1st CC.NN. Division "23 Marzo"

Italian CC.NN. (Blackshirts militia) division 1st CC.NN. Division "Dio lo Vuole" 1st CC.NN. Division "23 Marzo" 1ª Divisione CC.NN. "23 Marzo" 1a Divisione CC.NN. 23 Marzo.png 160 1st CC.NN. Division "23 Marzo" insignia 23 April 1935 – May 19361939 – 5 January 1941 Kingdom of Italy Flag of the National Fascist Party (PNF) variant 2.svg MVSN Infantry Division Chieti 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px1st CC.NN. Division gorget patches Founding date of the Fasci Italiani di Combattimento "Implacabile" (English: Relentless) Second Italo-Ethiopian War Battle of Amba Aradam Second battle of Tembien World War II Western Desert campaign Italian invasion of Egypt Operation Compass Battle of Bardia The 1st CC.NN. Division "23 Marzo" (it 1ª Divisione CC.NN. "23 Marzo") was an Italian CC.NN. (Blackshirts militia) division raised on 23 April 1935 for the Second Italo-Ethiopian War against Ethiopia.Yared Ephrem 2016-03-08 The Second Italo-Abyssinian War (1935–1936) • https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/second-italo-abyssinian-war-1935-1936/ 2020-11-18 en-US The name "23 Marzo" ("March 23rd") was chosen to commemorate the founding date of the Fasci Italiani di Combattimento on 23 March 1919.Fasci di combattimento Italian political organization https://www.britannica.com/topic/fasci-di-combattimento 2020-11-18 Encyclopedia Britannica en The division took part in the Italian invasion of Egypt and was destroyed during the Battle of Bardia in January 1941. History The division was one of six CC.NN. divisions raised in summer 1935 in preparation for the Second Italo-Ethiopian War. Its members were volunteers from the various armed militias of the National Fascist Party's paramilitary wing and came from two regions: the 135th and 192nd CC.NN. legions, and the I CC.NN. Machine Gun Battalion from Tuscany and the 202nd CC.NN. Legion from Umbria.Divisione CC.NN. "23 Marzo" http://www.regioesercito.it/reparti/mvsn/23mar.htm Regio Esercito 17 October 2021 10 December 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20221210020745/http://www.regioesercito.it/reparti/mvsn/23mar.htm dead Second Italo-Ethiopian War The division arrived in Massawa in Italian Eritrea between 28 August and September 1935. On 3 October the division crossed the Balasa river into Ethiopia. The division participated in the Battle of Amba Aradam and then in the Second Battle of Tembien. During the war the division suffered a total of 108 casualties. After the war the division was repatriated and then disbanded. World War II The division was reformed in Chieti in 1939 and sent with three other CC.NN. divisions to Italian Libya. The division took part in the invasion of Egypt in September 1940, reaching Sidi Barrani in Egypt by October. On 1 December 1940 the division was at Bardia, where it was surrounded with other Italian units by British forces during Operation Compass. After a short siege the division was destroyed during the Battle of Bardia on 3-5 January 1941.1ª Divisione CC.NN. "23 Marzo" http://www.regioesercito.it/reparti/fanteria/ccnndiv1.htm Regio Esercito 17 October 2021 27 February 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240227091906/http://www.regioesercito.it/reparti/fanteria/ccnndiv1.htm dead Organization Second Italo-Ethiopian War Below follows the division's organization during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War and the cities, in which its CC.NN. battalions and companies/batteries were raised. 1st CC.NN. Division "23 Marzo" 135th CC.NN. Legion "Indomita", in La Spezia Command Company CXXXV CC.NN. Battalion, in La Spezia CLXXXVIII CC.NN. Battalion, in Livorno 135th CC.NN. Machine Gun Company, in Volterra 135th CC.NN. Artillery Battery, in Rome (65/17 mod. 13 mountain guns) 192nd CC.NN. Legion "Francesco Ferrucci", in Florence Command Company CXC CC.NN. Battalion, in Pisa CXCV CC.NN. Battalion, in Florence 192nd CC.NN. Machine Gun Company, in Empoli 192nd CC.NN. Artillery Battery, in Florence (65/17 mod. 13 mountain guns) 202nd CC.NN. Legion "Cacciatori del Tevere", in Perugia Command Company CCII CC.NN. Battalion, in Perugia CCIV CC.NN. Battalion, in Terni 202nd CC.NN. Machine Gun Company, in Arezzo 202nd CC.NN. Artillery Battery, in Rome (65/17 mod. 13 mountain guns) I CC.NN. Machine Gun Battalion, in Pisa I Artillery Group (65/17 mod. 13 mountain guns, Royal Italian Army) I Mixed Transport Unit (Royal Italian Army) I Supply Unit (Royal Italian Army) 1st Special Engineer Company (Royal Italian Army) 1st Medical Section (Royal Italian Army) 1st Logistic Section (Royal Italian Army) 1st Carabinieri Section The supply unit had 1,600 mules and the mixed transport unit 80 light trucks. The division engaged in war crimes in Ethiopia