51st Infantry Division Siena

51st Infantry Division Siena
Active 19391943
Country  Kingdom of Italy
Allegiance King of Italy
Branch  Royal Italian Army
Type Infantry
Size Division
Garrison/HQ Naples
Nickname Siena
Engagements World War II
Commanders
Notable
commanders
General Gualtiero Gabutti, Lieutenant General Angelico Carta

The 51st Infantry Division Siena (Italian: 51a Divisione di Fanteria "Siena") was a regular infantry division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Siena Division was fully mobilized in August 1940, for service in the occupation of Albania in the following September. It took part in the Greco-Italian War as part of the Italian VIII Corps suffering heavy losses. It was next used as an occupation force and in May 1941, was located in the Peloponnese before being transferred to the island of Crete and joining the Italian XXVI Corps in September 1941. It remained in Crete until September 1943, when Italy surrendered to the Allies and the division was disarmed by the Germans.[1]

Historically a Campanian unit, it was made almost entirely of Neapolitans.

2,670 men drowned when they were transported to the mainland as PoWs on the SS Petrella, which was torpedoed by the HMS Sportsman.

Commander

General Gualtiero Gabutti [2]

Order of battle

Notes

Footnotes
  1. An Italian Infantry Division normally consisted of two Infantry Regiments (three Battalions each), an Artillery Regiment, a Mortar Battalion (two companies), an Anti Tank Company, a Blackshirt Legion of two Battalions was sometimes attached. Each Division had only about 7,000 men, The Infantry and Artillery Regiments contained 1,650 men, the Blackshirt Legion 1,200, each company 150 men.[3]
Citations
  1. 1.0 1.1 Marcus Wendal. "Italian Army". Axis History. Retrieved 2009-05-04.
  2. Enrico Tagliazucchi and Franco Agostini. "Royal Italian Army". World War II Armed Forces – Orders of Battle and Organizations. Archived from the original on 4 April 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-04.
  3. Paoletti, p 170