| 57th Infantry Division "Lombardia" | |
|---|---|
 57th Infantry Division "Lombardia" insignia | |
| Active | 1939–1943 |
| Country |  Kingdom of Italy |
| Branch |  Royal Italian Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Division |
| Garrison/HQ | Pula |
| Engagements | World War II Battle of the Neretva |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | GeneralGiovanni Esposito[1] |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol |       Lombardia Divisiongorget patches |
The57th Infantry Division "Lombardia" (Italian:57ª Divisione di fanteria "Lombardia") was aninfantrydivision of theRoyal Italian Army duringWorld War II. The Lombardia was formed on 24 May 1939 inPula and named for the region ofLombardy. The division was disbanded by the Germans after theArmistice of Cassibile was announced on 8 September 1943.[2][3]
After theSecond Italian War of Independence theAustrian Empire had to cede theLombardy region of theKingdom of Lombardy–Venetia to theKingdom of Sardinia. After taking control of the region the government of Sardinia ordered on 29 August 1859 that theRoyal Sardinian Army should raise five infantry brigades and one grenadier brigade in Lombardy. Subsequently on 1 November 1859 the Brigade "Granatieri di Lombardia" was activated with the newly raised 3rd and 4th grenadier regiments. On 5 March 1871 the brigade was assigned to the infantry and renamed Brigade "Lombardia". On the same date brigade's two regiments were renamed 73rd Infantry Regiment and 74th Infantry Regiment.[4]
The brigade fought on theItalian front inWorld War I. On 20 October 1926 the brigade assumed the name of XV Infantry Brigade and received the26th Infantry Regiment "Bergamo" from the disbandedBrigade "Bergamo". The XV Infantry Brigade was the infantry component of the 15th Territorial Division ofPola, which also included the 4th Artillery Regiment. On 25 January 1930 the division moved toVolosko and consequently changed its name to 15th Territorial Division of Volosca. On 24 March 1932 the division moved toOpatija and changed its name to 15th Territorial Division of Abbazia. In 1934 the division changed its name to 15th Infantry Division "Carnaro".[5]
On 24 May 1939 the73rd Infantry Regiment "Lombardia" inRijeka changed its name to 25th Infantry Regiment "Bergamo", while the 12th Infantry Regiment "Casale" of the12th Infantry Division "Sassari" inTrieste changed its name to 73rd Infantry Regiment "Lombardia". On the same date the 15th Infantry Division "Carnaro" was renamed 15th Infantry Division "Bergamo" and ceded the 74th Infantry Regiment "Lombardia" to the newly activated 57th Infantry Division "Lombardia", which also received the 73rd Infantry Regiment "Lombardia" from the 12th Infantry Division "Sassari" and the newly raised 57th Artillery Regiment.[2][5][6][7]
The Lombardia remained at its garrisons until April 1941, when the division participated in theInvasion of Yugoslavia as part of theV Army Corps. On 8 April 1941 the division entered combat and on 11 April 1941 it broke through the Yugoslavian defences and crossed the border in theSora river valley. On 12 April 1941 the Lombardia capturedPodkilavac, Grobnik (nearČavle andJelenje. By 13 April 1941 it had reachedKrasica andŠkrljevo, at which point the Yugoslavian army ceased to offer resistance. On 15 April 1941, garrisons in coastal towns ofNovi Vinodolski,Ledenice,Crikvenica, and as far south asŽuta Lokva were established. From 9 October to 9 November 1941 the Lombardia participated in the anti-partisanOperation Uzice on the Serbo-Croatian border. By 1942 the division's main garrisons were in westernCroatia atGerovo,Delnice, andOgulin.[2]
While the 57th Infantry Division "Lombardia" was on occupation duty in Yugoslavia the division'sregimental depots in Italy raised the157th Infantry Division "Novara": the 73rd Infantry Regiment "Lombardia" raised the 153rd Infantry Regiment "Novara", the 74th Infantry Regiment "Lombardia" raised the 154th Infantry Regiment "Novara", and the 57th Artillery Regiment "Lombardia" raised the 157th Artillery Regiment "Novara".[8]
In early 1943 the division also participated in theBattle of the Neretva. By that time partisan activity had grown in frequency and scale, and by September 1943 partisans routinely performed battalion-sized attacks on Italian checkpoints and railways. After theArmistice of Cassibile was announced on 8 September 1943, the Lombardia was disbanded byinvading German forces.[2][9]
57th Infantry Division "Lombardia", inPula[3]Attached to the division from late 1940 to early 1941:[3]
Attached to the division from early 1941:[3]
Attached to the division in June 1943:[3]
The division's commanding officers were:[2][3]
The names of 14 men attached to the division can be found in theCentral Registry of War Criminals and Security Suspects (CROWCASS) set up by the Anglo-AmericanSupreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force in 1945. The names can be found at:Central Registry of War Criminals and Security Suspects from the Kingdom of Italy.