207th Coastal Division (Italy)


The 207th Coastal Division was an infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. Royal Italian Army coastal divisions were second line divisions formed with reservists and equipped with second rate materiel. Recruited locally, they were often commanded by officers called out of retirement.

History

The division was activated on 15 November 1941 in Palermo by reorganizing the VII Coastal Sector Command. The division was assigned to XII Army Corps, which was responsible for the defense of the western half of the island of Sicily. In January 1942 the division moved its headquarter to Agrigento. The division was responsible for the coastal defense of the coast between Sciacca and Punta Due Rocche to the East of Licata.
The division fought against units of the American Seventh Army after the allies landed on Sicily on 10 July 1943. By 16 July 1943 the division had been severely decimated and was therefore officially declared lost due to wartime events.

Organization

  • 207th Coastal Division, in Agrigento
  • * 138th Coastal Regiment
  • ** CCCLXXX Coastal Battalion
  • ** CCCLXXXVIII Coastal Battalion
  • ** CDXV Coastal Battalion
  • ** CDXVII Coastal Battalion
  • ** CDXX Coastal Battalion
  • * 139th Coastal Regiment, in Licata
  • ** LXII Replacements Battalion
  • ** CDXIX Coastal Battalion
  • ** CCCXC Coastal Battalion
  • * 12th Coastal Artillery Regiment
  • ** XXXV Coastal Artillery Group
  • ** CXLV Coastal Artillery Group
  • ** CLX Coastal Artillery Group
  • ** CCXXIII Coastal Artillery Group
  • * CIX Machine Gun Battalion
  • ** 510th Machine Gun Company
  • ** 516th Machine Gun Company
  • * 207th Carabinieri Section
  • * 164th Field Post Office
  • * Division Services
Attached to the division:
  • 177th Bersaglieri Regiment
  • * DXXV Bersaglieri Battalion
  • * DXXVI Bersaglieri Battalion
  • * DXXVII Bersaglieri Battalion
  • CIV Anti-tank Battalion
  • CCXXIII Artillery Group
  • LXXXVIII Guardia alla Frontiera Artillery Group
  • Armored Train 120/3/S, in Porto Empedocle
  • Armored Train 76/1/T, in Porto Empedocle
  • Armored Train 76/2/T, in Licata

    Commanding officers

The division's commanding officers were: