202nd Coastal Division (Italy)

The 202nd Coastal Division was an infantry division of the Italian Army during World War II. The division was based in Sicily during the Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky. It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign. Elements of the Division were used to form the incomplete 230th Coastal Division.^[1]

Coastal divisions, were second line divisions, usually formed from men in their forties and fifties intended to perform labouring and second line duties. Recruited locally they were often commanded by officers called out of retirement. Their equipment was also second rate; Mussolini had hoped to obtain large quantities of arms and equipment from the disbanded Vichy French army, but this had often been sabotaged or arrived with no ammunition. ^[1]

Order of battle^[2]

• 119th Regiment (from 155th Division)
• 120th Coastal regiment
  • 245th Battalion
  • 378th Battalion
  • 387th Battalion
  • 497th Battalion
• 137th Coastal Regiment
  • 219th Battalion
  • 438th Battalion
  • 443rd Battalion
• 142nd Coastal Regiment
  • 376th Coastal Battalion
  • 377th Coastal Battalion
  • 427th Coastal Battalion
  • 303rd Coastal Battalion
• 43rd Group of Coastal Battalions
  • 7th CD Artillery Battalion
  • 20th CD Artillery Battalion
  • 22nd CD Artillery Battalion (105mm L28 guns)
  • 76th GaF Artillery Battalion
  • 218th Artillery Battalion (100mm L22 Skoda guns)
• 109th MG Battalion
  • 536th Company
  • 550th Company
• 508th MG Company
• 510th MG Company
• 626th MG Company
• 645th MG Company
• 102nd Mortar Company
• 161st Mtrcl Company

References

• Jowett, Philip S. (2000). The Italian Army 1940-45 (1): Europe 1940-1943. Osprey, Oxford - New York. ISBN 978-1-85532-864-8.