- Source: 204th Coastal Division (Italy)
The 204th Coastal Division (Italian: 204ª Divisione Costiera) was an infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. Royal Italian Army coastal divisions were second line divisions formed with reservists and equipped with second rate materiel. Recruited locally, they were often commanded by officers called out of retirement.
History
The division was activated on 15 January 1942 in Sassari by reorganizing the IV Coastal Sector Command. The division was initially assigned to XIII Army Corps, which was responsible for the defense of the island of Sardinia. On 15 July 1943 the division was assigned to the reactivated XXX Army Corps, which took over the responsibility for the defense of the northern half of Sardinia. The division was based in Porto Torres and responsible for the coastal defense of the north-western and northern coast of Sardinia from, but excluding, Torre Foghe to Capo Coda Cavallo. The division's area of responsibility included the Gulf of Asinara and Gulf of Alghero, and the Maddalena archipelago with its large Royal Italian Navy base. On 1 August 1942 the IV Coastal Brigade was reactivated and took over the responsibility for the defense of the Maddalena archipelago and the north-eastern coast of Sardinia between Punta Li Francesi and Capo Coda Cavallo.
The 204th Coastal Division, together with the 203rd Coastal Division, 205th Coastal Division, IV Coastal Brigade and XXXIII Coastal Brigade formed a first static defense line against allied landings on the island. Further inland the 30th Infantry Division "Sabauda", 31st Infantry Division "Calabria", 47th Infantry Division "Bari", and 184th Infantry Division "Nembo" were the mobile forces of the Armed Forces Command Sardinia.
After the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943 the division, together with all other divisions on Sardinia, refused German demands to surrender. Realizing the futility of attempting to gain control of Sardinia the German forces on the island retreated to Corsica.
The division joined the Italian Co-belligerent Army and was renamed 204th Division. In August 1944 the division's command was shipped to the mainland where it was used to reform other commands.
Organization
204th Coastal Division, in Porto Torres
130th Coastal Regiment
CCC Coastal Battalion
CCCXCVIII Coastal Battalion
CCCXCIX Coastal Battalion
CMIV Coastal Battalion
149th Coastal Regiment
CCCXCIV Coastal Battalion
CCCXCVII Coastal Battalion
CDI Coastal Battalion
CDXCIX Coastal Battalion
46th Coastal Artillery Regiment
XII Coastal Artillery Group
XIII Coastal Artillery Group
LXXXII Coastal Artillery Group
LXXXIV Coastal Artillery Group
CCXI Coastal Artillery Group
CII Machine Gun Battalion
161st Machine Gun Company
162nd Machine Gun Company
204th Mixed Engineer Company
204th Carabinieri Section
215th Field Post Office
Division Services
Commanding officers
The division's commanding officer was:
Generale di Divisione Manlio Mora (15 January 1942 - 1944)
References
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.
Kata Kunci Pencarian:
- 204th Coastal Division (Italy)
- 203rd Coastal Division (Italy)
- 205th Coastal Division (Italy)
- List of Italian divisions in World War II
- 215th Coastal Division (Italy)
- 210th Coastal Division (Italy)
- 216th Coastal Division (Italy)
- 221st Coastal Division (Italy)
- 226th Coastal Division (Italy)
- 227th Coastal Division (Italy)
