Mechanized Brigade "Granatieri di Sardegna"

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the currently active Italian Army Mechanized Brigade "Granatieri di Sardegna". For the World War II Royal Italian Army division, see 21st Infantry Division "Granatieri di Sardegna".
Mechanized Brigade "Granatieri di Sardegna"
Brigata Meccanizzata "Granatieri di Sardegna"
UNIFIL
Commanders
Current
commander		Brigadier Giovanni Armentani

The Mechanized Brigade "Granatieri di Sardegna" (Italian: Brigata Meccanizzata "Granatieri di Sardegna" - Mechanized Brigade "

Mediterranean island of Sardinia. The brigade is part of the Division "Acqui"
.

History

1831 & before

After

Hunters Regiment (Italian: 2° Reggimento Cacciatori), with three battalions of four companies each and a depot battalion of three companies.[1]

The 1st

Duke of Savoy Charles Emmanuel II as his personal bodyguard regiment during military campaigns.[2][1] The regiment participated in the War of the Spanish Succession, where it excelled during the Siege of Turin. After the Duchy had been elevated to kingdom in 1720 the regiment fought in the War of the Polish Succession and War of the Austrian Succession, during which the regiment performed exceptionally brave during the Battle of Assietta.[2]

During the War of the First Coalition the regiment fought in the Italian campaigns against the French Army of Italy under Napoleon Bonaparte. After France annexed the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1799 the royal family went into exile on Sardinia and the Regiment of the Guards was disbanded.

The 2nd Hunters Regiment was founded on 13 July 1774 as Regiment of Sardinia (Italian: Reggimento di Sardegna) on the eponymous island and served as the guard regiment of the royal family during their exile there.[1] After the defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Leipzig in 1813 the royal family returned to Turin and the re-building of the Sardinian Army commenced in 1814. In 1814 the Regiment of the Guards was raised again as the Guards Regiment (Italian: Reggimento Guardie), while the Regiment of Sardinia moved to Turin, where it was renamed as Guard Hunters Regiment (Italian: Reggimento Cacciatori Guardie).[3]

When the two regiments were combined in a brigade in 1831 they became the first units in the order of precedence of the kingdom.

1831 to 1914

The brigade participated in the First Italian War of Independence fighting in the battles of Santa Lucia, Goito, Pastrengo and Custoza. During the Battle of Goito the Sardinian King Charles Albert rallied the Grenadiers Brigade "Guardie" to his position with the words "A me le guardie!" ("To me the guards!"), which became the motto of the brigade's regiments. After the war the brigade was renamed Grenadiers Brigade (Italian: Brigata Granatieri) on 20 April 1850;[1] the 2nd Hunters Regiment had already been renamed 2nd Grenadier Regiment in 1848.[3]

In 1855 the brigade provided two battalions for the

siege of Gaeta, where the 1st Grenadiers Regiment earned its first Gold Medal of Military Valor.[4]

After

Italy had been unified the brigade moved to Florence, the capital of the newly united Italy, where it took on guard duties at the royal palace. During the Third Italian War of Independence in 1866 the brigade fought at the Battle of Custoza. On 25 October 1871 the brigade level was abolished in the Royal Army and the two regiments became independent units with the names: 1st Regiment "Granatieri di Sardegna", and 2nd Regiment "Granatieri di Sardegna".[3] When the army reintroduced the brigade level on 2 January 1881 the regiments changed their name to 1st Grenadier Regiment, and 2nd Grenadier Regiment as the title "Granatieri di Sardegna" returned to the brigade.[3][1]

World War I

Soldiers of 1st Sardinia Grenadiers Regiment during the Bastille Day Parade of 2007

At the outbreak of World War I the Brigade "Granatieri di Sardegna" moved to the Italian-Austrian border and after Italy's declaration of war on 23 May 1915 the brigade participated in the conquest of

First Army, which was retreating under the massive Austrian-Hungarian Asiago offensive
.

There the brigade was sent to defended

Isonzo river and the Cadore and Carnia mountains. Arriving on Mount Cengio on 23 May 1916 the Granatieri held the position even after ammunition had been expended and the Austrians breached the brigade's line. Ultimately the stubborn defense of Mount Cengio ensured that the Austrians could not achieve the aims of their offensive.[5] On 6 June 1916 the brigade was relieved on Mount Cengio, where it had suffered 4,478 casualties out of 6,000 men deployed. For their conduct both grenadier regiments were awarded a Gold Medal of Military Valor.[6][7]

After the Austrian offensive had been defeated the brigade returned to the Isonzo front and participated in the

Battle of the Piave River and the final and decisive Battle of Vittorio Veneto
.

