Mechanized Division "Folgore"

Divisione Meccanizzata "Folgore"
V Army Corps
Garrison/HQ	Treviso
Engagements	World War II

The Mechanized Division "Folgore" was a mechanized division of the Italian Army. Its core units were three mechanized brigades. The brigades headquarters was in the city of Treviso.

History

World War II

The division's history begins on 25 September 1944 with the formation of the Combat Group "Folgore" of the

as its core unit.

The Combat Group "Folgore" consisted of the army's

.

During the war the fascist regime in Northern Italy fielded the 1st Paratroopers Arditi Regiment "Folgore", which also fielded a "Nembo" and a "Folgore" battalion.

Cold War

At the end of World War II the combat group was based in Florence. When the "San Marco" regiment returned to the navy on 5 September 1945 the combat group received the

), saw heavy combat in Montenegro and out of its 16,000 men only 3,800 made it back to Italy. From these veterans the "Garibaldi" regiment was raised with the battalions "Aosta", "Venezia" and "Torino".

On 15 October 1945 the Combat Group "Folgore" was elevated to division and began to move to the Northern Italian city of

In 1949 the division was motorized and the Divisional Reconnaissance Group "5° Lancieri" was expanded to regiment and equipped with tanks, changing its name to 5th Armored Cavalry Regiment "Lancieri di Novara". In 1951 the division lost the 41st Anti-tank Field Artillery Regiment and the 5th Light Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment. On 1 July 1953 the 184th Field Artillery Regiment was reformed as 5th Mountain Artillery Regiment, which left the division and joined the Alpine Brigade "Orobica".^[2]

On 15 September 1955 the division received the 82nd Infantry Regiment "Torino" from the Infantry Division "Trieste". As the division fielded now three regiments with three motorized infantry battalions each the army decided to reorganize the "Garibaldi" regiment into an armored regiment. On 1 November 1958 the "Garibaldi" finished its reorganization and became the 182nd Armored Infantry Regiment "Garibaldi" with a M47 Patton tank battalion and a mechanized Bersaglieri battalion. In anticipation of the transformation of the "Garibaldi" regiment the 5th Armored Cavalry Regiment "Lancieri di Novara" left the division on 1 April 1957 and was used to raise the Cavalry Brigade "Pozzuolo del Friuli".

On 1 January 1963 the army raised the Paratroopers Brigade "Folgore" in Pisa and both units were allowed to keep the name and traditions of the Italian airborne divisions of World War II. In 1963 the "Folgore" division received the 53rd Infantry Fortification Regiment "Umbria", and in 1964 the XII Squadrons Group "Cavalleggeri di Saluzzo". By 1974 the division was organized as follows:

• Infantry Division "Folgore", in Treviso
  • 53rd Fortification Infantry Regiment "Umbria", in Ialmicco^[3]
    • Command and Services Company, in Ialmicco
    • I Battalion, in Pavia di Udine / Brazzano
    • II Battalion, in San Lorenzo Isontino / Farra d'Isonzo / Lucinico
    • III Battalion, in Fogliano Redipuglia / Perteole
  • 82nd Infantry Regiment "Torino", in Gorizia
    • Command and Services Company, in Gorizia
    • I Infantry Battalion, in Trieste
    • II Infantry Battalion, in Cormons
    • III Infantry Battalion, in Gorizia
    • IV Mechanized Battalion, in Gorizia (M113 armored personnel carriers and M47 tanks)
    • Regimental Anti-tank Company, in Gorizia (anti-tank guided missiles and M47 tanks)
  • 182nd Armored Infantry Regiment "Garibaldi", in Sacile^[4]
    • Command and Services Company, in Sacile (includes an anti-tank guided missile platoon)
    • XI Bersaglieri Battalion, in Sacile (
      armored personnel carriers
      )
    • XIII Tank Battalion, in Sacile (M47 Patton tanks)
  • 183rd Infantry Regiment "Nembo", in Cervignano del Friuli^[1]
    • Command and Services Company, in Cervignano del Friuli
    • I Infantry Battalion, in Villa Vicentina
    • II Infantry Battalion, in Cervignano del Friuli
    • III Infantry Battalion, in Gradisca d'Isonzo
    • IV Mechanized Battalion, in Gradisca d'Isonzo (M113 armored personnel carriers and M47 tanks)
    • Regimental Anti-tank Company, in Cervignano del Friuli (anti-tank guided missiles and M47 tanks)
  • 33rd Field Artillery Regiment, in Treviso^[5]
    • Command and Services Battery, in Treviso
    • I Field Artillery Group, in Gradisca d'Isonzo (M14/61 105mm towed howitzers)
    • II Field Artillery Group, in Gradisca d'Isonzo (M14/61 105mm towed howitzers)
    • III Self-propelled Field Artillery Group, in Treviso (M7 105mm self-propelled howitzers)
    • IV Heavy Field Artillery Group, in Treviso (M114 155mm towed howitzers)
    • V Light Anti-aircraft Artillery Group (Reserve), in Treviso (Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft guns and 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine guns)^[6]
    • Artillery Specialists Battery, in Treviso
  • "Cavalleggeri di Saluzzo" Squadrons Group, in Gradisca d'Isonzo (Fiat Campagnola reconnaissance vehicles and M47 Patton tanks)^[7]
  • Light Aviation Unit "Folgore", at Treviso Air Base^[8] (L-19E Bird Dog light aircraft and AB 206 reconnaissance helicopters)
  • Engineer Battalion "Folgore"
    , in Villa Vicentina
  • Signal Battalion "Folgore"
    , in Treviso
  • Services Grouping "Folgore", in Treviso^[9]
    • Command Platoon, in Treviso
    • Supply, Repairs, Recovery Unit "Folgore", in Treviso
    • Transport Unit "Folgore", in San Giorgio di Nogaro
    • Medical Battalion "Folgore", in Treviso
    • Provisions Supply Company "Folgore", in Treviso

1975 reform

The Italian Army undertook a

. By the end of the year the division consisted of the following units.

