Axis Forces in Sicily (July, 1943)

Notes:

Order of Battle as it stood on D-Day, 10 July 1943. As the campaign unfolded, forces would be shuffled, attached and reattached to counter Allied threats.

The Livorno Division as the only truly mobile Italian division on Sicily and was(considered by the Germans and most Italians) to be far superior to the other
divisions. It had originally been organized for an attack on Malta. Its troops were of high quality and its organic transportation was sufficient to move all of its infantry units simultaneously, including all artillery. The table of organization for all Italian mobile’ divisions was 13,000 to 14,000 men.

The coastal formations were static units organized to defend the Sicilian coastline
against invasion and consisted of men of older age groups, approximately 75% of
whom were locals. These units had a low combat value and numbered approximately 75,000-100,000. Its armament was antiquated and contained no anti-naval guns and what little artillery existed was horse-drawn. Principal weapons were automatic rifles and machine guns. The Italians could muster an average of only thirty-six men for every 1,000 yards and one anti-tank weapon for every five miles of coast. Some battalions had responsibility for sectors nearly thirty miles wide. Their ineffectiveness was clearly demonstrated on D-Day, 10 July 1943.

The mobile and tactical groups assigned to XII and XVI Corps were, along with the Livorno Division and, until approximately 16 July, 15th PzG Division, part of the mobile reserve controlled by the Sixth Italian Army.

Some tanks attached as of 12 June 1943

Regimental Group Fullreide (Oberst Fullreide) – (later 129th PzG Regiment)

Same organization as Group Ens -

3rd Infantry Battalion (at Comiso) + 1 artillery battalion. Some tanks probably attached

Regimental Group Koerner (Oberst Koerner) – (later 115th PzG Regiment)

Composition unknown

1 Armored Recon. Battalion (est.) 30-40 Mk III & IV tanks; 1 Tiger company (17 tanks) (attached HG Division prior to 10 July)

33rd Engineer Battalion (3 companies – each attached to a Task Force)

33rd AA Battalion (later 315th AAA Bn.) (deployed in small groups on principal highways)

999th Signal Company

Misc. service units

Artillery Regiment ‘Sizilien’ (later 33rd Artillery Regiment)

1st Battalion (med. Howitzer) (Group Fullreide)

2nd Battalion (4 btry. 170mm guns)(13) (Group Ens)

3rd Battalion (2 med. Field how. btry.) (1 mortar btry)

4th Battalion (3 med. how. btry.) (Group Smaltz)

1 Mortar Regiment (rocket)

1 Battalion 150mm mortars

1 Battalion 210mm mortars (held in Army Reserve until approx. 14 July when attchd. Group Fullreide)

German Notes:

1. Order of Battle as it stood on D-Day, 10 July 1943. As the campaign unfolded, forces would be shuffled, attached and reattached to counter Allied threats.

2. In Sicily the division was generally employed as combat groups (kampfgruppen) to meet tactical requirements. Kampfgruppe Schmalz consisted mostly of attached formations.

3. Assigned to Kampfgruppe Schmalz
The PzG regiment consisted of HQ and 1st Battalion, 1st Panzer Grenadier
Regiment and the HQ and 1st and 2nd Battalions, 2nd Panzer Grenadier Regiment.

5. Consisted of 2 tank battalions (80-90 Mark III and IV medium tanks) and 1 battalion of assault guns (assigned to Kampfgruppe Schmalz)

6. Both units were motorized and fought as infantry.

7. Consisted of 3 battalions; 1 light battalion w/2 batteries; 2 medium battalions (2 medium field howitzer batteries and 1 100mm battery.)

8. Unit incomplete: 1 mixed battalion of 3 medium and 3 light batteries

9. Detached from 15th PzG Division and assigned to Schmalz prior to D-Day.

10. Elements of the 382nd Infantry Regiment. Not all of this regiment was committed to Sicily.

11. Probably 1 medium artillery battalion and 1 Italian artillery battalion.

12. Not all of this division was committed to Sicily. Elements of the 382nd Infantry Regiment were attached to Kampfgruppe Schmalz. Other units began arriving on 15 July 1943, but main operational control was exercised by XIV Panzer Corps.  These guns were moved to the mainland side of the Straits of Messina to guard the northern end in early August.

