The Black Shirts were sent to the Eastern Front to constitute the ideological spearhead of the struggle between fascism and Soviet communism summed up by Mussolini with the slogan: Or Rome or Moscow. After the good results obtained in 1941 by the 63rd Tagliamento Legion, other units were sent to Russia in the course of 1942 coming to form the Groupings 3 Gennaio and 23 Marzo, which were practically two brigades that, together with the Croatian Legion of MVSN, distinguished themselves during the advance towards Don and Volga and during the defensive battles of summer-winter 1942, and that suffered heavy losses during the Italian retreat of winter 1942-43.