53 Infantry Division Arezzo
Encyclopedia
The 53 Infantry Division Arezzo was a regular Infantry
Division
of the Italian Army
during World War II
.
in 1939. It was next involved in the Greco-Italian War
in November 1940, as part of the Italian III Corps, suffering heavy losses. It was reformed and sent back to Albania as part of the occupation force. In April 1941 it took part in the Invasion of Yugoslavia
and captured Montenegro
. It remained in the area for the rest of the war and, following the Italian surrender to the Allies
in September 1943, the division was disarmed by the Germans. A large number of the men escaped to join the partisans.
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...
.
WWII
The Arezzo Division took part in the Italian invasion of AlbaniaItalian invasion of Albania
The Italian invasion of Albania was a brief military campaign by the Kingdom of Italy against the Albanian Kingdom. The conflict was a result of the imperialist policies of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini...
in 1939. It was next involved in the Greco-Italian War
Greco-Italian War
The Greco-Italian War was a conflict between Italy and Greece which lasted from 28 October 1940 to 23 April 1941. It marked the beginning of the Balkans Campaign of World War II...
in November 1940, as part of the Italian III Corps, suffering heavy losses. It was reformed and sent back to Albania as part of the occupation force. In April 1941 it took part in the Invasion of Yugoslavia
Invasion of Yugoslavia
The Invasion of Yugoslavia , also known as the April War , was the Axis Powers' attack on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia which began on 6 April 1941 during World War II...
and captured Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
. It remained in the area for the rest of the war and, following 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, the division was disarmed by the Germans. A large number of the men escaped to join the partisans.
Order of battle
- 225. ArezzoArezzoArezzo is a city and comune in Central Italy, capital of the province of the same name, located in Tuscany. Arezzo is about 80 km southeast of Florence, at an elevation of 296 m above sea level. In 2011 the population was about 100,000....
Infantry Regiment - 226. Arezzo Infantry Regiment
- 343. Infantry Regiment
- 53. Artillery Regiment
- 80. CCNN Legion
- 53. Mortar Battalion
- 53. Anti-Tank Company
- 53. Engineer Battalion
- 60. Supply Section