After the war the brigade was garrisoned in Rome, where a third Grenadier Regiment was raised on 1 December 1926.[1] On the same day the brigade with its three regiments came under the 21st Infantry Division. On that day the Grenadiers Brigade was renamed XXI Infantry Brigade,[1] while its three grenadier regiments became the 1st Regiment "Granatieri di Sardegna", 2nd Regiment "Granatieri di Sardegna", and 3rd Regiment "Granatieri di Sardegna".[3]

World War II

Main article: 21st Infantry Division "Granatieri di Sardegna"

On 8 February 1934 the 21st Infantry Division was named "Granatieri di Sardegna". In 1939 the 21st Infantry Division "Granatieri di Sardegna" lost the 3rd Regiment "Granatieri di Sardegna"[1] and thus the division entered World War II with its two Granatieri regiments, the 13th Field Artillery Regiment "Granatieri di Sardegna",[8] and some minor units.[3]

In June 1940 the division was mobilized and took part in the

VII Army, but due to the quick German victory in the Battle of France
the division was not involved in any combat operations before the French surrender.

In spring 1943 the division was moved to

Victor Emmanuel III
from Rome had made further resistance senseless. However the Italian soldiers handed thousands of weapons over to the civilian population, which was quick to form an organized resistance movement in the city of Rome.

For their role in the defence of the Rome the 1st Regiment "Granatieri di Sardegna" and the Regiment "Lancieri di Montebello" (8th) were each awarded a Silver Medal of Military Valor,[9][10] while the 2nd Regiment "Granatieri di Sardegna" and the 13th Field Artillery Regiment "Granatieri di Sardegna" were awarded a Bronze Medal of Military Valor each.[8]

At the same time the "Granatieri di Sardegna" division fought the Germans in Rome three Granatieri battalions based in occupied

Free French 4th Moroccan Mountain Division landed in Ajaccio
to support the Italian efforts to stop the 30,000 retreating Germans. However the Germans managed to escape.

The three loyal Granatieri battalions were combined by the

Combat Group "Cremona".[1]

Cold War

Infantry Division "Granatieri di Sardegna"

After World War II the Italian Army began to rebuild its units with American help: on 1 July 1946 the 1st Regiment "Granatieri di Sardegna" was raised in Rome,[2] followed by the 13th Field Artillery Regiment "Granatieri di Sardegna" on 1 March 1948.[8] Both regiments entered the Infantry Division "Granatieri di Sardegna", when the division was raised anew in Rome on 1 April 1948.[1] The two regiments were joined by the 17th Infantry Regiment "Acqui" and in the following years the division was augmented with further units, among them the 3rd Armored Infantry Regiment. By 1974 the division consisted of the:

Infantry Division "Granatieri di Sardegna" in 1974

Mechanized Brigade "Granatieri di Sardegna"

During the

Armored Division "Centauro", before contracting to Mechanized Brigade "Granatieri di Sardegna" on 1 November 1976. The brigade commanded the following units after the reform was complete:[1]

After the Cold War

Regiment "Lancieri di Montebello" (8th) on public duties
Blue Line
in southern Lebanon

With the end of the

3rd Regiment "Granatieri Guardie"
left the brigade. After the last round of reforms in 1997 the brigade consisted of the following units:

Organization

Regiment "Lancieri di Montebello" (8th) during an exercise at Monte Romano, May 2019

In the following years the brigade was further reduced: on 29 October 2002 the 2nd Regiment "Granatieri di Sardegna" in Spoleto was disbanded and its remaining two mechanized companies came under the 1st Regiment "Granatieri di Sardegna" as 2nd Battalion "Cengio". On 1 January 2005 the 1st Bersaglieri Regiment was disbanded and the name transferred to the 18th Bersaglieri Regiment of the Bersaglieri Brigade "Garibaldi". Since 2000 the brigade deployed its units three times as part of KFOR to Kosovo and once as part of UNIFIL to Lebanon. With the abolition of mandatory military service in Italy in 2004 the required height to join the Grenadiers was lowered from 195 cm to 190 cm.

In 2013 it was announced that the brigade would be disbanded by 2016. In 2013 the 33rd Artillery Regiment "Acqui" was used to create the 185th Paratroopers Artillery Regiment "Folgore" for the Paratroopers Brigade "Folgore", while the Regiment "Lancieri di Montebello" (8th) was set to join the Mechanized Brigade "Pinerolo". The 1st Regiment "Granatieri di Sardegna" would have become a guard regiment under the Infantry School in Rome, tasked with public duties in the Italian capital. In 2017 these plans were reversed and on 21 November the 2nd Battalion "Cengio" became an autonomous battalion and the process of raising additional companies to bring it back to full strength began. The 2nd Regiment "Granatieri di Sardegna" was reactivated on 1 September 2022.[24]

As of 4 October 2022 the brigade is organized as follows:

Equipment

The "Lancieri di Montebello" cavalry regiment is equipped with Centauro wheeled tank destroyers and VTLM Lince vehicles. The 1st Regiment "Granatieri di Sardegna" is equipped with Dardo tracked infantry fighting vehicles, while the 2nd Regiment "Granatieri di Sardegna" is equipped with VTLM Lince vehicles until more infantry fighting vehicles become available.

