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155th Infantry Division "Emilia"

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The 155th Infantry Division "Emilia" (Italian: 155ª Divisione di fanteria "Emilia") was an infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during the World War II. The Emilia was formed on 1 December 1941 and named for the historic region of Emilia. The Emilia was classified as an occupation infantry division, which meant that the division's artillery regiment consisted of two artillery groups instead of the three artillery groups of line infantry divisions and that the divisional mortar battalion was replaced by a divisional machine gun battalion.

155th Infantry Division "Emilia"
155th Infantry Division "Emilia" insignia
Active1 December 1941– 1 October 1943
Country Kingdom of Italy
Branch Royal Italian Army
TypeInfantry
SizeDivision
EngagementsSecond World War
Insignia
Identification
symbol
Emilia Division gorget patches

In April 1942 the division was sent to Dalmatia to fight Yugoslav Partisans. After the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943 the division fought advancing German forces for eight days, before crossing the Adriatic Sea to reach Apulia in Southern Italy, where the division's survivors joined forces with the Italian Co-belligerent Army.[1][2]

History

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World War I

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The division's lineage begins with the Brigade "Emilia" raised in Bologna in March 1915 with the 119th and 120th infantry regiments. The brigade fought on the Italian front in World War I and together with its regiments was disbanded after the war in December 1919.[1]

World War II

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The 155th Infantry Division "Emilia" was activated in Ancona on 1 December 1941 and consisted of the 119th Infantry Regiment "Emilia", 120th Infantry Regiment "Emilia", and the 155th Artillery Regiment "Emilia". As a division raised during the war the Emilia did not have its own regimental depots and therefore its regiments were raised by the depots of the 18th Infantry Division "Messina": the 119th Infantry Regiment "Emilia" was raised in Ancona on 15 October 1941 by the 93rd Infantry Regiment "Messina" and the 120th Infantry Regiment "Emilia" was raised in Fano on 15 October 1941 by the 94th Infantry Regiment "Messina", while the 155th Artillery Regiment "Emilia" was raised in Pesaro on 1 December 1941 by the 2nd Artillery Regiment "Messina".[1][2][3][4]

The division left its bases in the Marche region on 18 March 1942 and was shipped from Bari to Kotor in Montenegro, where it assembled on 24 March. The division based its headquarter Kotor, with its units garrisoned in Kumbor and Herceg Novi, along the coast to Budva, along the Gruda-Zelenika railway, and later also in Nikšić. The division hardly saw any combat as the activities of the Yugoslav partisans in the Emilia's area of operation were minimal. Only when the division took over the Nikšić sector from the 151st Infantry Division "Perugia" did sporadic fighting erupt in Grahovo, Vilusi and Trubjela.[1]

After the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943 the division concentrated its forces around the Bay of Kotor and formed with the units of the Royal Italian Navy a defense perimeter. The division refused German demands to surrender. On 14 September the division went on the offensive and overran German positions at Prevlaka, Lepetani, and Trojica, and on the Vrmac and Kobyla mountains. Only the German bases at Gruda and in Kotor managed to resist. On 15 September the Germans were reinforced at Gruda and began an intense aerial bombardment of the Emilia's positions. In the afternoon German forces began an offensive from Gruda, Trebinje, Nikšić, and Cetinje.[1]

On 16 September the division's commander Ugo Buttà ordered the Emilia's units to requisition every vessel in Kotor harbor and sail for Apulia in Southern Italy, where British and Italian forces had driven out the Germans. The same evening most of the division managed to reach Apulia, while the division's rearguard, the I Battalion of the 120th Infantry Regiment, surrendered. On 1 October 1943 the division was dissolved and its regiments reassigned to other divisions of the Italian Co-belligerent Army:[1]

  • 119th Infantry Regiment "Emilia", was reformed with the survivors of the Emilia division was initially assigned to the 152nd Infantry Division "Piceno", and then transferred to the 104th Infantry Division "Mantova" on 10 February 1944
  • 120th Infantry Regiment "Emilia", was reformed with units of other regiments:
  • 155th Artillery Regiment "Emilia", had lost all its equipment and was reformed with British materiel and assigned to the 104th Infantry Division "Mantova" on 10 February 1944

Organization

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Attached to the division during its deployment in Montenegro:[2]

  • 4th Bersaglieri Regiment[6]
    • Command Company
    • XXVI Bersaglieri Battalion
    • XXIX Bersaglieri Battalion
    • XXXI Bersaglieri Battalion
    • 4th Bersaglieri Motorcyclists Company
    • 4th Anti-tank Company (47/32 anti-tank guns)
  • XXV Carabinieri Battalion
  • LXXXI CC.NN. Battalion
  • 135th Volunteer Formation "Val Zupa" (Montenegrin Anti-Communist Volunteer Militia)
  • 415th Mortar Company (81mm Mod. 35 mortars)

Commanding officers

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The division's commanding officers were:[1][2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "155ª Divisione di fanteria "Emilia"". Regio Esercito. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e Bollettino dell'Archivio dell'Ufficio Storico N.II-3 e 4 2002. Rome: Ministero della Difesa - Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito - Ufficio Storico. 2002. p. 343. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  3. ^ a b "119° Reggimento di fanteria "Emilia"". Regio Esercito. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  4. ^ a b "120° Reggimento di fanteria "Emilia"". Regio Esercito. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  5. ^ F. dell'Uomo, R. di Rosa (1998). L'Esercito Italiano verso il 2000 - Vol. Secondo - Tomo II. Rome: SME - Ufficio Storico. p. 175.
  6. ^ "4° Reggimento Bersaglieri". Regio Esercito. Retrieved 22 December 2021.


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