The XVI Army Corps (Italian : XVI Corpo d'Armata) was a corps of the Royal Italian Army between 1916 and 1943.
During World War I, Italy had sent a force to Albania in December 1914, even before it had joined the allies. This force was called Corpo di Occupazione di Valona and renamed Corpo Speciale d’Albania in December 1915. After it helped to evacuate the retreating Serbian Army, it also left Albania in March 1916. [1]
On 20 March 1916, the Corpo Speciale d’Albania was renamed XVI Army Corps, and sent to Albania again in May 1916, where it fought against the Central powers until the end of the war. It was disbanded on 31 August 1919.
A new XVI Army Corps was created in Milan on 1 March 1940. On 1 October 1941, the Corps was moved to Sicily.
The Corps was composed of :
Together with the XII Army Corps, the XVI Corps was engaged in intense fighting during the Allied invasion of Sicily (9 July – 17 August 1943) and suffered heavy casualties.
The remnants of the Corps were withdrawn to La Spezia where they surrendered to the Germans on 9 September 1943. [2]
The 36th Infantry Division "Forlì" was a infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The Forlì was classified as a mountain infantry division, which meant that the division's artillery was moved by pack mules instead of the horse-drawn carriages of line infantry divisions. Italy's real mountain warfare divisions were the six alpine divisions manned by Alpini mountain troops. The division was formed on 31 March 1939 and named for the city of Forlì. The division was based in Saluzzo and most of its troops were drafted in the surrounding Langhe region in southern Piedmont. The division's two infantry regiments were based in Alba (43rd) and Saluzzo (44th), with the division's artillery regiment also based in Saluzzo.
The 7th Infantry Division "Lupi di Toscana" was an infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The Division, with the exception of the 78th Infantry Regiment based in Bergamo, was based in Brescia. Despite its name referencing the region of Tuscany, the division was formed by men from Lombardy, especially from Brescia, Bergamo and the surrounding valleys.
The 38th Infantry Division "Puglie" was a infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The Puglie was classified as a mountain infantry division, which meant that the division's artillery was moved by pack mules instead of the horse-drawn carriages of line infantry divisions. Italy's real mountain warfare divisions were the six alpine divisions manned by Alpini mountain troops.
The 47th Infantry Division "Bari" was an infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The Bari was formed on 15 September 1939 in the city of Bari. After the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943 the division became part of the Italian Co-belligerent Army. On 21 September 1944 the division was reorganized as Internal Security Division "Aosta". The Bari drafted its men in Bari and the surrounding Salento region.
The 58th Infantry Division "Legnano" was an infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The Legnano's predecessor division was formed on 8 February 1934 in Milan and named for the medieval Battle of Legnano. On 24 May 1939 the division split to form the 6th Infantry Division "Cuneo" and the 58th Infantry Division "Legnano". After the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile the Legnano resisted the invading German forces. The division's staff and 67th Infantry Regiment "Legnano" were used to form the first unit of the Italian Co-belligerent Army, which fought on the allied side in the Italian campaign. On 17 February 1944 the division's last units joined other commands and the division was officially dissolved.
The 49th Infantry Division "Parma" was an infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The Parma was activated on 12 September 1939 in Macerata and named for the city of Parma. After the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943 the division was disbanded by German forces in Vlorë in Albania.
The XIV Corps was a corps of the Royal Italian Army during World War II that participated in the invasion of Yugoslavia.
The Army of the Po, numbered the Sixth Army, was a field army of the Royal Italian Army during World War II (1939–45).
The XXVI Army Corps was an infantry corps of the Royal Italian Army during World War I, the Italian invasion of Albania, and the Greco-Italian War and the subsequent Italian occupation of Greece during World War II.
The XXV Army Corps was an infantry corps of the Royal Italian Army during World War I, the Italian invasion of Albania, and the Greco-Italian War and the subsequent Italian occupation of Greece during World War II.
The VIII Army Corps was an infantry corps of the Royal Italian Army during World War II, when it participated in the Italian invasion of Albania, and the Greco-Italian War and the subsequent Italian occupation of Greece.
Carlo Rossi was an Italian general during World War II.
The 8th Marching Division was a short-lived division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. In the Italian military the term "Marching" refers to temporary units based in Italy to manage replacements for the operational units at the front.
The XII Army Corps was a corps of the Royal Italian Army between 1883 and 1943.
The XXX Army Corps was a corps of the Royal Italian Army between 1915 and 1943. It was also known as Special Army Corps between November 1940 and June 1941.
The IX Army Corps was a corps of the Royal Italian Army between 1877 and 1944.
The 72nd Infantry Regiment "Puglie" is an inactive unit of the Italian Army last based in Albenga. Formed in 1862 the regiment is part of the Italian Army's infantry arm and named for the region of Apulia.
The 63rd Infantry Regiment "Cagliari" is an inactive unit of the Italian Army last based in Albenga. Formed in 1862 the regiment is part of the Italian Army's infantry arm and named for the city of Cagliari in Sardinia.
The 68th Infantry Regiment "Legnano" is an inactive unit of the Italian Army last based in Bergamo. Formed in 1862 and originally named for the city of Palermo the regiment is part of the Italian Army's infantry arm. Since 1939 the regiment is named for the medieval Battle of Legnano.
The 10th Bersaglieri Regiment is an inactive unit of the Italian Army last based in Palermo in Sicily. The regiment is part of the Italian Army's infantry corps' Bersaglieri speciality. The regiment was formed in 1871 by the Royal Italian Army with preexisting battalions. In 1914 the regiment was sent to Albania, where it remained for the duration of World War I.