211th Coastal Division
Active1942 – 1943
Country Kingdom of Italy
Branch Royal Italian Army
SizeDivision
Garrison/HQCittanova
EngagementsWorld War II
Insignia
Identification
symbol
211th Coastal Division gorget patches

The 211th Coastal Division (Italian: 211ª 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. They were often commanded by officers called out of retirement.[2]

History

The division was activated on 15 November 1941 in Cittanova by reorganizing the XI Coastal Sector Command.[3] The division was assigned to XXXI Army Corps, which was responsible for the defense of southern Calabria.[1] The division was responsible for the coastal defence of southernmost part of the coast of Calabria: on the Tyrrhenian Sea side from Capo Vaticano to the outskirts of Scilla, on the Ionian Sea side from Capo dell'Armi to Badolato.[4]

Between 3 and 8 September the division skirmished with troops of British XIII Corps, which had landed in southern Calabria in Operation Baytown. After the Armistice of Cassibile was announced 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.[4]

Organization

Attached to the division:[1]

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. 367. 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 "211a Divisione Costiera". Regio Esercito. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  5. ^ from the 184th Paratroopers Division 'Nembo'
  6. ^ "Treni Armati della Marina". Italian Navy. Retrieved 7 October 2021.


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