An Italian 22Nd Infantry Division Cacciatori Delle Alpi "Hunters Of The Alps" Sleeve Badge

Bronze gilt with navy blue paint, unmarked, 48.5 mm x 61 mm, die-holes at all four points for uniform attachment, gilt wear and fine scattered chipping evident in the navy blue paint, better than very fine.

Footnote: The 22nd Infantry Division Cacciatori delle Alpi (Hunters of the Alps) was an infantry division of the Italian Army during the Second World War. The Cacciatori delle Alpi was mobilized for war in June 1939. As the Italian invasion of France began on June 10, 1940, the Cacciatori delle Alpi division remained in reserve as part of the Italian 1st Army in Perinaldo-Pigna, Liguria-Castel Vittorio areas near the border with France. It was moved out of reserve status on June 19, 1940 and was assigned an attack sector at Triora-Vallecrosia-Camporosso, but the campaign ended on June 24, 1940 before the division saw any combat. In the first half of January 1941, the Cacciatori delle Alpi division was transferred to Albania, reaching Bubës, Qafa e Bubësit on the 18th. It was concentrated around Berat city on January 19th, and reached a definite destination in the sector between Qafa e Bubësit, Përroi i Branecit and the river Osum on January 25th, at which point Greek forces attacked en masse over the river Osum. On January 28, 1941, the severely decimated Cacciatori delle Alpi division gave the way and parts of division have retreated to the north until Shkumbin river. The minor defensive battle was won by the Italians at Mali i Firtit on February 9-10, 1941, and thus they managed to stop the Greek advance. With the start of the general Italian offensive on April 15, 1941, the Cacciatori delle Alpi division participated in the attack on Korçë, reaching Cerovë after some fighting. It crossed the Vjosë river near Përmet on April 21, 1941, thus blocking the route of the retreating Greek army. It moved to Korçë and then to the Greek border around Mavri Petra mountain near Ersekë on April 28th. In July 1941, the Cacciatori delle Alpi was transferred to Podgorica, Montenegro. In September 1941, it was on the move again, this time to the area between Split, Croatia and Šibenik. From October 9, 1941 to November 9, 1941, encountering partisans on the Croatian-Serbian border. In December 1941, the division was transferred to Metković, Croatia. Sporadic fights with partisans occurred from Dubrovnik to Gacko. The Division took part in Operation Trio between the April 8 and June 14, 1942, which was an anti-partisan operation in Croatia with the objective of destroying partisan and Chetnik forces. The Division was also involved in Operation Foča between May 5 and 12, 1942. This operation was a continuation of Operation Trio, with the objective of destroying the forces in East Bosnia that had been forced into the Foča area by Operation Trio. The division was in the Ljubljana and Rijeka areas at the moment of the Armistice of Cassibile, and was officially dissolved on September 11, 1943 following self-disintegration.