201 Coastal Division
Encyclopedia
The 201 Coastal Division was an Infantry
Division
of the Italian Army
during World War II
. The division was based in the south of France
and then pulled back into Italy
and based in Genova
as part of the Italian XV Corps until the Italian surrender to the Allies
in September 1943.
Coastal divisions, were second line divisions, usually formed from men in their forties and fifties intended to perform labour and second line duties. Recruited locally they were often commanded by officers called out of retirement. Their equipment was also second rate, Mussolini had hoped to obtain large quantities of arms and equipment from the disbanded Vichy French army, but this had often been sabotaged of arrived with no ammunition.
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
Division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
of the Italian Army
Royal Italian Army (1940–1946)
This article is about the Italian Royal Army which participated in World War II.The Italian Royal Army was reformed in 1861 and lasted until 1946. The Royal Army started with the unification of Italy and the formation of the Kingdom of Italy . It ended with the dissolution of the monarchy...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The division was based in the south of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and then pulled back into Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and based in Genova
Génova
Génova may refer to:* Spanish spelling of the city of Genoa, Italy* Génova, Quindío, a municipality in the department of Quindío, Colombia* Génova, Quetzaltenango, a municipality in the department of Quetzaltenango, Guatemala...
as part of the Italian XV Corps until the Italian surrender to the Allies
Allies
In everyday English usage, allies are people, groups, or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out between them...
in September 1943.
Coastal divisions, were second line divisions, usually formed from men in their forties and fifties intended to perform labour and second line duties. Recruited locally they were often commanded by officers called out of retirement. Their equipment was also second rate, Mussolini had hoped to obtain large quantities of arms and equipment from the disbanded Vichy French army, but this had often been sabotaged of arrived with no ammunition.
Order of battle
- 55th Coastal Infantry Regiment
- 131st Coastal Infantry Regiment
- 201st Coastal Artillery Regiment