| 101st Motorized Division "Trieste" | |
|---|---|
 101st Motorized Division "Trieste" insignia | |
| Active | 1939–1943 |
| Country |  Kingdom of Italy |
| Branch |  Royal Italian Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Role | Motorized |
| Size | Division |
| Part of | XX Army Corps |
| Garrison/HQ | Piacenza |
| Engagements | World War II Operation Crusader Battle of Gazala Battle of Bir Hakeim First Battle of El Alamein Battle of Alam el Halfa Second Battle of El Alamein Battle of the Mareth Line Battle of Wadi Akarit |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol |       Trieste Divisiongorget patches |
101st Motorized Division "Trieste" (Italian:101ª Divisione motorizzata "Trieste") was amotorized infantrydivision of theRoyal Italian Army duringWorld War II. The Trieste was formed in 1939 and named for the city ofTrieste. The division and its infantry and artillery regiments were based inPiacenza, while the9th Bersaglieri Regiment was based until 1940 inTreviso and then moved toCremona to be closer to the division. In September 1941 the Trieste was transferred toLibya for theWestern Desert Campaign. The division was decimated in theSecond Battle of El Alamein, but was rebuilt with the survivors of destroyed divisions. The Trieste then participated in theTunisian Campaign until Axis forces in Tunisia surrendered toallied forces on 13 May 1943.[1][2]
The division's lineage begins with the Brigade "Valtellina" established inTurin on 1 August 1861 with the 65th and 66th infantry regiments.[3]
The brigade fought on theItalian front inWorld War I. On 15 October 1926 the brigade assumed the name of VIII Infantry Brigade with the 61st Infantry Regiment "Sicilia",62nd Infantry Regiment "Sicilia", and 65th Infantry Regiment "Valtellina". The brigade was the infantry component of the 8th Territorial Division of Piacenza, which also included the21st Field Artillery Regiment. In 1934 the division changed its name to 8th Infantry Division "Po".[1]
On 1 November 1936 the division ceded the 62nd Infantry Regiment to the Trento division. On 6 May 1937 the division received the66th Infantry Regiment "Valtellina" from the16th Infantry Division "Fossalta". On 15 May 1937 the division ceded the 61st Infantry Regiment to the Trento division. The division was then motorized and changed its name to 8th Motorized Division "Po". In 1938 the division received the9th Bersaglieri Regiment. On 2 January 1939 the division changed its number to 101st and on 4 April the division received the name "Trieste". On the same date the 65th and 66th infantry regiments, and the 21st artillery regiment changed their names to "Trieste".[1]
On 10 June 1940 Italy entered World War II and began toinvade France.[4] The Trieste and the133rd Armored Division "Littorio" were sent to theAosta Valley to exploit a planned breakthrough at theLittle St Bernard Pass, which was to be achieved by the1st Alpine Division "Taurinense" on the left flank and the2nd Alpine Division "Tridentina" on the right flank, with the Trieste taking the pass itself. After the initial attacks had failed a tank battalion from the Littorio's33rd Tank Infantry Regiment was sent forward on 24 June 1940, but the Italian tankettes became bogged down in the rugged and snowy terrain. French anti-tank gunners then destroyed a number of Italian tankettes and the battalion withdrew. The same day theFranco-Italian Armistice came into effect and the war ended.[5][1]
In November 1940 the bulk of the division moved toSalerno inCampania, while the division's command and artillery regiment were sent toAlbania to shore up the crumbling Italian forces during theGreco-Italian War. The division's command formed the Special Alpine Division with a mix of reinforcements from Italy, while the artillery groups reinforced other artillery regiments. On 28 March 1941 the division's units returned to Italy.[1][2]
In September 1941 the division disembarked inLibya for theWestern Desert Campaign. The Trieste was immediately employed in theSiege of Tobruk covering the besieging forces right flank. The division then moved toBir Hakeim to block British attacks from the southeastern desert.[1]
