Italian preparations Northern front, East Africa, 1940

before italian declaration of war, mussolini intended defensive strategy in aoi, tactical offensives protect eritrea attacking french somaliland (djibouti) , conducting limited attacks on sudan. italian army in aoi had 1 metropolitan division, equivalent of 2 more european divisions, short of heavy weapons , transport , 7 understrength colonial divisions. army organised in 4 commands, northern sector in vicinity of asmara, eritrea (lieutenant-general luigi frusci, comando truppe dell eritrea of regio corpo truppe coloniali d eritrea, governor of eritrea governorate , amhara governorate), southern sector in galla-sidamo governorate (general pietro gazzera), eastern sector on border french somaliland , british somaliland (general guglielmo nasi) , giuba sector (lieutenant-general carlo de simone) covering southern somalia near kismayo, italian somaliland. regia aeronautica had 325 aircraft in aoi, 142 of in reserve (not operational) little prospect of more supplies of fuel, ammunition , spare parts. force concentrated near sudan border attack on kassala, comprising 2 colonial brigades, 4 squadrons of cavalry, approximately 24 light tanks, medium tanks , armoured cars , ten batteries of artillery.