In July 1942 the division was sent to Libya to fight in the Western Desert Campaign and was destroyed during the Second Battle of El Alamein in early November 1942.

At the outbreak of World War II the school had raised two Libyan and one Italian paratroopers battalion.

In July 1941 the I Carabinieri Paratroopers Battalion was transferred to Libya, where it participated in the Western Desert Campaign.

An additionally seventh battery was formed with surplus materiel found by the division during its transfer to the front.

[4] After the Battle of Alam el Halfa the Folgore split into four tactical groupings named after their commanders.

[1] The few survivors who managed to escape were organized into the CLXXXV Paratroopers Battalion "Folgore", which fought in the Tunisian Campaign on the Mareth Line and was destroyed during the Battle of Takrouna on 20–21 April 1943.

[14] At El-Alamein, throughout several engagements, the Italian paratroopers were either able to resist the attacks made upon them or, when the Allied forces had been successful in completely wiping out the first line of Folgore outposts, to reform again, usually counterattacking.

The 7th Armoured Division had been ordered to spare their tanks, so their attacks were called off after the bloody fighting during the night of October 24/25.

[16] On 24 September 1944 the Italian Co-Belligerent Army raised the Combat Group "Folgore" with soldiers and materiel from the disbanded 184th Infantry Division "Nembo".

On 1 January 1963 the Italian Army raised the I Paratroopers Brigade in Pisa, which received the name "Folgore" on 10 June 1967.

The division was sent to Africa and fought in the battles of El Alamein with the following structure:[17] Note 1: After suffering heavy losses the IX and X paratrooper battalions were merged as IX Paratroopers Battalion For their conduct during the Western Desert Campaign the President of Italy awarded on 26 March 1963 to the three regiments of the 185th Infantry Division "Folgore" Italy's highest military honor, the Gold Medal of Military Valor.