58th Infantry Division Legnano

This article is about the historic Italian 58th Infantry Division Legnano. For the historic Italian Army brigade, see Legnano Mechanized Brigade.
58th Infantry Division Legnano
Active 1939–1945
Country Italy
Branch Italian Army
Type Infantry
Size Division
Nickname(s) Legnano
Engagements World War II

The 58th Infantry Division Legnano was an Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. It was established 8 February 1934 in Milan and was dissolved 17 February 1944 in Puglia. 24 May 1939 it also spun off the 6th Infantry Division Cuneo.

Action

In 1940 the division remained in Fenestrelle-Col de Fenestre as a reserve force of 4th Army during the Italian invasion of France. The division was transferred to Albania in January 1941 to stop Greek breakthrough during Capture of Klisura Pass, arriving to coastal front lines 7 January 1941, and 26 January 1941 have engaged Greek Këlcyrë, trying to advance to Arrëza e Madhe, on the northern flank of Battle of Trebeshina. The Legnano advance ultimately failed, forcing the division to defence by 8 March, 1941, therefore Legnano did not participate in the Italian Spring Offensive. After Greek units withdraw following the beginning of Battle of Greece, the Legnano division have entered Këlcyrë 16 April 1941. The division have reached Kuman before being re-assigned to the reserve of the 9th Army. 21 June the Legnano have started boarding ships in Vlorë to return to Lombardy.[1] The division was soon transferred again, this time to Liguria.

In November 1942 the division participated in the occupation of Vichy France and remained afterwards in France on occupation duty. In August 1943 the division returned to Italy - first to Bologna and then to Brindisi in the southern region of Apulia. After allied forces had landed on the Italian peninsula and an armistice between Italy and the Allies had been signed, the division stayed loyal to the Italian King Victor Emmanuel III, who fled with the royal court from Rome to Brindisi.

In November 1942, the division was sent to the France, for coastal defence of the Cannes-Saint-Tropez sector. In July 1943, the division have started a gradual return to Puglia in mainland Italy. By the day of the Armistice of Cassibile announcement 8 September 1943, some small detachments were already at Brindisi and Francavilla Fontana, while many other units were still stranded at Bologna and other locations during transit. The division stayed loyal to the Italian King Victor Emmanuel III, who fled with the royal court from Rome to Brindisi. Therefore, the Legnano have cooperated with Allies who son arrived as part of Operation Slapstick.

On 26 September 1943 the division re-formed as the Italian 1st Motorized Group, which was to aid in the Allied war effort. In the next months the division lost all its units, which were needed on the front lines. On 17 February 1944 the division was deactivated after its last units had joined other units. On 24 September 1944 the I Brigade of the Italian Liberation Corps (Corpo Italiano di Liberazione, or CIL), was renamed as Legnano Combat Group. The Combat Group consisted of the 68th Infantry Regiment Palermo, the 11th Motorized Artillery Regiment, the elite IX Assault Battalion and the Special Infantry Regiment, which consisted of the remnants of the 3rd Alpini Regiment and 4th Bersaglieri Regiment. The Combat Group was equipped with British weapons and materiel. The Legnano entered the front as part of the Polish II Corps on the extreme left of the British 8th Army near the river Idice and was tasked with liberating Bologna.

Orders of battle

Order of battle (1934)

Order of battle (1940)

Order of battle (8 September 1943)

Of them, reached Puglia (by 8 September 1943):

Additionally, reached Puglia (by 13 September 1943):

Order of battle (26 September 1943) as 1st Motorized Group

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.[2]
Citations
  1. ↑ http://www.regioesercito.it/reparti/fanteria/rediv58.htm
  2. ↑ Paoletti, p 170
  3. ↑ Marcus Wendal. "Italian Army". Axis History. Retrieved 2009-04-28.

References

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