41st Infantry Division Firenze

41st Infantry Division Firenze
41st Infantry Division Firenze Insignia
Active	1939–1943
Country	Italy
Branch	Italian Army
Type	Infantry
Size	Division
Garrison/HQ	Florence
Nickname(s)	Firenze
Engagements	World War II Italian invasion of France Greco-Italian War Invasion of Yugoslavia
Insignia
Identification symbol
Identification symbol	Firenze Division collar insignia

The 41st Infantry Division Firenze was an infantry division of the Italian Army during World War II. It was formed 15 September 1939 in Florence and was officially dissolved 28 September 1943.
The division was made up of Tuscans, and especially Florentines (a rare case of Italian Infantry Division whose name coincides with the ethnicity or place of residence of its members).

7 June 1940, the Firenze division was assigned a police duties in Piedmont region, as part of the Army Group Reserve. The garrisons were established in Carmagnola, Poirino, Villanova d'Asti and remained in place during entire Italian invasion of France.

Around 12 March 1941, the division have received orders to relocate to Albania where it arrived to staging area north-west of Lake Ohrid, near Librazhd by 27 March 1941. The Firenze has moved 1 April 1941 to the border with Yugoslavia, from Stëblevë to north. It was assigned to the right flank of the planned advance from Rrapun (Rapun) river valley north of Librazhd. To support the attack, the Firenze division dug around Shkumbin river valley. First fight has started 8 April 1941, when Yugoslavian forces have tried to attack a mountaintop positions at Mali i Gjinovecit. 9 April 1941, the Firenze division counter-attacked and reached beyond the border by pincer movement in Dibër County, capturing Ostreni i Vogël while blocked in the rest of Ostren. With the part of the Yugoslavian forces surrounded, detachments of the Firenze division have reached Black Drin river bridge in the same day, encountering heavy resistance on the way. The Yugoslavian pocket in Dibër County was eliminated with the fall of Shupenzë 11 April 1941. Subsequently, the Firenze division have advanced to south and captured Maqellarë and Debar 12 April 1941, without encountering much resistance. 14 April 1941, it started to prepare a defensive positions at Kovashicë, Stushaj, and Bllacë. In the same day, the German forces advancing from Gostivar and Kičevo have linked with the Firenze division, ending the fighting.