• Source: 212th Coastal Division (Italy)

The 212th Coastal Division (Italian: 212ª 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 15 November 1941 in Catanzaro by reorganizing the XII Coastal Sector Command. The division was assigned to XXXI Army Corps, which was responsible for the defense of southern Calabria. The division was responsible for the coastal defence of the coast of central Calabria: on the Tyrrhenian Sea side from Capo Vaticano to the outskirts of Serra d'Aiello, on the Ionian Sea side from Badolato to Cropani.
In early September 1943 the division prepared to fight the British XIII Corps, which had landed on 3 September 1943 in southern Calabria in Operation Baytown and was advancing towards the 212th Coastal Division's positions. After the Armistice of Cassibile was announced on 8 September 1943 the division remained at its positions and surrendered to the British XIII Corps. Afterwards the division joined the Italian Co-belligerent Army, but did not participate in the Italian campaign. The division was dissolved in summer 1944.




Organization


212th Coastal Division, in Catanzaro
103rd Coastal Regiment (transferred to the 214th Coastal Division on 1 July 1943)
CCCXLII Coastal Battalion
VI Dismounted Squadrons Group/ Regiment "Lancieri di Novara"
115th Coastal Regiment
CCXVI Coastal Battalion
CCCXLVI Coastal Battalion
XII Dismounted Squadrons Group/ Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Alessandria"
144th Coastal Regiment
CCX Coastal Battalion
CCCXLVII Coastal Battalion
VII Dismounted Squadrons Group/ Regiment "Lancieri di Firenze"
VIII Dismounted Squadrons Group/ Regiment "Lancieri di Aosta"
45th Coastal Artillery Grouping
IX Coastal Artillery Group
XI Coastal Artillery Group
LXXXIX Coastal Artillery Group
CCVII Artillery Group (152/40 naval guns)
CVIII Machine Gun Battalion
56th Anti-tank Company (47/32 anti-tank guns; transferred from the 56th Infantry Division "Casale")
108th Mortar Company (81mm mod. 35 mortars)
414th Mortar Company 81mm Mod. 35 mortars)
212th Mixed Engineer Company
189th Anti-paratroopers Unit
320th Anti-paratroopers Unit
321st Anti-paratroopers Unit
324th Anti-paratroopers Unit
443rd Anti-paratroopers Unit
444th Anti-paratroopers Unit
445th Anti-paratroopers Unit
446th Anti-paratroopers Unit
212th Carabinieri Section
181st Field Post Office
Division Services
Attached to the division:

DCIV Coastal Battalion
Armored Train 152/3/T, in Crotone (4x 152/40 naval guns, 4x 20/77 Scotti anti-aircraft guns; transferred to the 214th Coastal Division on 1 July 1943)




Commanding officers


The division's commanding officers were:

Generale di Brigata Ugo Medori (15 November 1941 - 1 March 1942)
Colonel Felice Pellegrini (acting, 2-13 March 1942)
Generale di Brigata Ugo Medori (14 March 1942 - ?)




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:

• 212th Coastal Division (Italy)
• 212th Division
• 214th Coastal Division (Italy)
• List of Italian divisions in World War II
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• 223rd Coastal Division (Italy)
• 227th Coastal Division (Italy)
• 206th Coastal Division (Italy)
• 215th Coastal Division (Italy)
• 226th Coastal Division (Italy)