8th Marching Division (Italy)

The 8th Marching Division (Italian: 8ª Divisione di marcia) was a short-lived division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. In the Italian military the term "Marching" refers to temporary units based in Italy to manage replacements for the operational units at the front.[1][2]

8th Marching Division
Active1 July 1942 – 31 May 1943
Country Kingdom of Italy
Branch Royal Italian Army
TypeInfantry
SizeDivision
Garrison/HQBolzano
EngagementsWorld War II

History

In summer 1942 Italy sent the Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia (CSIR) with three divisions to the Eastern Front and the corps' replacements were managed by the Complementary Troops Command of the Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia (Italian: Comando Truppe Complementi del Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Russia). In summer 1942 Benito Mussolini decided to increase the Italian participation in the Eastern Front and ordered that the CSIR be expanded to a field army with ten divisions. Subsequently the 8th Marching Division was formed in Bolzano on 1 July 1942 to manage replacements for the Italian Army in Russia (ARMIR).[1][2]

Organization

The 8th Marching Division was made up of three brigades and eleven marching regiments. The list below provides the names of the marching regiments and the ARMIR units they provided replacements for.[1][2]

Operation Little Saturn

Between 12 December 1942 and 18 February 1943 the Italian Army in Russia was destroyed during the Soviet Operation Little Saturn. What little remained of the Italian divisions was repatriated in March and April 1943. As a result the 8th Marching Division and its units were either disbanded or reassigned.[1]

  • I Brigade: The 30th and 52nd regiments were disbanded in April 1943, while the brigade command was reorganized as XXVIII Coastal Brigade and sent to Dalmatia. The 8th Marching Regiment became the 183rd Coastal Infantry Regiment and remained with the brigade, while the 9th Marching Regiment was transferred to Albania to manage replacements for Italian units there.
  • II Brigade: The brigade command was reorganized as XXIX Coastal Brigade and sent to Palermo in Sicily with two of its regiments, while its remaining units were disbanded.
  • III Brigade: In April 1943 the brigade was assigned to the XXIII Army Corps for anti-partisan duties in the area of Tolmin and Cerkno on the Italian-Yugoslav border. The 102nd Regiment and the 104th Regiment were disbanded on 1 May 1943 and used to begin the process of reforming the 2nd Alpine Division "Tridentina", respectively the 4th Alpine Division "Cuneense". On 31 August 1943 the brigade and the 103rd Regiment were disbanded and the remaining personnel assigned to the three reforming alpine divisions.[3]

230th Coastal Division
Main article: 230th Coastal Division (Italy)

The 8th Marching Division was disbanded on 20 May 1943 and on 1 June 1943 the command of the 230th Coastal Division was formed with the 8th Marching Division's personnel.[2]

Commanding officers

The division's commanding officer was:[2]

References
  1. "8ª Divisione di marcia". Regio Esercito. Retrieved 29 September 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. 219. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  3. Bollettino dell'Archivio dell'Ufficio Storico N.II-3 e 4 2002. Rome: Ministero della Difesa - Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito - Ufficio Storico. 2002. pp. 182–187. Retrieved 18 October 2021.

Bibliography
  • George F. Nafziger, Italian Order of Battle. An organizational history of the Italian Army in World War II, 3 voll.


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