Career
He was an experienced staff officer who had served in the Italian North Africa since 1938. The Tenth army had its headquarters at Bardia in Libya, and was formed by the 10th and 12th Bersaglieri Regiments, 12th, 26th and 55th Artillery Regiments, Machinegun battalions (detached from 55th Savona, 17th Pavia, 27th Brescia and 27th Bologna Divisions), the partially motorized and lightly armoured Babini Brigade consisted of 57 M13s, there Bersaglieri’s Bns, one Motorcycle Bn, an Artillery Regt, two Antitank Companies, an Engineers Company and Supply units. On 8 December 1940, British General Richard O"Connor launched Although the Italian forces had supremacy in numbers, the Italian army had more tanks and human resources than the British, it was the quality of the Italian weapons that was questionable.
In addition the troops were almost all infantry, and poorly motorized, a real handicap in a war of movement.
Tellera rode into battle in a Fiat-Ansaldo M13 tank during the furious but ultimately unsuccessful three-day battle to break through the British roadblocks at Beda Fomm, which prevented the Tenth Army"s further retreat and led to its ultimate surrender. The battle was characterized by repeated - though poorly coordinated - frontal attacks by the Italian armour, and during one of these Tellera"s vehicle was disabled, and the General mortally wounded.
He was found inside the tank by the British after the battle ended, and died in the hospital the following day. Struck by his heroic resistance, the British army buried him with military honors in Benghazi.
