Albanian Royal Army

Royal Albanian Army Ushtria Mbretërore e Shqipërisë
Insignia of the Royal Albanian Army
Founded	1928
Current form	Albanian Army
Disbanded	1939
Service branches	Royal Infantry Royal Artillery Royal Engineers Royal Navy Royal Air Corps Royal Gendarmerie Royal Guard Royal Border Guard
Headquarters	Tirana
Leadership
Commander-in-Chief	Zogu
Marshal of Albania	Zogu
Generals	Xhemal Aranitasi Gustav von Myrdacz
Manpower
Military age	18 - 50
Conscription	1500
Reserve personnel	31060
Deployed personnel	17091
Industry
Foreign suppliers	United Kingdom Italy
Related articles
History	International Gendarmerie History of the Royal Army
Ranks	Ranks (1929 - 1936) Ranks (1936 - 1939)
Royal Albanian Guard

The Royal Albanian Army (Albanian: Ushtria Mbretërore Shqiptare) was the army of King Zogu and Albanian Kingdom from 1928 until 1939. Its commander-in-chief was King Zog; its commander General Xhemal Aranitasi; its Chief of Staff was General Gustav von Myrdacz. The army was mainly financed by Italy.

Organisation

Albania had an unified armed forces everything was organised as the "Ushtria Mbretërore Shqiptare", or Albanian Royal Army. King Zog I was head of the state and commander in chief ( Marshal of Albania) there was apparently no Ministry of Defence the king acted as the minister. The Commander was General Xhemal Aranitasi The Chief of Staff was General Gustav von Myrdaic

Chief of Staff

• Adjutant (Captain 1st Class)
• Secretary (Platoon Leader)

Organisation and Mobilization Section

• Personnel Department
• Recruiting Department
• Discipline and Penal Department
• Camps Department
• Intendancy
• Medical and Veterinary Troops
• Commissariat (Logistics) Troops
• Reserves

Command Headquarters Section

• Infartry Command
• Artillery Command
• Engineer Command
• Navy
• Air Corps
• Gendarmerie
• Royal Guard
• Royal Border Guard

The Medical and Vetrinary Troops provided personnel to the various commands and field units, in addition to four army hospitals (persumably one per military zone, most likely situated in the towns of Shkodër, Tiranë, Vlorë and Sarandë.

The Logistic Troops likewise supported the commands and field units, otherwise unidentified "special companies", one per military zone Of uncertain subordination at Tiranë

• Army school(NCOs)(1931)
• Army College(Officers)(1933)
• School of Perfection(Officers)

A permanent court_martial at Tiranë served the entre army. The Albanians had 40804 rifles and 114 machine guns on order, 26 batteries, 2 tanks, 6 tankettes and 8 armored cars with 200 cars 300 trucks, 20 buses and 8 radio stations in April 1939.

In the last days before the invasion the Albanian Government requested from the Greeks to sell them 25000 rifles, 100 machine guns and ammunation, but there was no indication the Greeks were willing to provide these, and in any case it was too late

Personnel

It is important to remember the presence of the Italian military mission, averaging 285 officers and men during the late Thirties, this was attached to the Albanian Army at every arm expect the Gendarmerie, virtually every training officer was Italian, which affected the Albanian ability to resist in 1939.

Between 1926 and 1938, 167 Albanians were trained at the Military Schools at Rome, Milan, and Napoli, in April 1939, a total of 59 were there. 61 student officers were at the Academies, 41 at Modena (Infantry and Cavalry), 15 at Turin (Artillery and Engineers), 4 at Rome (Finance Guards) and Zog's nephew who was an aviation cadet Caserta. 72 Albanians were being trained at the Schools of Application, and 27 were seconded to regular Italian units for instruction.

Sources give 17091 officers and men as being the strength of the army proper and. The entire personnel of the Albanian Army was:

• 2 generals
• 7 colonels
• 12 lieutenant colonels
• 42 majors
• 302 captains
• 860 platoon leaders
• 1200 "shuma" or tribal officers
• 2060 NCO
• 1500 conscripts
• 13806 soldiers
• 29860 "forcat vullnetare" or volunteer forces

Reserves

Unlike in many armies, the reserve or "Forcat Vullnetar" was not composed of men who had finished their compulsory training and were called back to their units periodically, but was a volunteer force. These men were collectively known as the "kreshnikë" (=berserkers) after the Albanian troops who had served the Ottomans.

