20th Infantry Division "Friuli"

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This article is about the historic Royal Italian Army 20th Infantry Division "Friuli". For the currently active Italian Army brigade, see Airmobile Brigade "Friuli".
20th Infantry Division "Friuli"
Major General Flaviano Godio
Notable
commanders		General Giacomo Carboni
Insignia
Identification
symbol
Friuli Division gorget patches

The 20th Infantry Division "Friuli" (Italian: 20ª Divisione di fanteria "Friuli") was an infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The Friuli was formed on 24 August 1939 by splitting the 20th Infantry Division "Curtatone e Montanara" into the Friuli and the 44th Infantry Division "Cremona". The Friuli was named for the region of Friuli, but based in Tuscany, where it also recruited most of its troops. The division's headquarter and its regiments, with the exception of the 87th Infantry Regiment located in Siena, were based in Livorno. The division served as occupation force on Corsica and fought German units after the Armistice of Cassibile was announced on 8 September 1943. The division then served with the Italian Co-belligerent Army and remained active into the early stages of the Cold War.[1][2]

History

The division's lineage begins with the Brigade "Friuli" established on 1 November 1884 in Milan with the 87th and 88th infantry regiments.[3]

World War I

The brigade fought on the

7th Artillery Regiment. In 1934 the division changed its name to 20th Infantry Division "Curtatone e Montanara".[1][4][5]

On 24 August 1939 the division ceded all its regiments, except the 88th Infantry Regiment "Friuli", to the newly activated 44th Infantry Division "Cremona" and received the 87th Infantry Regiment "Friuli" from the 19th Infantry Division "Venezia". On the same day the XX Infantry Brigade was dissolved, the two remaining infantry regiments came under direct command of the division, and the division received the 35th Artillery Regiment, which had been reactivated on 4 September 1939 and received the name "Friuli" upon entering the division.[1]

World War II

The Friuli was a reserve force in the Germanasca and Pellice valleys during the Italian invasion of France in June 1940. In April 1941 the division participated in the Invasion of Yugoslavia as part of the VI Army Corps. The division entered combat on 6 April 1941 and advanced into Yugoslavia on 11 April 1941. It reached Loška Dolina and Loški Potok on 12 April 1941. The fighting ceased on 18 April 1941, and on 5 May 1941 the Friuli returned to Italy.[1]

On 5 November 1941 the regimental depot of the 88th Infantry Regiment "Friuli" of the Friuli raised the 125th Infantry Regiment "La Spezia" in Livorno, which was assigned to the newly formed 80th Infantry Division "La Spezia".[6] The remainder of the La Spezia was raised by the regimental depots of the Cremona division.[7]

Corsica

On 6 October 1942 the division was reformed as a Type 43 Infantry Division, which included the addition of a self-propelled anti-tank battalion, an additional artillery group, increased air-defense capabilities, and more modern field guns. After the Allied landings in French North Africa Italy and Germany occupied Vichy France on 11 November 1942 and the Friuli was ferried from Tuscany to northern Corsica. The division completed the transfer by 20 November 1942 and had its headquarter in Belgodère, while its sister division the 44th Infantry Division "Cremona" occupied southern Corsica and based its headquarter at Cauro. The defense of the island's beaches was the task 225th Coastal Division and 226th Coastal Division.[1]

After the

184th Infantry Regiment "Nembo",[8] which had crossed over from Sardinia and retreated through Corsica towards the harbor of Bastia
in the island's north.

On 13 September elements of the

CC.NN. Legion was renamed as 387th Infantry Regiment "Friuli".[9]

Italian Co-belligerent Army

Now part of the

II Polish Corps on the Senio river near Brisighella. From there the Friuli advanced with the allied armies to liberate Imola, Castel San Pietro and Bologna.[9]

Cold War

On 15 October 1945 the Combat Group "Friuli" was renamed Infantry Division "Friuli", which included the 87th and 88th infantry regiments, the 35th Artillery Regiment, the CXX Mixed Engineer battalion and minor support units. Initially the division was based in the city of

8th Field Artillery Regiment and 3rd Light Anti-Air Artillery Regiment. Later the 3rd Light Anti-Air Artillery Regiment was replaced by the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment "Piemonte Cavalleria"
.

On 15 April 1960, the division was reduced to brigade, losing its traditional regiments and receiving new units. See Infantry Brigade "Friuli" for the brigade's history after 1960.

Reactivation

As part of the 2013 reform of the

Division "Friuli" in Florence
. At its inception the Division "Friuli" commanded the following brigades in Northern Italy:

However the merger between the two brigades was later canceled and on 1 July 2019 the Division "Friuli" changed its name to Division "Vittorio Veneto" and the name, flag and traditions of the Friuli reverted back to the Airmobile Brigade "Friuli".[10]

Organization

20th Infantry Division "Friuli"

