The division's lineage begins with the Brigade "Salerno" established in
Bologna on 1 November 1884 with the 89th and 90th Infantry Regiments.
World War I During
World War I the brigade fought initially on the
Italian front, but in April 1918 it was transferred together with the
Brigade "Alpi",
Brigade "Brescia", and
Brigade "Napoli" to the
Western Front in
France. There the brigades fought in the
Third Battle of the Aisne,
Second Battle of the Marne, Battle of Saint-Thierry, and the
Hundred Days Offensive. On 1 November 1926 the brigade was disbanded and its two regiments were transferred to the other brigades: the
89th Infantry Regiment "Salerno" to the V Infantry Brigade and the 90th Infantry Regiment "Salerno" to the
I Infantry Brigade. The V Infantry Brigade, which also included the
41st Infantry Regiment "Modena" and the 42nd Infantry Regiment "Modena", was the infantry component of the 5th Territorial Division of
Genoa, which also included the 29th Artillery Regiment. On 20 October 1929 the division moved to
Imperia and consequently changed its name to 5th Territorial Division of Imperia. On 1 January 1935 the division changed its name to 5th Infantry Division "Cosseria".
Second Italo-Ethiopian War In preparation for the
Second Italo-Ethiopian War the division was mobilized on 19 August 1935 with the 41st and 42nd infantry regiments and the 29th Artillery Regiment and shipped in September to
Benghazi in
Libya. In early January 1936 the division was shipped to
Eritrea and moved to
Adi Quala, where it guarded the supply lines of the Italian divisions fighting in
Ethiopia. In March, it started to advance to Addi Onfito, reaching
Axum in April 1936 and then continuing to the
Adwa area. In September 1936 the division was repatriated.
World War II On 25 March 1939 the division ceded all its regiments, except the 89th Infantry Regiment "Salerno", to the newly activated
37th Infantry Division "Modena". On the same date the V Infantry Brigade was dissolved and the 90th Infantry Regiment "Salerno" was transferred from the
1st Infantry Division "Superga" to the Cosseria. The same day the 89th and 90th infantry regiments changed their names to "Cosseria". On 3 September 1939, the depot of the 29th Artillery Regiment "Modena" in
Albenga formed the 37th Artillery Regiment "Cosseria" for the division. The few remaining soldiers of the Cosseria then reached
Izium, where they linked up with other Axis forces. The further retreat route was through
Kharkiv,
Okhtyrka,
Romny,
Pryluky,
Nizhyn, finally reaching Novobelitsa at the Southern outskirts of
Gomel on 7 March 1943. The division was repatriated in May 1943 and moved to
Tuscany, where it started to re-form. On 25 July 1943 the division was assigned for police duties at
Sesto San Giovanni. After the announcement of the
Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943 the division was dissolved by
invading German forces on 12 September 1943. == Organization ==