15th Infantry Division 'Bergamo'

15th Infantry Division 'Bergamo'

15a Divisione di fanteria "Bergamo"

History

Between 10 and 13 July 1942 together with division Sassari, ustasha and chetnik forces carries out operation VjeÅ¡tiÄ‡a gora.
On 4 December 1942 around 8 a.m. two trucks carrying 40 CC.NN. soldiers (blackshirt) run into ambush set up by 3rd Battalion of the 3rd Dalmatian brigade leaving 23 dead including two officers and 15 wounded including one officers. Nearby village of Podstrana was targeted in reprisal murdering 22 civilians and burning numerous houses.

Operation WEISS

On 19 March near Zastolje, 26th Regiment come under strong attack by Yugoslav Partisans 10th Herzegovina Brigade suffering 22 killed including 4 officers (captain Giuseppe Boscarino, lieutenants Bruno Brimosic, De Pra Italo and Manilo Carboni) and 53 wounded including 3 officers (lieutenant Lorenso Venditti, sublieutenant Giovanni Bonaiuti and Ferdianando Laurenti).
...

Participates in anti-partisan operation Biokovo-Mosor.

In August 1943 division was located in sector Split - Solin - KaÅ¡tela - Sinj - OmiÅ¡. Division condition was fully equipped missing only battery of 20mm guns, officers numbers at 98%, NCO and soldiers 86%, trucks 50%, special trucks 100% and horses 70%.

During final days before capitulation division carried out several reprisals for Partisan actions.

On 4 August some 30 Partisans on Brac island in surprise attack took prisoners 80 officers and soldiers from Bergamo division, 2 gendarmes and 2 Croatian Home Defense soldiers. One Italian NCO was shot while the rest were disarmed and released only to be brought in front of Italian court martial in Sibenik which sentenced 2 officers and 28 soldiers to death and many other to prison terms. On Brac several villages totaling some 1200 houses were burned in retaliation.

On Vis island 15 Partisans captured crew of observer post on Hum hill and took their weapons and equipment, in reprisal general Becuzzi ordered island to blocked by the navy while over 1200 soldiers made a sweep and executed 20 hostages on 27 August.

25th Regiment was disarmed in Sinj by Germans (reinforced battalion from 7th SS Division) while the rest of the division was disarmed by Yugoslav Partisans or civilian population. After fall of Split to the Germans some 300 Italian officers and 9000 soldiers were still there and were taken prisoners by Germans who shot colonel Verdi and 54 other officers after summary court martial.

War crimes

Execution of 22 civilians in Podstrana village.

Execution of 20 hostages on Vis island.

Order of battle

25th Infantry Regiment 'Bergamo'

26th Infantry Regiment 'Bergamo'

89th CCNN Legion (Blackshirt)

89th CCNN Battalion 'Senese'

4th Artillery Regiment 'Carnaro'

15th Mortar Battalion 81mm

36th Pioneer Company

31st Anti-aircraft Searchlight Section

15th Signal Company

Reinforced by

19th Medical Section

9th Carabinieri Battalion

4th Bersaglieri Regiment

18th Coastal Brigade

149th Coastal Regiment

156th Regiment

157th Regiment

etc.

Commanders

Francesco Laviano

Ugo Gigliarelli Fiumi

Pietro Belletti

Alessandro Piazzoni

Emilio Becuzzi

Operations

Operation ALBIA

Operation WEISS

Operation Biokovo-Mosor

Split operation 1943

References

Dr. Kazimir Pribilovic: Cetvrti pomorski obalski sektor Mornarice NOVJ

Zbornik dokumenta i podatka o narodnooslobodilaÄkom ratu Jugoslovenskih naroda, Tom IV, knjiga 11, Borbe u Bosni i Hercegovini 1943 god., Belgrade 1955, No. 247,283, pages 497,547