This was a common joke that circulated during WWII among German Officers about the Italians, due to their poor performance in the African theatre. Translated it goes something like this:
(News broadcast): "This morning an Italian division encountered an enemy bicycle in Tripoli. There was an immediate engagement, and the Italians managed to capture the rear wheel and the seat. There is still heavy fighting over the steering column and the front wheel, but the situation looks rather bleak for the Italians. More on this later."
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