XXV Army Corps (Italy)

Last updated

The XXV Army Corps (Italian : XXV Corpo d'Armata) 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.

Contents

History

The XXV Corps was first established in Mortegliano on 10 April 1917, until its disbandment on 5 January 1919. [1]

On 24 October 1940, in preparation for the Italian invasion of Greece on the 28th, the Ciamuria Army Corps was activated in Italian-occupied Albania, with the 23rd Ferrara and 51st Siena infantry divisions and the Centauro Armoured Division. It was assigned the western (right) half of the Italian front, and on the start of the war advanced into Greek territory until it was stopped in the Battle of Elaia–Kalamas. Following the start of the Greek counteroffensive on the Italian left, covered by XXVI Army Corps, it was forced to retreat. [1] On 17 November 1940 it was redesignated as XXV Army Corps. [1] On 7 December it abandoned Argyrokastro, on 18 December Porto Palermo, and on 20 Himara. To shorten its front, the corps was assigned in mid-December to the sector around Mount Tomorr and the That e Progonat lines, where the Greek offensive was stopped. [1]

On 20 January 1941 it launched spoiling attacks in the Aoös sector to relieve pressure on the Italian left, which was facing the final, unsuccessful Greek push towards Berat. In February, the corps was deployed from Shëndelli to Kurvelesh, and opposed the Greek attacks in the Mount TrebeshinëMount Shëndelli area. [1] On 8 March the corps was placed in defence of Tepeleni, while on the next day it took part in the unsuccessful Italian Spring Offensive (9–18 March). [1] Following the German invasion of Greece on 6 April, the Italian forces in the Albanian front began their own advance against the retreating Greeks; the corps occupied Trebeshinë on 14 April and the Klisura Pass the next day, arriving at Derviçan and Argyrokastro on 19 April. [1] After the Greek capitulation and the Axis occupation of Greece, the corps was disbanded on 31 July and its units transferred to XXVI Corps. [1]

XXV Corps was reconstituted in Albania on 16 December 1941 with its seat at Valona. It comprised the 33rd Acqui and 49th Parma infantry divisions, in coastal defence and anti-partisan duties. The corps was disbanded on 12 September 1943 following the Italian armistice. [1]

Commanders

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ubaldo Soddu</span> Italian general

Ubaldo Soddu was an Italian general and politician who held the position of Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army and Undersecretary of State for War during the initial phases of World War II. On 13 June 1940, immediately after the outbreak of hostilities with France and the United Kingdom, he assumed the position of deputy chief of the General Staff. Promoted to army general, he replaced general Sebastiano Visconti Prasca as commander of the Albanian Higher Troop Command during the Greco-Italian War on 8 November 1940. Because of the defeat Italian troops suffered between 22 and 23 November 1940, he was replaced after four weeks in command by the Italian Royal Army's chief of staff, General Ugo Cavallero.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sebastiano Visconti Prasca</span> Italian general

Sebastiano Visconti Prasca was an Italian general. A veteran of the Italo-Turkish War of 1911–1912 and World War I, he led the initial offensive of the Greco-Italian War in 1940 during World War II, but was relieved of his command after two weeks for incompetence and relieved by General Ubaldo Soddu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">25th Infantry Division "Bologna"</span> Infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II

The 25th Infantry Division "Bologna" was an infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The Bologna was named after the city of Bologna and classified as an auto-transportable division, meaning it had some motorized transport, but not enough to move the entire division at once.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">36th Infantry Division "Forlì"</span> Military unit

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">6th Infantry Division "Cuneo"</span> Military unit

The 6th Infantry Division "Cuneo" was an infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The Cuneo was formed on 24 May 1939 in Milan by splitting the 58th Infantry Division "Legnano" and was named for the city of Cuneo. The Cuneo was part of the III Corps of First Army that took part in the Italian invasion of France, and then it was part of the XXVI Corps during the Greco-Italian War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">7th Infantry Division "Lupi di Toscana"</span> Military unit

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">11th Infantry Division "Brennero"</span> Military unit

The 11th Infantry Division "Brennero" was a infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The Brennero 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 Brennero was named for the Brenner Pass between Italy and Austria. The division was based in the western half of South Tyrol with the division's headquarter in Bolzano.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">37th Infantry Division "Modena"</span> Military unit

The 37th Infantry Division "Modena" was a infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The Modena 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 25 March 1939 with units of the 5th Territorial Division "Imperia" and named for the city of Modena. The division was made up entirely of men from the city of Genoa and the surrounding Liguria region. The division's regimental depots were shared with the 63rd Infantry Division "Cirene", which was based in Benghazi in Libya and recruited its men from and trained them in Liguria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">59th Infantry Division "Cagliari"</span> Military unit

The 59th Infantry Division "Cagliari" was a infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The Cagliari 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">49th Infantry Division "Parma"</span> Military unit

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 11th Army was a World War II field army of the Royal Italian Army. It was formed in November 1940 for service in the Greco-Italian War, and after the German invasion of Greece and the capitulation of that country in April 1941, assumed occupation duties in the Greek mainland. It remained on station in Greece until the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943, when it was forcibly disbanded by the Germans.

The Army of the Po, numbered the Sixth Army, was a field army of the Royal Italian Army during World War II (1939–45).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Hill 731</span> 1941 World War II battle in southern Albania

The Battle of Hill (Height) 731, was a fierce battle fought during World War II in southern Albania, part of the Greco-Italian War. It began in the early morning of 9 March 1941, when Fascist Italy launched an assault against Greece, aimed at capturing the critical mountain pass leading into the Kalpaki valley. Hill 731, strategically located 20 km north of Klisura (Këlcyrë) at the feet of Mount Trebeshinë, stood at the heart of the Greek defensive line. Despite being repeatedly and heavily attacked by superior Italian forces for over two weeks, Hill 731 was not captured, contributing to the failure of the Primavera offensive and the repulsion of Italians.

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 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.

The Italian X Army Corps was a formation of the Italian army in World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlo Rossi (general)</span> Italian general (1880–1967)

Carlo Rossi was an Italian general during World War II.

Alfonso Ollearo was an Italian general during World War II. He was State Undersecretary for the Army of the Italian Social Republic from December 1943 to June 1944.

The XVI Army Corps was a corps of the Royal Italian Army between 1916 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.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "XXV Corpo d'Armata" (in Italian). Retrieved 8 November 2018.