South Italy - summer of 1943

[tigersqn]

Hi guys

I posted this earlier in the Axis Nations forum but never even got a nibble.
I was hoping I could have better luck here.

I know there were Axis forces in northern Italy but I have yet to find any information about the Axis military presence in the lower "boot" of the country in summer/autumn of 1943.
Would anybody have any idea where I could find the info ?

I'm doing a feasibility study of a bolder Allied strategy in the Mediterannean/Aegean and would greatly appreciate any help that could be provided.

Pierre

[Patrice]

Hello.
Some informations on the axis forces in Sicily in July 1943.
6° Italian Army.
4°Livorno Division (mecanized).
15°Panzer Grenadier Division3.
Kampfgruppe Ens. later 104 PzG Regiment.
Kampfgruppe Fullreide. later 129 PzG Regiment.
Kampfgruppe Koerner.lzter 115 PzR Regiment.
Panzer Abteilung 115.(52 Panzer III and IV)
33.Pionier Abteilung.
33.Flak Abteilung.(later 315. Flak Abteilung)
Artillery Regiment "Sizilien"(later 33 Artillery Regiment)
XII Corps.
202° Coastal Division.
207° Coastal Division.
208° Coastal Division.
136°Costal Regiment.
N.Group Harbour defence.
A,B,C Group Mobile .
4 Tactical Groups.
28°Aosta Division.
26° Assietta Division.
XVI Corps.
206°Coastal Division.213 Coastal Division.
XVIII and XIX Coastal Brigade.
Group Harbour defense "E".
D,E,F,G and H Mobile Group.
4 Tactical Groups.
54° Napoli Division.
Herman Goering Division.
Attached units.
Infantry Regiment 382(2 Batallions).
215 sPz.Abt(17 Tigers).
Flak Catania(perhaps a battallion of medium ariellery and one Italian Artillery Battallion ).
Kampfgruppe Schmalz.
115.PGR from the 15.PGD the day before the allied landing.
3.Fallschirmjäger Regiment from the 1° FJD.
4°Fallschirmjäger Regiment from the 1°FJD.
Pieces of the Fallschirm Pionner and MG.Abt.
Nachrivcht. KP(1°FJD).
904 Battalion of Fortress.
923 Battalion of Fortress.
Battalion of Fortress "REGIO".
XIV Panzer Korps.
15.Panzer Grenadier Division.
HG.Division.
29°Panze Grenadier Division.
15°PGR.
71°PGR.
129.Panzer Aufklärungs ABT.
1° Fallschirmjäger Division.
More or less 1.560 Airplanes(810 Germans).
The fleet at La Spezia at 24 Hour of Sicily 6 Battleships,7 "Croiseur",30 Destroyers,48 Italians Submarine and 20 U-Boats.
Thes informations mainly from Mitaria Magazine N°33
Patrice

[tigersqn]

That's great info, but I have an OOB for Sicily.
It's more the "toe" of Italy I'm looking for. Say a triangle from Naples to Taranto to Reggio. Were there any Axis units in that area in summer 1943 ??

[Patrice]

Hello .
tigersqn the only informations I have for this period and aera are about the Germans at Napoli and Salerno aera in August September 1943.
10.Army of the General Heinrich von Vietinghoff .
56.ArmeeKorps.
29°PanzerGrenadier Division(38 Stug III,3PzBef).
26°Panzer Division recalled from Calabria(16 PZ IIIN,17PZ iV Kurz,36PZ IV lang,9PZBef,14 Flammpanzer.)
16°Panzer Division,(92 PZ IV Lang,40 Stug,12 PzBef,7 Flammpanzer,3PzBef.).
16 PanzerKorps.
15°Panzergrenadier Division,(1PzIII,15Pz IV Lang).
1°Fallschirm.Division recalled from Calabria.
11°Fliegerkorps.
2°Fallschirm Division in Roma.
3°Panzergrenadier Division (42 STUG III,5 PzBef).
Normally all the Italians Unit who came From Sicily must be in the South Italy at least untill the Italian armistice the 8°September.
It is not a lot of infomations sorry.
Patrice.

[tigersqn]

No,no. This is great info.
Although a little bit of a later date than I was looking for, I should be able to project reasonable deployments from this list; after searching unit diaries.

