April 8 1940: Late in the evening, German heavy cruiser "Blücher", heavy cruiser "Lützow", light cruiser "Emden", three torpedo boats and eight minesweepers, codenamed Kampfgruppe 5 (Rear-Admiral Oskar Kummetz), transporting 2,000 troops to capture Oslo in the initial stages of the German invasion of Norway, are spotted by the Norwegian guard vessel "Pol III". The German ships fire at her, killing her CO, Cpt. Leif Welding-Olsen who becomes the first Norwegian military fatal casualty of WWII.

Cpt. Leif Welding-Olsen

January 6 1941. During the Greco-Italian War, the bloodiest and fiercest battle of the war begins with the Greek advance into the Këlcyrë gorge. Këlcyrë (Clisura in Greek), is the name of a town and gorge in southern Albania created by the river Vjosë, near the homonymous town. The three divisions of Greek B' Army Corps (Lt. Gen. Georgios Bakos) enter the gorge and engage in a fierce encounter with the Italian 7th Infantry Division Wolves of Tuscany (7ª Divisione fanteria &quot;Lupi di Toscana&quot;) the 3rd Mountain Division Julia (3ª Divisione Alpina &quot;Giulia&quot;) and the 131st Armoured Division Centaur (131ª Divisione corazzata &quot;Centauro&quot;).

Captured by Greeks, Italian Fiat-Ansaldo M13/40

Republican soldiers during the battle of Guadalajara, 1937. Note the camo "ponchos". During the civil war also the Italians started to wear camo ponchos made by telotenda mod. 1929. DVX