31st Infantry Division Calabria

31st Infantry Division Calabria
Active	1939–1945
Country	Regno d'Italia Kingdom of Italy
Branch	Regio Esercito Royal Italian Army
Type	Infantry
Size	Division
Nickname(s)	Calabria
Engagements	World War II
Commanders
Notable commanders	General Riccardo Pentimalli
Insignia
Calabria Division collar insignia

The 31st Infantry Division Calabria was an infantry division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Calabria Division, formed from the 31st Infantry Brigade "Caprera" 15 October, 1939, was part of the garrison at Sardinia where it remained until it surrendered to the Allies after the Italian surrender in September 1943. The Division would then serve on the Allied side until the end of the war.

Action

In the 1940, the division was tasked with the protection of the Sardinia north-west coast, with the garrisons in Sassari, Porto Torres, Alghero and Santa Teresa Gallura. In April, 1942, the duties of division were extended for the whole northern half of Sardinia. Promptly switching allegiance in the aftermath of the Armistice of Cassibile, it defended the Sassari against a half-hearted attack of German 90th Light Infantry Division (Wehrmacht) 9 September, 1943. 12-14 September 1943 it skirmished with the Germans at Martis and Trinità d'Agultu e Vignola, trying to speed up their evacuation. 25 September, 1943 the Calabria division was demoted to security division status, and remained with the police and coastal defence duties in Sardinia until the end of war in May, 1945.^[1]

Order of battle

• 59th Infantry Regiment
• 60th Infantry Regiment
• 177 CCNN Legion (Blackshirts)^{[nb 1]}
• 40th Field Artillery Regiment
• 31 Mortar Battalion
• 31 Antitank Company
• 31 Engineer Battalion
• 31 Medical Services
• 31 Supply Services
• 13 Pioneer Company
• 50 Medical Section
• 31 Motor Transport Section
• 48 Bakery Section
• 91 Carabinieri Section
• 92 Carabinieri Section ^{[nb 2][3]}

References

1. http://www.regioesercito.it/reparti/fanteria/rediv31.htm
2. Paoletti, p 170
3. "1940 Infantry Division". World War II Armed Forces – Orders of Battle and Organizations. Archived from the original on 4 April 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-21.

Notes

1. later renamed 359th Infantry Regiment when the Division served on the Allied side after the armistice in 1943)
2. 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, each company 150 men.^[2]

Bibliography

• Paoletti, Ciro (2008). A Military History of Italy. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 0-275-98505-9.