The 5th Army ( it, 5ª Armata) was a

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

field army A field army (or numbered army or simply army) is a military formation in many armed forces, composed of two or more corps and may be subordinate to an army group. Likewise, air armies are equivalent formation within some air forces, and with ...

of the

Royal Italian Army The Royal Italian Army ( it, Regio Esercito, , Royal Army) was the land force of the Kingdom of Italy, established with the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy. During the 19th century Italy started to unify into one country, and in 1861 Manfre ...

World War I

In World War I the 5th Army was created on 25 May 1916 to help stop the Austrian

Trentino Offensive The Battle of Asiago (Battle of the Plateaux) or the Südtirol Offensive (in Italian: Battaglia degli Altipiani), nicknamed ''Strafexpedition'' ("Punitive expedition") by the Italians, was a major counteroffensive launched by the Austro-Hungari ...

. It was again disbanded on 2 July 1916. It consisted of * XXIV Army Corps (Luciano Secco) * XX Army Corps (Ettore Mambretti) * XXII Army Corps (Evaristo Mossolin) * XXVI Army Corps (

Luca Montuori Luca Montuori ( Avellino, 18 February 1859 – Genoa, 8 March 1952) was an Italian general during World War I. Life Born in Avellino he attended the Italian Military Academy of Torino. At the outbreak of the Italo-Turkish War, he left for Li ...

) * VIII Army Corps (

Ottavio Briccola Ottavio Briccola was an Italian general. He was the first Italian governor of Cyrenaica after he had participated in the Italo-Turkish War. At the beginning of World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated a ...

) Its commanders were : *

Pietro Frugoni Pietro Frugoni (Brescia, 21 January 1851 – Brescia, 10 July 1940) was an Italian general of the Kingdom of Italy who actively participated in World War I, especially in the first four Battles of the Isonzo. Appointed lieutenant general in ...

(until 19 June 1916) *

Settimio Piacentini Settimio Piacentini (6 January 1859 – 2 November 1921) was an Italian General of the Kingdom of Italy who actively participated in the World War I, especially in the Sixth and Seventh Battle of the Isonzo. In 1916 he commanded the XVI Italian ...

World War II

The Italian 5th Army was formed in 1939 to defend Libya from the French in Tunisia and Algeria. After the

Battle of France The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of French Third Rep ...

ended, the 5th Army became a source of men and supplies for the Italian Tenth Army on the border with

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

. The army was disbanded on 16 February 1941 and incorporated into General Headquarters North Africa. The Army was shortly reformed in North Africa between 15 April 1941 and 5 September 1941.
It was again reformed in Italy on 10 April 1942 to defend Tuscany, Sardinia and from November 1942 also Corsica. In September 1943, after the

Armistice of Cassibile The Armistice of Cassibile was an armistice signed on 3 September 1943 and made public on 8 September between the Kingdom of Italy and the Allies during World War II. It was signed by Major General Walter Bedell Smith for the Allies and Brig ...

, the 5th Army surrendered to the Germans. Commanders wereAxis History
/ref> *

Italo Gariboldi Italo Gariboldi (20 April 1879 – 3 February 1970) was an Italian senior officer in the Royal Army (''Regio Esercito'') before and during World War II. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross by German dictator Adolf Hitler for his l ...

(1939 – February 1941) * Mario Caracciolo di Feroleto (April 1941 – September 1941) * Mario Caracciolo di Feroleto (April 1942 – September 1943) On June 1940 it consisted of: *X Army Corps ** 25th Infantry Division "Bologna" ** 55th Infantry Division "Savona" **

60th Infantry Division "Sabratha" The 60th Infantry Division "Sabratha" ( it, 60ª Divisione di fanteria "Sabratha") was an infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The Sabratha was raised in May 1937, in Gharyan in Italian Libya and named after the near ...

*XX Army Corps **

17th Infantry Division "Pavia" The 17th Infantry Division "Pavia" ( it, 17ª Divisione di fanteria "Pavia") was an infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The Pavia was formed in on 27 April 1939 and named after the city of Pavia. The Pavia was classif ...

61st Infantry Division "Sirte" The 61st Infantry Division "Sirte" ( it, 61ª Divisione di fanteria "Sirte") was an infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The division was formed on 9 May 1937 in Misrata in Italian Libya and named for the Libyan city ...

27th Infantry Division "Brescia" The 27th Infantry Division "Brescia" ( it, 27ª Divisione di fanteria "Brescia") was an infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The Brescia was named after the city of Brescia in Lombardy. The Brescia was classified as a ...

*XXIII Army Corps ** 1st CC.NN. Division "23 Marzo" ** 2nd CC.NN. Division "28 Ottobre"

References

{{Large formations of Italy in World War II Field armies of Italy in World War I Field armies of Italy in World War II it:5ª Armata (Regio Esercito)