Citizendia

Italian Alpini

Alpini in a parade
Active1872 - today
CountryItaly
BranchItalian Army
TypeMountain troops
Size2 Brigades
Part ofAlpine Corps Command
NicknameLe Penne Nere ("Black Feathers")
PatronSan Maurizio
celebrated every September 22nd
MottoDi Qui Non Si Passa! ("From here, nobody goes through!")
AnniversariesOctober 15th 1872
Date of Foundation
EngagementsFirst Italo–Ethiopian War
Boxer Rebellion
Italo-Turkish War
World War I
Second Italo-Abyssinian War
Greco-Italian War
World War II
War in Afghanistan
Decorations9 Croci di Cavaliere dell'O.M.I.<br /207 Gold Medals for Military Valour [16 at the reparts, 191 at the single soldier]
22 Silver Medals for Military Valour
5 Bronze Medals for Military Valour
1 War Cross for Military Valour
2 Bronze Medals for Army Valour
1 Gold Medal for Civil Valour
1 Bronze Medal for Civil Valour
1 Silver Cross for Army Merit
1 Cross for Army Merit. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The Italian Army (Esercito Italiano is the ground defense force of the Military of Italy. Mountain warfare refers to warfare in the Mountains or similarly rough terrain The “Comando Truppe Alpine” (Alpine Troops Command or COMALP commands the Mountain Troops of the Italian Army called " Alpines quot - in Italian Saint Maurice (also Moritz, Morris, or Mauritius) was the leader of the legendary Roman Theban Legion in the 3rd century and one of the The First Italo–Ethiopian War was fought between Italy and Ethiopia in 1895-1896 The Boxer Rebellion, or Boxer Movement, was an uprising by members of the Chinese Society of Right and Harmonious Fists against foreign influence The Italo-Turkish or Turco-Italian War (also known in Italy as guerra di Libia, "the Libyan war" and in Turkey as Trablusgarp Savaşı) was fought The Italian campaign refers to a series of battles fought between the armies of Austria-Hungary and Italy, along with their allies in northern Italy between 1915 See also First Italo-Ethiopian War. The Second Italo–Abyssinian War (also referred to as the Second Italo-Ethiopian War) was a The Greco-Italian War ( Ελληνοϊταλικός Πόλεμος Ellēnoїtalikós Pólemos or Πόλεμος World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The War in Afghanistan, which began on October 7 2001 as the U The Military Order of Italy ( Ordine Militare d'Italia) is the highest military order of Italy, originally established as the Military Order of Savoy
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Luigi Reverberi

The Alpini, meaning "the Alpines", are the elite mountain warfare soldiers of the Italian Army. Mountain warfare refers to warfare in the Mountains or similarly rough terrain The Italian Army (Esercito Italiano is the ground defense force of the Military of Italy. They are currently organised in two main operational brigades, which are subordinated to the Alpini Corps Command. The singular is an Alpino (an "Alpine").

Originally formed in 1872, their mission was to protect Italy's northern mountainous borders. Year 1872 ( MDCCCLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year In 1888 the Alpini were sent to their first mission abroad, in Africa, during the First Italo–Ethiopian War. The First Italo–Ethiopian War was fought between Italy and Ethiopia in 1895-1896 They distinguished themselves during World War I when they fought against Austro-Hungarian soldiers in what has since been called the "War in snow and ice". World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The Italian campaign refers to a series of battles fought between the armies of Austria-Hungary and Italy, along with their allies in northern Italy between 1915 During World War II, the Alpini fought together with Axis forces mostly on the Eastern Front being tasked to hold the front in the Don river plains. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Axis powers also known as the Axis alliance Axis nations Axis countries or sometimes just the Axis were those Countries The Eastern Front of World War II (die Ostfront 1941-1945, der Rußlandfeldzug 1941-1945 (Russian campaign or der Ostfeldzug 1941-1945 (Eastern Campaign The Don (Дон is one of the major rivers of Russia. It rises in the town of Novomoskovsk 60 Kilometres southeast from Tula, southeast

In the 1990s, after the end of the Cold War, three of the five Alpini brigades and many support units were disbanded due to the reorganization process of the Italian Army. Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the The Italian Army (Esercito Italiano is the ground defense force of the Military of Italy. Currently, despite having some of the best trained and best equipped mountain troops in the world, the military role of Alpines is seen in terms of peacekeeping missions and minor disputes interventions.

