63rd Infantry Division "Cirene" | |
---|---|
Active | 1937–1941 |
Country | Kingdom of Italy |
Branch | Royal Italian Army |
Type | Infantry |
Size | Division |
Garrison/HQ | Benghazi |
Engagements | World War II |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Gen. D. Carlo Spatocco Gen. B. Alessandro De Guidi |
Insignia | |
Identification symbol | Cirene Division gorget patches |
The 63rd Infantry Division "Cirene" (Italian: 63ª Divisione di fanteria "Cirene") was an infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The division was formed on 1 October 1937 in Benghazi in Italian Libya and named for the nearby antique city of Cyrene (Cirene). The division's regimental depots were in mainland Italy in Liguria and shared with the 37th Infantry Division "Modena", with both divisions recruiting their troops from and training them there. The Cirene was classified as an auto-transportable division, meaning it had some motorized transport, but not enough to move the entire division at once. The division was destroyed on 5 January 1941 during the Battle of Bardia.[1][2]