The 55. Infantry Division Savona was sent to Libya in September 1939. Initially only the artillery regiment took part in the fighting in north Africa but soon the rest also took part and it was destroyed at Alam Halfa January 1942.

Commanders

General Fedele de Giorgis

Order of battle

Divisional Command
Vehicle Company
Infantry Command
- Three platoons 4.7cm anti-tank guns
- 1 platoon 2cm anti-aircraft machine guns
- 15th Infantry Regiment
-- Staff
-- One 81mm mortar company (6 mortars)
-- Three battalions (2nd battalion in Bardia)
-- Each battalion staff, three rifle companies with 12 light MGs each, and one support company with 18 4.5cm mortars and 8 anti-tank rifles.
- 16th Infantry Regiment
-- As 15th Regiment, 2nd battalion also in Bardia.
-- Additionally one 6.5cm infantry gun company with 5 guns.
Armour
- Light tank company with 13 L33 tanks (sunk on transport)
Artillery Command
- 12th Artillery Regiment
-- 1st battalion (10cm howitzers) 1st and 2nd batteries (4/5 howitzers, respectively) sunk; 3rd battery of 4 howitzers in Naples.
-- 2nd battalion (10.5cm guns), 3 batteries of four guns each 3rd battery in Naples
-- 3rd battalion (7.5cm guns), 1st battery 6 guns, 2nd and 3rd 4 guns.
-- 8th independent battery with 2 coastal defense guns of unknown calibre
-- 27th independent battery with 6 coastal defense guns of unknown calibre
-- 503rd and 504th independent battery with 8 coastal defense guns each of unknown calibre
55th Field Replacement Battalion with two companies (in Naples)
255th anti-tank battalion with 8 3.7cm and 4 4.7cm anti-tank guns
Pioneer and Signals Troops
- 127th Mixed Radio and Telephone Company
- 55th Specialist Engineers
- Further signals troops in Naples
Administration Services
27th Bakery Detachment (motorised)
Motorised V.A. Detachment
Supply Columns
-- 155th Mixed Supply Column (motorised)
Medical Services
45th Field Medical Detachment
Military Police
75th Carabinieri Detachment (motorised)
Field Postal Service
55th Field Postal Detachment (motorised)

Sources used

Research by Andreas
George F. Nafziger - Italian Order of Battle: An organizational history of the Italian Army in World War II (3 vol)
Rex Tyre - Mussolini's Afrika Korps: The Italian Army in North Africa 1940-1943

Reference material on this unit

- None known at this time -