Contents

Origins

A pair of Fiamme Verdi collar patches.
A pair of Fiamme Verdi collar patches.

The first 15 Alpini companies were formed, in 1872, at the suggestion of Captain Giuseppe Perrucchetti, as a force capable of defending Italy’s northern mountainous borders. A company is a Military unit, typically consisting of 75-200 Soldiers Most companies are formed of three to five Platoons although the exact number may vary Giuseppe Domenico Perrucchetti ( 13 July 1839 - 1916 was an Italian general and politician the creator of the Alpini corps The newly created Kingdom of Italy, with its new capital in Rome, faced major problems in defending its new land borders, which, after the 1866 war against Austria, coincident in large parts with the Alpine Arch. Italian Unification ( Italian: il Risorgimento, or "The Resurgence" was the political and social movement that unified different states of the Italian Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2

Homeland defense had previously been based on the so called Quadrilatero: defending the Po Valley ("Pianura Padana") and leaving the Alps undefended because that region was considered unsuitable to military operations. Po RiverThe Po Valley (Pianura Padana or Val Padana is a major geographical feature of Italy. The idea of recruiting the inhabitants of the valleys of Italy’s northern mountain regions into a special corps, thereby taking advantage of both their knowledge of the frontier territory and their adaptability to Alpine conditions, was an innovative one. In 1877, five Alpini Mountain Artillery Batteries were formed and, in the following year, the Alpines had already grown to 36 companies of mountain infantry organized into 10 battalions. Artillery (from French artillerie) is a military Combat Arm which employs any apparātus machine In Military organizations an artillery battery is a unit of Guns mortars or Rockets so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield A battalion is a Military unit of around 500-1500 men usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel

On November 1, 1882, the now 20 Alpini battalions and 8 Alpini Mountain Artillery Batteries were organized into six Alpini Regiments and two Alpini Mountain Artillery Brigades. The battalions took the names of the valleys and localities from which their soldiers were recruited:

A Cappello Alpino of an Alpino Engineer soldier.
A Cappello Alpino of an Alpino Engineer soldier.

On June 7, 1883, the Alpini were awarded the "fiamme verdi" (green flames) collar patch. The 1st Alpini Regiment was a Light Infantry Regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. Valcamonica Lombard valleys of the biggest and as famous as for its battails facts in ancient stories to noble families and very honorable and men who were distinguished for letters for weapons The 2nd Alpini Regiment is a Light Infantry Regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. Col de Tende (Colle di Tenda (el 1870 m is a high Mountain pass in the Alps, on the border of France and Italy. Schio is a town and Comune in the Province of Vicenza (region of Veneto, northern Italy) situated in the North of Vicenza and in the Chiusa di Pesio is a Comune (municipality in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 80 km south The 3rd Alpini Regiment is a Light Infantry Regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. Stura di Demonte (Stura is a 111 km long river in north-western Italy ( Piedmont) Vicosoprano, Stampa, Bondo, Soglio, Castasegna in Svizzera Villa di Chiavenna, Chiavenna The 4th Alpini Regiment was a Light Infantry Regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. Torre Pellice is a Comune (municipality in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 45 km southwest of The Brenta is an Italian River that runs from the Autonomous Province of Trento to the Adriatic Sea just south of the Venetian lagoon The 5th Alpini Regiment is a Light Infantry Regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. The Dora Riparia (Duria minor is an Italian river a left-hand tributary of the Po. Mont Cenis (Moncenisio is a Massif and pass (el 2081 m / 6827 ft in Savoy in France which forms the limit between the Cottian Valtellina or the Valtelline Valley; (Valtellina Veltlin Vuclina is a valley in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, bordering Switzerland The 6th Alpini Regiment is a Light Infantry Regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. The Tagliamento River is a Braided river in north-east Italy flowing from the Alps to the Adriatic Sea at a point between Trieste and Also adopted was their distinctive headdress; the "Cappello Alpino" with its black feather, which led to them being nicknamed "Le Penne Nere" or "black feathers". In 1886 the names of the battalions were changed to the names of the locations of their main logistics depot. (e. g. , in 1943, the division "Tridentina" from Trento province, comprised the battalions Morbegno, Tirano, Edolo, Vestone and Verona, plus the artillery groups Bergamo and Vicenza, all named after mountain centres in northern Italy). Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol ( Italian: Trentino-Alto Adige; German: Trentino-Südtirol; Ladin: Trentin-Adesc Aut   Morbegno is a little town in the low Valtellina Valley in Italy, on the south side of the Adda river Tirano is a town in Valtellina, located in the Province of Sondrio, Northern Italy. Edolo (Édol in Camunian dialect) is a town and Comune in the Province of Brescia, in Lombardy, located in the High Camonica Verona is a city and provincial capital in Veneto, Northern Italy. Bergamo ( Bèrghem in Lombard, antiquated Wälsch-Bergen in German) is a town in Lombardy, Italy, about Vicenza, a city in northern Italy, is the capital of the eponymous province in the Veneto region at the northern base of the Monte Berico On August 1st, 1887 the 7° Alpini Regiment was formed in Conegliano Veneto receiving two battalions from the 6th regiment. The 7th Alpini Regiment is a Light Infantry Regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. Conegliano is a town and comune of Veneto, Italy, in the Province of Treviso, c With this the number of battalions increased by two to a new total of 22. On November 1st, 1887 the 1° Alpini Artillery Regiment was formed in Turin. The 1st Mountain Artillery Regiment is a Field artillery Regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in mountain combat.