The strength in 1939 was less than 18,000 officers and men, in nominal battalions based on ten prefectures (subdivided into 26 sub-prefectures)

• Vlorë
• Berat
• Peshkopi
• Durrës
• Elbasan
• Gjinokaster
• Korçe
• Kukes
• Shkoder
• Tiranë

As planned the battalions were to have 2-3 infantry companies (at sub-prefecture level) each of several platoons, and in some cases the battalion would have a machine gun company, but the arms made available were meager.

The volunteers were seen as auxiliaries for security and line of communications duties, and some were attached to regular units, for example the coastal battery at Durrës had 30 volunteers assigned to it.

In addition to the uniformed volunteers there was in rural and hill districts a loosely constituted tribal militia or levy known as the "Shuma" (= host, many, all) which was very much on a come-as-you-are basis for clothing and arms. There were 29,860 men (with 1,200 officers, officially ranking below platoon leaders in the regular army) as of April 1939 with about 28,000 privately held weapons ranging from Vetterli's and Vitali's to Turkish-era muzzle loaders.

For completeness, there were also the three "Girl's Battalions" enrolling the young womanhood of the capital and surrounding region, which were named after and led by the three oldest sisters of King Zog:

• Battalion "Myzjen"
• Battalion "Ruhije"
• Battalion "Maxhide"

These paraded and performed calisthenics and good works, but had no real military function or potential.

Conscripts

Nominal, 18 months military service was compulsory from ages 18 to 50, but in practice the government was able to enforce this only fitfully; about 1,000-1,500 conscripts were with the units as of April, 1939.

Operational Order of Battle

In 1939 the country was divided into four military zones, the Durrës garrison, and Army Troops. The zones and garrison were as follows:

Zona I (between town of Milot, north of Tiranë to river Shkumbin) (Lt.Col. Shaban Bega)

• infantry battalion "Deja" war establishment
• infantry battalion "Daijti" war establishment
• infantry battalion "Korata" war establishment
• 4 batteries of mountain guns (pack) (2x 65mm L/17) 1-year conscripts
• 1 company ZM (sappers-miners) war establishment
• 1 radio station R-3 1-year conscripts
• 1000 Kreshnikë (reservists)

Zona II (between Milot and Shkodër ) (Lt.Col. Kuçuk Vulagaj)

• infantry battalion "Tarabosh" light establishment
• infantry battalion "Gramos"? light establishment
• 2 batteries of mountain guns (pack) (2x 65mm L/17) 1-year conscripts
• 1 battalion Gendarmerie
• 1 radio station R-3 1-year conscripts
• 500 Kreshnikë

Zona III (roughly between rivers Shkumbin and Vjose incl. Vlorë) (Lt.Col. Faik Cuku)

• infantry battalion "Tomori" light establishment
• infantry battalion "Kaptina"? light establishment
• 2 batteries of mountain guns (pack) (2x 65mm L/17) ("Semani" and 1 other) 1-year conscripts
• 1 battalion Gendarmerie
• 1 platoon ZM war establishment
• 1 radio station R-3 1-year conscripts
• 500 Kreshnikë

Zona IV (area around Sarandë) (Col. Ali Riza Topalli)

• 2 battalions Border Guards
• 1 battalion Gendarmerie
• 1 radio station R-3 1-year conscripts
• 800 Kreshnikë

Durrës Garrison (Maj. Abas Kupi)

• 1 battalion Border Guards
• 1 battalion Gendarmerie
• 1 battery of mountain guns (pack) (2x 75mm L/13) ("Drin") war establishment
• 1 platoon "Marines" (= naval infantry)
• 1 company ZM war establishment
• 1 radio station R-3 1-year conscripts
• coastal battery "Prandaj" (4 x 75mm L/27) war establishment
• 800 Kreshnikë

All other units remained under the direct control of their respective Commands and can be considered "Army Troops".

Ranks

There were 2 rank systems, the first was replaced in 1936. The new ranks were used until 1939.

