The 3rd Alpini Regiment ( it, 3° Reggimento Alpini) is a
regiment
A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation.
In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...
of the
Italian Army
"The safeguard of the republic shall be the supreme law"
, colors =
, colors_labels =
, march = ''Parata d'Eroi'' ("Heroes's parade") by Francesco Pellegrino, ''4 Maggio'' (May 4) ...
's
mountain infantry
Mountain warfare (also known as alpine warfare) is warfare in mountains or similarly rough terrain. Mountain ranges are of strategic importance since they often act as a natural border, and may also be the origin of a water source (for example, t ...
speciality, the
Alpini
The Alpini are the Italian Army's specialist mountain infantry. Part of the army's infantry corps, the speciality distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II. Currently the active Alpini units are organized in two operatio ...
, which distinguished itself in combat during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
and
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. The regiment is based in
Pinerolo
Pinerolo (; pms, Pinareul ; french: Pignerol; oc, Pineròl) is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont, northwestern Italy, southwest of Turin on the river Chisone. The Lemina torrent has its source at the boundary be ...
and assigned to the
Alpine Brigade "Taurinense".
History
Formation
The 3rd Alpini Regiment was raised on 1 November 1882. It consisted of three
battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...
s:
Val Stura,
Val Maira
Maira Valley (in Italian ''Val Maira'' or ''Valle Macra'') is a valley in south-west of Piedmont in the Province of Cuneo, Italy.
Etymology
The valley takes its name from the river Maira, a right-hand tributary of the Po which flows through the ...
and
Monti Lessini Monti may refer to:
__NOTOC__ People
* Monti (given name)
* Monti (surname)
Places
*Monti, Lazio, the first rione (historic district) of Rome, Italy
*Monti, Sardinia, Italy, a ''comune'' and town
*Monti, Iowa, United States, a town
See also
*Monte ...
, named after the valleys and localities from which the battalion's soldiers were recruited. In 1886 the battalions were renamed, taking their new names from the location of their logistic depot:
Fenestrelle
Fenestrelle ( oc, Finistrèlas, pms, Fenestrele) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about west of Turin.
It is the location of the Fenestrelle Fort, an alpine fortification wh ...
,
Susa
Susa ( ; Middle elx, 𒀸𒋗𒊺𒂗, translit=Šušen; Middle and Neo- elx, 𒋢𒋢𒌦, translit=Šušun; Neo-Elamite and Achaemenid elx, 𒀸𒋗𒐼𒀭, translit=Šušán; Achaemenid elx, 𒀸𒋗𒐼, translit=Šušá; fa, شوش ...
and "Susa 2°".
In 1908 the composition of the regiment changed: the
Pinerolo
Pinerolo (; pms, Pinareul ; french: Pignerol; oc, Pineròl) is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont, northwestern Italy, southwest of Turin on the river Chisone. The Lemina torrent has its source at the boundary be ...
battalion was arrived from the
4th Alpini Regiment and the "Susa 2°" battalion was renamed "
Exilles Exilles (Occitan: ''Eissilhas''; nonstandard Occitan: ''Isiya''; Piedmontese: ''Isiles''; Latin: ''Excingomagus'' or ''Scingomagus''; Italianization under Italian Fascism: ''Esille'') is a municipality in the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Itali ...
".
World War I
The 3rd Alpini Regiment saw its first action in the
Italo-Turkish War
The Italo-Turkish or Turco-Italian War ( tr, Trablusgarp Savaşı, "Tripolitanian War", it, Guerra di Libia, "War of Libya") was fought between the Kingdom of Italy and the Ottoman Empire from 29 September 1911, to 18 October 1912. As a result o ...
of 1911, fighting Ottoman forces in the
Libyan
Demographics of Libya is the demography of Libya, specifically covering population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, and religious affiliations, as well as other aspects of the Libyan population. The ...
desert. During
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
the regiment consisted of 13 battalions and saw heavy fighting in the
Alps
The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...
regions of the
Italian front against
Austro-Hungarian
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
and German forces. During the war the regiment consisted of the following battalions (pre-war battalions in bold, followed by their first and second line reserve battalions):
*
Pinerolo,
Val Pellice
The Pellice (in Piedmontese ''Pélis'') is a Italian torrent, which runs through the Metropolitan City of Turin. The stream is a tributary of the Po River, into which it flows near Villafranca Piemonte.
Geography
The stream is formed at the weste ...
,
Monte Granero
Monte Granero is a peak in the Cottian Alps, in western Piedmont, northern Italy. It has an elevation of 3,170 m. It is located between the Val Pellice and the Valle Po, not far from the boundary with France.
Administratively it's divided ...
