History
At the beginning of June 1940, the Livorno division was deployed at the border with France, south-west of Vinadio, concentrating at Pas de Saint-Anne and Lausfer pass. Rear echelons stretched back to Bagni di Vinadio. It started operations on 13 June 1940 by shelling across the border. The actual advance started 15 June 1940 with the capture of Collalunga pass at altitude 2608 m. There was intermittent fighting mostly in the form of artillery barrage until 23 June 1940, when fierce fighting erupted. After a day-long assault, the Italian forces were able to break the French defenses and reached Saint-Honorat in La Bollène-Vésubie commune. Afterward, the advance stalled and not much progress was made until the armistice of 25 June 1940. The Livorno division was reformed into an assault-landing division in March 1942, for the planned Invasion of Malta. When the invasion was canceled it was transferred to Sicily in mid-February 1943, [1] and was planned to be shipped to North Africa but that order was canceled. [2]
Sicily
The Livorno Division was the only Italian mobile division in Sicily and was considered by the Germans and most Italians to be far superior to the other divisions, as they had originally been intended for the assault on Malta in June 1942. It consisted of high-quality troops and it had sufficient transport to move all of its infantry units simultaneously. Located in Caltanissetta-San Cataldo-Aragona-Raffadali-Butera area at the start of the invasion on 10 July 1943, they carried out a substantial counterattack 10–11 July 1943 and threatened to throw the invaders back into the sea, being stopped just a few hundred meters from the beaches. On 10 July Livorno infantry supported by the 155th Bersaglieri Motorcycle Company and a column of tanks poured onto Highways 115 and 117 and nearly retook the city of Gela, but guns from the destroyer Shubrick and the light cruiser Boise destroyed several Fiat 3000 tanks (a L.5/30 variant). Also, Allied forces had attacked a division right flank from Licata in the direction of Ravanusa and Riesi, tying up much of the Italian troops. The Battle of Gela was reported by an American newspaper: "Supported by no less than forty-five tanks, a considerable force of infantry of the Livorno Division attacked the American troops around Gela. The American division beat them back with severe casualties. This was the heaviest response to the Allied advance." [3] The Livorno regrouped and made a further attempt to retake Gela two days later and the 3rd Battalion, 34 Livorno Regiment, is recorded by its commanding officer as having made a valiant effort in the Gela Beachhead. But on 15 July 1943, the Allied armored units attacked from west to between Valguarnera Caropepe and Raddusa, threatening to encircle Livorno division. Raddusa was lost by the Italians on 18 July 1943 after heavy fighting, and Livorno division took a stand at Simeto river down to the river mouth south of Catania. On 22 July 1943 the Livorno division was subject to heavy coastal bombardment by British ships between Leonforte and Simeto mouth, but managed to hold its position.
Failures of other Axis units in Sicily then forced Livorno division to retreat. The retreat route passed through Agira and Regalbuto, where Livorno suffered severe losses. The remnants of Livorno were sent to 2nd echelon at Castroreale to reorganize on 30 July 1943, but because of a complete absence of supplies, the decision was made to evacuate to the mainland Italy. On 1 August 1943, the Livorno division reached Messina. From 1 August 1943 until 14 August 1943 the Livorno was ferried to Calabria, suffering further losses in the process. Only 4200 troops out of an initial strength of 13000 were evacuated. In early September 1943, the Livorno was sent to Piedmont province for reorganization. It surrendered to the German forces on 9 September 1943, while most of the personnel had deserted. [2]
The 26th Infantry Division Assietta was a mountain infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Assietta Division was reorganized 5 April 1939 as a binary Mountain division. The only difference between line infantry divisions and mountain infantry divisions was that the latter's artillery was carried by pack mules instead of the standard horse-drawn carriages. Italy's real mountain warfare divisions were the six alpine divisions manned by the "Alpini" mountain troops. Most men drafted in the Assietta Division came from Asti and surroundings.
The 9th Infantry Division Pasubio was an auto-transportable binary-type (2-regiments) Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The division was formed as an infantry division in 1934, reorganized into an infantry division in 1939 and mobilized in August 1940. Its 79th Infantry Regiment and 8th Artillery Regiment were made up of men from Verona, while the ranks of the 80th Regiment were filled with men from Mantua. Its 1st Sabauda CCNN Battalion was made up of volunteers from Turin.
1st Infantry Division Superga was a mountain infantry division of the Italian Army during World War II. It was formed in 1940 in Torino (Turin), and was part of the 4th Army, Italian I Corps during the Italian invasion of France. The only difference between line infantry divisions and mountain infantry divisions was that the latter's artillery was carried by pack mules instead of the standard horse-drawn carriages. Italy's real mountain warfare divisions were the six alpine divisions manned by the "Alpini" mountain troops.
The 2nd Infantry Division Sforzesca was a mountain Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Division was mobilized in June 1940 in Novara, for the Italian invasion of France. The only difference between line infantry divisions and mountain infantry divisions was that the latter's artillery was carried by pack mules instead of the standard horse-drawn carriages. Italy's real mountain warfare divisions were the six alpine divisions manned by the "Alpini" mountain troops. The division was named to honor the Italian noble House of Sforza.
