4 Alpine Division Cuneense

4a Divisione Alpina Cuneense
Coat of Arms of the 4th Alpine Division Cuneense
Active	31 October 1935 – 28 January 1943
Country	Italy
Branch	Regio Esercito
Type	Alpini
Role	Mountain Infantry
Size	17,460 men
Part of	Italian Alpine Corps 1942-1943
Garrison/HQ	Cuneo
Engagements	World War II Greco-Italian War Italian War in Soviet Union
Commanders
Notable commanders	General Emilio Battisti

The 4th Alpine Division Cuneense was an Italian division composed of Alpini - light Mountain Infantry - and Mountain Artillery units. The division participated in all Italian campaigns of World War II with the exception of the North African Campaign. The division was completely destroyed by Soviet Forces during Operation Little Saturn

The Cuneense division was constituted on 31 October 1935 through the reorganization of the existing 5th Superior Alpini Command. The headquarters of the division was in the city of Cuneo, and the majority of its soldiers were drafted from the surrounding valleys - hence the name "Cuneense".

The division strength was 573 officers and 16,887 NCOs and soldiers for a total strength of 17,460 men. The division also had 176 horses, 4,698 mules and 584 transport vehicles at its disposal. [1]

On 21 June 1940 (one day before the French surrender) the “Cuneense” division began to advance with other Italian units into Southern France.

The division was then sent to Albania, where it participated in the Greco-Italian War. As the German Wehrmacht came to the aid of the beaten Italian armies in Albania in April 1941 through an invasion of Yugoslavia the “Cuneense” was sent north to aid the rapidly advancing German divisions. The Cuneense advanced through Montenegro and reached Dubrovnik at the end of the campaign.

In September 1942 the “Cuneense” was sent with the Alpini divisions Julia and Tridentina and other Italian units to the Soviet Union to form the Mountain Corps of the Italian Army in Russia (Armata Italiana in Russia, or ARMIR) and fight alongside the Germans against the Red Army. Taking up positions along the Don river the Italian units covered part of the left flank of the German Sixth Army, which spearheaded the German summer offensive of 1942 into the city of Stalingrad.