry Battalion (12x VCC-2, 1x M106, 2x M113, 3x Milan, 1x AR-59 w/106mm RR)

1x Penal Anti-Tank Company (3x VTC I-TOW, several civilian vehicles)

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The Brigata Penale "La Disperata" (Penal Brigate "The Desperate") is an Italian military penal unit commanded by Filippo De Vico, former right-wing politician of the MSI ("Movimento Sociale Italiano", Italian Social Movement). The MSI was formed in 1946 by supporters of former fascist dictator Benito Mussolini. In 1994 it was amongst the most voted parties especially for his nationalistic and conservative positions. Filippo De Vico wasn't a military but with the coming of World War 3, he was in the wrong place in the wrong time...

On October 1996 when the war begun in Europe, he was amongst the "interventionist" faction of his party soliciting an armed response to Communist menace. Anyway when the new German government formally requested intervention by NATO and the US Army crossed the frontier while European leaders debated the prudence of intervention, Italy withdrew from NATO in protest after demanding (with no avail) that US Army withdraw from Germany.

On February 18th, 1997, the governments of Italy and Greece signed a mutual defense pact, so Italy declared war to Turkey that at the time was fighting for the conquest of Cyprus and it was defending the Thrace. Italian popular movements activated themselves and beginned a peaceful campaign against war and, with the objective to avoid a severe protest from civilian population, the military leaders decided to propose to the Italian Presidente della Repubblica (President of the Republic) to sent as first-line troops, personnel from prisons as a way to rehabilitate those people. Because Italy was theorically in a state of war, the proposal was accepted without a formal law proposal.

Recruitment of people coming from civilian and military prisons began on December 1997 collecting almost 10.000 men until February 1997 but only 6.000 were judged in a positive way and the others were rejected and sent back in prisons. Military training began on February 10th.

On July 1st, Greece declared war against NATO and Italy, in compliance with her treaty obligations, followed suit on the 2nd. In early July, alpine and airmobile troops crossed the Austrian borders, amongst them the first 1.000 trained troops of the penal units organized in special companies attached to frontline units. The baptism of fire was against an Austrian mechanized column attacked in the Alpine pass of Stalle (Staller Sattel in German) and on that occasion the penal units fought well. Penal companies were also amongst the advanced elements who were in combat against German territorial troops in the suburbs of Munich on 18th July.

Anyway the turning point of the Italian success happened in the end of the summer when the amount of munitions and equipment began to decrease.

Always organized in companies, penal troops fought in the Czech and Italian offensive in Southern Germany on September 1997 but after the first launchings of nuclear missiles, for "reason of internal order" they were sent back in Italy in a military camp in Verona and organized in a single penal brigade controlled by military police units.

A second nuclear exchange initiated in autumn of 1998 hitting especially the remaining industrial centers of Italy. On December 1998, Filippo De Vico, was appointed as member of the Ministry of Defence and sent in Verona to visit the penal brigade.

On the same occasion some NCOs of the penal brigade organized a mutiny and when De Vico arrived in the camp with his staff he stayed in the middle of a firefight between penal brigade members and military police troops. Military police surrendered and the NCOs of the penal brigade, recognizing the right-wing politician Filippo De Vico, started to proclaim him as "commander". Terrorized, De Vico refused initially but members of his staff suggested to accept because they received the announcement of the collapse of the central government. Hesitating De Vico accepted entering in the character of a "military leader".

The brigade was called "La Disperata" as homage to a fascist flight squadron who fought in the Spanish Civil War. De Vico is officially leader of the brigade but the real power is in the hand of his officers and NCOs.

The brigade spent the 1999 in Northern Italy seizing control of cities and towns fighting against "autonomous" movements and collaborating with the remaining italian troops to obtain some kind of centrality after the government collapse.