203rd Coastal Division Italy

The 203rd Coastal Division was an infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II, activated on 1 July 1943 in Cagliari by expanding the XIII Coastal Brigade. It was assigned to XIII Army Corps, responsible for defending the southern half of Sardinia. The division was based in San Vito and covered the coastal area from Capo Pula to Capo Monte Santu, including the Gulf of Cagliari and its harbor. It formed part of the first static defense line against Allied landings, alongside other coastal divisions and brigades.

The division consisted of the 126th, 174th, and 195th Coastal Regiments, each with several coastal battalions, as well as the 70th Coastal Artillery Regiment. Additional units included the Harbor Defense Command Cagliari, the 408th Mobile Territorial Infantry Regiment, and other smaller detachments. The division was commanded by Generale di Divisione Adolfo Sardi from its activation until 1944.

After the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943, the division, along with others on Sardinia, refused German demands to surrender, leading German forces to retreat to Corsica. The division then joined the Italian Co-belligerent Army but operated at reduced strength. On 29 August 1944, it was disbanded along with most of its remaining units.