Gorget patches

Main article: Italian Army gorget patches

The personnel of the brigade's units wears the following gorget patches:[25]

Traditions

Grenadiers in historical uniform during the mass in memory of Don Alberto Genovese on 18 February 2016

Every 18 February the brigade celebrates a mass in memory of Don Alberto Genovese, Duke of San Pietro, whose father Don Bernardino Antonio Genovese had founded the

Regiment of Sardinia in 1744 and was the regiment's colonel until 1759. In 1776 Don Alberto Genovese donated 120,000 Piedmontese scudo to the Regiment of Sardinia for the establishment and subsequent maintenance of the regimental band, as well as to help the widows of fallen soldiers. He also requested that the regiment celebrate in perpetuity a holy mass in his memory on the anniversary of his death, a request the regiment has fulfilled since 1776.[26][27]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "Brigata Meccanizzata Granatieri di Sardegna - La Storia". Italian Army. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d "1° Reggimento "Granatieri di Sardegna"". Italian Army. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "2° Reggimento "Granatieri di Sardegna"". Italian Army. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  4. ^ "Bandiera del 1° Reggimento "Granatieri di Sardegna"". Quirinale - Presidenza della Repubblica. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  5. ^ "I Granatieri sul monte Cengio". Italian Army. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  6. ^ "Bandiera del 1° Reggimento Granatieri Brigata "Granatieri di Sardegna"". Quirinale - Presidenza della Repubblica. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  7. ^ "Bandiera del 2° Reggimento Granatieri Brigata "Granatieri di Sardegna"". Quirinale - Presidenza della Repubblica. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  8. ^ a b c d e f "13° Reggimento Artiglieria "Granatieri di Sardegna"". Italian Army. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  9. ^ "1° Reggimento "Granatieri di Sardegna" - Il Medagliere". Italian Army. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  10. ^ "Reggimento "Lancieri di Montebello" (8°) - Il Medagliere". Italian Army. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  11. ^ "Esercito Italiano: Divisione "NEMBO" (184^)". Archived from the original on 2008-12-07. Retrieved 2009-04-19.
  12. ^ a b c F. dell'Uomo, R. Puletti (1998). L'Esercito Italiano verso il 2000 - Vol. Primo - Tomo I. Rome: SME - Ufficio Storico. p. 532.
  13. ^ F. dell'Uomo, R. Puletti (1998). L'Esercito Italiano verso il 2000 - Vol. Primo - Tomo I. Rome: SME - Ufficio Storico. p. 532.
  14. ^ Stefani, Filippo (1989). La storia della dottrina e degli ordinamenti dell'Esercito Italiano - Vol. III - Tomo 2°. Rome: Ufficio Storico - Stato Maggiore dell'Esercito. p. 351.
  15. ^ F. dell'Uomo, R. Puletti (1998). L'Esercito Italiano verso il 2000 - Vol. Primo - Tomo II. Rome: SME - Ufficio Storico. p. 111.
  16. ^ Stefani, Filippo (1985). La storia della dottrina e degli ordinamenti dell'Esercito Italiano. Rome: Ufficio Storico - Stato Maggiore Esercito. p. Volume III, Tomo 2, page 473–483.
  17. ^ Cerbo, Giovanni (1996). L'Aviazione dell'Esercito - Dalle origini ai giorni nostri. Rome: Rivista Militare. p. 76. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  18. ^ F. dell'Uomo, R. Puletti (1998). L'Esercito Italiano verso il 2000 - Vol. Primo - Tomo II. Rome: SME - Ufficio Storico. p. 278.
  19. ^ F. dell'Uomo, R. Puletti (1998). L'Esercito Italiano verso il 2000 - Vol. Primo - Tomo II. Rome: SME - Ufficio Storico. p. 385.
  20. ^ F. dell'Uomo, R. Puletti (1998). L'Esercito Italiano verso il 2000 - Vol. Primo - Tomo I. Rome: SME - Ufficio Storico. p. 71.
  21. ^ F. dell'Uomo, R. Puletti (1998). L'Esercito Italiano verso il 2000 - Vol. Primo - Tomo I. Rome: SME - Ufficio Storico. p. 212.
  22. ^ "2° Reggimento "Granatieri di Sardegna"". Esercito Italiano. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
  23. ^ F. dell'Uomo, R. Puletti (1998). L'Esercito Italiano verso il 2000 - Vol. Primo - Tomo II. Rome: SME - Ufficio Storico. p. 112.
  24. ^ "Ricostituzione del 2° Reggimento "Granatieri di Sardegna"". Italian Army. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  25. ^ "Brigata Meccanizzata "Granatieri di Sardegna"". Italian Army. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  26. ^ "Duca di San Pietro: 240 anni di Granatieri". Italian Army. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  27. ^ "Duca di San Pietro - Cenni Storici". Italian Army. Retrieved 31 December 2022.

External links

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