The Alpine units were issued the M. The 1st Alpini Regiment was a Light Infantry Regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. Pieve di Teco is a Comune (municipality in the Province of Imperia in the Italian region Liguria, located about 90 km southwest of Ceva, the ancient Ceba is a small Italian town in the province of Cuneo, region of Piedmont, 49 km east of Cuneo. The 2nd Alpini Regiment is a Light Infantry Regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. Borgo San Dalmazzo (Lo Borg Sant Dalmatz is a Comune (municipality in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located Vinadio is a Comune (municipality in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 100 km southwest of Dronero is a Comune (municipality in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 70 km southwest of Saluzzo is a town and former principality in the Province of Cuneo, Piedmont region Italy. The 3rd Alpini Regiment is a Light Infantry Regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. Fenestrelle is a Comune (municipality in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 50 km west of Turin Susa is a city in Piedmont, Italy. It is situated on a tributary of the Po River, at the foot of the Cottian Alps, 51 km (32 mi west of Exilles ( Latin: Scingomagus) is a Comune (municipality in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont The 4th Alpini Regiment was a Light Infantry Regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. Ivrea is a town and commune of the Province of Turin in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy. Verbania is a city and Comune (commune on the shore of Lake Maggiore, Piedmont in northwest Italy. Verbania is a city and Comune (commune on the shore of Lake Maggiore, Piedmont in northwest Italy. The 5th Alpini Regiment is a Light Infantry Regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. Morbegno is a little town in the low Valtellina Valley in Italy, on the south side of the Adda river Tirano is a town in Valtellina, located in the Province of Sondrio, Northern Italy. Edolo (Édol in Camunian dialect) is a town and Comune in the Province of Brescia, in Lombardy, located in the High Camonica The 6th Alpini Regiment is a Light Infantry Regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. Verona is a city and provincial capital in Veneto, Northern Italy. Vicenza, a city in northern Italy, is the capital of the eponymous province in the Veneto region at the northern base of the Monte Berico Bassano del Grappa ( Venetian simply Basan, italianized Bassan or Bassàn) is a City and Comune Cadore is a " Comunità montana " (mountain community in the Italian region of Veneto, in the northernmost part of the Province of Belluno Gemona del Friuli (Glemone Humin is a Comune (municipality in the Province of Udine in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia The 7th Alpini Regiment is a Light Infantry Regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. Feltre is a town and Comune of the Province of Belluno in Veneto, northern Italy. Pieve di Cadore is a Comune (municipality in the Province of Belluno in the Italian region Veneto, located about 110 km north Gemona del Friuli (Glemone Humin is a Comune (municipality in the Province of Udine in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia 91TS version of the Carcano rifle in 1897 as their main weapon. Carcano is the frequently used name for a series of Italian Bolt-action military rifles

