Active 1939–1943 Branch Italian Army Size Division | Country Italy Type Infantry Nickname(s) Taro | |
The 48th Infantry Division Taro was an infantry division of the Italian Army during World War II. It was formed 12 September, 1939 in Catanzaro and ceased to function in Toulon 8 September, 1943.
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The Taro division was deployed in Civitavecchia by 10 June, 1940 and seen no action during Italian invasion of France. 19 November, 1940, it was ordered to transfer to Albania via Bari, as part of Italian II Corps. First units have started to disembark in Durrës 27 November, 1940. By 30 November, 1940, the disembarkation was complete. By 1 December, 1940, the 207th regiment of Bari was reinforcing 19th Infantry Division Venezia near Pogradec, while 208th regiment was reinforcing 53rd Infantry Division Arezzo. At the same time, division headquarters with some other units temporarily assigned from the broken Italian formations, were organizing defences at Shkumbin river valley. By 11 December 1940, the Taro division comprised 208th and 225th infantry regiments together with 48th artillery regiment, have made a stand at Guri i Llengës - Shkumbin line. The defensive line was never broken, although the pressure from Greek units was mounting up in January - February 1941, resulting in some positions near Guri i Llengës been overrun but soon re-captured 14 February, 1941. The last major attack from the Greek come 20 February, 1941, and 6 March, 1941, the Taro was on the offensive, capturing Guri i Topit and other peaks by 8 March, 1941. Afterwards, the division remained in the same positions during the entire Battle of Greece until 23 April, 1941.
In June, 1941, the Taro was transferred to Montenegro, quartering in Cetinje, Bar, Nikšić and Danilovgrad. 19 July, 1941, an additional garrison was established in Kotor. In the 1942 the division have conducted an anti-partisan raids at Budva, Velja Gora, Boguti and Čisto Polje. In February-March 1942, an especially large group of Yugoslav Partisans was beaten off at Bokovo. In August, 1942, the division was called back to Italy, quartering in Alessandria-Novi Ligure area. In November 1942, the Taro have participated in Case Anton, occupying Vichy France area north of Toulon and on the coastal strip to the east, from Cape Brun to Cavalaire-sur-Mer. It quartered in Cuers, Méounes-lès-Montrieux, Pierrefeu-du-Var and Carnoules.