59th Mountain Infantry Division Cagliari
| 59th Mountain Infantry Division Cagliari | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1939–1943 |
| Country |
.svg.png){kind=small} Regno d'Italia Kingdom of Italy |
| Branch |
.svg.png){kind=small} Regio Esercito Royal Italian Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Division |
| Garrison/HQ | Vercelli |
| Nickname | Cagliari |
| Engagements |
World War II Italian invasion of France Greco-Italian War |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | General Antonio Scuero |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol |
 |
| Identification symbol | Cagliari Division collar insignia |
The 59th Mountain Infantry Division Cagliari was an infantry division of the Italian Army during World War II. As part of the Italian I Corps, the Cagliari participated in the Italian invasion of France in June 1940. It remained in France until September when it returned home to Italy. In January 1941, it was sent to Albania and then joined the Italian VIII Corps for the Greco-Italian War. It remained in Greece as an occupation force until the Italian surrender to the Allies in September 1943. Mountain divisions are not to be confused with the "Alpini" specialized mountain troops. The mountain divisions had pack horse artillery instead of the usual towed type.[1]
Garrisoned in Vercelli, the division was made up almost entirely of men from northern Piedmont, especially from Vercelli and Ivrea.
Commander
General Antonio Scuero
Order of battle
- 63. Cagliari Infantry Regiment
- 64. Cagliari Infantry Regiment
- 59. Artillery Regiment
- 28. CCNN Legion (Blackshirts)
- 59. Mortar Battalion
- 59. Anti-Tank Company
- 59. Signal Company
- 15. Pioneer Company [nb 1][1]
Notes
- Footnotes
- ↑ An Italian infantry division normally consisted of two infantry regiments (three battalions each), an artillery regiment, a mortar battalion (two companies) and an anti-tank company. A Blackshirt legion of two battalions was also 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 consisted of 150 men.[2]
- Citations
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Wendal, Marcus. "Italian Army". Axis History. Retrieved 2009-04-24.
- ↑ Paoletti, p 170
- Paoletti, Ciro (2008). A Military History of Italy. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 0-275-98505-9.