58th Infantry Division Legnano
| 58th Infantry Division Legnano | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1939–1945 |
| Country | Italy |
| Branch | Italian Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Division |
| Nickname(s) | Legnano |
| Engagements | World War II |
The 58th Infantry Division Legnano was an Infantry Division of the Royal Italian Army during the Second World War. It was raised on 8 February 1934 in Milan and was disestablished on 17 February 1944 in Apulia. On 24 May 1939 it also spun off the 6th Infantry Division Cuneo.
In 1940 the division remained in Fenestrelle- as a reserve force of the 4th Army during the Italian invasion of France. The division was transferred to Albania in January 1941 to stop a Greek breakthrough during the Capture of Klisura Pass, reaching the coastal front line on 7 January 1941, and on 26 January it 1941 engaged Greek Këlcyrë, trying to advance to Arrëza e Madhe, on the northern flank of Battle of Trebeshina. The Legnano advance ultimately failed, forcing the division to halt by 8 March 1941, therefore the Legnano did not take part in the Italian Spring Offensive. After Greek units withdrew, following the beginning of the Battle of Greece, the Legnano division entered Këlcyrë on 16 April 1941. The division reached Kuman before being reassigned to the reserve of the 9th Army. On 21 June the Legnano started boarding ships in Vlorë to return to Lombardy. The division was soon posted again, this time to Liguria.
In November 1942 the division was sent to France, for the coastal defence of the Cannes-Saint-Tropez sector, effectively taking part in the occupation of Vichy France, and afterwards stayed in France on occupation duty. In August 1943 the division began a gradual return to Apulia in the south east of mainland Italy. It returned first to Bologna, and then headed for Brindisi in Apulia. After allied forces had landed on the Italian peninsula and an armistice between Italy and the Allies had been signed, announced on 8 September 1943, some small detachments were already at Brindisi and Francavilla Fontana, while many others were stranded at Bologna and other locations, on their way to their destination. The division stayed loyal to the Italian King Victor Emmanuel III, who fled with his royal court from Rome to Brindisi. Therefore, the Legnano began to work with the Allies, who soon arrived as a result of Operation Slapstick.
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