Baptism of Fire

Although created as a defensive force specializing in Alpine combat, in 1888, a mixed battalion of Alpines was sent to Africa, where they went through their baptism of fire during the First Italo–Ethiopian War. The First Italo–Ethiopian War was fought between Italy and Ethiopia in 1895-1896 On March 1, 1896, during the Battle of Adowa, the mixed Alpini battalion and the 1° Mountain Artillery regiment suffered heavy losses and were routed by the Ethiopian forces. The Battle of Adwa (also known as Adowa or sometimes by the Italian name Adua) was fought on 1 March, 1896 between Ethiopia The 1st Mountain Artillery Regiment is a Field artillery Regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in mountain combat. The mixed battalion lost over 400 of it 550 men, including the commanding officer Lt. Col. Menini.

During the 1900 Boxer Rebellion, a Mountain Artillery Battery participated in the lifting of the siege of the International Compound in Beijing. The Boxer Rebellion, or Boxer Movement, was an uprising by members of the Chinese Society of Right and Harmonious Fists against foreign influence

In 1909, the 2nd Mountain Artillery Regiment regiment was formed and, in 1908, a new Alpini battalion, "Tolmezzo", was raised; followed two years later by the "Belluno" battalion. The 2nd Mountain Artillery Regiment is a Field artillery Regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in mountain combat. Belluno ( Italian: Belluno; Friulian: Belun; German: Beilun) is a town in the Veneto region of northern Both were assigned to the 7° regiment. In 1910, the “Tolmezzo” battalion along with the "Gemona" battalion were assigned to the newly formed 8° regiment:

From 1911 until 1914, the Alpini battalions Fenestrelle, Saluzzo, Mondovi, Susa, Ivrea, Verona, Feltre, Edolo, Tolmezzo, Venzone along with batteries from both Alpini Artillery regiments fought during the Italo-Turkish War in the Libyan desert. The 8th Alpini Regiment is a Light Infantry Regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. Cividale del Friuli ( Friulian Cividât, Slovenian Čedad) is a town in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Northern Italy, 15 km Tolmezzo ( Friulian: Tumieç) is a town and commune in the Province of Udine, part of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of north-eastern The Italo-Turkish or Turco-Italian War (also known in Italy as guerra di Libia, "the Libyan war" and in Turkey as Trablusgarp Savaşı) was fought Libya ( ليبيا ar-Latn Lībiyā; Libyan vernacular: Lībya; Amazigh:) officially the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab

World War I

Alpino Celestino Ellero. WW1. He wears the 1st issue Italian Gas mask container strapped over his right shoulder. ca. 1916
Alpino Celestino Ellero. WW1. He wears the 1st issue Italian Gas mask container strapped over his right shoulder. ca. 1916

During World War I the 24 peacetime Alpini battalions were increased by 64 battalions and saw heavy combat all over the alpine arch. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All During the war years the Alpini regiments consisted of the following battalions (pre-war raised units in bold). The first reserve units were named after the valleys (in Italian: "Val") in Northern Italy from were they drew their recruits. The later raised units were named after mountains in Northern Italy:

Austrian Positions on Rotwand summit
Austrian Positions on Rotwand summit
Italian Positions on Cinque Torri summit today
Italian Positions on Cinque Torri summit today

To these 78 regular Alpini battalions came 10 special battalions that were not assigned to any regiment. Some of these regiments were Skiing battalions named after glaciers in the Alps:

The Alpini battalions were divided in 233 companies of 100 to 150 men each. Ski warfare, the use of ski -equipped troops in War, is first recorded by the Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus Ortler (Ortles is at above sea level the highest mountain in the Eastern Alps outside the Bernina Range. Mont Blanc Massif The Mont Blanc ( French for white mountain) or Monte Bianco ( Italian 'White Mountain' also A company is a Military unit, typically consisting of 75-200 Soldiers Most companies are formed of three to five Platoons although the exact number may vary The Alpini regiments were never sent into battle as a whole, instead single companies and battalions were given specific passes, summits or ridges to guard and defend on their own.

