44th Infantry Division "Cremona"

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This article is about the historic Royal Italian Army 44th Infantry Division "Cremona". For the historic Italian Army brigade, see Motorized Brigade "Cremona".
44th Infantry Division "Cremona"
44a Divisione Fanteria Cremona.png
44th Infantry Division "Cremona" insignia
Active1939–1945
CountryItaly Kingdom of Italy
BranchItaly Royal Italian Army
TypeInfantry
SizeDivision
EngagementsWorld War II
Commanders
Notable
commanders		General Umberto Mondino
General Nino Sozzani
General Clemente Primieri
Insignia
Identification
symbol		Mostrina - 21°, 22°, 321° "Cremona".png World War II - Mostrina - 7° Rgt. Artiglieria "Cremona".png World War II - Mostrina - CXLIV Btg. Genio Divisione "Cremona".png World War II - Mostrina - Sanità Divisione "Cremona".png World War II - Mostrina - Sussistenza Divisione "Cremona".png World War II - Mostrina - Battaglioni mortaisti.png
Cremona Division gorget patches

The 44th Infantry Division "Cremona" (Italian: 44ª Divisione di fanteria "Cremona") was an infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The Cremona was formed on 15 September 1939 by splitting the 20th Infantry Division "Curtatone and Montanara" into the 20th Infantry Division "Friuli" and 44th Infantry Division "Cremona". The division was named for the city of Cremona.[1][2]

History[]

After the Second Italian War of Independence the Austrian Empire had to cede the Lombardy region of the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia to the Kingdom of Sardinia. After taking control of the region the government of Sardinian ordered the Royal Sardinian Army on 29 August 1859 to raise five infantry brigades and one grenadier brigade in Lombardy. Subsequently on 1 November 1859 the Brigade "Cremona" was activated with the newly raised 21st and 22nd infantry regiments.[3]

World War I[]

World War II[]

During the Italian invasion of France 10 June 1940, the Cremona division was stationed in second echelon near Ventimiglia behind 5th Infantry Division Cosseria, under command of . The Cremona provided some fire support during hostilities. In March, 1941, the division received orders to transfer to Sardinia for garrison duty. When Italy and Germany occupied Vichy France in Operation "Anton" after the Allied landings in French North Africa the division was ferried to Southern Corsica on 8 November 1942 to occupy the island, while the 20th Infantry Division "Friuli" occupied Northern Corsica. On Corsica, the Cremona came under command of the .

From 9 September 1943, in the aftermath of the Armistice of Cassibile, the Cremona started to fight the retreating German Sturmbrigade Reichsführer SS and 90th Panzergrenadier Division and the Italian XII Paratroopers Battalion of the 184th Paratroopers Regiment,.[4] On the Cremona side were 20th Infantry Division Friuli and French Partisans. On 13 September elements of the Free French 4th Moroccan Mountain Division landed in Ajaccio to support the Italian efforts to stop the 30,000 retreating German troops. The Cremona division fought in Zonza and Quenza, pushing north to Golo river and Sorbo-Ocagnano. During the entire fight German forces lost 700 men and 350 were captured. The evacuation of German forces during the night of 3 to 4 October from Bastia put an end to the fight.

After the end of operations on Corsica the division was sent as to Sardinia where the 90th CCNN Legion was renamed the 321st Infantry Regiment Cremona. In September 1944 the division was reduced to two infantry (21st, 22nd) and one artillery regiment (7th), armed with British weapons and materiel and renamed as Combat Group "Cremona". The Cremona entered the front on 12 January 1945 as part of the British V Corps. When allied forces achieved a major breakthrough during the 1945 spring offensive the Cremona advanced towards Venice to liberate the city, which it did on 30 April 1945.

Organization[]

  • 44a Divisione Fanteria Cremona.png 44th Infantry Division "Cremona", in Pisa[2]
    • 21st Infantry Regiment "Cremona", in La Spezia
    • 22nd Infantry Regiment "Cremona", in Pisa
      • Command Company
      • 3x Fusilier battalions
      • Support Weapons Company (65/17 infantry support guns)
      • Mortar Company (81mm Mod. 35 mortars)
    • 7th Artillery Regiment "Cremona", in Pisa
    • XLIV Mortar Battalion (81mm Mod. 35 mortars)
    • CXLIV Mixed Engineer Battalion (formed in 1943)
    • 44th Anti-tank Company (47/32 anti-tank guns; replaced in Corsica by the 144th Anti-tank Company)
    • 44th Telegraph and Radio Operators Company (entered the CXLIV Mixed Engineer Battalion in 1943)
    • 77th Engineer Company (entered the CXLIV Mixed Engineer Battalion in 1943)
    • 54th Medical Section
      • 33rd Field Hospital
      • 84th Field Hospital
      • 333rd Field Hospital
      • 1x Surgical unit
    • 54th Supply Section
    • 119th Truck Section
    • 119th Transport Section
    • 350th Transport Section (joined the division in Corsica)
    • 355th Transport Section (joined the division in Corsica)
    • 17th Bakers Section
    • 40th Carabinieri Section
    • 251st Carabinieri Section
    • 64th Field Post Office

Attached to the division from June 1940 to 10 December 1940:[2]

  • XXVIII CC.NN. Battalion

Attached to the division from 10 December 1940:[2]

  • 90th CC.NN. Legion "Pisa" (renamed 321st Infantry Regiment "Cremona" in November 1943; disbanded soon thereafter)
    • XXXIII CC.NN. Battalion
    • XC CC.NN. Battalion
    • 90th CC.NN. Machine Gun Company

Attached to the division during 1943:[2]

  • Special Grenadiers Grouping
    • 4x Granatieri di Sardegna battalions
    • XXI Alpini Battalion "Monte Mercantour"/ 175th Mobile Territorial Alpini Regiment
  • IV Bersaglieri Cyclists Battalion
  • CXIII Machine Gun Battalion
  • DXV Mobile Territorial Battalion
  • XXXIV Artillery Group (105/28 howitzers)
  • CXXVI Artillery Group (149/13 howitzers)

Attached to the division on 8 September 1943:[2]

Commanding officers[]

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

References[]

  1. ^ a b "44ª Divisione di fanteria "Cremona"". Regio Esercito. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Bollettino dell'Archivio dell'Ufficio Storico N.II-3 e 4 2002. Rome: Ministero della Difesa - Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito - Ufficio Storico. 2002. p. 283. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  3. ^ Voghera, Enrico (1909). Annuario militare del regno d'Italia - Volume I. Rome. p. 392.
  4. ^ "Esercito Italiano: Divisione "NEMBO" (184^)". Archived from the original on 14 May 2009. Retrieved 19 April 2009.
  • Paoletti, Ciro (2008). A Military History of Italy. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-275-98505-9.


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