2nd Libyan Division (Italy)
military unit
The 2nd Libyan Division (Italian: 2ª Divisione libica) was an infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. In December 1940, the division formed, together with the 1st CC.NN. Division "23 Marzo" and 2nd CC.NN. Division "28 Ottobre", the XXIII Army Corps. The corps participated in the Italian invasion of Egypt and was destroyed during the Battle of Sidi Barrani.
History
On 1 March 1940, the 2nd Libyan Division and 1st Libyan Division were formed from existing units in Italian Libya. Both divisions consisted of Italian officers and local non-commissioned officers and troops. In September 1940 the 2nd Libyan Division participated in the Italian invasion of Egypt. The original invasion plan of a flanking move through the desert had been modified due to the shortage of transport capacity and so the 1st Libyan Division and 2nd Libyan Division were brought close to the coastal road to be the spearhead for the CC.NN. divisions of XXIII Army Corps. The Maletti Group would operate as a flank guard. After entering Egypt the Italian units stopped and built a series of fortified camps around Sidi Barrani.
The British noted that the Italian camps were dispersed and separated by large distances, which meant they could not support each other if attacked. Accordingly the plan for Operation Compass envisioned to defeat the Italians in detail in a five-day raid.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “2nd Libyan Division (Italy)” as military unit. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as military unit. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Feb 15, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q14917777. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1940.
The absence of detail may reflect summary conventions rather than a lack of surviving documentation. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “2nd Libyan Division (Italy)”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow 2nd Libyan Division (Italy) primary sources, 2nd Libyan Division (Italy) archive and Libyan research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “2nd Libyan Division (Italy)”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “2nd Libyan Division (Italy)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.