The war has become known as the "War in snow and ice" , as most of the 600 km frontline ran through the highest mountains and glaciers of the Alps. The Italian campaign refers to a series of battles fought between the armies of Austria-Hungary and Italy, along with their allies in northern Italy between 1915 12 meters (40 feet) of snow were a usual occurrence during the winter of 1915/16 and thousands of soldiers died in avalanches. This article refers to the natural event For other uses see Avalanche (disambiguation An avalanche is an abrupt and rapid flow of snow often The remains of these soldiers are still being uncovered today. The Alpini, as well as their Austrian counterparts: Kaiserjäger, Standschützen and Landeschützen occupied every hill and mountain top around the whole year. Whole cities were drilled and blown into the mountainsides and even deep into the ice of glaciers like the Marmolada. Marmolada (the Italian name also Ladin: Marmoleda, German: Marmolata) is a mountain in northeastern Italy (just east Guns were dragged by hundreds of troops on Mountains up to 3,890 m (12,760 feet) high. Streets, cable cars, mountain railroads and walkways were built through the steepest of walls. Most of these walkways and streets are still viable today. In addition, along the former frontline it is still possible to see what is left of hundreds of kilometers of barbed wire.

Col di Lana after the detonation of the Italian mine.
Col di Lana after the detonation of the Italian mine. Mining, undermining, or sapping was a Siege method used since antiquity against a Walled city, Fortress or Castle

In this kind of warfare, whoever occupied the higher ground first was almost impossible to dislodge, so both sides turned to drilling tunnels under mountain peaks, filling them up with explosives and then detonating the whole mountain to pieces, including its defenders: i. e. Col di Lana, Monte Pasubio, Lagazuoi, etc.

Climbing and skiing became essential skills for the troops of both sides and soon Ski Battalions and special climbing units were formed. Ski warfare, the use of ski -equipped troops in War, is first recorded by the Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus It was during these years that the Alpini, their spirit and their mules became legend, although at the cost of over 12,000 casualties out of a total of 40,000 mobilized Alpinis.

Many of the famous Alpini songs originated during this time and reflect upon the hardships of the "War in Snow and Ice". The Alpini are a mountain infantry corps of the Italian Army, that distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II.

World War II

An Alpino Corporal, Louis Celotti. ca. 1925 (note the "cappello Alpino" under his left arm)
An Alpino Corporal, Louis Celotti. ca. 1925 (note the "cappello Alpino" under his left arm)

After World War I all battalions with the exception the pre-war battalions were dissolved. In 1919 the Alpini gained the 9° Alpini regiment. The 9th Alpini Regiment is a Light Infantry Regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. In 1935 the fascist government of Italy reorganized its Armed Forces, creating six Alpine divisions and forming two new Alpini regiments: the 11° Alpini regiment and the 12° Alpini regiment. The term Italian Fascism denotes the totalitarian Fascismo political movement that ruled Italy from 1922 until 1943 under leader Benito Mussolini The 5 Alpine Division Pusteria formed of the 7th and 11th Alpini regiment was quickly dispatched to Eritrea were it participated in the Italian attack on Abyssinia. The 5th Alpini Division Pusteria was a Light Infantry division of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. Eritrea () ( Ge'ez: ኤርትራ ʾErtrā, Arabic: إرتريا Iritriya) officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in See also First Italo-Ethiopian War. The Second Italo–Abyssinian War (also referred to as the Second Italo-Ethiopian War) was a NOTE This intro is the result of careful NPOV work Please do not make potentially controversial edits to it without first discussing on the talk page

During World War II, Italy fielded six Alpine divisions:

