156th Infantry Division "Vicenza"

156th Infantry Division "Vicenza" 156a Divisione Fanteria Vicenza.png 180 156th Infantry Division "Vicenza" insignia 10 March 1942 - 15 May 1943 Kingdom of Italy Kingdom of Italy Infantry Division Etelvoldo Pascolini 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30pxVicenza Division gorget patches World War II The 156th Infantry Division "Vicenza" (it 156ª Divisione di fanteria "Vicenza") was an infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The Vicenza was formed on 10 March 1942 and named for the city of Vicenza. The Vicenza was classified as an occupation infantry division, which meant that the division's artillery regiment consisted of two artillery groups instead of the three artillery groups of line infantry divisions and that the divisional mortar battalion was replaced by a divisional machine gun battalion. The division was sent to the Eastern front, as part of the Italian Army in Russia. The division guarded the army's line of communications and rear area against Soviet partisans.156ª Divisione di fanteria "Vicenza" http://www.regioesercito.it/reparti/fanteria/rediv156.htm Regio Esercito 30 October 2021 27 February 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240227113121/http://www.regioesercito.it/reparti/fanteria/rediv156.htm dead Bollettino dell'Archivio dell'Ufficio Storico N.II-3 e 4 2002 2002 Ministero della Difesa - Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito - Ufficio Storico Rome 345 https://issuu.com/rivista.militare1/docs/bollettino-ii-n.3-4-2002-testo 30 October 2021 The Vicenza was overrun and destroyed by Soviet forces during Operation Little Saturn. Of the division's 10,466 men 7,760 were killed or missing during the battle in January 1943.http://www.divisionevicenza.com/storia https://web.archive.org/web/20160304113805/http://www.divisionevicenza.com/storia usurped March 4, 2016 Breve Storia - Divisione Vicenza History World War I The division's lineage begins with the Brigade "Vicenza" raised in July 1917 with the 277th, 278th, and 279th infantry regiments. The brigade fought on the Italian front in World War I and together with its regiments was disbanded after the war in February 1919. World War II The 156th Infantry Division Vicenza was activated in Brescia on 10 March 1942 and consisted of the 277th and 278th infantry regiments, and the 156th Artillery Regiment. As a division raised during the war the Vicenza did not have its own regimental depots and therefore its regiments were raised in February 1942 by the depots of the 15th Infantry Division "Bergamo": the 277th Infantry Regiment "Vicenza" in Rijeka by the 25th Infantry Regiment "Bergamo", the 278th Infantry Regiment "Vicenza" in Rijeka by the 26th Infantry Regiment "Bergamo", and the 156th Artillery Regiment "Vicenza" by the 30th Artillery Regiment "Lupi di Toscana" in Brescia.277° Reggimento di fanteria "Vicenza" http://www.regioesercito.it/reparti/fanteria/rgt/rgt277.htm Regio Esercito 22 December 2021278° Reggimento di fanteria "Vicenza" http://www.regioesercito.it/reparti/fanteria/rgt/rgt278.htm Regio Esercito 22 December 2021 The division arrived in Eastern Ukraine in July 1942. It assembled its units in Yenakiieve and Horlivka. It followed the Italian Army in Russia's advance to the Don river, operating in the army's rear area and securing the lines of communication. On 16 December 1942 the Vicenza entered the front between the 2nd Alpine Division "Tridentina" and 4th Alpine Division "Cuneense". On 18 January the Italian division's were in full retreat, walking through the icy Russian steppe towards the new Axis lines. On 25 January the Italians fought a battle at Nikitovka, and the next day the Battle of Nikolayevka. On the same day the main column of the Vicenza was surrounded and annihilated by Soviet Forces near Valuyki. The few survivors were repatriated to Brescia, where the division was officially dissolved on 15 May 1943. Organization thumb|right|520px|156th Infantry Division "Vicenza" organization When the division deployed to the Soviet Union it consisted of the following units:Le operazioni delle Unità Italiane al Fronte Russo (1941-1943) Quadro di battaglia dell’8ª Armata italiana in Russia 1977 Ministero della Difesa Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito Ufficio Storico Roma, 1977 Rome https://www.unirr.it/storia/quadro-di-battaglia-dell-8a-armata 22 September 2021 25px 156th Infantry Division "Vicenza" 277th Infantry Regiment "Vicenza" Command Company 3x Fusilier battalions Cannons Company (47/32 anti-tank guns) Mortar Company (81mm Mod. 35 mortars) 278th Infantry Regiment "Vicenza" Command Company 3x Fusilier battalions Cannons Company (47/32 anti-tank guns) Mortar Company (81mm Mod. 35 mortars) 156th Artillery Regiment "Vicenza" (remained in Italy, when the division deployed to the Soviet Union)F. dell'Uomo, R. di Rosa L'Esercito Italiano verso il 2000 - Vol. Secondo - Tomo II 1998 SME - Ufficio Storico Rome 178 Command Unit I Group (75/27 mod. 06 field guns; transferred on 10 March 1943 to the 152nd Artillery Regiment "Piceno") II Group (75/27 mod. 06 field guns; transferred on 10 March 1943 to the 152nd Artillery Regiment "Piceno") IV Group (100/17 mod. 14 howitzers; transferred on 1 July 1943 from the depot of the 5th Artillery Regiment "Superga") 80th Battery (75/32 mod. 37 anti-tank guns; assigned 1 July 1943) 81st Battery (75/32 mod. 37 anti-tank guns; assigned 1 July 1943) 84th Battery (75/32 mod. 37 anti-tank guns; assigned 1 July 1943) 1x Anti-aircraft battery (20/65 Mod. 35 anti-aircraft guns) Ammunition and Supply Unit 201st Motorized Artillery Regiment (attached in Soviet Union) Command Unit I Groups (75/32 field guns) II Group (75/32 field guns) III Group (75/32 field guns) 2x Anti-aircraft batteries (20/65 Mod. 35 anti-aircraft guns) Ammunition and Supply Unit CLVI Machine Gun Battalion CLVI Mixed Engineer Battalion 156th Engineer Company 256th Telegraph and Radio Operators Company 256th Anti-tank Company (47/32 anti-tank guns) 156th Medical Section 161st Field Hospital 162nd Field Hospital 1x Surgical unit 156th Supply Section 1121st Transport Section 256th Bakers Section 136th Carabinieri Section 137th Carabinieri Section 156th Field Post Office In the Soviet Union the XXVI Carabinieri Battalion and the I Armored Car Platoon of the Regiment "Nizza Cavalleria" (1st) were attached to the division. Commanding officers The division's commanding officers were: Generale di Divisione Enrico Broglia (10 March 1942 - 7 December 1942) Generale di Brigata Etelvoldo Pascolini (8 December 1942 - 15 May 1943) References 30em A Military History of Italy Paoletti, Ciro Greenwood Publishing Group 2008 978-0-275-98505-9 Category:Infantry divisions of Italy in World War II Category:Military units and formations established in 1942