Prima Brigata D'Assalto della legione SS Italiana - The Italian SS*
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After the 1943 armistice, the SS began recruiting for an Italian Volunteer Legion among the 800,000 disarmed and 250,000 interned members of the former Italian army. In November 1943 the Italienische Frewilligen Legion was established after more than 15,000 Italians volunteered to join the Waffen-SS. Many of the would-be recruits had been members of the "Fortunato" Bersaglieri unit which had fought on the Eastern Front as part of the Italian Army. *
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In January 1944 the unit was renamed  "1st Sturmbrigade Italienische Frewilligen Legion" while to the Italians themselves it was known as "Prima Brigata D'Assalto della legione SS Italiana" The unit first engaged in anti-partisan operations in Febuary 1944 and on March 17 1944 elements of the unit were sent to Anzio and first entered the fighting there.*
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Of the SS but not actually part of the SS until the summer of 1944 after the unit had distinguished itself during the hard fighting at the Anzio Beachhead it then aquired full status and a Waffen-SS unit. In September 1944 the unit was again renamed "Waffen-Grenadier Brigade der SS ( italienische Nr. 1 ). Early in March 1945 the unit was nominally expanded to divisional size and became the 29th Waffen-Grenadier Division der SS ( italienische Nr. 1 ) but the war ended before the formation could approach it's planned strength. It surrendered on April 29, 1945, outside Gorgonzola when surrounded by overwhelming American armour*

