| 2nd Infantry Division "Sforzesca" | |
|---|---|
 2nd Infantry Division "Sforzesca" insignia | |
| Active | 1940 - 1943 |
| Disbanded | 1943 |
| Country |  Kingdom of Italy |
| Branch |  Royal Italian Army |
| Role | Infantry |
| Size | Division |
| Garrison/HQ | Novara,Italy |
| Engagements | World War II |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol |       Sforzesca Divisiongorget patches |
The2nd Infantry Division "Sforzesca" (Italian:2ª Divisione di fanteria "Sforzesca") was ainfantrydivision of theRoyal Italian Army duringWorld War II. The Sforzesca was classified as a mountain infantry division, which meant that the division's artillery was moved by pack mules instead of the horse-drawn carriages of line infantry divisions. Italy's realmountain warfare divisions were the six alpine divisions manned byAlpini mountain troops. The Division, with the exception of the 53rd Infantry Regiment based inBiella, was based inNovara and recruited its troops primarily from northernPiedmont. The division was named for theBattle of Sforzesca fought during theFirst Italian War of Independence in 1849.[1]
The division's lineage begins with the Brigade "Umbria" established inPalermo on 16 April 1861 with the 53rd and 54th infantry regiments.[2]
The brigade fought on theItalian front inWorld War I. On 1 October 1926 the brigade assumed the name of II Infantry Brigade and received the68th Infantry Regiment "Palermo" from the disbandedBrigade "Palermo". The brigade was the infantry component of the 2nd Territorial Division ofNovara, which also included the17th Artillery Regiment. In 1934 the division changed its name to 2nd Infantry Division "Sforzesca". On 25 April 1939 the II Infantry Brigade was dissolved and the three infantry regiments came under direct command of the division, and the 53rd and 54th infantry regiments and 17th Artillery Regiment changed their names to "Sforzesca". On 24 May 1939 the division ceded the 68th Infantry Regiment "Palermo" to the newly activated58th Infantry Division "Legnano".[3][4][5]
The Sforzesca participated in theinvasion of France operating betweenClaviere andCesana Torinese. It spearheaded the attack in the direction ofBriançon, but encountered heavy French resistance. On 22 June 1940 the area around the Fort Bois de Praria was secured, and fighting shifted to Bois de Sestriere, with the capture ofMontgenèvre commune.[6] On the southern flank, the advance stalled at La Crete (Crete de Chaussard). On 23 June 23 the Sforzesca has made a very modest advance. In the night of 23 to 24 June 1940 the Sforzesca was transferred to the reserve and replaced by the58th Infantry Division "Legnano".
During theGreco-Italian War the Sforzesca was sent as reinforcement toAlbania between 12–18 January 1941. There the 30th CC.NN. Legion was attached to the division, which entered the front in the area ofTepelenë. The Sforzesca had its first encounter withGreek army forces on 28 January on the ridge over Mali i Shendellise (Scindeli). The heavy defensive fighting, with frequent hand-to-hand combat and positions lost and recaptured several times, continued until 28 February. During the Italian offensive on 1 March 1941, the Sforzesca captured Chiaf and by 4 March had moved to Bregu i Buzit. After theBattle of Greece the Sforzesca remained in on occupation duty in Greece until the middle of July 1941.
The Sforzesca was one of the ten Italian divisions of theItalian Army in Russia, which fought on theEastern Front. After arriving in Ukraine the division was assigned toXXXV Army Corps and participated in the capture of the Ivanovka positions inDnipropetrovsk Oblast. On 14 July 1942 the Sforzesca reachedFashchivka inLuhansk Oblast. By 18 July 1942 the Sforzesca division started mop-up operation nearKrasnyi Luch. At beginning of August 1942 the division marched to the area north ofSerafimovich, establishing a bridgehead on the eastern bank of theDon river up toKhutor ofYarskoy 1-y. Together with3rd Cavalry Division "Principe Amedeo Duca d'Aosta", the Sforzesca beat off several Soviet attacks between 12 August 1942 and 1 September 1942. On 20 August, it fell under heavy direct attack by theSoviet 63rd Army, with197th Rifle Division,203rd Rifle Division and14th Guards Rifle Division attacking from both sides of Yelanskaya, establishing a shortlived bridgehead across the Don river. The Soviets were able to expand their bridgehead until eventually stopped on 28 August by the Sforzesca, the 3rd Cavalry Division and the German79th Infantry Division.[7]
Although Soviet attacks were stopped, the Italians were unable to resume their offensive or expand their bridgehead as a result. After repositioning on the southern bank of the Don, the Sforzesca was assigned to theRomanian 3rd Army, along with the9th Infantry Division "Pasubio" and3rd Cavalry Division "Principe Amedeo Duca d'Aosta". The Sforzesca was under heavy Soviet attacks from 20 November until 28 November 1942.
On 12 December 1942 Soviet forces beganOperation Little Saturn and on 22 December large columns of Soviet tanks overran the Sforzesca and part of the division was destroyed, largely as a result of conflicting German orders, that caught the Italian division advancing forward near Verkhne-Chirskoy, when it should've been retreating to the new German defensive line near the Chir River. The remnants of the Sforzesca fought a defensive battle in the village of Kranoyarovka,Rostov Oblast from 25 December 1942 until 28 December 1942. The division suffered heavy losses in January 1943, and the remaining units managed to break through the encirclement by the Soviet1st Guards Army on 3 January 1943.[8] The remnants of the division were repatriated in March 1943.[3]
The Sforzesca and its units were disbanded in on 31 May 1943, but on 1 June 1943 the division was reformed with its traditional units by renaming the157th Infantry Division "Novara" and that division's units.[1][9] The new Sforzesca was based inDivača,Sežana andIlirska Bistrica along the border between Italy and Yugoslavia, where it performed anti-partisan duties. After the announcement of theArmistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943 the remnants of the Sforzesca surrendered toinvading German forces on 9 September 1943.[3]
When the division was deployed to the Soviet Union it consisted of the following units:[10]
2nd Infantry Division "Sforzesca", inNovara[3][1]Attached from 27 December 1940 to April 1942:[1]
After the division reconstitution through the renaming of the 157th Infantry Division "Novara" the new Sforzesca inherited the following units from the Novara:[1]
For their conduct during thecampaign in the Soviet Union thePresident of Italy awarded on 31 December 1947 to the two infantry regiments of the 2nd Infantry Division "Sforzesca" Italy's highest military honor, theGold Medal of Military Valor.
53rd Infantry Regiment "Sforzesca" on 31 December 1947[12] 54th Infantry Regiment "Sforzesca" on 31 December 1947[13]The division's commanding officers were:[3][1]