*
Fenestrelle,
Val Chisone
The Val Chisone is one of the Occitan valleys of western Piedmont, situated in the Cottian Alps in the Metropolitan City of Turin in north-west Italy.
Geography
Traditionally, the valley's entrances are considered the towns of Pinerolo and Sestr ...
,
Monte Albergian
Monte Albergian is a 3,041 m a.s.l. mountain of the Cottian Alps, located in Italy.
A battalion of 3rd Alpini Regiment, which during World War I earned a Silver Medal of Military Valor, was named after ''Monte Albergian''.
Etymology
The name ...
,
Courmayeur
Courmayeur (; Valdôtain: ) is a town and ''comune'' in northern Italy, in the autonomous region of Aosta Valley.
History
The toponym ''Courmayeur'' has been mentioned as ''Curia majori'' (1233–1381), ''Corte Maggiore'' (1620), ''Cormoyeu'' (164 ...
*
Exilles, Val Dora, Monte Assietta
*
Susa, Val Cenischia,
Moncenisio
Mont Cenis ( it, Moncenisio) is a massif (el. 3,612 m / 11,850 ft at Pointe de Ronce) and a pass (el. 2,085 m / 6,840 ft) in Savoie (France), which forms the limit between the Cottian and Graian Alps.
Route
The term "Mont Cenis" cou ...
During the war a total of 2,375 officers and 32,300 soldiers served in the 3rd Alpini Regiment, of which 138 officers and 5,697 soldiers were killed, and 535 officers and 11,030 soldiers were wounded. The regiment's battalions were awarded three
Silver Medals of Military Valour during the war, one of which was shared between the Susa and Exilles battalions for the conquest of
Monte Nero
Krn (; ) is a mountain of the southwestern Julian Alps in northwestern Slovenia. It is the highest mountain of the Krn Mountains. The mountain is located about from the Adriatic Sea. The Soča River flows west of the peak, and the smaller Le ...
.
Interwar years
On 10 September 1935, the
1st Alpine Division "Taurinense" was formed, which consisted of the 3rd Alpini Regiment,
4th Alpini Regiment, and
1st Mountain Artillery Regiment. The division participated in 1936 in the
Italian invasion of Abyssinia.
World War II
In 1940 the regiment, as part of the Taurinense division, fought in the
Italian attack on Greece. After the German
invasion of Yugoslavia
The invasion of Yugoslavia, also known as the April War or Operation 25, or ''Projekt 25'' was a German-led attack on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers which began on 6 April 1941 during World War II. The order for the invasion was p ...
the Taurinense performed garrison and anti-partisan duties in
Montenegro
)
, image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Podgorica
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, official_languages = M ...
. After the announcement of the
Armistice of Cassibile
The Armistice of Cassibile was an armistice signed on 3 September 1943 and made public on 8 September between the Kingdom of Italy and the Allies during World War II.
It was signed by Major General Walter Bedell Smith for the Allies and Brig ...
on 8 September 1943 most of the division was captured by German forces near
Kotor
Kotor (Montenegrin Cyrillic: Котор, ), historically known as Cattaro (from Italian: ), is a coastal town in Montenegro. It is located in a secluded part of the Bay of Kotor. The city has a population of 13,510 and is the administrative c ...
, while the Alpini Battalion "Ivrea" and
Alpine Artillery Group "Aosta" joined the
Yugoslav Partisans
The Yugoslav Partisans,Serbo-Croatian, Macedonian, Slovene: , or the National Liberation Army, sh-Latn-Cyrl, Narodnooslobodilačka vojska (NOV), Народноослободилачка војска (НОВ); mk, Народноослобод ...
and formed the
Partisan Division "Garibaldi".
On 25 June 1944, the 3rd Alpini Regiment was re-raised in Southern Italy with the battalions "Piemonte" and "Monte Granero". Together with the
4th Bersaglieri Regiment it formed the 1st Italian Brigade of the
Italian Liberation Corps
The Italian Liberation Corps ( it, Corpo Italiano di Liberazione (CIL)) was an corps of the Italian Co-belligerent Army during the Italian campaign of World War II. After the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943 the It ...
, which fought in the war on the Allied side. After the Bersaglieri regiment had suffered heavy casualties the two regiments were merged on 30 September 1944 to form the Special Infantry Regiment, which entered the
Combat Group "Legnano". The Combat Group was equipped with British weapons and
materiel
Materiel (; ) refers to supplies, equipment, and weapons in military supply-chain management, and typically supplies and equipment in a commercial supply chain context.