during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War.Del Boca Angelo Il gas di Mussolini. Il fascismo e la guerra d'Etiopia 2007 9788835958598 https://books.google.com/books?id=mT8_AQAAIAAJ World War II thumb|right|520px|1st CC.NN. Division "23 Marzo" organization Below follows the division's organization at the start of the Italian invasion of Egypt and the cities, in which its CC.NN. battalions were raised.Bollettino dell'Archivio dell'Ufficio Storico N.II-3 e 4 2002 2002 Ministero della Difesa - Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito - Ufficio Storico Rome 352 https://issuu.com/rivista.militare1/docs/bollettino-ii-n.3-4-2002-testo 16 October 2021 25px 1st CC.NN. Division "23 Marzo" Headquarters Command Company 701st Carabinieri Section 702nd Carabinieri Section 301st Field Post Office 219th CC.NN. Legion, in Frosinone Command Company CXIV CC.NN. Battalion "G. Veroli", in Tivoli CXVIII CC.NN. Battalion "Volsca", in Velletri CXIX CC.NN. Battalion "N. Ricciotti", in Frosinone 219th CC.NN. Machine Gun Company 233rd CC.NN. Legion, in Campobasso Command Company CXXIX CC.NN. Battalion "Adriatica", in Pescara CXXXIII CC.NN. Battalion "Lupi del Matese", in Campobasso CXLVIII CC.NN. Battalion "Tavoliere", in Foggia 233rd CC.NN. Machine Gun Company 201st Artillery Regiment "23 Marzo" (formed by the depot of the 9th Army Corps Artillery Regiment in Foggia)F. dell'Uomo, R. di Rosa L'Esercito Italiano verso il 2000 - Vol. Secondo - Tomo II 1998 SME - Ufficio Storico Rome 182 Command Unit I Group (75/27 mod. 06 field guns) II Group (75/27 mod. 06 field guns) III Group (100/17 mod. 14 howitzers) 1st Anti-aircraft Battery (20/65 mod. 35 anti-aircraft guns) 201st Anti-aircraft Battery (20/65 mod. 35 anti-aircraft guns) 219th Support Weapons Battery (65/17 mod. 13 mountain guns) 233rd Support Weapons Battery (65/17 mod. 13 mountain guns) Ammunition and Supply Unit CCI Machine Gun Battalion (Royal Italian Army) CCI Mixed Engineer Battalion (Royal Italian Army) Command Platoon 1 × Engineer Company 1 × Telegraph and Radio Operators Company 1 × Searchlight Section 201st CC.NN. Anti-tank Company (47/32 mod. 35 anti-tank guns) 201st CC.NN. Support Weapons Battery (65/17 mod. 13 mountain guns) 201st CC.NN. Mortar Company (81mm mod. 35 mortars) 201st Medical Section (Royal Italian Army) 3 × Field hospitals 1 × Surgical Unit 201st Supply Section (Royal Italian Army) 201st Transport Section (Royal Italian Army) Attached during the Battle of Bardia: LXI Tank Battalion L (L3/33 and L3/35 tankettes, Royal Italian Army) CC.NN. Grouping "23 Marzo" For the Italian participation in the Eastern Front the regiment-sized CC.NN. Grouping "23 Marzo" was raised as unit of the Italian Army in Russia:Le operazioni delle Unità Italiane al Fronte Russo (1941-1943) 1977 Ministero della Difesa Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito Ufficio Storico Rome https://www.unirr.it/storia/quadro-di-battaglia-dell-8a-armata CC.NN. Grouping "23 Marzo" CC.NN. Battalions Group "Valle Scrivia" Command Company V CC.NN. Assault Battalion, in Tortona XXXIV CC.NN. Assault Battalion, in Savona XLI CC.NN. Support Weapons Battalion, in Trento CC.NN. Battalions Group "Leonessa" Command Company XIV CC.NN. Assault Battalion, in Bergamo XV CC.NN. Assault Battalion, in Brescia XXXVIII CC.NN. Support Weapons Battalion, in Asti Commanding officers During the Second Italo-Ethiopian War: Generale di Divisione Ettore Bastico (23 April 1935 - 20 October 1935) Generale di Divisione Prince Filiberto, Duke of Genoa (21 October 1935 - 29 February 1936) Generale di Divisione Carlo Carini (1 March 1936 - ?) During the Italian invasion of Egypt: Generale di Divisione Francesco Antonelli (1939 - 5 January 1941, POW) See also Division XXIII di Marzo References 30em Sources Ettore Lucas Giorgio de Vecchi Storia delle Unità Combattenti della Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale 1923–1943 Giovanni Volpe Editore Roma 1976 63–116 797527296 George F. Nafziger The Italian Order of Battle in WWII: an Organizational History of the Divisions and Independent Brigades of the Italian Army Black Shirt, Mountain, Assault & Landing Divisions, Corps Troops and the 1944 Liberation Army III 1996 West Chester Ohio 39214181 External links Regio Esercito: Divisione CC.NN. "23 Marzo" https://web.archive.org/web/20221210020745/http://www.regioesercito.it/reparti/mvsn/23mar.htm 2022-12-10 Category:Blackshirt divisions of Italy Category:Divisions of Italy in World War II Category:Divisions of Italy of the Second Italo-Ethiopian War Category:Military units and formations established in 1935 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1936 Category:Military units and formations established in 1939 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1941