Royal Albanian Gendarmerie

The Royal Albanian Gendarmerie was from 1925 till 1939 and was part of the Royal Albanian Army.

Background
Unlike the rest of the Albanian army the Gendarmerie had British advisors on its staff and with the units. King Zog, who regarded them as a necessary counterweight to the army, steadfastly refused to replace them with Italian officers, to the chagrin of Mussolini. In April 1939 the gendarmes put up a more spirited resistance at Durrës and elsewhere than did the Italian-dominated regular army.

Their hats had a characteristic "Z" in the middle. Thirty-one companies were active. It was intended to have 10 battalions (1 per prefecture), with 39 companies (1 per sub-prefecture), but this was not achieved. On paper the Gendarmerie had 136 officers, 440 NCOs and 3,206 corporals and gendarmes, but the Italians found only 131 officers and 2,736 other ranks, which does not tally with the strengths reported for the major units; those were theoretical only.

Structure
There were six battalions:


 * Gendarmerie Battalion Gjinokaster (Maj. Gjek Mirashi)
 * 600 men, 4 Schwarzelose machine guns, 12 rifle grenade launchers


 * Gendarmerie Battalion Berat (Maj. Mahmut Golomi)
 * 500 men, 4 Schwarzelose machine guns


 * Gendarmerie Battalion Elbasan (Maj. Xhafer Shkami)
 * 400 men, 4 Schwarzelose machine guns


 * Gendarmerie Battalion Shkoder (Maj. Llesh Mirashi)
 * 400 men, 4 Schwarzelose machine guns


 * Gendarmerie Battalion Durrës (Capt. Xhemal Herri)
 * 500 men, 4 Schwarzelose machine guns


 * Gendarmerie Battalion Kukës (Maj. Lufti Batku)
 * 400 men, 4 Schwarzelose machine guns


 * Instruction Battalion at Burrel (Maj. Murat Basha)
 * 600 men, battery (x4) Skoda 75mm L/13, company 12 Fiat machine guns