Coat of Arms of the 88th Infantry Regiment "Friuli", 1939
  • 20th Infantry Division "Friuli", in Livorno[9][2][1]
    • 87th Infantry Regiment "Friuli", in Siena[11][4]
    • 88th Infantry Regiment "Friuli", in Livorno[12][5]
      • Command Company
      • 3x Fusilier battalions
      • Support Weapons Company (65/17 infantry support guns)
      • Mortar Company (81mm mod. 35 mortars)
    • 35th Artillery Regiment "Friuli", in Livorno[13][14]
    • XX Mortar Battalion (81mm mod. 35 mortars)
    • XX Self-propelled Anti-tank Battalion (
      self-propelled guns
      ; raised in 1943)
    • CXX Mixed Engineer Battalion (activated in 1943)
    • 120th Anti-tank Company (47/32 anti-tank guns; disbanded in 1943)
    • 20th Telegraph and Radio Operators Company (entered the CXX Mixed Engineer Battalion in 1943)
    • 52nd Engineer Company (entered the CXX Mixed Engineer Battalion in 1943)
    • 20th Truck Section
    • 156th Transport Section
    • 577th Transport Section (joined the division in 1943)
    • 26th Medical Section
      • 81st Field Hospital
      • 82nd Field Hospital
      • 83rd Field Hospital
      • 491st Field Hospital
      • 1x Surgical unit
    • 14th Supply Section
    • 19th Bakers Section
    • 58th Carabinieri Section
    • 59th Carabinieri Section
    • 79th Field Post Office

Attached from 10 December 1940:[2]

  • 88th
    CC.NN.
    Legion "Cappellini" (renamed 387th Infantry Regiment "Friuli" on 24 November 1943; disbanded 31 August 1944)
    • Command Company
    • LXXXVIII CC.NN. Battalion
    • XCVI CC.NN. Battalion
    • 96th CC.NN. Machine Gun Company

Attached in Corsica:[2]

  • DX Mobile Territorial Battalion

Combat Group "Friuli"

  • Combat Group "Friuli"[15]
    • British X Corps Liaison Squad
    • 87th Infantry Regiment "Friuli"
    • 88th Infantry Regiment "Friuli"
      • Command Company
      • 2x Fusilier battalions
      • 1x Grenadier battalion
      • Support Company (QF 6-pounder anti-tank guns)
      • Mortar Company (ML 3-inch mortars)
    • 35th Artillery Regiment "Friuli"[14]
      • Command Unit
      • I Group (QF 25-pounder field guns)
      • II Group (QF 25-pounder field guns)
      • III Group (QF 25-pounder field guns)
      • IV Group (QF 25-pounder field guns)
      • V Anti-tank Group (QF 17-pounder anti-tank guns)
      • VI Anti-aircraft Group (
        anti-aircraft guns
        )
    • CXX Mixed Engineer Battalion
      • 2x Engineer companies
      • 1x Signal company
    • Transport and Supply Company
    • 2x Engineer field materiel companies
    • Mobile Artillery and Engineer Materiel Depot
    • 26th Medical Section
      • 519th Field Hospital
      • 960th Field Hospital
      • 130th Surgical Unit
    • 316th Bakers Section
    • 13th Truck Maintenance Workshop
    • 3x Carabinieri sections (316th, and two more)

Commanding officers

The division's commanding officers were:

20th Infantry Division "Friuli":[1][2]

Combat Group "Friuli":[15]

  • Generale di Brigata Bartolomeo Pedrotti (21 September 1944 - 20 October 1944)
  • Generale di Brigata Arturo Scattini (21 October 1944 - 15 October 1945)

Division "Friuli":

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "20ª Divisione di fanteria "Friuli"". Regio Esercito. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  2. ^ 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. 245. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  3. ^ Annuario militare del regno d'Italia [Military Yearbook of the Kingdom of Italy] (in Italian). Vol. I. Rome: Enrico Voghera. 1909. p. 458.
  4. ^ a b "87° Reggimento di fanteria "Friuli"". Regio Esercito. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  5. ^ a b "88° Reggimento di fanteria "Friuli"". Regio Esercito. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  6. ^ "125° Reggimento fanteria "La Spezia"". Regio Esercito. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  7. ^ "126° Reggimento fanteria "La Spezia"". Regio Esercito. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  8. ^ "184° Reggimento Paracadutisti "Nembo"". Italian Army. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  9. ^ a b c "Esercito Italiano: Gruppo di Combattimento "Friuli" - La storia". Italian Army. Retrieved 19 April 2009.
  10. ^ "La Friuli diventa Vittorio Veneto". Italian Army. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  11. ^ "87° Reggimento Fanteria "Friuli"". Italian Army. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  12. ^ "88° Reggimento Fanteria "Friuli"". Italian Army. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  13. ^ "35° Reggimento Artiglieria "Friuli"". Italian Army. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  14. ^ a b F. dell'Uomo, R. di Rosa (1998). L'Esercito Italiano verso il 2000 - Vol. Secondo - Tomo II. Rome: SME - Ufficio Storico. p. 122.
  15. ^ a b I Gruppi di Combattimento (1944-1945). Rome: L'Ufficio Storico dello Stato Maggiore dell'Esercito. 1951. pp. 153–164. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  • Paoletti, Ciro (2008). A Military History of Italy. Greenwood Publishing Group.
    ISBN 978-0-275-98505-9
    .
  • Macksey, Major Kenneth (1971). Beda Fomm: Classic Victory. Ballentine's Illustrated History of the Violent Century, Battle Book Number 22. Ballantine Books.


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