61st Infantry Division "Sirte" | |
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![]() 61st Infantry Division "Sirte" insignia | |
Active | 1937 – 1941 |
Disbanded | 23 January 1941 |
Country | ![]() |
Branch | ![]() |
Type | Infantry |
Size | Division |
Garrison/HQ | Misrata |
Engagements | World War II North African Campaign |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Vincenzo della Mura |
Insignia | |
Identification symbol | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Sirte Division gorget patches |
The 61st Infantry Division "Sirte" (Italian: 61ª Divisione di fanteria "Sirte") was an infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The division was formed on 9 May 1937 in Misrata in Italian Libya and named for the Libyan city of Sirte. The division's regimental depots were in mainland Italy in Calabria and shared with the 27th Infantry Division "Brescia", with both divisions recruiting their troops from and training them there. The division was destroyed on 22 January 1941 during the British capture of Tobruk and officially declared lost on 23 January 1941.[1][2] The Sirte was classified as an auto-transportable division, meaning it had some motorized transport, but not enough to move the entire division at once.