The II Army Corps () was a corps 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 ...

between 1877 and 1943.

History

During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, it fought on the Western Front under General

Alberico Albricci Alberico Albricci (6 December 1864 – 2 April 1936) was an Italian general who served in World War I, leading the 2nd Army Corps in France during the Second Battle of the Marne. Born in Gallarate, the son of a noble family, he graduated in his ...

in 1918. It distinguished itself during the

Third Battle of the Aisne The Third Battle of the Aisne () was part of the German spring offensive during World War I that focused on capturing the Chemin des Dames Ridge before the American Expeditionary Forces arrived completely in French Third Republic, France. It w ...

and the Second Battle of the Marne, particularly at Bligny and on the sector Courmas – Bois du Petit Champ. The Corps contributed significantly to stopping the German offensive on Eparnay, which was aimed at outflanking

Reims Reims ( ; ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French Departments of France, department of Marne (department), Marne, and the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, 12th most populous city in Fran ...

. It took part in the

Second Italo-Ethiopian War The Second Italo-Ethiopian War, also referred to as the Second Italo-Abyssinian War, was a war of aggression waged by Fascist Italy, Italy against Ethiopian Empire, Ethiopia, which lasted from October 1935 to February 1937. In Ethiopia it is oft ...

in 1935–1936 under General Pietro Maravigna. 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 ...

, it took part in the

Italian invasion of France The Italian invasion of France (10–25 June 1940), also called the Battle of the Alps, was the first major Fascist Italy, Italian engagement of World War II and the last major engagement of the Battle of France. The Italian entry into the war ...

in 1940 and fought on the Eastern Front in 1942–1943. The Corps suffered very heavy losses during

Operation Little Saturn Operation Little Saturn () was a Red Army offensive on the Eastern Front of World War II that led to battles in Don and Chir rivers region in German-occupied Soviet Union territory in 16–30 December 1942. The success of Operation Uranus, lau ...

and was forced to retreat to

Voroshilovgrad Luhansk (, ; , ), also known as Lugansk (, ; , ), is a city in the Donbas in eastern Ukraine. As of 2022, the population was estimated to be making Luhansk the Cities in Ukraine, 12th-largest city in Ukraine. Luhansk served as the administra ...

and from there to

Gomel Gomel (, ) or Homyel (, ) is a city in south-eastern Belarus. It serves as the administrative centre of Gomel Region and Gomel District, though it is administratively separated from the district. As of 2025, it is the List of cities and largest ...

. Between 26 April and 22 May 1943, the remnants of the Corps were repatriated to Italy, to be reformed in Tuscany under the jurisdiction of the 5th Army. 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 Corps was dissolved by invading German forces on 12 September 1943.

Composition (Russia 1942-43)

* 2nd Infantry Division "Sforzesca" (Carlo Pellegrini), * 3rd Infantry Division "Ravenna" (Francesco Du Pont), * 5th Infantry Division "Cosseria" (Enrico Gazzale)

Commanders during World War II

* Lieutenant General Francesco Bertini (1 July 1937 – 31 October 1940) * Lieutenant General Giovanni Zanghieri (1 November 1940 – 15 February 1943) * Lieutenant General Arnaldo Forgiero (15 March – 4 July 1943) * Lieutenant General Vittorio Sogno (5 July – 4 September 1943) * Lieutenant General Gervasio Bitossi (5–9 September 1943)

References

External links

Regio Esercito
Army corps of Italy in World War II {{WWII-stub