The 154th Infantry Division "Murge" () was an infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The Murge was formed on 1 December 1942 and named for the Murge region. The Murge was classified as an occupation infantry division, which meant that the division's artillery regiment consisted of two artillery groups instead of the three artillery groups of line infantry divisions and that the divisional mortar battalion was replaced by a divisional machine gun battalion. The division was sent to Herzegovina as an occupation force, where it took part in anti-partisan operations. It took part in the Battle of the Sutjeska and then had to be withdrawn after suffering heavy losses. It was disbanded in September 1943, following the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile. History World War I The division's lineage begins with the Brigade "Murge" raised on 26 February 1917 with the 259th and 260th infantry regiments. The brigade fought on the Italian front in World War I and together with its regiments was disbanded after the war in July 1919. Between 1934 and 1939 23rd Infantry Division "Murge" was active in Bari, which on 24 May 1939 changed its name to 23rd Infantry Division "Ferrara". World War II The 154th Infantry Division Murge was activated in Saluzzo on 1 December 1941 and consisted of the 259th and 260th infantry regiments, and the 154th Artillery Regiment. As a division raised during the war the "Murge" did not have its own regimental depots and therefore its regiments were raised by the depots of the 36th Infantry Division "Forlì": the 259th Infantry Regiment "Murge" was raised in Alba on 1 September 1941 by the 43rd Infantry Regiment "Forlì" and the 260th Infantry Regiment "Murge" was raised in Saluzzo on 15 October 1941 by the 44th Infantry Regiment "Forlì", while the 154th Artillery Regiment "Murge" was raised by the 36th Artillery Regiment "Forlì" in Saluzzo. After the Axis' invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941 the division was sent to Herzegovina, where it based its headquarter in Mostar and its units in Jablanica, Konjic, Gacko and Nevesinje. Already during its deployment from 15 April to 31 May the division was engaged by Yugoslav partisans, a struggle that continued unabated for all the division's stay in Herzegovina. In February 1943 during the Battle of the Neretva the partisans' 2nd Proletarian Assault Brigade and 5th Proletarian Assault Brigade overran the Murge's