| 104th Infantry Division Mantova | |
|---|---|
 104th Infantry Division Mantova Insignia | |
| Active |
15 March 1942–21 October 1975 1 January 2003 - 15 July 2013 |
| Country |
 Regno d'Italia Kingdom of Italy |
| Branch |
 Regio Esercito Royal Italian Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Role | Infantry |
| Size | Division |
| Nickname(s) | Mantova |
| Engagements | Second World War |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol | File:104 Motorised Division Mantova.jpg |
| Identification symbol | Mantova Division collar insignia |
The 104th Infantry Division Mantova was an auto-transportable Infantry Division of the Italian Army during the Second World War.[nb 1].
History[]
On 15 March 1942 the 104th Infantry Division Mantova was raised in Verona, consisting of the 113th and 114th infantry regiments and the 11th Artillery regiment. At first the division was based in Piedmont, then in Apulia and Calabria. The division consisted of the following units:
- 113th Infantry Regiment Mantova
- 114th Infantry Regiment Mantova
- 11th Artillery Regiment Monferrato
- 104th Mortar Battalion
- 79th Artillery Company
- 107th Mixed Signal Battalion
- 404th Searchlight Company [nb 2]
After allied forces had landed on the Italian peninsula and an armistice between Italy and the Allies had been signed, the division stayed loyal to the Italian King Victor Emmanuel III. On 26 September 1943 the division gave up part of the 11th Artillery Regiment to help form the Italian 1st Motorized Group under the command of the 58th Infantry Division Legnano, which was to aid in the allied war effort. On 16 October 1943 its 113th Infantry Regiment joined the US Fifth Army, and on 30 October 1943 the division received the 76th Infantry Regiment Napoli as replacement for the 113th.
In spring 1944 the division took command of the remnants of the 155th Infantry Division Emilia, after they had been repatriated from combat against German forces in Dalmatia. At that point the division consisted of the following understrength units:
- 76th Infantry Regiment Napoli
- 114th Infantry Regiment Mantova
- 119th Infantry Regiment Emilia
- 120th Infantry Regiment Emilia
- 155th Artillery Regiment Emilia
- I Group/11th Artillery Regiment
At the beginning of fall 1944 the division was ordered to re-organize as a Combat Group destined for the frontlines in central Italy. The 76th and 114th infantry regiments and 155th artillery regiment were brought up to strength and equipped with British materiel. By spring 1945 the division was ready to join the British Eighth Army, but it arrived at the front just as the German forces in Italy were surrendering.
On 15 October 1945 the Combat Group Mantova regained its old name of Infantry Division Mantova.
Today[]
In 2002 the Italian Army raised three division commands, with one of the three always readily deployable for NATO missions. The army decided that each division should carry on the traditions of one of the divisions that served with distinction in World War II. Therefore, on 31 December 2002 the 2nd Italian Division in Vittorio Veneto was renamed as Division Command Mantova.
In the 2013 Army reform it was decided to abolish the corps level in the Italian Army and it was decided to rename the Mantova Division as Friuli Division.
Notes[]
- Footnotes
- ↑ The division never had the required level of Motor Transport to move all its units at the same time, so it is referred to as a Auto-transportable Division
- ↑ An Italian Infantry Division normally consisted of two Infantry Regiments (three Battalions each), an Artillery Regiment, a Mortar Battalion (two companies), an Anti Tank Company, a Blackshirt Legion of two Battalions was sometimes attached. Each Division had only about 7,000 men, The Infantry and Artillery Regiments contained 1,650 men, the Blackshirt Legion 1,200, and each company 150 men.[1]
- Citations
- ↑ Paoletti, p 170
- Paoletti, Ciro (2008). A Military History of Italy. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 0-275-98505-9.
The original article can be found at 104th Infantry Division Mantova and the edit history here.