27th Infantry Division Brescia

The 27th Infantry Division "Brescia" (Italian: 27° Divisione Autotrasportabile "Brescia") was an Infantry Division organized from the 27th Infantry Division Sila prior to the start of World War II. It was made up of draftees from Calabria. The division was part of the Italian XXI Infantry Corps in the North Africa. along with the 17 Motorised Division Pavia and the 25 Motorised Division Bologna together they took part in the Siege of Tobruk, the Battle of Gazala, the Battle of Mersa Matruh, the First Battle of El Alamein and the Second Battle of El Alamein. On 12 April 1941, as Italian and German forces commenced their Siege of Tobruk, the Brescia Division along with the German 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion captured the port of Bardia, taking several hundred prisoners and a large quantity of booty.

Siege of Tobruk
On 12 April 1941, the Brescia Division and the Germans attack the Tobruk defences, but the attack fails and Rommel is forced to call for reinforcements. On the night of 30 April, a strong Italo-German force attacks the Tobruk defences again, and the Ariete and Brescia divisions along with elite Bersaglieri troops and Guastatori (combat engineers) involved capture seven strongpoints( R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7 and R8). On the night of 3 May, the Australians counterattack but the Italians in the form of the  Trento, Pavia Divisions and some panzergrenadiers repel the attack and the attackers are only able to recapture one strongpoint from the defending Italian troops During that week, it was reported that 30 Australian soldiers shot themselves in order to be evacuated. Australian morale took a dive and that month, an underground 'war neurosis clinic' was built in Tobruk and placed under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel E.L. Cooper and Captain A.J.M Sinclair, and 207 Australian soldiers were admitted for treatment.

On the night of 16 May, the Brescia Division retaliates with the help of two platoons of the 32nd Combat Engineer Battalion and breaches the defensive perimeter of the 2/9th and 2/10th Battalions. With the obstacles removed, the Brescia troops involved, who bring flame-thrower parties and tanks, capture S8, S9 and S10 strongpoints. The Australians fight back and the Commanding Officer of the Guastatori's, Colonel Emilio Caizzo is killed in a satchel attack and wins a posthumous Gold Medal for valour. Although the Australian Official History admits losing three positions, it claims the attackers were 'Germans'. However, an Italian narrative has recorded:

''With great skill and speed the Guastatori open three lanes in the mines and obstacles to let the Brescia Fucilieri through. Side by side with the Brescia assault troops they inflict heavy loses on the enemy and take out further strong points with explosives and flamethrowers.''

Australian military historian Mark Johnston states there was an "unwillingness to acknowledge reverses against Italians" in Australian official accounts.

Major-General Leslie Morsehead was furious and ordered the Australians to be far more vigilant in the future. Among the objectives initially selected during the planning of Operation Brevity was the recapture of S8 and S9 strongpoints, but this was abandoned when it was discovered the Australians had recovered them.

On 24 May 1941, the Brescia Division which had taken over the western front of Tobruk, repelled an attacking infantry force, supported by tanks.

On 2 August, another attack was launched to recover the lost strongpoints from the Italians, but the attacking forces from the Australian 2/43rd Battalion and 2/28th Battalions are repulsed.

This was the last Australian effort to recover the lost fortifications. As part of the besieging forces around Tobruk, the Brescia held out until December 10, 1941, far longer than the German 90th Light Division when the British 70th Division finally broke through the Brescia rearguards and lifted the siege of Tobruk during Operation Crusader. Advancing in broad daylight on 11 December, a battalion of the Brescia nearly overran a company of the 23rd New Zealand Battalion's 'C' Company holding Thomson's Ridge, but were forced to withdraw after the New Zealanders reinforced their position. On 15 December, the Brescia Division held its ground on the Gazala Line against the attacking 2nd New Zealand Division and Polish Brigade, allowing a strong Italo-German armoured force to counterattack and overrun the 1st British Battalion, The Buffs.

Battle of Gazala
During the Battle of Gazala, the Brescia played an important role in the capture of 6,000 Allied soldiers on 16 June 1942, after the Trieste and 15th Panzer Division had destroyed the British 2nd and 4th Armoured Brigades.

Battle of Mersa Matruh
During the brief siege of Mersa Matruh in late June 1942, the Brescia with the Trento and Littorio Divisions played an important part in the capture of 6,000 defenders of the Xth British Corps, along with large quantities of supplies.

First Battle of Alamein
During the First Battle of El Alamein in July 1942, the Brescia deployed on El Mreir, covered the retreat of the Ariete and forced a battalion of the attacking 5th New Zealand Infantry Brigade to retreat in the initial fighting. Captain Andrea Barilari and Sergeant Corrado Scalese of the Brescia, were posthumously decorated for their roles in the counterattack. During the fighting on Ruweisat Ridge on the night of 14-15 July, the Brescia along with the Pavia, although having lost several positions in the night fighting, continued to resist the following day, buying sufficient time to allow a German armoured force to launch a devastating counteratack The 19th Brescia Infantry Regiment is reported to have fought well in this action, thanks to its officers and NCOs. Captains Francesco De Benedectis and Nelio Materazzi were posthumously decorated for their leadership in the action. British historian Ronald Lewin observed that many Italian officers and NCOs fought well in North Africa. The Brescia Division fought well again on the night of 21-22 July at Dayr al Shein, saving (according to one German study) the Afrika Korps from certain defeat.

Field Marshal Erwin Rommel observed that many Italian officers and NCOs fought well during the First Battle of Alamein:

"There is no doubt that the achievement of every Italian unit, especially of the motorised forces, far surpassed anything that the Italian Army had done for a hundred years. Many Italian generals and officers won our admiration both as men and as soldiers."

Battle of Alam el Halfa
During the night 3–4 September 1942, the 26th Battalion and 5th Brigade of the New Zealand Division and the British 132nd (Kent) Brigade, attacked in the area of the Munassib Depression, but with the coming of daylight, the Brescia, Trieste and 90th Light Division, assisted by tanks from the Ariete and Littorio Divisions, counterattacked and forced the attackers back some 3 miles to their original positions.

Second Battle of Alamein
The Brescia Division is reported to have fought very well right at the start of the Second Battle of Alamein on 24 October:

"The Ariete Division, the Bersaglieri Battalion and units of the Brescia and Folgore Divisions fought magnificently. Montgomery's 13th Corps was able to make minor break throughs in the eastern minefield, but did not reach the main front line."



Order of Battle June 1940

 * 19 Infantry Regiment "Brescia"
 * 20 Infantry Regiment "Brescia"
 * 55 Artillery Regiment
 * 27 Mixed Engineer Battalion
 * 27 Tank Battalion