216th Coastal Division (Italy)

The 216th Coastal Division was an infantry division of the Italian Army during World War II. The division was located in Pisa in the Tuscany coastal region of Italy. Coastal divisions, were second line divisions, usually formed from men in there forties and fifties intended to perform labouring and second lined duties. Recruited locally they were often commanded by officers called out of retirement. Their equipment was also 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 had often been sabotaged or arrived with no ammunition.