1st Bersaglieri Division "Italia"

1st Bersaglieri Division "Italia"
1ª Divisione bersaglieri "Italia"
Active	25 November 1943 - 29 April 1945
Country	Italian Social Republic
Branch	National Republican Army
Engagements	World War II Italian campaign Gothic Line Spring 1945 offensive in Italy Battle of Collecchio
Commanders
Notable commanders	Mario Carloni

Military unit

The 1st Bersaglieri Division "Italia" (Italian: 1ª Divisione bersaglieri "Italia") was one of four divisions raised by Mussolini's Italian Social Republic. It existed from 25 November 1943 until 29 April 1945.

History

The Division was formed from Italian POWs in Germany and new conscripts from Northern Italy. The Division was trained in Heuberg, western Bavaria, and was only ready for combat in December 1944. The 1st Bersaglieri Division received the same equipment as the other ENR divisions, but they were forced, more than once, to give armaments and materials up to German units sent to fight on the Western Front.

The 14,000 men strong Division was then to join the Monterosa Division at the Gothic Line. It was attached to the German 14th Army. Many soldiers were from the south of Italy and crossed the frontline to be able to return home. Other units fought well and resisted several allied attacks on their positions. In February 1945, the 92nd Infantry Division came up against the Bersaglieri of the 1st Italian "Italia" Infantry Division. The Italians successfully halted the US division's advance. However, the situation subsequently deteriorated for the Axis forces on the Gothic Line.

In April 1945 the Gothic Line collapsed under the Spring 1945 offensive in Italy. The 1st Italia Division was defeated by the Brazilian Expeditionary Force in the Battle of Collecchio and surrendered.

Commanders

General Mario Carloni : November 1943 - July 1944,
General Guido Manardi : July 1944 - February 1945,
General Mario Carloni : February 1945 - April 1945.

References

Sources

Nazi war crimes in Italy

Massacres

1943	Boves Lake Maggiore Caiazzo Pisino Pietransieri

1944	Monchio, Susano and Costrignano Ardeatine Ameglia Fragheto Vallucciole Lipa Capistrello Guardistallo Piazza Tasso Piavola Sant'Anna di Stazzema San Terenzo Monti Padule di Fucecchio Vinca San Leonardo al Frigido Certosa di Farneta Marzabotto

1945	San Martino di Lupari

Perpetrators

Individuals	Heinrich Andergassen Friedrich Boßhammer Eduard Crasemann Theodor Dannecker Anton Dostler Friedrich Engel Karl Hass Herbert Kappler Albert Kesselring Eberhard von Mackensen Kurt Mälzer Erich Priebke Walter Rauff Walter Reder Theo Saevecke Josef Scheungraber Michael Seifert Max Simon Gerhard Sommer Karl Titho

Units

Waffen-SS	SS Division Leibstandarte SS Division Reichsführer-SS SS Volunteer Karstwehr Battalion

Army

Luftwaffe	1st Parachute Division 1st Fallschirm-Panzer Division 2nd Parachute Division 4th Parachute Division 19th Luftwaffe Field Division 20th Luftwaffe Field Division

SS Police	SS Police Regiment Alpine Foothills SS Police Regiment Bozen SS Police Regiment Schlanders 12th SS Police Regiment 15th SS Police Regiment 20th SS Police Regiment

Italian	Republican Police Corps Italian Black Brigades 2nd Division "Littorio" 3rd Division "San Marco" 4th Division "Monterosa"

Doctrine	Bandenbekämpfung

Victims

Groups	Italian Jews Libyan Jews Italian military internees

Individuals	Leonardo de Benedetti Einstein family Giovanni Fornasini Maurizio Giglio Roderick Stephen Hall Primo Levi Ettore Ovazza

Camps

Looting

Post-war

See also: The Holocaust in Italy

v t e Military of the Italian Social Republic
National Republican Guard	Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana di Frontiera [it] GNR Division Etna
National Republican Army	1st Bersaglieri Division "Italia" 2nd Grenadier Division "Littorio" 3rd Marine Infantry Division "San Marco" 4th Alpine Division "Monterosa" Reggimento alpini "Tagliamento" [it] 63ª Legione CC.NN. d'Assalto "Tagliamento" [it] Battaglione volontari di Sardegna "Giovanni Maria Angioy" [it]
National Republican Air Force	1º Gruppo caccia "Asso di bastoni" [it] 2º Gruppo caccia "Gigi Tre Osei" [it] 3º Gruppo caccia "Francesco Baracca" [it] Gruppo Aerosiluranti "Buscaglia-Faggioni" [it] Squadriglia complementare d'allarme "Montefusco-Bonet" [it]
National Republican Navy	Xª Flottiglia MAS (Repubblica Sociale Italiana) [it]
Republican Police Corps	Legione Autonoma Mobile Ettore Muti [it] Banda Carità [it]
Other	Black Brigades Female Auxiliary Service

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