The 1st Libyan Division ( it, 1ª Divisione libica) was an

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...

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 ...

during

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 ...

. It was commanded by general Luigi Sibille. The division took part in the

Italian invasion of Egypt The Italian invasion of Egypt () was an offensive in the Second World War, against British, Commonwealth and Free French forces in the Kingdom of Egypt. The invasion by the Italian 10th Army () ended border skirmishing on the frontier and began ...

and was destroyed during the

Battle of Sidi Barrani A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

History

The division's history begins with the

Italian Libyan Colonial Division The Libyan Division was a formation of colonial troops raised by the Italians in their colony in Libya. It participated in the invasion of Ethiopia in the Second Italo-Abyssinian War. The formation was reorganized into the 1st Libyan Division by ...

formed in the 1920s with local troops from

Italian Libya Libya ( it, Libia; ar, ليبيا, Lībyā al-Īṭālīya) was a colony of the Fascist Italy located in North Africa, in what is now modern Libya, between 1934 and 1943. It was formed from the unification of the colonies of Italian Cyrenaica ...

. The division fought in the

Second Italo-Abyssinian War The Second Italo-Ethiopian War, also referred to as the Second Italo-Abyssinian War, was a war of aggression which was fought between Italy and Ethiopia from October 1935 to February 1937. In Ethiopia it is often referred to simply as the Itali ...

. On 1 March 1940 the 1st Libyan Division and 2nd Libyan Division were formed from existing units in

. Both divisions consisted of Italian officers and local non-commissioned officers and troops. By the time Italy entered

the division had 7,224 troops and its commanding general was Luigi Sibille. In September 1940 the 1st Libyan Division participated in the

. On 13 September the 1st Libyan Division and 1st Paratroopers Regiment "Fanti dell'Aria" attacked

Sollum Sallum ( ar, السلوم, translit=as-Sallūm various transliterations include ''El Salloum'', ''As Sallum'' or ''Sollum'') is a harbourside village or town in Egypt. It is along the Egypt/Libyan short north–south aligned coast of the Mediterra ...

British Egypt The history of Egypt under the British lasted from 1882, when it was occupied by British forces during the Anglo-Egyptian War, until 1956 after the Suez Crisis, when the last British forces withdrew in accordance with the Anglo-Egyptian agreem ...

, which was defended by platoons of the

Coldstream Guards The Coldstream Guards is the oldest continuously serving regular regiment in the British Army. As part of the Household Division, one of its principal roles is the protection of the monarchy; due to this, it often participates in state ceremonia ...

. The British laid mines in the area and quickly withdrew to

Marsa Matruh Mersa Matruh ( ar, مرسى مطروح, translit=Marsā Maṭrūḥ, ), also transliterated as ''Marsa Matruh'', is a port in Egypt and the capital of Matrouh Governorate. It is located west of Alexandria and east of Sallum on the main highway ...

after suffering 50 casualties. In December 1940 the 1st Libyan Division was deployed farthest of all Italian division into Egypt. Consequently its camp at Maktila was the first to be attacked during the British

Operation Compass Operation Compass (also it, Battaglia della Marmarica) was the first large British military operation of the Western Desert Campaign (1940–1943) during the Second World War. British, Empire and Commonwealth forces attacked Italian forces of ...

. On 10 December 1940, amid a howling sandstorm, the division offered stiff resistance, but by 11 December the division had disintegrated with heavy losses.Walker, Ian W. (2003). Iron Hulls, Iron Hearts: Mussolini's elite armoured divisions in North Africa. Marlborough: Crowood. . The division was declared lost on 11 December 1940.

Organization

* 1st Libyan Division ** 1st Libyan Infantry Grouping *** VIII Libyan Infantry Battalion "

Bardia Bardia, also El Burdi or Barydiyah ( ar, البردية, lit=, translit=al-Bardiyya or ) is a Mediterranean seaport in the Butnan District of eastern Libya, located near the border with Egypt. It is also occasionally called ''Bórdi Slemán''. ...

" *** IX Libyan Infantry Battalion " Agedabia" *** X Libyan Infantry Battalion " Nufilia" ** 2nd Libyan Infantry Grouping *** XI Libyan Infantry Battalion " Derna" *** XII Libyan Infantry Battalion " Barce" *** XIII Libyan Infantry Battalion "Zezem" ** 1st Libyan Artillery Grouping *** VI Libyan Artillery Group ( 77/28 field guns) *** VII Libyan Artillery Group (77/28 field guns) *** 6th Libyan Anti-aircraft Battery ( 20/65 Mod. 35

anti-aircraft gun Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...

s) *** 7th Libyan Anti-aircraft Battery (20/65 Mod. 35 anti-aircraft guns) ** I Libyan Mixed Engineer Battalion *** 1x Libyan engineer company *** 1x Libyan telegraph and radio operators company ** 1st Libyan Anti-tank Company ( 47/32

anti-tank gun An anti-tank gun is a form of artillery designed to destroy tanks and other armored fighting vehicles, normally from a static defensive position. The development of specialized anti-tank munitions and anti-tank guns was prompted by the appearance ...

s) ** 1st Libyan Transport Group ** 1x Medical section ** 1x Supply section ** 26th Field Post Office

Commanding officers

The division's commanding officers were: * Generale di Brigata Luigi Sibille (1 March 1940 - 8 July 1940) * Generale di Brigata Giovanni Cerio (9 July 1940) - 11 December 1940,

POW A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war ...

)

References

* {{Italian colonial empire Infantry divisions of Italy in World War II Libya in World War II Italy–Libya relations Military units and formations established in 1939 Military units and formations disestablished in 1940 Divisions of Italy of the Second Italo-Ethiopian War 1939 establishments in Italy

History

Organization

Commanding officers

See also

References