Italian Armed Forces Glossary

AA	—	Antiaircraft
AALB	Aeronautica dell'Albania	Albanian Air Command
AAOI	Aeronautica dell'Africa Orientale Italiana	Italian East African Air Command
ACM	—	Auxiliary Minelayer
Adm.	—	Admiral (naval rank)
AE	—	Ammunition Ship
AEGE	Aeronautica dell'Egeo	Aegean Air Command
AF	—	Depot Ship
AG	—	Miscellaneous Auxiliary
AGL	—	Lighthouse Tender
AGRE	Aeronautica della Grecia	Airforce Command Greece
AH	—	Hospital Ship
AKF	—	Refrigerated Cargo Ship
AM	—	Minesweeper
ANR	Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana	National Republican Air Force (of the RSI)
AO	—	Tanker (Oil)
AOG	—	Tanker (Gasoline)
AOI	Africa Orientale Italiana	Italian East Africa
APC	Aviazione Presidio Coloniale	Colonial Garrison Aviation
APRO	Aeronautica della Provenza	Air Command France
AR	—	Repair Ship
ARC	—	Cable-Laying Ship
ARS	—	Salvage Ship
AS	Aerosilurante	Torpedo Bomber air unit
AS	—	Submarine Tender
ASAR	Aeronautica della Sardegna	Airforce Command Sardenia
ASIC	Aeronautica della Sicilia	Airforce Command Sicily
ASR	—	Submarine Rescue Vessel
Ass	Assalto	Assault (ground support air unit)
AT	—	Tug
ATF	—	Ocean-Going Tug, Fleet
ATR	—	Rescue Tug
ATUN	Aeronautica della Tunisia	Tunesian Air Command
AUC	Allievi Ufficiali di Complemento	Reserve Officer Cadets
auton	autonomo	Independent / Separate
AV	—	Seaplane Tender
AVRE	Aviazione per il Regio Esercito	Royal Army Aviation (Part of Regia Aeronautica)
AW	—	Distilling Ship
AWK	—	Water Tanker
Ba'T	Bombardamento a Tuffo	Dive Bomber air unit
BB	—	Battleship
Bers	Bersaglieri	Fast Infantry (on bycicles or motorcycles)
BM	Bombardamento Marittimo	Naval Bomber air unit
BT	Bombardamento Terrestre	Land Bomber air unit
CA	—	Heavy Cruiser
CA	—	Coastal Artillery
CA	Corpo d'Armata	Army Corps
CAI	Corpo Aereo Italiano	Italian Air Corps
Capt	—	Captain (naval rank)
CB	Caccia Bombardamento	Fighter Bomber air unit
CCNN	Camicie Nere	Black Shirts
CCRR	Carabinieri Reali	Royal Military Police
Cdr	—	Commander (naval rank)
	Centuria	Company [MVSN]
CM	—	Minelayer
CM	Caccia Marittima	Naval Fighter air unit
CN	Caccia Notturna	Night Fighter air unit
Comb	Combattimento	Ground Attack air unit
—	complementi	replacement
	Coorte	Battalion [MVSN]
CSAS	Comando Servizi Aerei Speciali	Special Air Transport Service Command
CSIR	Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Russia	Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia
CSM	Capo di Stato Maggiore	Chief of Staff
CSTA	Comando superiore truppe Albania	Higher Command of Troops in Albania
CT	Caccia Terrestre	Land Fighter air unit
DD	—	Destroyer
DE	—	Torpedo Boat
Decon	—	Decontamination
DICAT	Difesa Contraerea Territoriale	Territorial Command Organization for antiaircraft defence [MVSN] Responsible for coordinating anti-aircraft artillery defence.
Div	Divisione	Division
E.F.T.F.	Emanuele Filiberto Testa di Ferro	2nd Celere (fast motor/cavalry) Division
ENR	Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano	National Republican Army (of the RSI)
(F)	—	Flagship
FF.AA.	Forze Armate Italiane	Italian Armed Forces
(FF)	—	Fleet Flagship
(FS)	—	Squadrton Flagship
FG	—	Field Gun
FH	—	Field Howitzer
FF.NN.	Forze Navali	Naval Forces
G	—	Gun
G/S	—	General Service
GAF / GaF	Guardia alla Frontiera	Border Guard
GGFF	Giovani Fascisti	Young Fascists
GNR	Guardia Nazionale Republicana	Republican National Guard (Fascist militia of the RSI)
H	—	Howitzer
HSW	—	Hay, Straw, Wood
How	—	Howitzer
IX	—	Unclassified, miscellaneous ship or vessel
JAG	—	Judge Advocate General
—	Comando Servizi Aerei Speciali	Special Air Transport Service Command
Lt.	—	Lieutenant
lav.z.m.	lavoratori z.m.	Italian civilians or workers conscripted or coerced into forced labor under German authority for construction and fortification (OT) projects.
