The 205th Coastal Division () was an

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

division of the

Royal Italian Army The Royal Italian Army () (RE) was the land force of the Kingdom of Italy, established with the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy. During the 19th century Italy started to unify into one country, and in 1861 Manfredo Fanti signed a decree c ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Royal Italian Army coastal divisions were second line divisions formed with reservists and equipped with second rate

materiel Materiel or matériel (; ) is supplies, equipment, and weapons in military supply-chain management, and typically supplies and equipment in a commerce, commercial supply chain management, supply chain context. Military In a military context, ...

. Recruited locally, they were often commanded by officers called out of retirement.Jowett p 6

History

Sardinia

The division was activated on 15 January 1942 in Iglesias by reorganizing the V Coastal Sector Command. The division was assigned to XIII Army Corps, which was responsible for the defense of the southern half of the island of

Sardinia Sardinia ( ; ; ) is the Mediterranean islands#By area, second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, and one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. It is located west of the Italian Peninsula, north of Tunisia an ...

. The division was based in Carbonia and responsible for the coastal defense from Torre Foghe down the western coast of Sardinia to, but excluding Capo Pula. The division's area of responsibility included the

Gulf of Oristano The Gulf of Oristano (, ) is a gulf in the Sardinian Sea, near Oristano, in the western Sardinian coast. It is limited from north by the Cape San Marco, in the Sinis peninsula, and from the south by Cape Frasca. It faces the provinces of Or ...

and the south-western coast of Sardinia with the islands of

Sant'Antioco Sant'Antioco (; ) is the name of both an island and a municipality (''comune'') in southwestern Sardinia, in the Province of South Sardinia, in Sulcis zone. With a population of 11,730, the municipality of Sant'Antioco it is the island's largest ...

and San Pietro. On 1 August 1942 the XXXIII Coastal Brigade was activated and took over the responsibility for the defense of the coast from Torre Foghe down to approximately Punta Usai. The XXXIII Coastal Brigade's area of responsibility including the entire Gulf of Oristano. The 205th Coastal Division, together with the 203rd Coastal Division, 204th Coastal Division, IV Coastal Brigade, and XXXIII Coastal Brigade formed a first static defense line against allied landings on the island. Further inland the 30th Infantry Division "Sabauda", 31st Infantry Division "Calabria",

47th Infantry Division "Bari" The 47th Infantry Division "Bari" () was an infantry Division (military), division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The Bari was formed on 15 September 1939 in the city of Bari. After the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile o ...

, and

184th Infantry Division "Nembo" The 184th Infantry Division "Nembo" () was an airborne division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. After the Armistice of Cassibile the division joined the Italian Co-belligerent Army's Italian Liberation Corps and together with th ...

were the mobile forces of the Armed Forces Command Sardinia. After the announcement of the

Armistice of Cassibile The Armistice of Cassibile ( Italian: ''Armistizio di Cassibile'') was an armistice that was signed on 3 September 1943 by Italy and the Allies, marking the end of hostilities between Italy and the Allies during World War II. It was made public ...

on 8 September 1943 the division, together with all other divisions on Sardinia, refused German demands to surrender. Realizing the futility of attempting to gain control of Sardinia the German forces on the island retreated to

Corsica Corsica ( , , ; ; ) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the Regions of France, 18 regions of France. It is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of the Metro ...

US Army Air Force

The division joined the

Italian Co-belligerent Army The Italian Co-belligerent Army (Italian: ''Esercito Cobelligerante Italiano''), or Army of the South (''Esercito del Sud''), were names applied to various of the now former Royal Italian Army during the period when it fought alongside the Alli ...

and was renamed 205th Division. In November 1944 the division was shipped to

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

and in December 1944 it was assigned to the

US Army Air Force The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

's American Air Forces in the Mediterranean to provide auxiliary services at American airfields in mainland Italy. The division consisted of about 5,000 men and fielded 48 aviation services companies and six transport companies. In August 1945 the division was reduced in size and in 1946 it was disbanded.

Organization

* 205th Coastal Division, in Carbonia ** 127th Coastal Regiment *** CDII Coastal Battalion *** CDVII Coastal Battalion ** 128th Coastal Regiment *** XCII Territorial Battalion *** CDVI Coastal Battalion *** CDXXXVIII Coastal Battalion ** 129th Coastal Regiment *** CCCXCVI Coastal Battalion *** CDIV Coastal Battalion *** CDV Coastal Battalion *** CDXXII Coastal Battalion *** CDXXXVI Coastal Battalion ** 47th Coastal Artillery Regiment *** XIV Coastal Artillery Group *** XVII Coastal Artillery Group *** XXVIII Coastal Artillery Group *** LXXXIII Coastal Artillery Group *** CCXVII Coastal Artillery Group ** 48th Coastal Artillery Regiment *** XVIII Coastal Artillery Group *** XXIX Coastal Artillery Group *** LXXXI Coastal Artillery Group *** XCIII Coastal Artillery Group *** CCXXIX Coastal Artillery Group ** CIII Machine Gun Battalion *** 163 Machine Gun Company *** 165 Machine Gun Company ** 205th Mixed Engineer Company ** 205th

Carabinieri The Carabinieri (, also , ; formally ''Arma dei Carabinieri'', "Arm of Carabineers"; previously ''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'', "Royal Carabineers Corps") are the national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carry out domestic and foreign poli ...

Section ** 217th Field Post Office ** Division Services Attached to the division: * Tactical Sector Oristano, in

Oristano Oristano (; ) is an Italian city and (municipality), the capital of the Province of Oristano in the central-western part of the island of Sardinia. It is located on the northern part of the Campidano plain. It was established as the provincial ...

(responsible for the defense of the

; became the XXXIII Coastal Brigade on 1 August 1942) ** 132nd Coastal Regiment *** CDIII Coastal Battalion *** CDXXI Coastal Battalion ** 925th Coastal Regiment *** CMV Coastal Battalion *** CMVI Coastal Battalion *** CMVII Coastal Battalion

Commanding officers

The division's commanding officer was: *

Generale di Divisione Divisional general is a general officer rank who commands an army division. The rank originates from the French Revolutionary System, and is used by a number of countries. The rank is above a brigade general, and normally below an army corps g ...

Giovanni Manildo (15 January 1942 - 1944)

References

* * {{Italian Divisions World War II Coastal divisions of Italy Infantry divisions of Italy in World War II