Difference between revisions of "17th "Pavia" Infantry Division"
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The 17th ''Pavia'' Infantry Division was a major combat formation of the ''Regio Esercito'' (Royal Italian Army) during the Second World War. It was formed in October 1939 and sent to Italian Libya in February 1941 for defensive operations during the final stages of Operation ''Compass''. The ''Pavia'' saw extensive action in North Africa and was destroyed in the [[Second Battle of El Alamein]]. The bulk of the division comprised the 27th, 28th Infantry Regiments and 26th Artillery Regiment. | The 17th ''Pavia'' Infantry Division was a major combat formation of the ''Regio Esercito'' (Royal Italian Army) during the Second World War. It was formed in October 1939 and sent to Italian Libya in February 1941 for defensive operations during the final stages of Operation ''Compass''. The ''Pavia'' saw extensive action in North Africa and was destroyed in the [[Second Battle of El Alamein]]. The bulk of the division comprised the 27th, 28th Infantry Regiments and 26th Artillery Regiment. | ||
| − | == | + | ==Battle of El Mechili== |
The ''Pavia'' Division took part in General Erwin Rommel's first desert offensive (nickhamed ''the Benghazi Derby'' among the retreating British Imperial troops) in late March and early April 1941. Under Major-General Pietro Zaglio, the Pavia attacked via the Balbia coastal road from Agedabia, helping the ''Ariete'' Armoured Division and [[8th Bersaglieri Regiment]] force the Australian, British and Indian divisions to relinquish their gains and fall back to Tobruk. On 3 April, the 8th Bersaglieri Regiment with the help of reconnaissance troops from the ''Sabratha'' Divsion, recaptured Benghazi and advanced to El Mechili, along with the advance elements from the German 5th Light Division. On 8 April, General Gambier-Parry surrendered to General Zaglio and the ''Pavia'' after a breakout attempt was broken up by heavy fire from the ''Fabris'' and ''Montemurro'' Bersaglieri Battalions that had taken up ambush positions around the British fortress under the cover of darkness. Some 3,000 British, Indian and Australian soldiers were captured as a result of the actions of the ''Pavia'' and supporting Bersaglieri.<ref>"The victory must have been especially sweet for the men of the Ariete Division, partly as recompense for past humiliations at British hands, and partly because it was an all-Italian triumph." Tobruk: The Great Siege, 1941-42, William F. Buckingham, Random House, 2010</ref><ref>"On April 8, the Afrika Korps completed the destruction of the 2nd Armoured Division. Major General Michael D. Gambier-Parry, the commander of the 2nd Armoured, and Brigadier Vaughn, the commander of the Indian 3rd Motor Brigade, were captured, along with 3,000 of their men." Rommel's Desert Commanders: The Men who Served the Desert Fox, North Africa, 1941-1942, Samuel W. Mitcham, p. 18, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007</ref> | The ''Pavia'' Division took part in General Erwin Rommel's first desert offensive (nickhamed ''the Benghazi Derby'' among the retreating British Imperial troops) in late March and early April 1941. Under Major-General Pietro Zaglio, the Pavia attacked via the Balbia coastal road from Agedabia, helping the ''Ariete'' Armoured Division and [[8th Bersaglieri Regiment]] force the Australian, British and Indian divisions to relinquish their gains and fall back to Tobruk. On 3 April, the 8th Bersaglieri Regiment with the help of reconnaissance troops from the ''Sabratha'' Divsion, recaptured Benghazi and advanced to El Mechili, along with the advance elements from the German 5th Light Division. On 8 April, General Gambier-Parry surrendered to General Zaglio and the ''Pavia'' after a breakout attempt was broken up by heavy fire from the ''Fabris'' and ''Montemurro'' Bersaglieri Battalions that had taken up ambush positions around the British fortress under the cover of darkness. Some 3,000 British, Indian and Australian soldiers were captured as a result of the actions of the ''Pavia'' and supporting Bersaglieri.<ref>"The victory must have been especially sweet for the men of the Ariete Division, partly as recompense for past humiliations at British hands, and partly because it was an all-Italian triumph." Tobruk: The Great Siege, 1941-42, William F. Buckingham, Random House, 2010</ref><ref>"On April 8, the Afrika Korps completed the destruction of the 2nd Armoured Division. Major General Michael D. Gambier-Parry, the commander of the 2nd Armoured, and Brigadier Vaughn, the commander of the Indian 3rd Motor Brigade, were captured, along with 3,000 of their men." Rommel's Desert Commanders: The Men who Served the Desert Fox, North Africa, 1941-1942, Samuel W. Mitcham, p. 18, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007</ref> | ||
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In early May 1941, the Australians defending Tobruk counterattack in an attempt to recover several strong-points lost to the Italians from the ''Ariete'' and ''Brescia'' Divisions, but the ''Pavia'', ''Trento'' and Ariete defeat the attacks.<ref>"On the night of 3rd May, the Italian Trento and Pavia Divisions ... repelled an Australian counterattack." The Forgotten Axis: Germany's Partners and Foreign Volunteers in World War II, J. Lee Ready, p. 310, Jefferson, NC, 1987</ref> | In early May 1941, the Australians defending Tobruk counterattack in an attempt to recover several strong-points lost to the Italians from the ''Ariete'' and ''Brescia'' Divisions, but the ''Pavia'', ''Trento'' and Ariete defeat the attacks.<ref>"On the night of 3rd May, the Italian Trento and Pavia Divisions ... repelled an Australian counterattack." The Forgotten Axis: Germany's Partners and Foreign Volunteers in World War II, J. Lee Ready, p. 310, Jefferson, NC, 1987</ref> | ||
