The war on packed snow, in the winter months, required the training of departments specialized in the use of winter equipment such as skis and sleds. Although some units of skiers already existed before 1915, the start of hostilities in the Dolomites required a greater number of soldiers capable of performing maneuvers on the snow. The training took place both in the rear and near the front, as documented by some sources: for example, in October 1915, the Italian sharpshooters saw the Austrians practicing with skis and sleds on the slopes of the Torre di Toblin/Toblinerknoten, and forced them to stop with shotguns.1Archivio dell’Ufficio storico dello Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito, Roma, Diario VIII Reggimento Bersaglieri, AUSSME_B1_137S_1748c, 19 ottobre 1915.
In addition to skis, sleds pulled by specially trained dogs also proved useful especially for transporting materials.2Archivio dell’Ufficio storico dello Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito, Roma, Allegati diario 1° Corpo d’Armata, AUSSME_B1_110D_3A, dicembre 1915. The continuing shortage of skier battalions and trained animals, however, made large offensive operations very rare in the cold months; for example, a winter attack on Torre di Toblin/Toblinerknoten, was rejected due to the lack of the necessary men and equipment.3Archivio dell’Ufficio storico dello Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito, Roma, Allegati diario del 1° Corpo d’Armata, AUSSME_B1_110D_3A, febbraio 1916. In this regard, it is interesting to quote some extracts from a manual on the use of ski units published by the Italian Supreme Command in 1917: “To employ these departments in ordinary attacks of firm positions, would constitute a deplorable waste of precious elements not easy to supply”.4Regio Esercito Italiano, Comando Supremo, Criteri d’impiego dei reparti skiatori, Laboratorio lito-tipografico del comando supremo, 1917, p. 5. A little further on it is explained the conditions in which to use these departments:
“Surprise is the purpose and essential characteristic of the offensive actions of the skiers… More particularly, the following are indispensable: a) the conscientious and precise study of the itineraries and of all the tactical and above all logistical details, bearing in mind that any shortcoming in these details is generally irreparable; b) the careful choice of the moment, tactically and mountaineering appropriate, in relation to snow conditions (frost, wet, falling, fresh, etc.) and weather conditions (fog, storm, etc.); c) perfect knowledge of the terrain, or having already traveled it, or by study of monographs, photographs, mountaineering reports, or by direct observation from some point suitable for this purpose; (d) the division of tasks in relation to the departments to be acted and the intelligent choice of elements, taking into account the technical ability of each individual skier.”5Regio Esercito Italiano, Comando Supremo, Criteri d’impiego dei reparti skiatori, Laboratorio lito-tipografico del comando supremo, 1917, pp. 6-7.
It is interesting to consider that many soldiers who learned the techniques of downhill skiing during the war continued to practice even once they returned to civilian life after the war, contributing to the development of winter tourism.