The 10th Infantry Division Piave was an infantry division of the Italian Army during World War II. It was formed from Abruzzi brigade in Padua in 1934 as territorial division and was converted to artillery-infantry auto-transportable division format in 1939, meaning staff and equipment could be transported on cars and trucks, although not simultaneously.
The 52nd Infantry Division Torino was an auto-transportable infantry division of the Italian Army during World War II. The division was formed from the expansion of the Torino Brigade in June 1940. It took part in the Invasion of Yugoslavia and was then sent to the Eastern front as part of the Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia.
The 103rd Infantry Division Piacenza was an auto-transportable infantry division of the Italian Army during World War II. The division was formed in 1942, and was in the Italian Fourth Army's XXII Corps that was part of the occupying Italian army in the Toulon area of France. At the end of August 1943, the Italian High Command moved the 4th Army from southern France back to Italy, where it was destroyed fighting the Germans after the Italian surrender in September 1943.
The Infantry Division "Friuli" was a division of the Italian Army active in World War II and during the early days of the Cold War.
The 31st Infantry Division Calabria was an infantry division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Calabria Division, formed from the 31st Infantry Brigade "Caprera" 15 October 1939, was part of the garrison at Sardinia where it remained until it surrendered to the Allies after the Italian surrender in September 1943. The Division would then serve on the Allied side until the end of the war.
The 37th Infantry Division Modena was a mountain Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. It was formed 25 March 1939, from the parts of the Territorial Division Imperia 5a. It was made up entirely of men from Genoa and Liguria. The only difference between line infantry divisions and mountain infantry divisions was that the latter's artillery was carried by pack mules instead of the standard horse-drawn carriages. Italy's real mountain warfare divisions were the six alpine divisions manned by the "Alpini" mountain troops.
The 44th Infantry Division Cremona was an infantry division of the Italian Army during World War II.
The 48th Infantry Division Taro was an infantry division of the Italian Army during World War II. It was formed on 12 September 1939 in Catanzaro and ceased to function on 8 September 1943 in Toulon.
The 58th Infantry Division Legnano was an Infantry Division of the Royal Italian Army during the Second World War. It was raised on 8 February 1934 in Milan and was disestablished on 17 February 1944 in Apulia. On 24 May 1939 it also spun off the 6th Infantry Division Cuneo.
The 159th Infantry Division Vento was an infantry division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Vento Division was formed in March 1942, as a garrison division. It was stationed on the Yugoslav border and never saw any combat. It was disbanded after the Italian surrender to the Allies in September 1943.
The 151st Infantry Division Perugia was an infantry division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Perugia Division was formed in August 1941 as a garrison division. It was sent on operations to Yugoslavia in December 1941. It was part of the Italian forces committed to the Battle of the Sutjeska. It was then transferred to Albania in August 1943. Following the Italian surrender in September 1943, the division marched from Girokaster to the Albanian coast, where some thousand men could be evacuated by ship to Italy, but the majority was left behind and was largely captured by the Germans of the 99 regiment, I Mountain Division, at "Porto Palermo". The commander of the "Perugia", gen. Ernesto Chiminello, was shot on October 4, 1943, at 16:45; the next day the other 120 officers were shot on the beach of "baia Limione" and their bodies were thrown in the sea. The last 32 officers, after fierce resistance, were captured near Kuc and shot there on the morning of October 7, 1943. Some survivors from the division joined the partisans, many others dispersed and tried to hide and survive in the woods; Bill Tilman reported in October 1943 that some 5,000 survivors from the "Perugia" and "Parma" Divisions were "living on roots and berries".
The 54th Infantry Division Napoli was a regular infantry division of the Italian Army during World War II. It was created 15 April 1939 in Caltanissetta and was dissolved 14 August 1943 in Melia southeast of Scilla, Calabria after being nearly wiped out in the Allied invasion of Sicily. The division drafted men in southern Sicily. The members of the division hailed from Caltanissetta, Agrigento, Syracuse and surrounding territories.
The 56th Infantry Division Casale was a regular Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. It was formed in 1939 in Forlì and was dissolved in September 1943 in Aetolia-Acarnania region of Greece. The majority of its men originated from Romagna.
The 152nd Infantry Division Piceno was an infantry division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Piceno Division was a Garrison division, formed in August 1941. As it was station in Italy it was also used for coastal defence. It was disbanded by the Allies after the Italian surrender in September 1943.
The 156th Infantry Division Vicenza was an infantry division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Vicenza was formed in January 1942 as a garrison division. It was then sent to the Eastern front, as part of the Italian Army in Russia to act as a reserve, behind the front on "line of communications", rear area security and anti-partisan duties. Then in July 1942, it was sent into the front line, where it was overrun and destroyed in the Soviet offensive of December 1942-January 1943. Of 10,466 men in the division, 7,760 were killed or missing.
Regno d'Italia
Regio Esercito
