27th Motorised Division Brescia The 27th Motorised Division " Brescia " ( Italian : 27° Divisione Autotrasportabile " Brescia " ) was a Motorised Infantry Division organized from the 27th Infantry Division Sila prior to the start of World War II . It was made up of draftees from Calabria . The division was part of the Italian XXI Infantry Corps in the North Africa . along with the 17 Motorised Division Pavia and the 25 Motorised Division Bologna together they took part in the Siege of Tobruk , the Battle of Gazala , the Battle of Mersa Matruh , the First Battle of El Alamein and the Second Battle of El Alamein . On 12 April 1941 , as Italian and German forces commenced their Siege of Tobruk , the " Brescia " Division along with the German 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion captured the port of Bardia , taking several hundred prisoners and a large quantity of booty . Siege of Tobruk . On 12 April , the " Brescia " Division and the Germans attack the Tobruk defences , but the attack fails and Rommel is forced to call for reinforcements . On the night of 30 April , a strong Italo - German force attacks the Tobruk defences again , and the " Ariete " , " Brescia " , 8th Bersaglieri Regiment and Guastatori ( combat engineers ) involved capture seven strongpoints ( R2 , R3 , R4 , R5 , R6 , R7 and R8 ) . On the night of 3 May , the Australians counterattack but the Italians in the form of the " Trento " , " Pavia " Divisions and some panzergrenadiers repel the attack and the attackers are only able to recapture one strongpoint from the defending Italian troops On the night of 16 May , the " Brescia " Division retaliates with the help of two platoons of the 32nd Combat Engineer Battalion and breaches the defensive perimeter of the 2 / 9th and 2 / 10th Battalions . With the obstacles removed , the " Brescia " troops involved , who bring flame - thrower parties and tanks , capture S8 , S9 and S10 strongpoints . The Australians fight back and the Commanding Officer of the Guastatori ' s , Colonel Emilio Caizzo is killed in a satchel attack and wins a posthumous Gold Medal for valour . Although the Australian Official History admits losing three positions , it claims the attackers were ' Germans ' . However , an Italian narrative has recorded : " With great skill and speed the Guastatori open three lanes in the mines and obstacles to let the Brescia Fucilieri through . Side by side with the Brescia assault troops they inflict heavy loses on the enemy and take out further strong points with explosives and flamethrowers . " Australian military historian Mark Johnston states there was an " unwillingness to acknowledge reverses against Italians " in Australian official accounts . Major - General Leslie Morsehead was furious and ordered the Australians to be far more vigilant in the future . Among the objectives initially selected during the planning of Operation Brevity was the recapture of S8 and S9 strongpoints , but this was abandoned when it was discovered the Australians had recovered them . On 24 May , the " Brescia " Division which had taken over the western front of Tobruk , repelled an attacking infantry force , supported by tanks . On 2 August , another attack was launched to recover the lost strongpoints , but the attacking forces from the Australian 2 / 43rd Battalion and 2 / 28th Battalions are repulsed . This was the last Australian effort to recover the lost fortifications . As part of the besieging forces around Tobruk , the " Brescia " held out until December 10 , 1941 when the British 70th Division finally broke through the " Brescia " rearguards and lifted the siege of Tobruk during Operation Crusader . Advancing in broad daylight on 11 December , a battalion of the " Brescia " came within 50 yards of the 23rd New Zealand Battalion , but were cut down by the machine guns of the New Zealanders . On 15 December , the " Brescia " Division held its ground on the Gazala Line against the attacking 2nd New Zealand Division and Polish Brigade , allowing a strong Italo - German armoured force to counterattack and overrun the 1st British Battalion , " The Buffs " . Battle of Gazala . During the Battle of Gazala , the " ' Brescia " played an important role in the capture of 6 , 000 prisoners on 16 June 1942 , after the " Trieste " and 15th Panzer Division had destroyed the British 2nd and 4th Armoured Brigades . Battle of Mersa Matruh . During the brief siege of Mersa Matruh in late June 1942 , the Brescia with the Trento Division and Bersaglieri troops played an important part , in the capture of 6 , 000 defenders of the Xth British Corps , along with large quantities of supplies . First Battle of Alamein . During the First Battle of El Alamein in July 1942 , the " Brescia " deployed on El Mreir , repelled a strong force of the 5th New Zealand Infantry Brigade in the initial fighting , and during the defence of Ruweisat Rige , the 19th Regiment of the " Brescia " put up a tenacious defence , losing a battalion and three company commanders in the night action , before being partly overcome at dawn on July 15 , delaying the Allied advance for several hours and allowing German armoured forces to launch a devastating counteratack