—	Legione	Regiment [MVSN]
LtCdr	—	Lieutenant Commander (naval rank)
LOC	—	Line-of-Communication(s)
MACA	Milizia Artiglieria Contraerei	Anti-Aircraft Artillery Militia [MVSN] typically batteries under the control of DICAT (see above)
MAM	Milizia Artiglieria Marittima	Navy Fascist Militia Artillery [MVSN]
—	Manipolo	Platoon [MVSN]
MARIMOBIL	MARIna MOBIlizzata	Armed Trains Group (Navy)
MAS	Motoscafo Armato Silurante Later known as Mezzi d'Assalto Also shown as: Motoscafo anti sommergibile	Torpedo Armed Motorboat Assault Craft Also shown as: Submarine Chaser
MFA	Milizia fascista albanese	Albanian fascist paramilitary, part of the MVSN.
MILMART	Milizia Marittima	Navy Fascist Militia Coastal Defense [MVSN]
MM	Marina Militare	Naval coastal area, maritime defence, or harbor zone organization
MNF	Milizia Nazionale Forestale	National Forests Fascist Militia [MVSN]
MNR	Marina Nazionale Repubblicana	National Republican Navy (of the RSI)
MVSN	Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale	Fascist Militia, commonly known as 'Black Shirts'
N.A.P.	Nucleo Antiparacadutisti	Anti-Parachute unit
OA	Osservazione Aerea	Air Observation air unit
P.A.D.A.	Principe Amedeo Duca D'Aosta	3rd Celere (fast motor/cavalry) Division
P.B.	Pezzo Basico	standard artillery gun model
p.c.	Pesante Campale	Heavy Field Artillery
P.C.	Posizione e Contraerea	Static and Antiaircraft
PG	—	Patrol Boat
PT	—	Fast Torpedo Boat
Pres.	Presidiario	Garrison / Guard [1]
Quar.	—	Quarantine
RAdm	—	Rear Admiral (naval rank)
RA	Regia Aeronautica	Royal Air Force
RAC	reggimento artiglieria di corpo d'armata	Corps Artillery Regiment
Raggr.	Raggruppamento	Regiment / Brigade-sized formation formed from non-organic subunits (lit.: group of groups)
RAM	reggimento artiglieria d'armata	Army Artillery Regiment
RE	Regio Esercito	Royal Army
Reg	Reggimento	Regiment
RGF	Regia Guardia di Finanza	Royal Financial Guard [2]
RM	Regia Marina	Royal Navy
RM	Ricognizione Marittima	Naval Reconnaissance air unit
RR.GG.FF	Regia Guardia di Finanza	Alternative abbreviation. See RGF above
RS	Ricognizione Strategica	Strategic Reconnaissance air unit
RSI	Repubblica Sociale Italiana	Italian Social Republic
RSM	Ricognizione Strategica Marittima	Strategic Navy Reconnaissance air unit
RST	Ricognizione Strategica Terrestre	Strategic Land Reconnaissance air unit
RT	Ricognizione Terrestre	Land Reconnaissance air unit
SAS	Servizi Aerei Speciali	Special Air Transport Service unit
S/L	—	Searchlight
SMRE	Stato Maggiore Regio Esercito	General Staff of the Royal Army
—	Squadra	Squad [MVSN]
SQA	Squadra	Air Fleet
SS	—	Submarine
—	Superaereo	Ministry of the Air Force
—	Supermarina	Ministry of the Navy (Admiralty)
T	Trasporto	Transport air unit
T.A.	Treno Armato	Armed Train
T.B.	Treno Blindato	Armored Train
TM	Territoriale Mobile	mobilized territorial (unit)
TM	traino meccanizzato	mechanized/motorized towing
Topo	topografica	Topographic
VAdm	—	Vice Admiral (naval rank)
ZAT	Zona Aerea Territoriale	Airforce Command Zone
—	Zona	Division [MVSN]
[1] The garrison companies were made up of soldiers, including officers, not entirely suitable for "war efforts": sick people who were not fully recovered or subject to relapses, lightly wounded, who had passed the age for the territorial militia during the war years, mobilized already belonging to the Category II, married with numerous offspring, perhaps even widowers, etc. and they were intended, in fact, for the defense of the territory behind the first and second lines or for coastal defense on the Adriatic in a theater of war. They served to support the numerous needs of a large army engaged in ~~weapons~~ <sic> combat: stage commands, quartermasters, writers/secretaries, warehouse workers, cooks, bakers etc. but also as military police together with the carabinieri, and they depended in any case on the regiment for which they served as a transit depot [unit] for the military going to the front or returning. Retrieved 23.06.2025 from Commando Supremo [2] The Royal Finacial Guard was responsible for financial crime, tax evasion, smuggling, drug trafficking, border control, and other aspects of economic and public safety. Although under the Ministry of Finance rather than the Ministry of Defense, it was a military body with military training, organization, as well as equipment, and participation in armed conflicts, integrated into the Italian Armed Forces.