On 18 November 1941 theBritish Eighth Army launchedOperation Crusader to relieve the siege of Tobruk. By 23 November the Trieste, together with the55th Infantry Division "Savona", and132nd Armored Division "Ariete" had knocked out about 200 British tanks, and a similar number of vehicles were disabled or destroyed.[6] On 24 November, GeneralErwin Rommel ordered theAfrika Korps and Ariete to push east to relieve the Siege of Bardia and the frontier garrisons.[7] The same day Trieste was sent further South to cover the right flank of Rommel's advance. On 6 December the Axis forces received the order to retreat westwards and the Trieste formed the rearguard and fought delaying battles at Bir Bellafaa, Sidi Breghish, Alem Hamza, and Suluq.[1]
After reorganizing atEl Agheila the German-ItalianPanzer Group Africa counterattacked on 21 January 1942 and drove British forces back toAin el Gazala. On 26 May 1942 Axis forced commenced theBattle of Gazala. The plan was for the German divisions tooutflank the British defenders by marching through the desert to the South of Bir Hakeim, with the two divisions of the ItalianXX Army Corps covering the Germans left flank: the Ariete would attack Bir Hakeim, and the Trieste would open a gap in the minefield north of the Bir Hakeim to create a supply route for the German divisions on their drive to the coast. On 29 May the Trieste had broken through British lines and reached Got el Ualeb, while to the division's South theBattle of Bir Hakeim unfolded. On 8-11 June the Trieste participated in the assault on Bir Hakeim, which the French defenders abandoned on 11 June. On 12 June the Trieste took part in the destruction of the British 2nd and 4th Armoured Brigades south of the Knightsbridge position.[8] From 19 June the Trieste participated in theAxis offensive to capture Tobruk, which fell on 21 June. The Trieste then pursued the retreating British forces and clashed with rearguards atSidi Omar,Mersa Matruh until reachingEl Alamein in Egypt.[1][2]
On 1 July 1942 theFirst Battle of El Alamein began and the Trieste put up a tenacious defence on Ruweisat Ridge on the night of 21-22 July.[9]The division lost two regimental commanders before being partly overcome by British attacks, but the delay of the Allied advance allowed German armored forces to launch a devastating counterattack.[10]
During theBattle of Alam el Halfa the Trieste was in the center of the Axis advance, but stiff British resistance forced General Erwin Rommel to abandon the battle and retreat to the Axis' starting positions. On 23 October 1942 the British commenced theSecond Battle of El Alamein and the Trieste initially formed the reserve in the North of the Axis line. On 26 October the Trieste entered the front line. On 2 November British forces broke through the Trieste's line and a 4-5 km gap opened between the battalions of the 65th Infantry Regiment "Trieste". Most of the Trieste was annihilated over the course of the next two days. On 4 November the division's command and most of the66th Infantry Regiment "Trieste" retreated toFuka and thus escaped the destruction of Axis forces at El Alamein.[1][2]
The remnants of theGerman-Italian Panzer Army retreated toEl Agheila, where on 26 November 1942 the Trieste's two infantry regiments were reorganized and brought back up to combat strength by accumulating the survivors of other divisions.[2]
On 11-18 December 1942 the Trieste participated in theBattle of El Agheila, after which Axis forces resumed their retreat towards Tunisia where the Trieste participated in theTunisian Campaign. In February 1943 the two fusilier battalions of the 66th Motorized Infantry Regiment "Trieste" merged and formed the I Battalion "Trieste", while the "Granatieri di Sardegna" battalion changed its number to II Battalion. The regiment then received the III Battalion "Folgore", which had been formed with the survivors of the185th Infantry Division "Folgore".[12] The division then fought in theBattle of Medenine, theBattle of the Mareth Line, and theBattle of Wadi Akarit, before retreating to theEnfidaville Line. There the division surrendered on 13 May 1943 to allied forces.[2]
101st Motorized Division "Trieste", inPiacenza[1][2]Attached to the division during 1942:[2]
Attached to the division during theTunisian Campaign:[2]
For its conduct during theWestern Desert campaign thePresident of Italy awarded on 7 December 1951 to the66th Infantry Regiment "Trieste" Italy's highest military honor, theGold Medal of Military Valor. The division's artillery regiment, the21st Artillery Regiment "Trieste" was awarded the same award on 18 April 1992.
66th Infantry Regiment "Trieste" on 7 December 1951[15]21st Artillery Regiment "Trieste" on 18 April 1992[16]The division's commanding officers were:[1][2]