104th Infantry Division "Mantova"

The 104th Infantry Division "Mantova" (Italian: 104ª Divisione di fanteria "Mantova") was an infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during the Second World War. The Mantova was named for the city of Mantua (Italian: Mantova) and classified as an auto-transportable division, meaning it had some motorized transport, but not enough to move the entire division at once.[1][2]

This article is about the historic Royal Italian Army 104th Infantry Division "Mantova". For the Cold War Italian Army Infantry Division "Manotva" and Mechanized Brigade "Mantova", see Mechanized Brigade "Mantova".

104th Infantry Division "Mantova"
104th Infantry Division "Mantova" insignia
Active15 March 1942 – 21 October 1975
1 January 2003 – 15 July 2013
Country Kingdom of Italy
 Italian Republic
Branch Royal Italian Army
 Italian Army
TypeInfantry
RoleInfantry
SizeDivision
EngagementsSecond World War
Insignia
Identification
symbol
Mantova Division gorget patches

History

World War I

The division's lineage begins with the Brigade "Mantova" raised on 1 March 1915 with the 113th and 114th infantry regiments. The brigade fought on the Italian front in World War I and was disbanded after the war in November 1919.[1]

World War II

The 104th Infantry Division "Mantova" was activated in Verona on 15 March 1942 and consisted of the 113th Infantry Regiment "Mantova", 114th Infantry Regiment "Mantova", and the 121st Motorized Artillery Regiment. As a division raised during the war the Mantova did not have its own regimental depots and therefore its regiments were raised by the depots of the auto-transportable 9th Infantry Division "Pasubio": the 113th Infantry Regiment "Mantova" was raised in Verona on 1 January 1942 by the 79th Infantry Regiment "Pasubio"[3] and the 114th Infantry Regiment "Mantova" was raised in Mantua on 10 December 1941 by the 80th Infantry Regiment "Pasubio",[4] The 121st Motorized Artillery Regiment was raised in Piacenza by the depot of the 21st Artillery Regiment "Trieste".[1]

In June 1942 the division exchanged artillery regiments with the 3rd Infantry Division "Ravenna", which needed a fully motorized and modern equipped artillery regiment for its deployment to the Soviet Union: the Mantova ceded the 121st Motorized Artillery Regiment equipped with modern 75/18 Mod. 34 howitzers to the Ravenna and received the 11th Artillery Regiment "Ravenna" equipped with World War I vintage 75/27 Mod. 06 field guns in return.

In May 1942 the division moved to Saluzzo in Piedmont and joined the XXII Army Corps. In October of the same year the Mantvoa was transferred to the I Army Corps and changed its garrison to Turin and Asti. In January 1943 the division was transferred to Nicastro in Calabria and joined the XXXI Army Corps as the corps' mobile reserve in the area between Catanzaro and Sant'Eufemia d'Aspromonte.[1]

After allied forces had landed on the Italian peninsula and the Armistice of Cassibile between Italy and the Allies had been announced on 8 September 1943 the division remained loyal to 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 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:

At the beginning of fall 1944 the division was ordered to re-organize as Combat Group "Mantova" 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 combat group 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", which continued to exist until 1986 when it was reduced to Mechanized Brigade "Mantova".

Recent times

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".

During the 2013 Army reform it was decided to rename the Division "Mantova" as Division "Friuli".

Organization

104th Infantry Division "Mantova"
  • 104th Infantry Division "Mantova"

Combat Group "Mantova"

Commanding officers

The division's commanding officers were:[1][2]

  • Generale di Brigata Marcello Piccone (15 March 1942 - 9 February 1943)
  • Generale di Brigata Guido Bologna (10 February 1943 - 1945)

References
  1. "104ª Divisione di fanteria "Mantova"". Regio Esercito. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  2. Bollettino dell'Archivio dell'Ufficio Storico N.II-3 e 4 2002. Rome: Ministero della Difesa - Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito - Ufficio Storico. 2002. p. 325. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  3. "113° Reggimento fanteria "Mantova"". Regio Esercito Army. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  4. "114° Reggimento fanteria "Mantova"". Regio Esercito Army. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  5. I Gruppi di Combattimento (1944-1945). Rome: L'Ufficio Storico dello Stato Maggiore dell'Esercito. 1951. p. 376. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  • Paoletti, Ciro (2008). A Military History of Italy. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-275-98505-9.


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