7th Infantry Division "Lupi di Toscana"
7th Infantry Division "Lupi di Toscana" | |
---|---|
![]() 7th Infantry Division "Lupi di Toscana" insignia | |
Active | 1938–1943 |
Country | ![]() |
Branch | ![]() |
Type | Infantry |
Size | Division |
Garrison/HQ | Brescia |
Engagements | World War II |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Ottavio Priore[1] |
Insignia | |
Identification symbol | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Lupi di Toscana gorget patches |
The 7th Infantry Division "Lupi di Toscana" (Italian: 7ª Divisione di fanteria "Lupi di Toscana" English: Wolves of Tuscany) was an infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The Division, with the exception of the 78th Infantry Regiment based in Bergamo, was based in Brescia. Despite its name referencing the region of Tuscany, the division was formed by men from Lombardy, especially from Brescia, Bergamo and the surrounding valleys.[2]
History
The division's lineage begins with the Brigade "Granatieri di Toscana" established on 1 July 1862 with the 7th and 8th grenadier regiments. On 5 March 1871 the brigade was assigned to the infantry and renamed Brigade "Toscana". On the same date brigade's two regiments were renamed 77th Infantry Regiment and 78th Infantry Regiment.[3][4]
World War I
The brigade fought on the Italian front in World War I. On 3 November 1916 during the Ninth Battle of the Isonzo the brigade took the Dosso Fáiti hill, for which the brigade's two regiments were awarded each a Gold Medal of Military Valor. On 30 September 1926 the brigade assumed the name of VII Infantry Brigade and received the 50th Infantry Regiment "Parma" from the disbanded Brigade "Parma". The brigade was the infantry component of the 7th Territorial Division of Brescia, which also included the 30th Artillery Regiment. In 1934 the division changed its name to 7th Infantry Division "Leonessa". On 15 December 1938 the division dissolved the VII Infantry Brigade and changed its name to 7th Infantry Division "Lupi di Toscana"; the same name change applied also to the 77th and 78th infantry and 30th artillery regiments. On 12 September 1939 the division ceded the 50th Infantry Regiment "Parma" to the newly activated 49th Infantry Division "Parma".[4][5][6]
World War II
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1f/CoA_mil_ITA_rgt_fanteria_077.png/180px-CoA_mil_ITA_rgt_fanteria_077.png)
The Lupi di Toscana took part in the Italian invasion of Albania landing in Durrës on 19 April 1939. Within 15 days, it assumed occupation duties in the Pogradec-Korçë-Ersekë area until 20 December 1939. After returning to Italy the Lupi di Toscana was part of the Army reserve during the Italian invasion of France in June 1940.[4]
Greco-Italian War
During the
In October 1941 the Lupi di Toscana returned to Italy. In February 1942 the Lupi di Toscana was transferred to
Organization
7th Infantry Division "Lupi di Toscana"[4][2]
- 77th Infantry Regiment "Lupi di Toscana"[5]
- Command Company
- 3x Fusilier battalions
- Support Weapons Company (65/17 infantry support guns)
- Mortar Company (81mm mod. 35 mortars)
- 78th Infantry Regiment "Lupi di Toscana"[6]
- Command Company
- 3x Fusilier battalions
- Support Weapons Company (65/17 infantry support guns)
- Mortar Company (81mm mod. 35 mortars)
- 30th Artillery Regiment "Lupi di Toscana"[7]
- Command Unit
- I Group (100/17 mod. 14 howitzers)
- II Group (75/27 mod. 11 field guns; transferred in December 1940 to the 13th Artillery Regiment "Granatieri di Sardegna")
- II Group (75/13 mod. 15 mountain guns; transferred in December 1940 from the 13th Artillery Regiment "Granatieri di Sardegna")
- III Group (75/13 mod. 15 mountain guns)
- IV Group (100/17 mod. 14 howitzers; joined the regiment in January 1943)
- 1x Anti-aircraft battery (anti-aircraft guns)
- Ammunition and Supply Unit
- VII Mortar Battalion (81mm mod. 35 mortars)
- 7th Anti-tank Company (47/32 anti-tank guns)
- 7th Telegraph and Radio Operators Company
- 26th Engineer Company
- 7th Truck Section
- 13th Supply Section
- 30th Medical Section
- 3x Field hospitals
- 1x Surgical Unit
- 807th Transport Section
- Bakers Section
- 20th Carabinieri Section
- 21st Carabinieri Section
- 95th Field Post Office
- 77th Infantry Regiment "Lupi di Toscana"[5]
Attached during the invasion of France in 1940:[2]
- XV CC.NN.Battalion
Attached from December 1940 until the middle of 1942:[2]
- 15th CC.NN.Legion "Leonessa"
- Command Company
- XIV CC.NN. Battalion
- XV CC.NN. Battalion
- 15th CC.NN. Machine Gun Company
Commanding officers
The division's commanding officers were:[4][2]
- Generale di Divisione Edmondo Rossi (10 January 1939 - 15 July 1939)
- Generale di Divisione Ottavio Bollea (16 July 1939 - 17 January 1941)
- Generale di Brigata Lauro Riviera (18 January 1941 - 8 February 1941)
- Generale di Divisione Gustavo Reisoli-Matthieu (9 February 1941 - 30 March 1941)
- Generale di Divisione Pier Domenico Mazzari (1 April 1941 - 18 April 1941)
- Generale di Divisione Gustavo Reisoli Matthieu (19 April 1941 - 4 May 1943)
- Generale di Divisione Ernesto Cappa (5 May 1943 - 12 September 1943)
References
- ^ Mulholland, John. "Axis Order of Battle 10 June 1940 - The Italian Invasion of France". Axis History Factbook. Retrieved 14 April 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f Bollettino dell'Archivio dell'Ufficio Storico N.II-3 e 4 2002. Rome: Ministero della Difesa - Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito - Ufficio Storico. 2002. p. 217. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
- ^ Voghera, Enrico (1909). Annuario militare del regno d'Italia - Volume I. Rome. p. 448.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ a b c d e f g "7ª Divisione di fanteria "Lupi di Toscana"". Regio Esercito. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
- ^ a b "77° Reggimento di fanteria "Lupi di Toscana"". Regio Esercito. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
- ^ a b "78° Reggimento di fanteria "Lupi di Toscana"". Regio Esercito. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
- ^ F. dell'Uomo, R. di Rosa (1998). L'Esercito Italiano verso il 2000 - Vol. Secondo - Tomo II. Rome: SME - Ufficio Storico. p. 115.
- Paoletti, Ciro (2008). A Military History of Italy. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-275-98505-9.