• Mechanized Division "Folgore", in Treviso
  • Command Unit "Folgore", in Treviso
  • Mechanized Brigade "Gorizia", in Gorizia
  • Mechanized Brigade "Trieste", in Bologna
  • Villa Opicina
  • Lido di Venezia
  • Divisional Artillery Command, in Treviso
    • 33rd Heavy Self-propelled Field Artillery Group "Terni", in Treviso (M109G 155mm self-propelled howitzers)^[10]
    • 184th Heavy Self-propelled Field Artillery Group "Filottrano", in Padua (M114 155mm towed howitzers, the planned transition to M109G 155mm self-propelled howitzers was canceled)^[11][2]
    • Artillery Specialists Group "Folgore"
      , in Treviso
    • 13th Light Anti-aircraft Artillery Group "Condor" (Reserve), in Treviso
  • armored personnel carriers and AR59 Campagnola
    reconnaissance vehicles)
  • 28th Infantry Battalion "Pavia" (Recruits Training), in Pesaro^[12]
  • 53rd Infantry Fortification Battalion "Umbria", in Pavia di Udine (13x companies)^[13]
  • 184th Engineer Battalion "Santerno"
    , in Villa Vicentina
  • 184th Signal Battalion "Cansiglio", in Treviso^[14]
  • Logistic Battalion "Folgore"
    , in Treviso
  • 47th Reconnaissance Helicopters Squadrons Group "Levrieri", at Treviso Air Base^[15][16]
    • Command and Services Squadron
    • 471st Reconnaissance Helicopters Squadron (
      AB 206
      reconnaissance helicopters)
    • 472nd Reconnaissance Helicopters Squadron, detached to Trieste-Prosecco Heliport (AB 206 reconnaissance helicopters)
  • Medical Battalion "Folgore" (Reserve), in Treviso

The division was disbanded on 31 October 1986 and its units came under direct command of the

5th Army Corps

.

Today

The traditions of both "Folgore" divisions are today carried on by the Paratroopers Brigade "Folgore", while the name of the "Garibaldi" division and regiment live on in the Bersaglieri Brigade "Garibaldi".

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} "183° Reggimento Paracadutisti "Nembo"". Italian Army. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
2. ^ ^{a b c d} "184° Reggimento Artiglieria Paracadutisti "Nembo"". Italian Army. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
3. ^ F. dell'Uomo, R. di Rosa (2001). L'Esercito Italiano verso il 2000 - Vol. Secondo - Tomo I. Rome: SME - Ufficio Storico. p. 192.
4. ^ F. dell'Uomo, R. di Rosa (2001). L'Esercito Italiano verso il 2000 - Vol. Secondo - Tomo I. Rome: SME - Ufficio Storico. p. 353.
5. ^ F. dell'Uomo, R. Puletti (1998). L'Esercito Italiano verso il 2000 - Vol. Primo - Tomo II. Rome: SME - Ufficio Storico. p. 129.
6. ^ 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.
7. ^ 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 437.
8. ^ Cerbo, Giovanni (1996). L'Aviazione dell'Esercito - Dalle origini ai giorni nostri. Rome: Rivista Militare. p. 76. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
9. ^ F. dell'Uomo, R. Puletti (1998). L'Esercito Italiano verso il 2000 - Vol. Primo - Tomo II. Rome: SME - Ufficio Storico. p. 361.
10. ^ F. dell'Uomo, R. Puletti (1998). L'Esercito Italiano verso il 2000 - Vol. Primo - Tomo II. Rome: SME - Ufficio Storico. p. 129.
11. ^ F. dell'Uomo, R. Puletti (1998). L'Esercito Italiano verso il 2000 - Vol. Primo - Tomo II. Rome: SME - Ufficio Storico. p. 144.
12. ^ "28° Reggimento "Pavia" - La Storia". Esercito Italiano. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
13. ^ Stefani, Filippo (1989). La storia della dottrina e degli ordinamenti dell'Esercito Italiano - Vol. III - Tomo 2nd. Rome: Ufficio Storico - Stato Maggiore dell'Esercito. pp. 1181–1182.
14. ^ "184° Reggimento Sostegno TLC - La storia". Esercito Italiano. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
15. ^ Cerbo, Giovanni (1996). L'Aviazione dell'Esercito - Dalle origini ai giorni nostri. Rome: Rivista Militare. p. 128. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
16. ^ Stefani, Filippo (1989). La storia della dottrina e degli ordinamenti dell'Esercito Italiano - Vol. III - Tomo 2nd. Rome: Ufficio Storico - Stato Maggiore dell'Esercito. p. 1187.

External links

• Italian Army homepage: History of the "Folgore" Division (Italian)