The Italian Liberation Corps ( (CIL)) was a

corps Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was formally introduced March 1, 1800, when Napoleon ordered Gener ...

of 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 ...

during the Italian campaign of

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 ...

. 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 Italian government began the formation of units to fight on the allied side against Germany. On 18 April 1944 the Italian Liberation Corps was formed, which after an intense cycle of combat operations was disbanded on 24 September 1944 to form division-sized combat groups.

History

Constitution

On 13 October 1943 Italy declared war on Germany and the Italian government began with the formation of military units to fight on the allied side. The first large unit to be raised was the brigade-sized I Motorized Grouping activated on 27 November 1943 in

San Pietro Vernotico San Pietro Vernotico ( Brindisino: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Brindisi, Apulia, on the south-east coast of Italy. Its main economic activities are tourism and the growing of olives and grapes. It was the site of a substantial ...

near

Brindisi Brindisi ( ; ) is a city in the region of Apulia in southern Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. Historically, the city has played an essential role in trade and culture due to its strategic position ...

with units and personnel of the 58th Infantry Division "Legnano" and 18th Infantry Division "Messina". On 18 April 1944 the I Motorized Grouping was expanded to division-size and renamed Italian Liberation Corps. With the arrival of the

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 ...

from

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 ...

on 26 May 1944 did the Italian Liberation Corps reach

-size. On 27 May 1944 the corps was assigned to the Polish

II Corps 2nd Corps, Second Corps, or II Corps may refer to: France * 2nd Army Corps (France) * II Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * II Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French ...

and in July 1944 it participated in the

Battle of Ancona The Battle of Ancona was fought between forces from Poland serving as part of the British Army and German forces that took place from 16 June–18 July 1944 during the Italian campaign in World War II. The battle was the result of an Allied pla ...

. On 24 September 1944 the corps was disbanded its units and personnel used to form the combat groups "Folgore" and "Legnano".

Organization

The Italian Liberation Corps organization from 26 May until 24 September 1944 was:

Italian Liberation Corps

* Italian Liberation Corps,

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 ...

Umberto Utili ** 11th Motorized Artillery Regiment (from the

104th Infantry Division "Mantova" The 104th Infantry Division "Mantova" () was an infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during the Second World War. The Mantova was named for the city of Mantua () and classified as an auto-transportable division, meaning it had some motor ...

) *** Command Unit *** III Group with 75/18 mod. 35 howitzers *** IV Group with 75/18 mod. 35 howitzers *** XII Group with 105/28 cannons *** CCCXIV Group with 100/22 mod. 14/19 howitzers *** 363rd Anti-aircraft Battery with anti-aircraft guns ** CLXVI Army Corps Artillery Group ( 149/19 mod. 37 howitzers) ** LI Mixed Engineer Battalion (formed 13 November 1943) *** 51st Engineers Company *** 51st Telegraph and Radio Operators Company ** Corps Services

184th Paratroopers Division "Nembo"

, Generale di Brigata Giorgio Morigi ** Command Company ** 183rd Infantry Regiment "Nembo" *** Command Company *** XV Paratroopers Battalion *** XVI Paratroopers Battalion *** Paratroopers Support Weapons Company (47/32 anti-tank guns) ** 184th Infantry Regiment "Nembo" *** Command Company *** XIII Paratroopers Battalion *** XIV Paratroopers Battalion *** Paratroopers Support Weapons Company (47/32 anti-tank guns) ** 184th Artillery Regiment "Nembo" *** Command Battery *** I Paratroopers Artillery Group ( 75/27

field gun A field gun is a field artillery piece. Originally the term referred to smaller guns that could accompany a field army on the march, that when in combat could be moved about the battlefield in response to changing circumstances (field artillery ...

s) *** II Paratroopers Artillery Group ( 100/22 howitzers) *** III Paratroopers Anti-tank Group ( QF 6-pounder anti-tank guns) *** 184th Paratroopers Anti-aircraft Battery ( 20/65 mod. 35

anti-aircraft gun Anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) is the counter to aerial warfare and includes "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It encompasses surface-based, subsurface ( submarine-launched), and air-ba ...

s) ** CLXXXIV Paratrooper Sappers Battalion ** 184th Paratrooper Motorcyclists Company ** 184th Mortar Company ( 81mm mod. 35

mortar Mortar may refer to: * Mortar (weapon), an indirect-fire infantry weapon * Mortar (masonry), a material used to fill the gaps between blocks and bind them together * Mortar and pestle, a tool pair used to crush or grind * Mortar, Bihar, a village i ...

s) ** 184th Paratrooper Telegraph and Radio Operators Company ** 184th Paratrooper Engineers Company ** 184th Transport Unit ** 184th Medical Section ** 184th Supply Section ** 324th Carabinieri Section ** 146th Field Post Office

I Brigade

* I Brigade, Colonel Ettore Fucci **

3rd Alpini Regiment The 3rd Alpini Regiment () is a mountain warfare regiment of the Italian Army based in Pinerolo in Piedmont. The regiment belongs to the Italian Army's Alpini infantry speciality and is assigned to the Alpine Brigade "Taurinense". On 1 November 1 ...

(formed on 25 June 1944) *** Alpini Battalion "Piemonte" *** Alpini Battalion "Monte Granero" (joined 25 June 1944) ** 4th Bersaglieri Regiment (formed 1 February 1944) *** XXIX Bersaglieri Battalion *** XXXIII Bersaglieri Battalion (from the

11th Bersaglieri Regiment The 11th Bersaglieri Regiment () is an active unit of the Italian Army based in Orcenico Superiore in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. The regiment is part of the army's infantry corps' Bersaglieri speciality and operationally assigned to the ...

) *** 1st Bersaglieri Motorcyclists Company ** CLXXXV Paratroopers Battalion "Nembo" (joined the I Motorized Grouping in January 1944) ** IV Alpine Artillery Group ( 75/13 mod. 15 howitzers) ** Brigade Services

II Brigade

* II Brigade, Colonel Teodoro Moggio ** 68th Infantry Regiment "Legnano" *** I Fusiliers Battalion *** II Fusiliers Battalion *** V Anti-tank Group ( 47/32

anti-tank gun An anti-tank gun is a form of artillery designed to destroy tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, normally from a static defensive position. The development of specialized anti-tank munitions and anti-tank guns was prompted by the appearance ...

s) ** Navy Regiment "San Marco" (

Royal Italian Navy The , ) (RM) or Royal Italian Navy was the navy of the Kingdom of Italy () from 1861 to 1946. In 1946, with the birth of the Italian Republic (''Repubblica Italiana''), the changed its name to ''Marina Militare'' ("Military Navy"). Origins ...

, joined in early June 1944) *** Battalion "Bafile" (joined April 1944) *** Battalion "Grado" (joined early June 1944) ** IX Assault Unit (joined the I Motorized Grouping on 20 March 1944) *** Squadron "Cavalleggeri Guide" (joined the IX Assault Unit on 27 June 1944) ** V Alpine Artillery Group (75/13 mod. 15 howitzers) ** Brigade Services

Commanding officers

The division's commanding officer was: * Generale di Brigata Umberto Utili (18 April 1944 - 24 September 1944)

References

{{Large formations of Italy in World War II Army corps of Italy in World War II it:Corpo Italiano di Liberazione