The 49th Infantry Division "Parma" () was an infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The Parma was activated on 12 September 1939 in Macerata and named for the city of Parma. After the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943 the division was disbanded by German forces in Vlorë in Albania. History The division's lineage begins with the Brigade "Parma" established on 17 October 1859 with the 5th and 6th infantry regiments of the Army of the United Provinces of Central Italy. On 25 March 1860 the Brigade "Parma" entered the Royal Sardinian Army three days after the Kingdom of Sardinia had annexed the United Provinces of Central Italy. Already before entering the Royal Sardinian Army the brigade's two infantry regiments had been renumbered on 30 December 1859 as 49th Infantry Regiment and 50th Infantry Regiment. World War I The brigade fought on the Italian front in World War I. On 31 December 1926 the brigade command was disbanded and its two regiments assigned to other brigades: the 49th Infantry Regiment "Parma" was assigned to the IX Infantry Brigade and the 50th Infantry Regiment "Parma" was assigned to the VII Infantry Brigade. On 12 September 1939 the 49th Infantry Division "Parma" was activated Macerata and received its two namesake infantry regiments and the newly raised 49th Artillery Regiment "Parma". The Parma was housed partially in the barracks of the 53rd Infantry Division "Arezzo", which had been transferred to Albania in June 1940. World War II On 10 June 1940 Italy entered World War II by invading France. The Parma remained at Macerata until October 1940 when it was sent to Albania for the upcoming Greco-Italian War. At the outbreak of the war on 28 October 1940 the Parma was deployed on the Greco-Albanian border to the south of Lake Prespa, from Maja e Kallogjerit to Dobranj, being the part of XXVI Army Corps. On 30 October 1940 Greek attacks forced the Parma to retreat from the upper Devoll river valley and on 31 October 1940 the division had to abandon the town of Bitinckë and villages of Tren and Vërnik. On 1 November 1940 the Parma repelled a Greek attack on Ponçarë and on 2 November 1940 an attack on a mountaintop position on the division's southern flank. While Ponçarë was orderly evacuated on 3 November 1940, the Greek breakthrough at Maja