223rd Coastal Division (Italy)

223rd Coastal Division
Active1942 – 1943
Country Kingdom of Italy
Branch Royal Italian Army
SizeDivision
Garrison/HQLa Colle-sur-Loup
EngagementsWorld War II
Insignia
Identification
symbol
223rd Coastal Division gorget patches

The 223rd Coastal Division (Italian: 223ª Divisione Costiera) was an infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II.[1] Royal Italian Army coastal divisions were second line divisions formed with reservists and equipped with second rate materiel. They were often commanded by officers called out of retirement.[2]

History

In November 1942 Axis forces invaded Southern France and divided it into a German and an Italian occupation zone. For the coastal defense of its zone Italy raised on 1 January 1943 the 223rd Coastal Division in Bologna and the 224th Coastal Division in Florence. Both divisions were formed with replacements and reserve units of the army's regular Alpini regiments.[2]

The 223rd Coastal Division was based in La Colle-sur-Loup and assigned to I Army Corps. After the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943 the division was disbanded by invading German forces.[3][1]

Organization

  • 223rd Coastal Division, in La Colle-sur-Loup[3][1]
    • 166th Coastal Alpini Regiment
      • Alpini Battalion "Monte Spluga" (formed from the XXXIV Replacements Battalion/ 5th Alpini Regiment)
      • Alpini Battalion "Monte Stelvio" (formed from the XXXV Replacements Battalion/ 5th Alpini Regiment)
      • Alpini Battalion "Monte Pavione" (formed from the XXXVI Replacements Battalion/ 7th Alpini Regiment)
      • Alpini Battalion "Monte Arvenis" (formed from the XXXVIII Replacements Battalion/ 8th Alpini Regiment)
      • DXII Mobile Territorial Alpini Battalion
    • 167th Coastal Alpini Regiment
      • Alpini Battalion "Monte Levanna" (formed from the XXIII Replacements Battalion/ 4th Alpini Regiment)
      • Alpini Battalion "Monte Suello" (formed from the XXIV Replacements Battalion/ 6th Alpini Regiment)
      • Alpini Battalion "Monte Berico" (formed from the XXXIX Replacements Battalion/ 9th Alpini Regiment)
    • 7x Coastal artillery groups
    • 223rd Mixed Engineer Company
    • 223rd Carabinieri Section
    • 144th Field Post Office
    • Division Services

Commanding officers

The division's commanding officer was:[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Bollettino dell'Archivio dell'Ufficio Storico N.II-3 e 4 2002. Rome: Ministero della Difesa - Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito - Ufficio Storico. 2002. p. 375. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b Jowett p 6
  3. ^ a b "223a Divisione Costiera". Regio Esercito. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  • Paoletti, Ciro (2008). A Military History of Italy. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-275-98505-9.
  • Jowett, Philip S. (2000). The Italian Army 1940-45 (1): Europe 1940-1943. Osprey, Oxford - New York. ISBN 978-1-85532-864-8.