62nd Infantry Division Marmarica
| 62nd Infantry Division Marmarica | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1939–1941 |
| Country | Italy |
| Branch | Italian Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Division |
| Nickname | Marmarica |
| Engagements | World War II |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol |
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The 62nd Infantry Division Marmarica was an Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Marmarica Division was sent to Libya in October 1939. It took part in the Italian invasion of Egypt in September 1940. It was destroyed at Bardia in January 1941, during the British counter-attack (Operation Compass).
Libya
The Marmarica Division was part of the Italian forces that invaded Egypt Battle of Marmarica the division was located at Sidi Omar to the south of Sollum. After the British counter-attack what remained of the Division was located at Bardia. On 3 January 1941, The British resumed the offensive.[1] As the Allied forces advanced, several large Italian units were surrounded, cut off from supply, and defeated. After some hard fighting, one position after another surrendered. The Australians captured Bardia on 5 January, taking 45,000 prisoners[2] and 462 guns[3] for a loss of 130 dead and 326 wounded of their own.[4][5] However the fighting was fierce. An Australian historian later wrote that "in parts their defence was most efficient and often extremely brave."[6]
Order of battle
- 115. Infantry Regiment
- 116. Infantry Regiment
- 44. Artillery Regiment
- 62. Engineer Battalion
- 62. Machine Gun Battalion [nb 1][8]
Notes
- Footnotes
- ↑ An Italian Infantry Division normally consisted of two Infantry Regiments (three Battalions each), an Artillery Regiment, a Mortar Battalion (two companies), an Anti Tank ComThpany, 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.[7]
- Citations
- ↑ Mead, p 332
- ↑ Wavell in The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 37628. p. 3265. 25 June 1946.
- ↑ Churchill 1949, p. 616
- ↑ "Bardia & Excuses". Time Magazine (6 January 1941). 6 January 1941. Archived from the original on 3 December 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-17.
- ↑ Latimer, p. 54.
- ↑ Baker, Kevin (2005). Paul Cullen, Citizen and Soldier: The Life And Times of Major-General Paul Cullen. Dural, N.S.W.: Rosenberg. ISBN 1-877058-28-9., p. 56
- ↑ Paoletti, p 170
- ↑ Wendal, Marcus. "Italian Army". Axis History. Retrieved 2009-04-24.
References
- Churchill, Winston (1949). Volume 2: Their Finest Hour. The Second World War (1st ed.). Houghton Mifflin Company.
- Latimer, Jon (2000). Operation Compass 1940: Wavell's Whirlwind Offensive. Oxford: Osprey. ISBN 1-85532-967-0.
- Mead, Richard (2007). Churchill's Lions: A biographical guide to the key British generals of World War II. Stroud (UK): Spellmount. pp. 544 pages. ISBN 978-1-86227-431-0.
- Paoletti, Ciro (2008). A Military History of Italy. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 0-275-98505-9.