Background

The Savona division had been in North Africa since the start of the war. It was brought forward to help defend Tripolitania after Operation COMPASS, and then placed in the border defense position during late summer 1941. There it stayed, eventually commanding Sector East, the Halfaya Pass, Sollum, and the southern ring of defenses  running west towards the Libyan border at Libyan Omar (Sector West was Bardia) until it had to surrender to 2^nd South African Division on 17 January 1942 (ironically also the birthday of its commanding officer), when it had run out of food and water. The sector contained both German and Italian forces, but was under command of de Giorgis. Following its surrender, the division was not reformed.

General Officer Commanding – Fedele de Giorgis

The Savona division’s commander, General Fedele de Giorgis, was awarded the Ritterkreuz for the defense according to German records. He survived the war and later became commander of the Corps of Carabinieri in Italy.  His biography is on the website of the Carabinieri, translated by me below.

It is of particular interest that the German commander of Sektor West accused de Giorgis of seeking excuses to surrender as quickly as possible. Rommel wasn’t having any of this, and strongly defended de Giorgis from these accusations. It turned out that de Giorgis defended his sector for more than two weeks after General Schmitt had surrendered Bardia. Panzergruppe Afrika was fully cognizant of the enormous contribution this defense had made to its ability to retreat, and regroup. Both commanders were awarded the Ritterkreuz in recognition of the defensive effort. A picture showing de Giorgis wearing the Ritterkreuz is used e.g. in the English Wikipedia, but is almost certainly a fake.

General de Georgis in an official Italian Army picture prior to 1942.

De Georgis was born at Chivasso (Torino) on 17 January 1887 and died in Rome on 4 February 1964. He entered the Military School at Modena on 3 November 1905, and become a Sub-Lieutenant in the 5th Alpini (Mountain Troops) Regiment on 5 September 1907, and was promoted to Lieutenant in 1910. Further promoted to Captain, he participated in World War I. He was again promoted to Major in 1917. In 1924 he joined the military mission in Ecuador for 10 years, and was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in 1926.

He was promoted to Colonel 2 March 1931, and in 1934 took command of the 7th Infantry Regiment “Cuneo” (an Alpini regiment). He was nominated as a Major General on 31 May 1940, and took command of the Alpini division “Julia”, following which he took command of the regular infantry 55th “Savona” Division with which he went into Empire captivity on his 55th birthday, 17 January 1942. Returning from captivity he was promoted to Lieutenant General, and from 16 May 1947 to 24 May 1950 took command as Commandant General of the Carabinieri, an independent arm of the Italian armed forces.   

The major decoration he received was the Commander’s Cross of the Military Order of Savoia. He also was decorated with the Silver Medal and two Bronze Medals for Military Valor. 

General de Giorgis as Commandant General of the Carabinieri. (Carabinieri.it)

Order of Battle 55^th Infantry Division Savona (A.S. 40 Type), ca. September/October 1941

Divisional Command

Vehicle Company

 

Infantry Command

Three platoons 4.7cm anti-tank guns

1 platoon 2cm anti-aircraft machine guns

15^th Infantry Regiment

Staff

One 81mm mortar company (6 mortars)

Three battalions (2^nd 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.

16^th Infantry Regiment

As 15^th Regiment, 2^nd battalion also in Bardia.

Additionally one 6.5cm infantry gun company with 5 guns.

Armour

Light tank company with 13x L33 tanks (sunk on transport)

Artillery Command

12^th Artillery Regiment

1^st battalion (10cm howitzers) 1^st and 2^nd batteries (4/5 howitzers, respectively) sunk; 3^rd battery of 4 howitzers in Naples.

2^nd battalion (10.5cm guns), 3 batteries of four guns each 3^rd battery in Naples

3^rd battalion (7.5cm guns), 1^st battery 6 guns, 2^nd and 3^rd 4 guns.

8^th independent battery with 2 coastal defense guns of unknown calibre

27^th independent battery with 6 coastal defense guns of unknown calibre

503^rd and 504^th independent battery with 8 coastal defense guns each of unknown calibre

55^th Field Replacement Battalion with two companies (in Naples)

255^th anti-tank battalion with 8 3.7cm and 4 4.7cm anti-tank guns

Pioneer and Signals Troops

127^th Mixed Radio and Telephone Company

55^th Specialist Engineers

Further signals troops in Naples

Administration Services

27^th Bakery Detachment (motorised) Motorised V.A. Detachment Supply Columns

155^th Mixed Supply Column (motorised)

Medical Services

45^th Field Medical Detachment

Military Police

75^th Carabinieri Detachment (motorised)

Field Postal Services

55^th Field Postal Detachment (motorised)

 

Notes

I would be interested in comments and corrections, and also further information on the coastal defense guns.
This order of battle is based on German records, and is likely to not be 100% accurate.