60th Infantry Division "Sabratha"

The division's lineage begins with the Brigade "Verona" established on 2 June 1883 with the 85th and 86th infantry regiments. The brigade fought on the Italian front in World War I and together with its regiments was disbanded on 25 December 1917 after having been destroyed in the Battle of Caporetto. By 20 June 1942 the division was located east of Acroma. After the Fall of Tobruk on 21 June 1942, the Sabratha accelerated its movement, passing in quick succession through Bardia, Sollum and Sidi Barrani, reaching the vicinity of El Alamein on 1 July 1942. While the Italian counterattack failed to achieve its objective, it bought time to allow the Italian XXI Army Corps to rush in a battalion of the 101st Motorized Division "Trieste", the III Tank Squadrons Group of the "Regiment "Lancieri di Novara" and Major Gabriele Verri's XI Tank Battalion to stabilize the sector and stop the Australian advance. In the meantime the Sabratha had recovered from the initial blow and Colonel Angelozzi's I Battalion/ 85th Infantry Regiment "Sabratha" launched a counterattack against Tell-el-Eisa on 14 July supported by Italian tanks. The attack succeeded to pierce the enemy line on the Tell-el-Eisa Ridge. Under fierce pressure the Australian troops were forced to withdraw from their forward positions, but their main defenses remained largely intact. On 25 July 1942 the survivors of Sabratha were incorporated into the 61st Infantry Regiment "Sicilia" of the Trento division and the Sabratha was officially declared dissolved on 13 August 1942. == Organization ==

• 60th Infantry Division "Sabratha", in Gharyan • Command Unit • I Group (75/27 mod. 06 field guns; formed by the depot of the 4th Artillery Regiment "Carnaro") • II Group (75/27 mod. 06 field guns; formed by the depot of the 6th Artillery Regiment "Isonzo") • III Group (75/27 mod. 06 field guns; formed by the depot of the 15th Artillery Regiment "Montenero", re-equipped with 100/17 mod. 14 howitzers) • 60th Anti-aircraft Battery (20/65 mod. 35 anti-aircraft guns) • 260th Anti-aircraft Battery (20/65 mod. 35 anti-aircraft guns) • Ammunition and Supply Unit • 3rd Fast Artillery Regiment "Principe Amedeo Duca d'Aosta" (attached to the division from March 1942) • Command Unit • I Group (100/17 mod. 14 howitzers; joined the regiment in North Africa) • II Group (100/17 mod. 14 howitzers; joined the regiment in North Africa) • III Group (75/27 mod. 06 field guns) • IV Group (75/27 mod. 06 field guns) • 2x Anti-aircraft batteries (20/65 mod. 35 anti-aircraft guns) • Ammunition and Supply Unit • LX Tank Battalion "L" (L3/35 tankettes) • LX Machine Gun Battalion • LX Mixed Engineer Battalion • 60th Telegraph and Radio Operators Company • 1x Engineer Company • 1x Searchlight Section • LX Replacements Battalion • 60th Anti-tank Company (47/32 anti-tank guns) • 11th Medical Section • 2x Field hospitals • 1x Surgical unit • 20th Supply Section • 105th Transport Section • 1x Bakers section • 105th Carabinieri Section • 260th Field Post Office After the division had been almost completely destroyed during the Battle of Beda Fomm it was rebuilt with the following changes: • both infantry regiments fielded now two instead of three fusilier battalions • the destroyed 42nd Artillery Regiment was replaced by the Artillery Grouping "Sabratha" with the CCLXXXII and CCLXXXIV groups, which were both equipped with 75/27 field guns • the 60th Bersaglieri Motorcyclists Company was added to the division • the 403rd and 406th anti-aircraft batteries replaced the division's two lost batteries Attached to the division in 1942: • Battalion Group "Giovani Fascisti" (until March 1942) • Command Company • 2x Volunteer battalions • Anti-tank Company (47/32 anti-tank guns) • Mortar Company (81mm mod. 35 mortars) • Navy Battalion "San Marco" (Royal Italian Navy) • XXXIII Sapper Battalion Additional forces joined the division temporarily: • XVIII Anti-aircraft Artillery Group (8.8 cm Flak 37 anti-aircraft guns; formed by the 3rd Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment) • XLII Anti-aircraft Artillery Group (7.5cm PL vz.37 anti-aircraft guns; formed by the 2nd Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment) == Commanding officers ==

The division's commanding officers were: • Generale di Divisione Giuseppe Tellera (9 May 1937 - 31 August 1938) • Generale di Divisione Guido Della Bona (1 September 1938 - 2 May 1941) • Colonel Riccardo De Cosa (acting, 3–25 May 1941) • Generale di Divisione Mario Soldarelli (26 May 1941 - 13 August 1942) == Notes ==