The 3rd Infantry Division was a mountain infantry division of the Italian Army during World War II. The only difference between line infantry divisions and mountain infantry divisions was that the latter's artillery was carried by pack mules instead of the standard horse-drawn carriages. Italy's real mountain warfare divisions were the six alpine divisions manned by the "Alpini" mountain troops. The Ravenna Division was mobilized for war in October 1939 in Alessandria.
History
They were part of the Italian III Corps, First Army during the Italian invasion of France. It reached a village of Fontan by 24 June 1940. In April, 1941 the Ravennadivision was transferred to Yugoslavian border to Kobarid and Most na Soči. They took part in the Invasion of Yugoslavia as part of the Italian XI Corps. It performed the mop-up duty in city ofŠkofja Loka from 14 April 1941 until 17 April 1941, before handing it over to German forces. Also, mop-up operations were performed near Mirna village. The Ravenna division was transferred to Pivka in early May, 1941 and then to Alessandria where it remained until 1942. The division was one of the twelve divisions that served on the Eastern Front as part of the Italian Army in Russia. First it was assigned positions at rear area of 35th corps, near Lozova. At middle July, 1942 Ravenna has arrived to Donetsk. 25 July 1942 it arrived to Luhansk. In August 1942, the Ravenna division took a defensive positions at Don river between :ru:Верхний Мамон|Verhny Mamon and Boguchar. On these positions, Ravenna has beat off the Soviet assault from 20 August until 1 September 1942, recovering all initially lost positions. Extending to north, the Ravenna division has repelled another assault by Russian forces on Solonets, south of Voronezh, at 11 September 1942. By mid-November 1942, German intelligence had spotted the massing of the tanks of the Russian 5th Tank Army across the Don River, yet a German officer attached to the Cosseria wrote, that the morale of the division and neighbouring Ravenna was confident considering all the difficulties. At 11 December 1942, the Russian forces have started a new offense. Under intense pressure, some sub-units of Ravenna division near :ru:Верхний Мамон|Verhny Mamon have surrendered, piercing the Axis frontline. By 17 December 1942, the Soviet forces have reached Chertkovo on the far rear of Axis forces, resulting in success of Operation Little Saturn, the Red Army's offensive operation which consisted of a pincer movement which threatened to cut off the forces attempting to reach Stalingrad. The 1st Guards Army and the 3rd Guards Army attacked from the north, encircling 130,000 soldiers of the Italian 8th Army on the Don and advancing to Millerovo. By that time, the bulk of Ravenna division forces was back to Luhansk. Nearby, the severely outnumbered Cosseria divisions have resisted all attempts of Soviet 63rd Army to penetrate their lines from 11 December 1942 until 19 December 1942, winning praise from the Germans, but eventually had to retreat after German reinforcements turned up late. The German 298th Division, located between the Ravenna and Pasubio Divisions, retreated without authorization as well as the German liaison officers attached to the Italian 29th Corps Headquarters, completely abandoning the fight and leaving the Italians alone to contain the Soviet attacks. The Italian defense continued north of Luhansk at Donets river in Veselaya Gora - Stantsiya Lugansk area from 22 December 1942 until 30 December 1942. Elements of Ravenna division were also separated at Chertkovo, where it fought along with other German and Italian units until 23 December 1942. That surrounded detachment reached back to the frontline by 15 January 1943, and escaped encirclement to the village of Belovodsk north of Luhansk 17 January 1943. From 1 January until 6 January 1943, the bulk of Ravenna division was defending west bank of Donets river, now subordinated to German army corps. The Ravenna division was effectively shattered 24 December 1942, than multiple breaks were developed in its combat formations, and remnants have fled to the south, reaching the Rovenky area from 27 December until 29 December 1942. The remnants of Ravenna division were back to Tuscany province of Italy in April, 1943. It performed the role of the mobile reserve of the Italian II Corps. The division was reforming, when Italy surrendered on 8 September 1943, it then surrendered to the Germans.
