Motorized Brigade "Cremona"

The Motorized Brigade "Cremona" was an infantry brigade of the Italian Army. The brigade's headquarters was in the city of Turin. The brigade carried on the name and traditions of the 44th Infantry Division "Cremona".

History

Constitution

After the Second Italian War of Independence the Austrian Empire had to cede the Lombardy region of the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia to the Kingdom of Sardinia. After taking control of the region the government of Sardinia ordered the Royal Sardinian Army on 29 August 1859 to raise five infantry brigades and one grenadier brigade in Lombardy. Subsequently on 1 November 1859 the Brigade "Cremona" was activated with the 21st Infantry Regiment and 22nd Infantry Regiment, which had been re-raised on 29 August 1859.^[1]

Together with the

During the Third Italian War of Independence the brigade participated in General Enrico Cialdinis march from the lower Po river to Isonzo river in July 1866.

World War I

At the outbreak of hostilities between

In 1926 the brigade received the 88th Infantry Regiment "Friuli" and became the infantry component of the 20th Infantry Division "Curtatone and Montanara". The same year the brigade was renamed as XX Infantry Brigade. On 24 August 1939 the 20th Infantry Division "Curtatone and Montanara" was split into the 20th Infantry Division "Friuli" and the 44th Infantry Division "Cremona". The Cremona consisted of the 21st and 22nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Artillery Regiment and the XC CCNN Battalion "Pisa".

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

After the

• Infantry Division "Cremona", in Turin
  • 21st Infantry Regiment "Cremona", in Alessandria
    • Command and Services Company, in Alessandria
    • I Infantry Battalion, in Alessandria
    • II Infantry Battalion, in Alessandria
    • III Infantry Battalion, in Asti
    • IV Mechanized Battalion, in Fossano (M113 armored personnel carriers and M47 tanks)
    • Regimental Anti-tank Company, in (?) (anti-tank guided missiles and M47 tanks)
  • 22nd Armored Infantry Regiment "Cremona", in Turin^[5]
    • Command and Services Company, in Turin (includes an anti-tank guided missile platoon)
    • VI Bersaglieri Battalion, in Turin (
      armored personnel carriers
      )
    • XIV Tank Battalion, in Pinerolo (M47 Patton tanks)
  • 157th Infantry Regiment "Liguria", in Genoa
    • Command and Services Company, in Genoa
    • I Infantry Battalion, in Genoa
    • II Infantry Battalion, in Genoa
    • III Infantry Battalion, in Genoa
    • IV Mechanized Battalion, in Novi Ligure (M113 armored personnel carriers and M47 tanks)
    • Regimental Anti-tank Company, in (?) (anti-tank guided missiles and M47 tanks)
  • 7th Field Artillery Regiment, in Turin^[6]
    • Command and Services Battery, in Turin
    • I Field Artillery Group, in Turin (M14/61 105mm towed howitzers)
    • II Field Artillery Group, in
      Acqui
      (M14/61 105mm towed howitzers)
    • III Self-propelled Field Artillery Group, in Acqui (M7 105mm self-propelled howitzers)
    • IV Heavy Field Artillery Group, in Turin (M114 155mm towed howitzers)
    • V Light Anti-aircraft Artillery Group (Reserve), in Turin (Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft guns and 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine guns)^[7]
    • Artillery Specialists Battery, in Turin
  • "Nizza Cavalleria" Squadrons Group, in Pinerolo^[8] (Fiat Campagnola reconnaissance vehicles and M47 Patton tanks)^[9]
  • Light Aviation Unit "Cremona", at Turin-Venaria Reale Air Base^[10] (L-19E Bird Dog light aircraft and AB 206 reconnaissance helicopters)
  • Engineer Battalion "Cremona", in Turin
  • Signal Battalion "Cremona", in Venaria Reale
  • Services Grouping "Cremona", in Turin^[11]
    • Command Platoon, in Turin
    • Supply, Repairs, Recovery Unit "Cremona", in Venaria Reale
    • Transport Unit "Cremona", in Turin
    • Medical Battalion "Cremona" (Reserve), in Turin
    • Provisions Supply Company "Cremona", in Turin

Cremona

1 Nizza

21 Alfonsine

22 Primaro

157 Liguria

7 Adria

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Cremona units in 1989

In

• Motorized Brigade "Cremona",^[12][13]
  in Turin
  • Command and Signal Unit "Cremona", in Turin
  • 21st Motorized Infantry Battalion "Alfonsine"
    , in Alessandria
  • 22nd Infantry Battalion "Primaro" (Recruits Training), in Fossano^[14]
  • 157th Motorized Infantry Battalion "Liguria", in Novi Ligure
  • APCs
    )
  • 7th Field Artillery Group "Adria",^[16] in Turin (M114 155mm towed howitzers)^[17]
  • Logistic Battalion "Cremona", in Venaria Reale
  • Anti-tank Company "Cremona", in Turin (BGM-71 TOW anti-tank guided missiles)
  • Engineer Company "Cremona", in Pinerolo

The brigade also stored the equipment for a third maneuver battalion in Fossano, which in case of war would have been filled with reservists, and recruits from the 22nd Infantry (Recruits Training) Battalion "Primaro", and would have been named 50th Motorized Infantry Battalion "Parma".

After the end of the

• Mechanized Brigade "Cremona", in Turin
  • Command and Tactical Supports Unit "Cremona", in Turin
  • 21st Infantry Regiment "Cremona", in Alessandria
  • 26th Infantry Battalion "Bergamo" (Recruits Training), in Diano Castello
  • 157th Infantry Regiment "Liguria", in Novi Ligure
  • 7th Field Artillery Regiment "Cremona"
    , in Turin
  • Logistic Battalion "Cremona", in Venaria Reale

In 1996 the Army decided to disbanded another six brigades and one of them was the Cremona. Already on 21 September 1995 the 7th Field Artillery Regiment "Cremona" had moved from Turin to

External links

• Italian Army Homepage: History of the Cremona Brigade

References