202nd Coastal Division
Active1941 – 1943
Country Kingdom of Italy
Branch Royal Italian Army
SizeDivision
Garrison/HQCastelvetrano
EngagementsWorld War II
Insignia
Identification
symbol
202nd Coastal Division gorget patches

The 202nd Coastal Division (Italian: 202ª 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. Recruited locally, they were often commanded by officers called out of retirement.[2]

History

The division was activated on 15 November 1941 in Palermo by reorganizing the II Coastal Sector Command.[3] The division was assigned to XII Army Corps, which was responsible for the defense of the western half of the island of Sicily. In January 1942 the division moved its headquarter to Castelvetrano. The division was responsible for the coastal defense of the coast between Marsala and Sciacca.[4] On 10 June 1943 the 202nd Coastal Division ceded some of its units to the newly formed 230th Coastal Division, which took over responsibility for the coast between Marsala and Mazara del Vallo, leaving the 202nd with the responsibility for the coast between Mazara del Vallo and Sciacca.[4][1]

The 202nd Coastal Division fought against units of the American Seventh Army after the allies landed on Sicily on 10 July 1943. By 24 July 1943 the division had been severely decimated and was therefore officially declared lost due to wartime events.[1]'[4]

Organization

Attached to the division:

Commanding officers

The division's commanding officers were:[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Bollettino dell'Archivio dell'Ufficio Storico N.II-3 e 4 2002. Rome: Ministero della Difesa - Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito - Ufficio Storico. 2002. p. 358. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  2. ^ Jowett p 6
  3. ^ Circolare n. 19440 del 22/10/1941 dello S.M.R.E. Uff. Ordinamento - 2a Sezione. "Cronistoria dei reparti costieri". Regio Esercito. Retrieved 12 November 2021.((cite web)): CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ a b c d "202a Divisione Costiera". Regio Esercito. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  5. ^ "Treni Armati della Marina". Italian Navy. Retrieved 7 October 2021.


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