Royal Albanian Army

Royal Albanian Army Ushtria Mbretërore e Shqipëris
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 Gendarmerie Royal Guard Royal Border Guard
Headquarters	Tirana
Leadership
Commander-in-Chief	Zogu[1][2]
Marshal of Albania	Zogu
Generals	Xhemal Aranitasi Gustaq Mirdaic
Manpower
Military age	18 - 50
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 from 1928 until 1939. Its commander-in-chief was King Zog; its commander General Xhemal Aranitasi; its Chief of Staff was General Gustav Mirdaic. The army was mainly financed by Italy.^[3]

Contents 1 Ranks 1.1 Ranks (1929 - 1936) 1.2 Ranks (1936 - 1939) 2 List of weapons 2.1 Cannons 2.2 Machineguns 2.3 Guns 2.4 Pistols 3 List of equipments 3.1 Army 3.2 Navy 3.3 Air Force 3.4 Gendarmery 4 See also 5 References 6 Bibliography

Ranks

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

Ranks (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 Sergant	Seregant	Corporal	Private
Kapiten	Toger	Nëntoger	Rreshster	Tetar	Ushtar I Parë	Ushtar

Ranks (1936 - 1939)

English Name	General	Lieutenant-General	Major-General	Captain	1st Lieutenant	2nd Lieutenant	Seregant	Corporal	Soldier
Royal Army
Heads
Albanian title	Gjeneral	Gjeneral-Leitenant	Gjeneral-Major	Kapiten	Toger	Nëntoger	Rreshter	Tetar	Ushtar I Parë	Ushtar

List of weapons

Cannons

• Type 41 75 mm Mountain Gun
• Skoda 75 mm Model 1928
• Cannone da 65/17 modello 13

Machineguns

• Schwarzlose MG M.07/12
• Vickers machine gun
• Maxim gun

Guns

• Beretta Model 38
• Beretta Model 1918
• Carcano M1891
• Mannlicher-Schönauer
• Mosin–Nagant

Pistols

• Glisenti Model 1910

List of equipments

Army

• 780 officers + 13200 soldiers
• 9 military districts
• 12 infantry battalions
• 2 motorized infantry squadrons
• 9 engineers companies

• 204 HMG
• 10700 carbines (Carcano M1891, Mannlicher, Mosin)
• 1104 revolvers (Glisenti M1889)

• 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

• Two tanks FIAT 3000B
• Six tankettes CV.33
• Few armoured cars: Bianchi, Lancia IZ

Navy

• 141 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 Force

• 5 aircraft, unknown number of personnel

Gendarmery

• 131 (officers) + 3000 (soldiers)
• 4-5 battalions
• Behind vehicles are the numbers that were in use by the Albanian army.

See also

• Zogu
• Zogist salute

References

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)

Royal Albanian Army Category Leadership King Zog · Xhemal Aranitasi · Gustaq Mirdaic Branches Royal Infantry · Royal Artillery · Royal Engineers · Royal Navy · Royal Gendarmerie · Royal Guard · Royal Border Guard Ranks (1929 – 1936) · (1936 – 1939)