Besides, in the case of my study; no information for the "toe" is actually a good thing.


Thanks very much for your help.

[Patrice]

Hello tigersqn.
Some more informations about the Axis forces in South Italy Summer 43.
209°Divisione Costiera.
Puglia Foggia-Brindisi Aera, July 1943.
Composition:
Distacamento del Quatier Generale
15°RGT Fanteria on thre BTG.di Fanteria.
112°RGT.Fanteria;
308°BTG.fanteria.
125°BTG.Fanteria.
19°BTG.Fanteria da Guarnigione.
91°BTG.Fanteria Bersaglieri.
692°CP Mitragleri.
15°CP Anticarro.
89°BTG Artiglieria.
197°BTnG Artiglieia.
209°CP Genio.
41°RTG Artiglieria.
9° BTG Mitragleri.
4°GR Difesa Aeroportuale (Fanteria).
11°BTG Fanteria Avieri.
8° CP antiaeri Avieri su 3 CP Antiaeri.
264°Sez fanteria Paracadutista.
432°Sez fanteria Paracadutista.
434°Sez fanteria Paracadutista.
For the Taranto aera.
210°Divisione Costiera.
Composition;
113°RGT Costiere su 4 BTG di Fanteria.
114°RGT.fanteria su3BTG di Fanteria.
164°RGT.Fanteria.
16°RGT ART.GAF su 3 BTG.
405 CP di mortai(81mm).
18° CP di genio.
210°CP movimento Stradale.
241°dist.to.anti-paracadutisti.
243°dist.to.anti-paracadutisti.
I hope found other Informations.
Patrice

[tigersqn]

That's great.

Excellent info.

[Patrice]

Hello tigersqn.
Some other Italians units in South Italy in during the Summer 43.
211°Divisione Costiera untill September1943 Calabria aera.
Composition;
53° regimento costiero.
118° regimento costiero.
143°regimento costiero.
49° RGP.Artigleria(LVIII GR.Artigleria/LXXXIX GR.Artiglieria).
211°Cp.mista.genio.
327° distaccamento anti-paracadutisti.
448° distaccamento anti-paracadutisti.
Rinforzi(reinforced by).
DCCCXV Btg.fanteria.
DCCCXVI Btg.fanteria.
Rgt.paracadutisti "NEMBO"
Same aera (Calabria) also untill Sept 1943.
212°Divisone Costiera.
Composition ;
103°Rgt costiero.
115°Rgt costiero.
144°Rgt costiero.
DIVC Btg costiero.
CVIII Btg costiero.
414°CP.mortai(81mm).
45°Rgp Artigleria(IX Btg.artigleria/XI Btg.artilgleria/LXXXI Btg.artilgleria/CCVII.Gr.Art.divisionale(152/40mm).
212°Cp.mista genio.
189°/320°/321°/324°/443°/444°/445°/446°/Dist.ant-paracadutisti.
Cheers Patrice

[tigersqn]

Thanks a million Patrice.
You've been a godsend.

[DrG]

I can add these info from "Storia Militare" n.100 gen.2002:
This was the position of Axis forces in South Italy in Summer '43 (but after the end of the Sicilian campaign). All the names are in Italian, but these are German divisions:
- 1a Divisione Paracadutisti (1. Fallschirmjaeger)
- 26a Div. Cor. (26. Pz)
- 29a Div. Gr. Cor. (29. PzGr)
- 16a Div. Cor. (16. Pz)
- 8a Div. Cor. "HG" (8. Pz. Hermann Goering)
- 15a Div. Gran. Cor. (16. PzGr)

[tigersqn]

Thanks DrG.
That map helps put everything into perspective.

[Gwynn Compton]

So that's 18 German divisions in Italy at the time. How many Italian divisions were there in the toe of Italy?

Gwynn

[DrG]

At the end of August 1943 there were 24 Italian divisions in Italy for a total of 400,000 soldiers (more or less the same number of the Germans).
Of those 24 divisions, 9 were under re-construction (usually those that had come from Russia) and 2 were repatriating from other areas (France or Balkans). To them we have to add the coastal divisions, made of militia men (too old, too young or unfit to serve in the Army) and with obsolete equipment, that were 15 (one in process of formation) on 8 Sept. 1943.