212th Coastal Division (Italy)

The 212th Coastal Division (Italian: 212ª Divisione Costiera) was an infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II.[1] Royal Italian Army coastal divisions were second line divisions formed with reservists and equipped with second rate materiel. They were often commanded by officers called out of retirement.[2]

212th Coastal Division
Active1942 – 1943
Country Kingdom of Italy
Branch Royal Italian Army
SizeDivision
Garrison/HQCatanzaro
EngagementsWorld War II
Insignia
Identification
symbol
212th Coastal Division gorget patches

History

The division was activated on 15 November 1941 in Catanzaro by reorganizing the XII Coastal Sector Command.[3] The division was assigned to XXXI Army Corps, which was responsible for the defense of southern Calabria.[1] The division was responsible for the coastal defence of the coast of central Calabria: on the Tyrrhenian Sea side from Capo Vaticano to the outskirts of Serra d'Aiello, on the Ionian Sea side from Badolato to Cropani.[4]

In early September 1943 the division prepared to fight the British XIII Corps, which had landed on 3 September 1943 in southern Calabria in Operation Baytown and was advancing towards the 212th Coastal Division's positions. After the Armistice of Cassibile was announced on 8 September 1943 the division remained at its positions and surrendered to the British XIII Corps. Afterwards the division joined the Italian Co-belligerent Army, but did not participate in the Italian campaign. The division was dissolved in summer 1944.[4]

Organization
  • 212th Coastal Division, in Catanzaro[4][1]
    • 103rd Coastal Regiment (transferred to the 214th Coastal Division on 1 July 1943)
    • 115th Coastal Regiment
    • 144th Coastal Regiment
      • CCX Coastal Battalion
      • CCCXLVII Coastal Battalion
      • VII Dismounted Squadrons Group/ Regiment "Lancieri di Firenze"
      • VIII Dismounted Squadrons Group/ Regiment "Lancieri di Aosta"
    • 45th Coastal Artillery Regiment
      • IX Coastal Artillery Group
      • XI Coastal Artillery Group
      • LXXXIX Coastal Artillery Group
      • CCVII Artillery Group (152/40 naval guns)
    • CVIII Machine Gun Battalion
    • 56th Anti-tank Company (47/32 anti-tank guns; transferred from the 56th Infantry Division "Casale")
    • 108th Mortar Company (81mm Mod. 35 mortars)
    • 414th Mortar Company 81mm Mod. 35 mortars)
    • 212th Mixed Engineer Company
    • 189th Anti-paratroopers Unit
    • 320th Anti-paratroopers Unit
    • 321st Anti-paratroopers Unit
    • 324th Anti-paratroopers Unit
    • 443rd Anti-paratroopers Unit
    • 444th Anti-paratroopers Unit
    • 445th Anti-paratroopers Unit
    • 446th Anti-paratroopers Unit
    • 212th Carabinieri Section
    • 181st Field Post Office
    • Division Services

Attached to the division:[1]

Commanding officers

The division's commanding officers were:[1]

  • Generale di Brigata Ugo Medori (15 November 1941 - 1 March 1942)
  • Colonel Felice Pellegrini (acting, 2-13 March 1942)
  • Generale di Brigata Ugo Medori (14 March 1942 - ?)

References
  1. Bollettino dell'Archivio dell'Ufficio Storico N.II-3 e 4 2002. Rome: Ministero della Difesa - Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito - Ufficio Storico. 2002. p. 368. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  2. Jowett p 6
  3. Circolare n. 19440 del 22/10/1941 dello S.M.R.E. Uff. Ordinamento - 2a Sezione. "Cronistoria dei reparti costieri". Regio Esercito. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  4. "212a Divisione Costiera". Regio Esercito. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  5. "Treni Armati della Marina". Italian Navy. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  • Paoletti, Ciro (2008). A Military History of Italy. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-275-98505-9.
  • Jowett, Philip S. (2000). The Italian Army 1940-45 (1): Europe 1940-1943. Osprey, Oxford - New York. ISBN 978-1-85532-864-8.


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