57th Infantry Division Lombardia


The 57th Infantry Division Lombardia was a regular infantry division of the Italian Army during World War II. It was formed on 24 May 1939 in Pula and disbanded on 8 September 1943.

Action

By 10 June 1940, Lombardia was entrenched on the eastern border in the mountains flanking Ilirska Bistrica, with headquarters in Pula. The Lombardia Division took part in the Invasion of Yugoslavia as part of the Italian V Corps, starting combat on 8 April 1941. On 11 April 1941 it broke opposing Yugoslavian forces and crossed the border at the Sora river valley. On 12 April 1941, the Lombardia division captured Podkilavac, Grobnik (near Čavle and Jelenje. By 13 April 1941 it reached Krasica and Škrljevo, at which point the Yugoslavian army ceased to offer resistance. On 15 April 1941, garrisons in coastal towns of Novi Vinodolski, :hr:Ledenice|Ledenice, Crikvenica, and as far south as Žuta Lokva were established. The Lombardia division participated in Operation Uzice on the Serbian-Croatian border from 9 October 1941 to 9 November 1941. By 1942, garrisons were in Gerovo, Delnice, Ogulin and other places. It also took part in the Battle of the Neretva in early 1943. Partisan activity had grown in frequency and scale, and by September 1943 partisans routinely performed battalion-sized attacks on Italian checkpoints and railways. After the Italian surrender to the Allies on 8 September 1943, the Lombardia division was disbanded by the Germans.

Order of battle

The names of 14 men attached to the Lombardia Division can be found in the CROWCASS List established by the Anglo-American Allies of the individuals wanted by Yugoslavia for war crimes: