5th Alpine Division Pusteria

The 5th Alpini Division Pusteria was a light Infantry division of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. The Alpini are a mountain infantry corps of the Italian Army, that distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II. The division was formed in 1935.

Order of battle

• 7th Alpini Regiment
  • Feltre battalion
  • Pieve di Cadore battalion
  • Belluno battalion
• 25px 11th Alpini Regiment
  • Bolzano battalion
  • Trento battalion
  • Bassano battalion
• 25px 5th Alpine Artillery Regiment
  • Belluno artillery group
  • Lanzo artillery group
• 5th Engineer Battalion

History

The 5 Alpini Division Pusteria was dispatched in 1935 to Eritrea where it participated in the Italian attack on Abyssinia. The division played a primary role in the Battle of Amba Aradam and the Battle of Maychew.

On June 21, 1940 (one day before the French surrender) the “Pusteria” division began to advance in southern France with other Italian units during the last days of the Battle of France.

The division was then sent to Albania, where it participated in the Italian attack on Greece.

After the German invasion of Yugoslavia the “Pusteria” was sent to Montenegro where the division was decimated greatly in heavy fighting against Yugoslavian Partisans. On 1 December 1941 this division was victorious against Partisans in the Battle of Pljevlja.

In August 1942, the division was repatriated and after two months of rest participated in Case Anton, the Axis occupation of Vichy France. Afterwards the Pusteria took up garrison duties in the southern region of Provence.

After the signing of the Italian armistice with the Allies on September 8, 1943 part of the division surrendered to German forces in Southern France while other units managed to return to the Italian region of Piedmont where they disbanded.