SkipCaptcha
797
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Line 28:
Line 28: + +
17th "Pavia" Infantry Division (view source)
Revision as of 13:46, November 11, 2016
, 13:46, November 11, 2016→El Alamein
The division took part in the [[First Battle of El Alamein]] as part of the Italian 10th Corps. During the initial phase of the fighting the ''Pavia'' served as part of the rearguard for the ''Ariete'' Armoured Division where, according to US Army Colonel Conrad H. Lanza, the division repulsed the advance of the Maoris of the New Zealand 23rd Battalion with a night counterattack that overwhelmed the New Zealanders. Corporal Pasquale Franchi from the ''Pavia'' would posthumously win the [[Medaglia d'Argento al Valore Militare]] for his role in the counterattack.
The division took part in the [[First Battle of El Alamein]] as part of the Italian 10th Corps. During the initial phase of the fighting the ''Pavia'' served as part of the rearguard for the ''Ariete'' Armoured Division where, according to US Army Colonel Conrad H. Lanza, the division repulsed the advance of the Maoris of the New Zealand 23rd Battalion with a night counterattack that overwhelmed the New Zealanders. Corporal Pasquale Franchi from the ''Pavia'' would posthumously win the [[Medaglia d'Argento al Valore Militare]] for his role in the counterattack.
On the night of 14/15 July 1942, the ''Pavia'' along with the ''Brescia'' Division put up a stubborn defence on Ruweisat Ridge, allowing Field Marshall Erwin Rommel to assemble German armoured and motorized infantry units to counterattack in support of the Italians, overrunning the attacking New Zealand infantry and supporting British armour in the morning action.<ref>"While the attacking brigades had been able to cut large gaps through the defences held y the Italian infantry, they had not been able to subdue all the resistance. Not surprisingly, most of the smaller outposts and defended localities had fallen easily but some of the larger posts had been bypassed during the night. The outposts which remained contained substantial number of anti-tank guns, machine guns and infantry. When daylight came, these posts were able to cover the area south of the ridge by fire and shot up any trucks foolhardy enough to drive forward." Pendulum Of War: Three Battles at El Alamein, Niall Barr, p. 131, Random House, 2010</ref><ref>"On the right, Indian 5th Division (XXX Corps) attacked Point 64 on the centre of the feature, the New Zealand Division (XIII Corps) was on the left attacking Point 63 at the western end of the ridge and the 1st Armoured Division gave support along the line of the inter-corps boundary. The night attack was preceded by Albacore aircraft dropping flares and fighter-bombers strafing the enemy lines. At first both divisions made good progress as they fought their way through the Italian Brescia and Pavia Divisions who were holding the ridge. The advance slowed down when they met extensive minefields and there was some loss of cohesion when the New Zealanders were attacked by tanks from 8th Panzer Regiment of 15th Panzer Division and lost 350 prisoners." El Alamein 1942: The Turning of the Tide, Ken Ford, p. 42, Osprey Publishing, 2005</ref>
==References==
==References==