211th Coastal Division (Italy)

The 211th Coastal Division was an infantry division of the Italian Army during World War II. The division was located in the Calabria coastal region of Italy. Coastal divisions were second line divisions, usually formed from men in their forties and fifties intended to perform general physical labor and other second line duties. Recruited locally they were often commanded by officers called out of retirement. Since these units were not intended as front line combat units, their equipment was generally second rate. The Prime Minister of Italy, Benito Mussolini had hoped to obtain large quantities of arms and equipment from the disbanded Vichy French army, but this equipment had often been sabotaged or arrived with no ammunition.