Units based on “Victory in the West, Volume 3 Sicily: The Race to Messina” Strategy & Tactics magazine, Nov/Dec 1981 issue

Italian Units

30th Infantry Regiment (26th/Asieta Division) – Partanna (west)

29th Infantry Regiment (26th/Asieta Division) – Santa Margherita (west)

5th Infantry Regiment (28th/Aosta Division) – Alcamo (northwest)

6th Infantry Regiment (28th/Aosta Division) – Partinico

10th Bersaglieri Infantry Regiment (assumed to be attached to the 28th/Aosta Div) -
Partinico

177th Bersaglieri Infantry Regiment – Agrigento

33rd Infantry Regiment (4th/Livorno Division) – Mazzarino (central/south)

34th Infantry Regiment (4th/Livorno Division) – Caltanisetta

75th Infantry Regiment (54th/Napoli Division) – Palagonia

76th Infantry Regiment (54th/Napoli Division) – Vizzini

185th Infantry Regiment (unknown attachment)

51st Bersaglieri Battalion – east of Marsala

112th Machinegun Battalion – east of Alcamo

Mobile Group ‘A’ (Armored Battalion) – Pacico (east of Trapani)

Mobile Group ‘B’ (Armored Battalion) – Santa Ninfa (west)

Mobile Group ‘C’ (Armored Battalion) – Santa Margherita (west)

Mobile Group ‘D’ (Armored Battalion) – east of Paterno

Mobile Group ‘E’ (Armored Battalion) – Niscemi

Mobile Group ‘F’ (Armored Battalion) – Northwest of Pachino

Mobile Group ‘G’ (Infantry Battalion) – Comiso

Mobile Group ‘H’ (Anti-tank Battalion) – airfield southeast of Caltagirone

12th Machine Gun Battalion – Fontanarossa

58th Bersaglieri Battalion – Linguaglossa

23rd Cavalry (foot) Battalion – Messina

230th Armored Battalion – Modica (south of Ragusa)

Tactical Group ‘Carmito’ (Armored Battalion) – West of Lentini

Tactical Group ‘Barcellona’ (Anti-tank Battalion) – Barcellona

1st Palermitani Cavalry Battalion – Sommatino (north of Licata)

1st Anti-tank Battalion – Corleone

104th Anti-tank Battalion – Agrigento

16th Anti-tank Battalion – San Fratello

12th Artillery Regiment – Chiusa Scalafani (south of Corleone)

40th Artillery Regiment – Piazza Amerina

Port Defense ‘N’ – Palermo

Port Defense ‘E’ – Catania

Royal Marine Battalion (police and defense detachment) – Siracusa

Royal Air Force (for police and defense) Battalion – Siracusa

178th Coastal Infantry Regiment – Vittoria

179th Coastal Infantry Regiment – San Stefano

372nd Coastal Infantry Battalion – Acireale

19th Blackshirt Infantry Battalion – east of Partanna(1)

17th Blackshirt Infantry Battalion – Campobello di Licata

173rd Blackshirt Infantry Battalion – Ispica

Notes:

1) 17th, 171st and 173rd were the three Blackshirt Battalions (Legions) serving in Sicily. Based on The Italian Army, Men-at-Arms No. 340, Osprey Publishing

28th Infantry (Aosta) Division

210 Infantry Regiment (1)

211 Infantry Regiment (1)

22nd Artillery Regiment

171st MVSN Legion

26th Mountain (Assietta) Division

29 Infantry Regiment

30th Infantry Regiment

25th Artillery Regiment

17th MVSN Legion

4th Assault Landing (Livorno) Division

33rd Infantry Regiment

34th Infantry Regiment

28th Artillery Regiment

195th MVSN Legion(2)

54th Infantry (Napoli) Division

75th Infantry Regiment

76th Infantry Regiment

54th Artillery Regiment

173rd MVSN Legion

104th Infantry (Mantova) division(3)

Notes:

These two regiments are unknown to me. I have never heard of them until mentioned by this book.

2) This Legion is mentioned only in this source.

3) The book lists the 104th Infantry (Mantova) division as serving garrison duty in Sicily. I have never heard of this division serving in Sicily. The United States Army in World War II history; Sicily and the Surrender of Italy lists the 104th serving in Puglia during the Italian capitulation and was near Crotone when the Americans began landing on 9 September 1943. The author did leave a question mark beside the division’s name, and I presume that’s because the division might have been scheduled to serve in Sicily, but this never came to pass.

OOB Courtesy: Rob

I created Comando Supremo: Italy at War in 2000 because of the the limited amount of information on Italian forces in WWII that was available online. Thanks to people like you, this site has grown to what it is today. Thank you for visiting and please bookmark the site!

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