The division's name derives from the fasces (Italian: Fascio littorio) carried by the lictors of ancient Rome, which Benito Mussolini had adopted as symbol of state-power of the fascist regime.

[2] The Italians encountered minimal resistance by the Yugoslavian Seventh Army and on 16 April the Littorio met up with units of the 158th Infantry Division "Zara" in Knin and reached Mostar.

[1] In January 1942 the Littorio was ordered to Libya to reinforce the German-Italian Panzer Group Africa, which was fighting the Western Desert Campaign against the British Eighth Army.

Due to British air and naval attacks originating in Malta the transfer of the division took months and was accompanied by severe losses of men and equipment.

[6] The first units to arrive were the DLI and DLII self-propelled artillery battalion, which were immediately transferred to the 132nd Armored Division "Ariete" at the front.

[6] The division was a part of the investing force at Mersa Matruh, and pursued the British Eighth Army during its retreat to El Alamein.

[9] Meanwhile the Littorio and Ariete had moved up on the left of the Afrika Korps and the 90th Light Division and elements of Italian X Army Corps had drawn up to face the southern flank of the New Zealand box.

[10] Under constant air raids throughout the day and night and on the morning of 2 September, Rommel realized that his offensive had failed and that staying in the salient would only add to his losses and ordered his forces to withdraw.

He ordered a counterattack against Point 29 by 15th Panzer, 164th Light Africa Divisions and elements of XX Army Corps to begin at 1500 Hrs but under heavy artillery and air attack this came to nothing.

This figure includes tanks out of action through mechanical failure as well as through mines or other battle damage, but by this time repairs and replacements were hardly keeping pace with daily losses.

When it became obvious to Rommel that there would be little chance to hold anything between El Daba and the frontier he ordered a retreat, with the Italian units left behind to fight a rear-guard action.

[19] The Littorio division was declared lost due to wartime events on 25 November 1942 and its remaining personnel was assigned to the Tactical Group "Ariete".