201st Coastal Division (Italy) explained

Unit Name:	201st Coastal Division
Dates:	1942 – 1943
Size:	Division
Identification Symbol:	201st Coastal Division gorget patches
Battles:	World War II

The 201st Coastal Division (Italian: 201ª 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. Recruited locally, they were often commanded by officers called out of retirement.^[2]

History

The division was activated on 1 November 1942 in Genoa by expanding the I Coastal Brigade. The division was assigned to XV Army Corps and in December 1942 moved to Savona.^[1] The division was responsible for the coastal defense of the coast of Liguria between Menton in occupied France and Punta del Mesco near La Spezia.^[3] In January 1943 the division moved its headquarter to Menton.^[1]

After the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943 the division was disbanded by invading German forces.^[1]

Organization

• 201st Coastal Division, in Savona^{[3] [1]}
  • Harbor Defense Command Genoa, in Genoa
    • 102nd Coastal Regiment
  • 5th Coastal Regiment
    • CCV Coastal Battalion
    • CCCXXIV Coastal Battalion
    • CDLXXXI Coastal Battalion
    • XV Machine Gun Battalion
    • CXI Machine Gun Battalion
  • 131st Coastal Regiment
    • X Dismounted Squadrons Group/ Regiment "Lancieri di Vittorio Emanuele II"
    • XXI Coastal Battalion
    • CCVI Coastal Battalion
    • CDLXXXII Coastal Battalion
  • 5th Coastal Artillery Regiment
    • V Coastal Artillery Group (1x battery 105/28 cannons and 1x battery 149/35 heavy guns)
    • VI Coastal Artillery Group (1x battery 105/28 cannons and 1x battery 149/35 heavy guns; detached to Harbor Defense Command Genoa)
    • CXXV Coastal Artillery Group (3x batteries 105/15 howitzers)
    • CXXXII Coastal Artillery Group (1x battery 75/17 cannons and 2x batteries 105/15 howitzers)
  • 52nd Anti-paratroopers Unit
  • 53rd Anti-paratroopers Unit
  • 54th Anti-paratroopers Unit
  • 201st Carabinieri Section
  • 1x Field Post Office
  • Divisional Services^[4]

Attached to the division:

• 1st Army Artillery Grouping (from 4 December 1942)
  • I Group (3x batteries 149/35 heavy guns)
  • II Group (3x batteries 149/35 heavy guns)
• 7th Army Artillery Grouping (from 15 November 1942)
  • IX Group (3x batteries 149/35 heavy guns)
  • X Group (3x batteries 149/35 heavy guns)
  • XI Group (3x batteries 149/35 heavy guns)
  • XII Group (3x batteries 149/35 heavy guns)
• Marimobil, in Genoa (Royal Italian Navy)^[5]
  • Armored Train 120/2/S, in Vado Ligure (4x 120/45 Mod. 1918 naval guns, 4x 20/77 Scotti anti-aircraft guns)
  • Armored Train 152/4/T, in Albisola Superiore (4x 152/40 naval guns, 4x 20/77 anti-aircraft guns)
  • Armored Train 152/5/S, in Voltri (4x 152/40 naval guns, 4x 20/77 anti-aircraft guns)
  • Armored Train 76/1/S, in Sampierdarena (6x 76/40 mod. 16 naval guns, 4x 20/77 anti-aircraft guns)

Commanding officers

The division's commanding officers were:^{[1] [6]}

• Generale di Brigata Costantino Salvi (1 November 1942 - 1943)
• Generale di Divisione Enrico Gazzale (1943 - 8 September 1943)

References

• Book: A Military History of Italy. Paoletti, Ciro. Greenwood Publishing Group. 2008. 978-0-275-98505-9.
• Book: Jowett, Philip S.. The Italian Army 1940-45 (1): Europe 1940-1943. Osprey, Oxford - New York. 2000. 978-1-85532-864-8.

Notes and References

1. Book: Bollettino dell'Archivio dell'Ufficio Storico N.II-3 e 4 2002 . 2002 . Ministero della Difesa - Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito - Ufficio Storico . Rome . 357 . 7 November 2021.
2. Jowett p 6
3. Web site: 201a Divisione Costiera . Regio Esercito . 16 October 2021.
4. Jowett p 6
5. Web site: Treni Armati della Marina . Italian Navy . 7 October 2021.
6. Book: Pettibone . Charles D. . The Organization and Order of Battle of Militaries in World War II Volume VI Italy and France Including the Neutral Countries of San Marino, Vatican . 2010 . Trafford Publishing (UK) Limited . 9781426946332 . 128 . 24 July 2021.