Ranks (1929–1936)

Main article: Ranks of the Royal Albanian Army (1929–1936)

Rank	General	Lieutenant-General	Major-General	Colonel	Lieutenant-Colonel	Major
Royal Army
Albanian title	Gjeneral	Gjeneral-leitenant	Gjeneral-major	Kolonel	Nënkolonel	Major
Captain	1St Lieutenant	Lieutenant	Staff Sergeant	Sergeant	Corporal	Private
Kapiten	Toger	Nëntoger	Rreshter	Tetar	Ushtar i parë	Ushtar

Ranks (1936–1939)

Main article: Ranks of the Royal Albanian Army (1936–1939)

English Name	General	Lieutenant-General	Major-General	Captain	1st Lieutenant	2nd Lieutenant	Sergeant	Corporal	Soldier
Royal Army
Heads
Albanian title	Gjeneral	Gjeneral-leitenant	Gjeneral-major	Kapiten	Toger	Nëntoger	Rreshter	Tetar	Ushtar i parë	Ushtar

List of Small Arms

• Type 41 75 mm Mountain Gun
• Skoda 75 mm Model 1928
• Cannone da 65/17 modello 13
• Schwarzlose MG M.07/12
• Vickers machine gun
• Maxim gun
• Beretta Model 38
• Beretta Model 1918
• Carcano M1891
• Mannlicher-Schönauer
• Mosin–Nagant
• Glisenti Model 1910

Equipment

Army

• 860 (officers)+ 2060(NCO)+ 13806 (soldiers)
• 9 military districts
• 12 infantry battalions
• 2 motorized infantry squadrons
• 9 engineers companies
• 1500 conscripts
• 29860 volunteer forces + 1200 tribal officers

• 204 HMG
• 10700 carbines (Carcano M1891, Mannlicher, Mosin)
• 1104 revolvers (Glisenti M1889)
• 23,000 Italian rifles/3 days ammunition
• 6,000 ex-Austrian rifles (1 days' ammunition)
• 72 Fiat machine guns (3 days' ammunition)
• 42 Schwarzelose machine guns (1 days' ammunition)

• 12 batteries of 65 mm Italian
• 6 batteries of 75 mm Skoda
• 2 batteries of 105 mm Italian
• 2 batteries of 149 mm Italian (8 guns)
• 1 coastal artillery battery in Durrës
• 3 AA artillery batteries

• 2 tanks FIAT 3000B
• 6 tankettes CV.33
• 6 Lancia IZ and 2 Fiat armored cars
• 200 Cars
• 300 Trucks
• 20 Buses
• 8 Radio Stations

Infantry

• Commander:
• Cpt.Hamdi Jusufi
• Maj.Kastriot Bajraktari
• Maj.Sabe Gjilani
• 441 (Officers)+ 740 (Non-Commissioned Officers)+ 8000 (Soldiers)
• Two Tanks FIAT 3000B
• Six tankettes CV.33
• 6 Lancia IZ and 2 FIAT armored cars
• Battalion:
• Tarabosh Shkodër
• Dajiti. Tirane
• Korata. Tirane
• Deja. Tirane
• Kaptina. Elbasan
• Tomori. Berat
• Gramos. Korce

Artillery

• Commander: Col. Sami Koka
• Deputy: Maj. Ahmet Rrojte
• Italian advisor: Lt.Col. Bombalti
• 95 (officers)+ 64 (personel)
• 12 batteries of 65 mm Italian (3 days ammunition)
• 6 batteries of 75 mm Skoda (3 days ammunition)
• 2 batteries of 105 mm Italian
• 2 batteries of 149 mm Italian (8 guns)
• 1 coastal artillery battery of four Krupp Model 1906 75mm L/27 in Durrës
• 3 AA artillery batteries

Engineers

• 22 officers
• 9 engineers companies
• 600 trained drivers
• 200 cars-light trucks
• 300 trucks 2-3 ton
• 20 buses
• 8 radio station R-3 R-3: a morse set of 35 km range, 2000–2500 kHz (stations attached to military zone) and R-5R-5: 150 km voice/350 km morse, 158–476 kHz (at army level)
• Hqs
• Material Depot
• Benzine Depot
• automotive workshop
• and presumably, a driving school
• Section Wire/Telephone
• Section Photo-Electric (12 mules)
• Separate Ambulance Section
• (There were about 2200 km of government-maintained roads suitable for motor vehicles, and another 400 km maintained by various communes.)

