18th Infantry Division Messina

18th Infantry Division Messina
18th Infantry Division Messina Insignia
Active	1937–1943
Country	Italy
Branch	Italian Army
Type	Infantry
Size	Division
Nickname(s)	Messina
Engagements	World War II
Commanders
Notable commanders	General Silvio Bonini
Insignia
Identification symbol
Identification symbol	Messina Division collar insignia

The 18th Infantry Division Messina was an infantry division of the Italian Army during World War II. It was formed 24 May 1939 in the Fano area on the Italian Adriatic sea coast and was dissolved by Germans 13 September 1943 in Croatia.

The division Messina did not participated in the Italian invasion to France, quartering in Ancona coast besides the Fabriano and Fossombrone valleys nearby until the end of 1940. 3 April 1941, it was ordered to Albania, on the positions north of Shkodër. It was expected to occupy Ulcinj Castle to shell the Yugoslavian positions. 12–13 April 1941, it resisted Yugoslavian attacks at Mount Korab. The Messina Division took part in the invasion of Yugoslavia as part of the Italian XVII (Armoured) Corps. The first crossing of Yugoslavian border occurred 15 April 1941, between Bar, Montenegro and Lake Skadar. 16 April 1941, after piercing through the Yugoslavian defences, it advanced to Bar. 17 April 1941, it surprised and captured both Cetinje and Kotor and much of the Royal Yugoslav Navy. The Messina division has reached Podgorica city 25 April 1941 and received the orders to stay as occupation force. Its area of responsibility was stretched over 100 km around Cetinje, Danilovgrad, Podgorica, Berane and Kotor.