20th Infantry Division Friuli The Friuli is a division of the Italian Army since World War II . History . World War II . 1938 to 1943 . The 20th Infantry Division " Friuli " was formed on 24 August 1939 by renaming the existing 20th Infantry Division " Curtatone e Montanara " . The division was immediately split to create the 44th Infantry Division " Cremona " . It was a reserve force during the Italian invasion of southern France in 1940 and took part in the Invasion of Yugoslavia in 1941 as part of the Italian VI Corps . Afterwards it remained in Yugoslavia on anti - Partisan duties . When Italy and Germany occupied Vichy France after the Allied landings in French North Africa the division was ferried to northern Corsica on 8 November 1942 to occupy the island , while the 44th Infantry Division " Cremona " occupied Southern Corsica . Order of Battle . As of its deployment to Corsica in 1942 : Attached units in Corsica : 1943 to 1945 . After the armistice between Italy and the Allies on 3 September 1943 the division in conjunction with the 44 Infantry Division " Cremona " and French Partisans engaged in heavy combat with the German Sturmbrigade Reichsführer SS and 90th Panzergrenadier Division and the Italian 12 Parachute Battalion of the 184 Parachute Regiment , which came from Sardinia and retreated through Corsica towards the harbor of Bastia in the islands north . On 13 September elements of the Free French 4th Moroccan Mountain Division were landed in Ajaccio to support the Italian efforts to stop the 30 , 000 retreating German troops . But during the night of 3 to 4 October the last German units were evacuated from Bastia leaving behind 700 dead and 350 POW ' s . After the end of operations on Corsica the division was sent as garrison unit to Sardinia . On 24 November the 88th CCNN Legion was renamed as 387th Infantry Regiment " Friuli " . In July 1944 the division was transferred to San Giorgio del Sannio on the Italian peninsula . On 20 August 1944 , the third battalions in the 87th and 88th Infantry regiments were replaced by two Granatieri di Sardegna battalions and on 31 August the 387th " Friuli " Infantry Regiment was dissolved . On 20 September . the division was renamed Combat Group " Friuli " . On 5 February 1945 , the division returned to front line duty as part of the Italian Co - Belligerent Army and replaced the 5th Polish Division " Kresowa " of the II Polish Corps on the Senio river near Brisighella . From there the division advanced with the Allies Armies to liberate Imola , Castel San Pietro and Bologna . Cold War . On 15 October 1945 , the Combat Group " Friuli " was renamed Infantry Division " Friuli " retaining the 87th and 88th Infantry Regiments as well as the 35th Artillery Regiment ; additional units were the 120th Mixed Engineer battalion and some minor support units . Initially the division was based in the city of Bolzano as part of the IV Military Territorial Command , but in 1949 the division moved to Florence and joined the VII Military Territorial Command . There the division was augmented with the 78th Infantry Regiment " Lupi di Toscana " , 8th Field Artillery Regiment and 3rd Light Anti - Air Artillery Regiment . Later the 3rd Light Anti - Air Artillery Regiment was replaced by the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment " Piemonte Cavalleria " . On 15 April 1960 , the division was reduced to brigade level , losing all its traditional regiments and receiving new units . See Infantry Brigade " Friuli " for the history of the brigade from 1960 to 2013 . Today . On 16 July 2013 the Italian Army transferred the " Mantova " Division Command from Vittorio Veneto to Florence , where the command was renamed as " Friuli " Division Command . The division took the name and traditions of all preceding units named " Friuli " . The division now commands the " Pozzuolo del Friuli " Brigade , Mechanized Brigade " Sassari " and Armored Brigade " Ariete " .