Navy

• Commander: Capt. E. Taddei
• 17 (officers)+ 140 (personnel)
• 2 gunboats (ex-German minesweepers type FM=Flachgehende Minensuchboote)
• 170 t, 43/6/1.7 m, 14 kn., 76 mm gun, 2 MG
• Built in 1918/19, bought c. 1925.
• "Shqipnja" (ex-FM 16) & "Skanderbeg" (ex-FM 23)
• 4 patrolboats of Italian MAS class
• Built & bought in 1926 in Venice
• 46 t, 17 kn., 76 mm gun, 2 MG
• "Tirana", "Saranda", "Durres", "Shengjin"

Air Corps

5 airplanes, unknown number of personnel

Gendarmerie

• Commander Col. Shefti Shatku
• Inspector/Advisor Gen. Sir Jocelyn Percy, Indian Army (retired)
• Asst. Inspector/Advisor Col. George H. M. Richey, Indian Army (retired)

• 136 (officers) + 440 (Non-commissioned officers) + 3206 (gendarmes and corporals)
• 12 Fiat machine guns (3 days' ammunition)
• 24 Schwarzelose machine guns (1 days' ammunition)
• 6 battalions:

• Gendarmerie Battalion Gjinokaster (Maj. Gjek Mirashi) 600 men, 4 Schwarzelose machine guns, 12 rifle grenade launchers

• Gendarmerie Battalion Berat (Maj. Mahmut Golomi) 500 men, 4 Schwarzelose machine guns

• Gendarmerie Battalion Elbasan (Maj. Xhafer Shkami) 400 men, 4 Schwarzelose machine guns

• Gendarmerie Battalion Shkodër (Maj. Llesh Mirashi) 400 men, 4 Schwarzelose machine guns

• Gendarmerie Battalion Durrës (Capt. Xhemal Herri) 500 men, 4 Schwarzelose machine guns

• Gendarmerie Battalion Kukës (Maj. Lufti Batku) 400 men, 4 Schwarzelose machine guns

• Behind vehicles are the numbers that were in use by the Albanian army.

Royal Guard

• Commander: Col. Hysen Selmani
• 112 (officers)+ 14 (Non-Commissioned officers)+ 800 (guards)
• "ceremonial" company
• infantry battalion 28(officers)+ 6 (Non-Commissioned officers)+ 522 (corporals and guards)
• Hqs
• 4 rifle companies 4 x Skoda 75mm L/13 mountain guns
• artillery battery 4 (officers)+ 8 (Non-Commissioned officers)+ 140 (guardsmen)
• cavalry squadron 59 (horses)
• Hqs
• Royal Band

Border Guard

• Commander: Col. Ali Rizaja
• Advisor: Lt.Col. Enrico Palondrit

• 91 (officers)+ 222 (Non-commissioned officers)+ 1500 (soldiers)
• 5 battalions:
• Border Battalion Korçë (Capt. Rexhep Radomires)

• Border Battalion Delvine (Capt. Haxhi Gilagolit)

• Border Battalion Durrës (Capt. Shaban Tiranes)

• Border Battalion Shkodër (Cpt. Hamdi Jusufit)

• Instruction Battalion Korçë ( Col. Preng Pervizit)

See also

• Zogu
• Zogist salute

Bibliography

• Court of King Zog Research Society
• Piero Crociani, "Gli Albanesi Nelle Forze Armate Italiane (1939–1945)", Roma 2001
• Bernd Fischer, "Albania at War, 1939-1945", London, 1999
• Time Magazine, April 17, 1939 (article "A Birth and a Death") & Albania: Zog, Not Scanderbeg (Monday, Jun. 17, 1929)
• "Jane's Fighting Ships", London, various years
• "League of Nations Armaments Yearbook", Geneva, various years 1924-1938
• e-archives of Korrieri, Tiranë Gazeta and other Albanian newspapers
• on-line articles of the Albanian Headquarters and General Staff website
• on-line articles of Ushtria Gazeta (Army Gazette)