- Source: 210th Coastal Division (Italy)
The 210th Coastal Division (Italian: 210ª 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. They were often commanded by officers called out of retirement.
History
The division was activated on 1 March 1943 in Bari by expanding the X Coastal Brigade. The division was assigned to IX Army Corps and had its headquarter in Monteroni. The division was responsible for the coastal defense of the coast of the Salento peninsula to the south of the towns of Taranto and Brindisi. The defense of the two towns and their surrounding area was the responsibility of the Royal Italian Navy's Maritime Military Base Taranto respectively Maritime Military Base Brindisi.
After the Armistice of Cassibile was announced on 8 September 1943 the division together with the 58th Infantry Division "Legnano", 152nd Infantry Division "Piceno" and XXXI Coastal Brigade immediately established a defensive line beginning in Taranto and running through Grottaglie, Francavilla Fontana, and Latiano to Brindisi, behind which on 9 September the British 1st Airborne Division landed. The division surrendered on 10 September to the British 1st Airborne Division and on 13 September the Allies reactivated the division, which joined the Italian Co-belligerent Army. For the rest of the Italian campaign the division performed rear area security and work duties as 210th Auxiliary Division for the American Fifth Army. The division was disbanded in autumn 1945.
Organization
210th Coastal Division, in Monteroni
113th Coastal Regiment
4x Coastal battalions
114th Coastal Regiment
3x Coastal battalions
164th Coastal Regiment
3x Coastal battalions
XIV Dismounted Squadrons Group/ Regiment "Cavalleggeri Guide"
VII Coastal Artillery Training Group
LIV Coastal Artillery Group
CCLVI Coastal Artillery Group
3rd Company/ CLII Static Machine Gun Battalion
4th Machine Gun Company
18th Anti-tank Company (47/32 anti-tank guns; transferred from the 18th Infantry Division "Messina")
408th Mortar Company (81mm Mod. 35 mortars)
34th Telephone Operators Company
210th Telegraph and Radio Operators Company
210th Mixed Engineer Company
241st Anti-paratroopers Unit
243rd Anti-paratroopers Unit
210th Carabinieri Section
179th Field Post Office
Division Services
Attached to the division:
16th Guardia alla Frontiera Artillery Regiment
3x Artillery groups
Commanding officers
The division's commanding officers were:
Generale di Brigata Raffaele Colonna (1 March 1943 - ?)
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:
- 210th Coastal Division (Italy)
- List of Italian divisions in World War II
- 215th Coastal Division (Italy)
- 202nd Coastal Division (Italy)
- 204th Coastal Division (Italy)
- 213th Coastal Division (Italy)
- 227th Coastal Division (Italy)
- 206th Coastal Division (Italy)
- 225th Coastal Division (Italy)
- 214th Coastal Division (Italy)
