57th Infantry Division Lombardia

57th Infantry Division Lombardial
Active 1939–1943
Country Italy
Branch Italian Army
Type Infantry
Size Division
Nickname(s) Casale
Engagements World War II
Battle of the Neretva
Commanders
Notable
commanders		 General Giovanni Esposito[1]

The 57th Infantry Division Lombardia was a regular infantry division of the Italian Army during World War II. It was formed 24 May 1939 in Pula and ceased to function 8 September 1943.[2]

Action

By 10 June 1940, the Lombardia was entrenched on eastern border, in the mountains flanking Ilirska Bistrica, with headquarters in Pula. The Lombardia Division took part in the Invasion of Yugoslavia as part of the Italian V Corps, starting fight 8 April 1941. 11 April 1941 it break opposing Yugoslavian forces and crossed the border at Sora river valley. 12 April 1941, the Lombardia division have captured Podkilavac, Grobnik (near Čavle and Jelenje. 13 April 1941 it reached Krasica and Škrljevo, at which point the Yugoslavian army have ceased to offer a resistance. 15 April 1941, a garrisons in coastal towns of Novi Vinodolski, Ledenice, Crikvenica, and as south as Žuta Lokva were established. The Lombardia division have participated in Operation Uzice on Serbian-Croatian border from 9 October 1941 to 9 November 1941. By 1942, the garrisons were in Gerovo, Delnice, Ogulin and other places. It also took part in the Battle of the Neretva in early 1943. Partisans activity have grown in frequency and scale nonetheless, and by September 1943 partisans routinely performed battalion-sized attacks on Italian checkpoints and railway. After the Italian surrender to the Allies 8 September 1943, the Lombardia division was disbanded by the Germans.[3][4]

Order of battle

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.[5]
Citations
  1. ↑ Enrico Tagliazucchi and Franco Agostini. "Royal Italian Army". World War II Armed Forces – Orders of Battle and Organizations. Archived from the original on 4 April 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-04.
  2. ↑ http://www.regioesercito.it/reparti/fanteria/rediv57.htm
  3. 1 2 Marcus Wendal. "Italian Army". Axis History. Retrieved 2009-05-07.
  4. ↑ "Operation Weiss". Retrieved 2009-05-06.
  5. ↑ Paoletti, p 170

References

Further reading

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