The 4th Mountain Division “Livorno” ( Italian: 4ª Divisione fanteria da montanga “Livorno” ) - a unit of mountain shooters of the Royal Italian Army , which existed from 1939 to 1943 and participated in the battles on the French front and for Sicily during the Second World War . It was de facto defeated in Sicily in July 1943.
| 4th Mountain Division 4 HSD | |
|---|---|
| Years of existence | April 5, 1939 - September 8, 1943 |
| A country |  Italy |
| Subordination | Royal italian army |
| Type of | mountain rifle division |
| Number | 13 thousand (three regiments) |
| Dislocation | Cuneo |
| Nickname | Livorno |
| Participation in |
|
| Commanders | |
| Famous commanders | Antero Canale, Benvenuto Joda, Domenico Kirileison |
Content
- 1 History
- 2 Composition
- 3 Literature
- 4 References
History
The predecessor of the division is the Livorno brigade , which existed from 1860 to 1871. The division was created on April 5, 1939, entered the war on June 10, 1940 against France, fighting on the western border. In 1942, she began to prepare for a possible landing in Malta . After the occupation of the British in Malta started to prepare for the transfer to Tunisia, but after the success of the British and American troops was transferred to Sicily to assist the 6th Army . As a result of the battle at Jele, the division was almost completely destroyed: from 13 000 only 4000 managed to survive and escape through the Strait of Messina in Cuneo . September 8, 1943 de jure ceased to exist.
Composition
- 33rd Livorno Infantry Regiment
- 34th Livorno Infantry Regiment
- 28th Artillery Regiment "Monviso"
- 95th legion of black shirts
- 4th group of motorcyclists
- 4th battalion of 81 mm mortars
- 4th battalion of self-propelled anti-tank artillery
- 4th Engineering Battalion
- 20th company of builders
- 4th company of telegraphists and radio operators
- 7th chemical protection company
- 4th company of training radio operators
- 15th photography company
- 11th battalion of sappers
- 12th sanitary department
- 13th surgical department
- 68th sanitary department
- 20th Field Hospital
- 22nd field hospital
- 63rd Field Hospital
- 122nd Field Hospital
- 8th auxiliary unit
- 4th car squad
- 56th detachment of military cooks
- 10th Carabinieri detachment
- 11th Carabinieri Detachment
Literature
- George F. Nafziger "Italian Order of Battle: An organizational history of the Italian Army in World War II" (3 vol)
- Paoletti, Ciro (2008). A Military History of Italy. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 0-275-98505-9 .
Links
- An article about a division on a site about the Royal Army of Italy (Italian)
- Wendal, Marcus. " Italian Army". Axis History
- Flesh vs. Iron