158th Infantry Division 'Zara'

158th Infantry Division 'Zara'

158a Divisione di fanteria "Zara"

History

In October of 1942, Italian troops in Zadar (Truppe di Zara) were reformed into 158th Division. Division strength was around 7000 soldiers, it was subordinated to the 18th Army Corps.

After Italian capitulation division commander refused to cooperate with Yugoslav Partisans and surrendered division and its equipment to German 114th Jager Division who interned soldiers which refused to join new Mussolini's Italian Social Republic.

Order of battle

Staff - Zadar (Zara)

291st Infantry Regiment - Kistanje

Infantry Battalion "Diaz" - Kistanje

Bersaglieri Battalion "Zara" - Äeverske

Machine-gun Battalion "Zara" - Ervenik

47/32mm Anti-tank Guns Company "Zara" - Kistanje

292nd Infantry Regiment - Benkovac (Bencovazzo)

Infantry Battalion "Cadorna" - Benkovac

Infantry Battalion "Rismondo" - Benkovac

Machine-gun Battalion "Zara" - Obrovac (Obrovazzo)

47/32mm Anti-tank Guns Company "Zara" - Å½egar

158th Artillery Regiment - Zadar

Battalion "Ederle", 100/17mm - Zadar

Battalion "Chiarie", 75/27mm - Å ibenik

3rd Battalion "Zara", 65/17mm - Benkovac

185th Battery, 20mm - Split (Spalato)

30th Mixed Engineer Battalion - Zadar

185th Company - Zadar

113th Carabinieri Section - Zadar

107th CCNN Legion (from 1943)

Staff

Division Commander - Carlo Viale

Commanders of the 291st Infantry Regiment

colonel Giovanni Cardona

colonel Wladimiro Nani

Commanders of the 292nd Infantry Regiment

Ten. Col. Armando Moroni (s.v.)

colonel Augusto Lucchetti

Battles & Campaigns

Reference

Valentin Uranija: Slobodi za dar, pages 144-145