In a military context, the term ''materiel'' refers either to the specifi ...
and fought as part of the
Polish II Corps
The Polish II Corps ( pl, Drugi Korpus Wojska Polskiego), 1943–1947, was a major tactical and operational unit of the Polish Armed Forces in the West during World War II. It was commanded by Lieutenant General Władysław Anders and fought wit ...
on the extreme left of the
British 8th Army
The Eighth Army was an Allied field army formation of the British Army during the Second World War, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns. Units came from Australia, British India, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Free French Forces ...
near the river
Idice
The Idice is a river in the Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna regions of Italy. The source of the river is in the province of Florence near Monghidoro in the Appennino Tosco-Emiliano mountains. The river flows north into the province of Bologna near Mon ...
.
Cold War
After World War II, only the Alpini Battalion "Susa" was reformed on 23 November 1945 and assigned to the
4th Alpini Regiment. The battalion carried on the traditions of the 3rd Alpini Regiment.
During the
1975 army reform the army disbanded the regimental level and newly independent battalions were given for the first time their own flags. On 10 October 1975 the
4th Alpini Regiment of the
Alpine Brigade "Taurinense" was disbanded and on the same day the regiment's Alpini Battalion "Susa" in
Pinerolo
Pinerolo (; pms, Pinareul ; french: Pignerol; oc, Pineròl) is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont, northwestern Italy, southwest of Turin on the river Chisone. The Lemina torrent has its source at the boundary be ...
was assigned the flag and traditions of the 3rd Alpini Regiment.
Current structure
On 23 November 1993 the Alpini Battalion "Susa" was elevated to 3rd Alpini Regiment without changing size or composition. As of 2022 the 2nd Alpini Regiment is based in
Pinerolo
Pinerolo (; pms, Pinareul ; french: Pignerol; oc, Pineròl) is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont, northwestern Italy, southwest of Turin on the river Chisone. The Lemina torrent has its source at the boundary be ...
and assigned to
Alpine Brigade "Taurinense". The 3rd Alpini Regiment served in
Kabul
Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into 22 municipal districts. Acco ...
as part of Italy's contributions to the
International Security Assistance Force
' ps, کمک او همکاري '
, allies = Afghanistan
, opponents = Taliban Al-Qaeda
, commander1 =
, commander1_label = Commander
, commander2 =
, commander2_label =
, commander3 =
, comman ...
until August 2007, when it was replaced by the
7th Alpini Regiment
The 7th Alpini Regiment ( it, 7° Reggimento Alpini) is a regiment of the Italian Army's mountain infantry speciality, the Alpini, which distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II.
History Formation
The 7th Alpini Reg ...
.
*
Regimental Command
**
Command and Logistic Support Company
**
Alpini Battalion "
Susa
Susa ( ; Middle elx, 𒀸𒋗𒊺𒂗, translit=Šušen; Middle and Neo- elx, 𒋢𒋢𒌦, translit=Šušun; Neo-Elamite and Achaemenid elx, 𒀸𒋗𒐼𒀭, translit=Šušán; Achaemenid elx, 𒀸𒋗𒐼, translit=Šušá; fa, شوش ...
"
***
34th Alpini Company "Lupi"
***
35th Alpini Company "Vipera"
***
36th Alpini Company "L’ardia"
***
133rd Maneuver Support Company "La nobile"
The Command and Logistic Support Company fields the following platoons:
C3 Platoon,
Transport and Materiel Platoon,
Medical Platoon, and
Commissariat Platoon.
Equipment
The Alpini companies are equipped with
Bv 206S tracked all-terrain carriers,
Puma 6x6 wheeled
armored personnel carriers
An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world.
Acc ...
and
Lince light multirole vehicles. The maneuver support company is equipped with
120mm mortars and
Spike MR anti-tank guided missile
An anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), anti-tank missile, anti-tank guided weapon (ATGW) or anti-armor guided weapon is a guided missile primarily designed to hit and destroy heavily armored military vehicles. ATGMs range in size from shoulder ...
s.
See also
*
Italian Army
"The safeguard of the republic shall be the supreme law"
, colors =
, colors_labels =
, march = ''Parata d'Eroi'' ("Heroes's parade") by Francesco Pellegrino, ''4 Maggio'' (May 4) ...
*
Alpine Brigade Taurinense
Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to:
Places Europe
* Alps, a European mountain range
** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range
Australia
* Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village
* Alpine National Pa ...
External links
Official website3rd Alpini Regiment on vecio.it
Source
*
Franco dell'Uomo, Rodolfo Puletti: ''L'Esercito Italiano verso il 2000 - Volume Primo - Tomo I'', Rome 1998, Stato Maggiore dell'Esercito - Ufficio Storico, page: 461
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alpini Regiment 03
Alpini regiments of Italy
Regiments of Italy in World War I
Regiments of Italy in World War II
Military units and formations established in 1882
Military units and formations disestablished in 1943
Military units and formations established in 1944
Military units and formations disestablished in 1945
Military units and formations established in 1993