104th Infantry Division "Mantova"

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This article is about the historic Royal Italian Army 104th Infantry Division "Mantova". For the Cold War Italian Army Infantry Division "Manotva" and Mechanized Brigade "Mantova", see Mechanized Brigade "Mantova".

104th Infantry Division "Mantova"
104a Divisione Fanteria Mantova.png
104th Infantry Division "Mantova" insignia
Active15 March 1942 – 21 October 1975
1 January 2003 – 15 July 2013
CountryItaly Kingdom of Italy
Italy Italy
BranchItaly Royal Italian Army
Italy Italian Army
TypeInfantry
RoleInfantry
SizeDivision
EngagementsSecond World War
Insignia
Identification
symbol		Mostrina - 113°, 114° "Mantova".png World War II - Mostrina - 11° Rgt. Artiglieria "Mantova".png World War II - Mostrina - Genio Divisione "Mantova".png World War II - Mostrina - Sanità Divisione "Mantova".png World War II - Mostrina - Sussistenza Divisione "Mantova".png World War II - Mostrina - Battaglioni mortaisti.png
Mantova Division gorget patches

The 104th Infantry Division "Mantova" (Italian: 104ª Divisione di fanteria "Mantova") was an infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during the Second World War. The Mantova was named for the city of Mantua (Italian: Mantova) and classified as an auto-transportable division, meaning staff and equipment could be transported on cars and trucks, although not simultaneously.[1][2]

History[]

World War I[]

The division's lineage begins with the Brigade "Mantova" raised on 1 March 1915 with the 113th and 114th infantry regiments. The brigade fought on the Italian front in World War I and was disbanded after the war in November 1919.[1]

World War II[]

The 104th Infantry Division "Mantova" was activated in Verona on 15 March 1942 and consisted of the 113th and 114th infantry regiments, and the 121st Motorized Artillery Regiment. As a division raised during the war the Mantova did not have its own regimental depots and therefore its regiments were raised by the depots of the auto-transportable 9th Infantry Division "Pasubio": the 113th Infantry Regiment "Mantova" was raised in Verona on 1 January 1942 by the 79th Infantry Regiment "Pasubio"[3] and the 114th Infantry Regiment "Mantova" was raised in Mantua on 10 December 1941 by the 80th Infantry Regiment "Pasubio",[4] while the 121st Motorized Artillery Regiment "Mantova" was raised in Verona by the 8th Artillery Regiment "Pasubio".[1]

In June 1942 the division exchanged artillery regiments with the 3rd Infantry Division "Ravenna", which needed a fully motorized and modern equipped artillery regiment for its deployment to the Soviet Union: the Mantova ceded the 121st Motorized Artillery Regiment equipped with modern 75/18 Mod. 34 howitzers to the Ravenna and received the 11th Artillery Regiment equipped with World War I vintage (75/27 Mod. 06 field guns in return.

In May 1942 the division moved to Saluzzo in Piedmont and joined the XXII Army Corps. In October of the same year the Mantvoa was transferred to the and changed its garrison to Turin and Asti. In January 1943 the division was transferred to Nicastro in Calabria and joined the as the corps' mobile reserve in the area between Catanzaro and Sant'Eufemia d'Aspromonte.[1]

After allied forces had landed on the Italian peninsula and the Armistice of Cassibile between Italy and the Allies had been signed the division remained loyal. On 26 September 1943 the division gave up part of the 11th Artillery Regiment to help form the Italian 1st Motorized Group under command of the 58th Infantry Division "Legnano", which was to aid in the allied war effort. On 16 October 1943 its 113th Infantry Regiment joined the US Fifth Army, and on 30 October 1943 the division received the 76th Infantry Regiment "Napoli" as replacement for the 113th.

In spring 1944 the division took command of the remnants of the 155th Infantry Division "Emilia", after they had been repatriated from combat against German forces in Dalmatia. At that point the division consisted of the following understrength units:

  • 76th Infantry Regiment "Napoli"
  • 114th Infantry Regiment "Mantova"
  • 119th Infantry Regiment "Emilia"
  • 120th Infantry Regiment "Emilia"
  • 155th Artillery Regiment "Emilia"
  • I Group/11th Artillery Regiment "Mantova"

At the beginning of fall 1944 the division was ordered to re-organize as Combat Group "Mantova" destined for the frontlines in central Italy. The 76th and 114th infantry regiments and 155th Artillery Regiment were brought up to strength and equipped with British materiel. By spring 1945 the division was ready to join the British Eighth Army, but it arrived at the front just as the German forces in Italy were surrendering.

