The Army of the Po was formed on 3 October 1938 as the controlling headquarters for the armored, motorized and celeri (“fast”) units of the Royal Italian Army. On 6 November 1940 it was redesignated the 9. Army and departed Italy for Albania.

A new Army of the Po was formed in Italy at the same time. It was redesignated 6. Army on 15 February 1941 and took over the defense of southern Italy, Sicily and Sardinia from the disbanded 3. Army. In September 1941, the 6. Army relinquished the defense of southern Italy to the 7. Army while maintaining control of the defenses of Sicily and Calabria. The army suffered heavy losses during the Allied invasion of Sicily in July-August 1943 before being evacuated to northern Italy for reorganization. The battered remnants of the army capitulated to the Germans upon the surrender of Italy in September 1943.

Commanders

Generale designato d’Armata Ettore Bastico (1938 – 1940)
Generale designato d’Armata Mario Vercellino (1940 – 1940)
Generale di Corpo d’Armata Francesco Zingales (? – ?)
Generale designato d’Armata Ezio Rossi (1941 – 1943)
Generale designato d’Armata Mario Roatta (1943 – 1943)
Generale d’Armata Alfredo Guzzoni (1943 – 1943)

Sources used

W. Victor Madeja - Italian Army Order of Battle: 1940-1944 – Between Fascism and Monarchy
John Joseph Timothy Sweet - Iron Arm: The Mechanization of Mussolini’s Army, 1920-1940

Reference material on this unit

- None known at this time -