1st Cavalry Division Eugenio di Savoia

The 1st Cavalry Division Eugenio di Savoia was a cavalry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The Eugenio di Savoia was mobilized in 1940, as a cavalry division and took part in the Invasion of Yugoslavia. The division remained in Yugoslavia in the XI Corps (Ljubljana) as an occupying force on the coast of Dalmatia.

After the Italian surrender, the division was disbanded in September 1943.

Action in Yugoslavia

While in Yugoslavia, the 14 Alessandria Regiment is credited with having conducted the last cavalry charge by the Italian Army in World War II. On 17 October 1942 the regiment was encircled by a group of Yugoslav Partisans near Poloj, Croatia. That night the cavalry launched repeated saber charges against the partisans. Despite heavy casualties, the charge succeeded and broke through to safety.

Organization

The division had undergone a level of mechanization. Each division had two cavalry regiments, a highly-mobile infantry (Bersaglieri) regiment, an artillery regiment, and a light tank group. The squadrons of the cavalry regiments were horse-mounted and, other than a motorcycle company, the Bersaglieri were issued with bicycles. The light tank group had a total of 61 tanks. The tanks were typically L3/35s or Fiat L6/40s. The division was commanded by Lieutenant General Federico Ferrari Orsi.

Order of battle
 Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Saluzzo" (12th)
 Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Alessandria" (14th)
 11th Bersaglieri Regiment
I San Giusto Armored Battalion
1. Artillery Regiment (mot)
18. CCRR Section
172. CCRR Section
101. Mixed Engineer Company
71. Medical Section
57. Field Hospital
58. Field Hospital
59. Field Hospital
91. Quartermaster section
211. Mixed Motor Transport Group Command
34. Light Transportation Section
53. Light Transportation Section
852. Light Transportation Section
854. Light Transportation Section
1. Transport Unit
5. Road Movement Unit
Heavy Fuel Section
5. Road Recovery Unit
18. Field Post Office

References

Further reading
Dr Jeffrey T. Fowler – Axis Cavalry in World War II
George F. Nafziger – Italian Order of Battle: An organizational history of the Italian Army in World War II (3 vol)
 Divisione celere alla data di  10 giugno 1940. (PL) .

Category:Divisions of Italy in World War II
Category:Cavalry divisions of Italy
Category:Military units and formations established in 1940
Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1943
Category:Military units and formations of Italy in Yugoslavia in World War II