201st Coastal Division (Italy)

201st Coastal Division
Active	1942 – 1943
Country	Kingdom of Italy
Branch	Royal Italian Army
Size	Division
Garrison/HQ	Savona
Engagements	World War II
Insignia
Identification symbol	201st Coastal Division gorget patches

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^[2]

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)^[4]
  • 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][5]

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

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. 357. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
2. Jowett p 6
3. "201a Divisione Costiera". Regio Esercito. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
4. "Treni Armati della Marina". Italian Navy. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
5. Pettibone, Charles D. (2010). 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. Trafford Publishing (UK) Limited. p. 128. ISBN 9781426946332. Retrieved 24 July 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.