On 15 October 1945 the Combat Group "Mantova" regained its old name of Infantry Division "Mantova", which continued to exist until 1986 when it was reduced to Mechanized Brigade "Mantova".

Recent times[]

In 2002 the Italian Army raised three division commands, with one of the three always readily deployable for NATO missions. The army decided that each division should carry on the traditions of one of the divisions that served with distinction in World War II. Therefore, on 31 December 2002 the 2nd Italian Division in Vittorio Veneto was renamed as Division Command "Mantova".

During the 2013 Army reform it was decided to rename the Division "Mantova" as Division "Friuli".

Organization[]

104th Infantry Division "Mantova"[]

  • 104a Divisione Fanteria Mantova.png 104th Infantry Division "Mantova"
    • 113th Infantry Regiment "Mantova"[3]
    • 114th Infantry Regiment "Mantova"[4]
      • Command Company
      • 3x Fusilier battalions
      • Support Weapons Company (65/17 infantry support guns)
      • Mortar Company (81mm Mod. 35 mortars)
    • 11th Artillery Regiment "Mantova", in Albenga (transferred from the 3rd Infantry Division "Ravenna" in June 1942)
      • Command Unit
      • I Group (100/17 howitzers; re-equipped with 100/22 howitzers in early 1943)
      • II Group (75/27 field guns)
      • III Group (75/27 field guns; re-equipped with 75/13 mountain guns in early 1943)
      • IV Group (100/22 howitzers; raised in late 1942)
      • 1x Anti-aircraft battery (20/65 Mod. 35 anti-aircraft guns; a second battery was added in early 1943)
      • Ammunition and Supply Unit
    • 121st Motorized Artillery Regiment (transferred to the 3rd Infantry Division "Ravenna" in June 1942)
      • Command Unit
      • I Group (105/28 guns)
      • II Group (75/18 Mod. 35 howitzers)
      • III Group (75/18 Mod. 35 howitzers)
      • 51st Anti-aircraft Battery (20/65 Mod. 35 anti-aircraft guns)
      • 303rd Anti-aircraft Battery (20/65 Mod. 35 anti-aircraft guns)
      • Ammunition and Supply Unit
    • CIV Mortar Battalion (81mm Mod. 35 mortars; joined the division in October 1942)
    • 304th Anti-tank Company (47/32 anti-tank guns)
    • 79th Engineer Company
    • 104th Telegraph and Radio Operators Company
    • 104th Medical Section
      • 2x Field hospitals (a third hospital was added in early 1943)
      • 1x Surgical unit
    • 102nd Supply Section
    • Bakers Section
    • 1146th Transport Section
    • 150th Carabinieri Section
    • 151st Carabinieri Section
    • 104th Field Post Office

Combat Group "Mantova"[]

  • Regio Esercito - Gruppo Combattimento Mantova.svg Combat Group "Mantova"[5]
    • British Eighth Army Liaison Squad
    • 76th Infantry Regiment "Napoli"
    • 114th Infantry Regiment "Mantova"
      • Command Company
      • 3x Fusilier battalions
      • Support Company (QF 6-pounder anti-tank guns)
      • Mortar Company (ML 3-inch mortars)
    • 155th Artillery Regiment "Emilia"
    • CIV Mixed Engineer Battalion
      • 2x Engineer companies
      • 1x Signal company
    • Transport and Supply Company
    • Mobile Artillery and Engineer Materiel Depot
    • Medical Section
      • 2x Field hospitals
      • 1x Surgical unit
    • Bakers Section
    • Truck Maintenance Workshop
    • 2x Carabinieri sections

Commanding officers[]

The division's commanding officers were:[1][2]

  • Generale di Brigata (15 March 1942 - 9 February 1943)
  • Generale di Brigata (10 February 1943 - 1945)

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e "104ª Divisione di fanteria "Mantova"". Regio Esercito. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  2. ^ a b Bollettino dell'Archivio dell'Ufficio Storico N.II-3 e 4 2002. Rome: Ministero della Difesa - Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito - Ufficio Storico. 2002. p. 325. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  3. ^ a b "113° Reggimento fanteria "Mantova"". Regio Esercito Army. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  4. ^ a b "114° Reggimento fanteria "Mantova"". Regio Esercito Army. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  5. ^ I Gruppi di Combattimento (1944-1945). Rome: L'Ufficio Storico dello Stato Maggiore dell'Esercito. 1951. p. 376. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  • Paoletti, Ciro (2008). A Military History of Italy. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-275-98505-9.


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