206th Coastal Division (Italy)
{{Short description|Royal Italian Army infantry division during World War II}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = 206th Coastal Division
| image=
| image_size =
| caption=
| dates = 1941 – 1943
| country = {{flag|Kingdom of Italy}}
| branch = {{army|Kingdom of Italy}}
| type =
| role =
| size = Division
| command_structure =
| garrison = Modica
| past_commanders =
| ceremonial_chief =
| notable_commanders =
|identification_symbol=30px 30px 30px
206th Coastal Division gorget patches
| nickname =
| patron =
| motto =
| colors =
| march =
| mascot =
| battles = World War II
| anniversaries =
| decorations =
| battle_honors =
}}
File:Prigionieri 206a Divisione Costiera.JPG Adrian helmets, rather than the more modern M33 helmets.]]
The 206th Coastal Division ({{langx|it|206ª Divisione Costiera}}) was an infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II.{{cite book |title=Bollettino dell'Archivio dell'Ufficio Storico N.II-3 e 4 2002 |date=2002 |publisher=Ministero della Difesa - Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito - Ufficio Storico |location=Rome |page=362 |url=https://issuu.com/rivista.militare1/docs/bollettino-ii-n.3-4-2002-testo |access-date=7 November 2021}} 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.Jowett p 6
History
The division was activated on 15 November 1941 in Catania by reorganizing the VI Coastal Sector Command.{{cite web |last1=Circolare n. 19440 del 22/10/1941 dello S.M.R.E. Uff. Ordinamento - 2a Sezione |title=Cronistoria dei reparti costieri |url=http://www.regioesercito.it/reparti/fanteria/refantcost2.htm |publisher=Regio Esercito |access-date=12 November 2021}} The division was assigned to XVI Army Corps, which was responsible for the defense of the eastern half of the island of Sicily. The division had its headquarter in Modica and was responsible for the coastal defense of the coast between Punta Braccetto in Santa Croce Camerina and Arenella to the South of Syracuse.{{cite web |title=206a Divisione Costiera |url=http://www.regioesercito.it/reparti/fanteria/costieri/redivcost206.htm |publisher=Regio Esercito |access-date=16 October 2021}}
The division defended the beaches where the British Eighth Army landed during the Allied invasion of Sicily on 10 July 1943. On D-day the 206th Coastal Division and British forces fought for control of the beaches at Avola, Castelluzzo and Cassibile, but the British superiority in materiel and numbers crushed the 206th Coastal Division, which by 11 July was reduced to small units surrounded by British forces. On 12 July British troops eliminated the last resistance and the division was declared lost due to wartime events.
Organization
- 206th Coastal Division
- 122nd Coastal Regiment
- CCXLIII Coastal Battalion
- CCCLXXIV Coastal Battalion
- CCCLXXV Coastal Battalion
- 123rd Coastal Regiment
- CCCLXXXI Coastal Battalion
- CCCLXXXIII Coastal Battalion
- DXLII Coastal Battalion
- 146th Coastal Regiment
- CDXXX Coastal Battalion
- CDXXXVII Coastal Battalion
- 44th Coastal Artillery Grouping
- CII Coastal Artillery Group (75/27 mod. 06 field guns)
- CLXI Coastal Artillery Group (149/35 heavy guns)
- CLXII Coastal Artillery Group (149/35 heavy guns; transferred to the XVIII Coastal Brigade in April 1943)
- CLXIV Coastal Artillery Group (149/35 heavy guns)
- CCIX Coastal Artillery Group (100/22 mod. 14/19 howitzers)
- CCXXIV Coastal Artillery Group (100/22 mod. 14/19 howitzers)
- 227th Coastal Artillery Battery (105/14 mod. 18 howitzers)
- CIV Machine Gun Battalion
- 511th Machine Gun Company
- 537th Machine Gun Company
- 542nd Machine Gun Company
- 625th Machine Gun Company
- 122nd Mixed Engineer Platoon
- 123rd Mixed Engineer Platoon
- 206th Carabinieri Section
- 163rd Field Post Office
- Division Services
- CCXXXIII Self-propelled Anti-tank Battalion (47/32 L40 self-propelled guns)
- Armored Train 102/1/T, in Syracuse (6x 102/35 mod. 1914 naval guns, 4x 20/77 Scotti anti-aircraft guns){{cite web |title=Treni Armati della Marina |url=https://www.marina.difesa.it/noi-siamo-la-marina/mezzi/mezzi-storici/Pagine/TreniArmati.aspx |publisher=Italian Navy |access-date=7 October 2021}}
Commanding officers
The division's commanding officer was:
- Generale di Divisione Achille d'Havet (15 November 1941 - 12 July 1943, POW)
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
- {{cite book|title=A Military History of Italy|author=Paoletti, Ciro|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|year=2008|isbn=978-0-275-98505-9}}
- {{cite book|author=Jowett, Philip S.|title=The Italian Army 1940-45 (1): Europe 1940-1943|publisher=Osprey, Oxford - New York|year=2000|isbn=978-1-85532-864-8}}
{{Italian Divisions World War II}}