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| + | ==Operation Crusader== | ||
| + | |||
| + | On 23 November 1941, the British 70th Infantry Division with 60 supporting tanks overruns part of the defenses of the 25th ''Bologna'' Infantry Division, but the ''Pavia'' counterattacks, restoring the broken lines.<ref>"After a sudden artillery concentration the garrison of Fortress Tobruk, supported by sixty tanks, made an attack on the direction of Bel Hamid at noon, intending at long last unite with the main offence group. The Italian siege front around the fortress tried to offer a defence in the confusion but was forced to relinquish numerous strong points in the encirclement front about Bir Bu Assaten to superior enemy forces. The Italian “Pavia” Division was committed for a counterattack and managed to seal off the enemy breakthrough.” Generalmajor Major Alfred Toppe (et al), German Experiences in Desert Warfare During World War II, in 2 volumes, Combat Studies Institute/Combined Arms Research Library, 1952</ref> | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 13:29, November 11, 2016
The 17th Pavia Infantry Division was a major combat formation of the Regio Esercito (Royal Italian Army) during the Second World War. It was formed in October 1939 and sent to Italian Libya in February 1941 for defensive operations during the final stages of Operation Compass. The Pavia saw extensive action in North Africa and was destroyed in the Second Battle of El Alamein. The bulk of the division comprised the 27th, 28th Infantry Regiments and 26th Artillery Regiment.
Battle of El Mechili
The Pavia Division took part in General Erwin Rommel's first desert offensive (nickhamed the Benghazi Derby among the retreating British Imperial troops) in late March and early April 1941. Under Major-General Pietro Zaglio, the Pavia attacked via the Balbia coastal road from Agedabia, helping the Ariete Armoured Division and 8th Bersaglieri Regiment force the Australian, British and Indian divisions to relinquish their gains and fall back to Tobruk. On 3 April, the 8th Bersaglieri Regiment with the help of reconnaissance troops from the Sabratha Divsion, recaptured Benghazi and advanced to El Mechili, along with the advance elements from the German 5th Light Division. On 8 April, General Gambier-Parry surrendered to General Zaglio and the Pavia after a breakout attempt was broken up by heavy fire from the Fabris and Montemurro Bersaglieri Battalions that had taken up ambush positions around the British fortress under the cover of darkness. Some 3,000 British, Indian and Australian soldiers were captured as a result of the actions of the Pavia and supporting Bersaglieri.[1][2]
With the arrival of the German Afrika Korps, the Pavia and Brescia Divisions help isolate and capture Bardia. The Italian divisions then take part in the Siege of Tobruk, taking up positions in the southern sector of the Axis siege lines.
In early May 1941, the Australians defending Tobruk counterattack in an attempt to recover several strong-points lost to the Italians from the Ariete and Brescia Divisions, but the Pavia, Trento and Ariete defeat the attacks.[3]
Operation Crusader
On 23 November 1941, the British 70th Infantry Division with 60 supporting tanks overruns part of the defenses of the 25th Bologna Infantry Division, but the Pavia counterattacks, restoring the broken lines.[4]
References
- ↑ "The victory must have been especially sweet for the men of the Ariete Division, partly as recompense for past humiliations at British hands, and partly because it was an all-Italian triumph." Tobruk: The Great Siege, 1941-42, William F. Buckingham, Random House, 2010
- ↑ "On April 8, the Afrika Korps completed the destruction of the 2nd Armoured Division. Major General Michael D. Gambier-Parry, the commander of the 2nd Armoured, and Brigadier Vaughn, the commander of the Indian 3rd Motor Brigade, were captured, along with 3,000 of their men." Rommel's Desert Commanders: The Men who Served the Desert Fox, North Africa, 1941-1942, Samuel W. Mitcham, p. 18, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007
- ↑ "On the night of 3rd May, the Italian Trento and Pavia Divisions ... repelled an Australian counterattack." The Forgotten Axis: Germany's Partners and Foreign Volunteers in World War II, J. Lee Ready, p. 310, Jefferson, NC, 1987
- ↑ "After a sudden artillery concentration the garrison of Fortress Tobruk, supported by sixty tanks, made an attack on the direction of Bel Hamid at noon, intending at long last unite with the main offence group. The Italian siege front around the fortress tried to offer a defence in the confusion but was forced to relinquish numerous strong points in the encirclement front about Bir Bu Assaten to superior enemy forces. The Italian “Pavia” Division was committed for a counterattack and managed to seal off the enemy breakthrough.” Generalmajor Major Alfred Toppe (et al), German Experiences in Desert Warfare During World War II, in 2 volumes, Combat Studies Institute/Combined Arms Research Library, 1952