Each division consisted of two Alpini regiments with three battalions each, one Alpine Artillery Regiment with three Artillery groups, one Mixed Engineer Battalion, one Logistic Battalion and some support units. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The 1st Alpine Division Taurinense was a WWII Light Infantry division of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. The 2nd Alpine Division Tridentina was a WWII Light Infantry division of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. The 3rd Alpine Division Julia was a WWII Light Infantry division of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. The 4th Alpine Division Cuneense was an Italian division composed of Alpini - light Mountain Infantry - and Mountain Artillery units The 5th Alpini Division Pusteria was a Light Infantry division of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. The 6th Alpine Division Alpi Graie was a shortlived Light Infantry division of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. The strength of each division was 573 officers and 16,887 NCOs and soldiers for a total strength of 17,460 men. Also each division had almost 5000 mules and 500 vehicles of various types at its disposal.
The divisions saw combat in France, Africa, Italy, Albania, The Soviet Union, Yugoslavia and Greece. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest This article is about the country in southern Europe For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Albania topics. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 See also Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Yugoslavia ( Serbo-Croatian Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία One Alpini battalion was employed in East Africa. East Africa is the Easternmost Region of the African Continent. In 1942, Tridentina, Julia and Cuneense division were sent to fight in the Soviet Union. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Eastern Front of World War II (die Ostfront 1941-1945, der Rußlandfeldzug 1941-1945 (Russian campaign or der Ostfeldzug 1941-1945 (Eastern Campaign In Russia, instead of being deployed in the Caucasus mountains as expected, the Alpini were tasked with holding a front on the plains of the Don River. The Don (Дон is one of the major rivers of Russia. It rises in the town of Novomoskovsk 60 Kilometres southeast from Tula, southeast As a result of this disastrous strategic decision, troops armed, trained, and equipped for mountain warfare were pitted in the plains against tanks and mechanized infantry, to counter which they were neither equipped nor trained. Despite this, the Alpini held the front until January 1943, when, due to the collapse of the Axis front, they were encircled by the advancing Soviet Army. The Eastern Front of World War II (die Ostfront 1941-1945, der Rußlandfeldzug 1941-1945 (Russian campaign or der Ostfeldzug 1941-1945 (Eastern Campaign The Alpini were able to break the encirclement and fight their way towards the new line of the front established after the Axis retreat. Only about one third of the Tridentina division (4250 survivors of 15000 troops deployed) and one tenth of the Julia (1200/15000) were able to survive this odyssey. The Cuneense division was annihilated.

Italian dictator Benito Mussolini's fascist government in northern Italy, the Italian Social Republic, had one division of Alpini, the 4th Italian "Monte Rosa" Alpini Division. Fascism is a totalitarian nationalist and corporatist ideology The Italian Social Republic ( Italian: Repubblica Sociale Italiana or RSI) was a Puppet state of Nazi Germany led by the "Duce of the

See also: Fall of France, East African Campaign (World War II), Greco-Italian War, invasion of Yugoslavia, Italian war in Soviet Union, 1941-1943, and Yugoslav People's Liberation War. In World War II, the Battle of France, also known as the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries The East African Campaign refers to the battles fought in East Africa during World War II. The Greco-Italian War ( Ελληνοϊταλικός Πόλεμος Ellēnoїtalikós Pólemos or Πόλεμος The Italian participation in the Eastern Front of World War II began after the launch of Operation Barbarossa ( Unternehmen Barbarossa The Yugoslav Front of World War II, also known as the Yugoslav People's Liberation War ( Croatian, Serbian: Narodnooslobodilački rat, Cyrillic

Alpini today

Structure

After World War II, five Alpine Brigades were formed and assigned to the IV (Alpine) Army Corps:


Alpini from the Taurinense Brigade on exercise.
Alpini from the Taurinense Brigade on exercise. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Alpini Brigade Julia is a Light Infantry Brigade of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. The Alpini Brigade Taurinense is a Light Infantry Brigade of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. The Alpini Brigade Tridentina was a Light Infantry Brigade of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain warfare. The Alpini Brigade Cadore was a Light Infantry Brigade of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain warfare. The Alpine Brigade Orobica was a Light Infantry Brigade of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain warfare. The Alpini Brigade Taurinense is a Light Infantry Brigade of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat.

After the end of the Cold War, all but the Julia and Taurinense Brigades were dissolved, thus leaving the following Alpini units, that still carry the "fiamme verdi" collar insignia:

Collar Patches worn by Alpinis today
Collar Patches worn by Alpinis today
4th Alpini in Afghanistan
4th Alpini in Afghanistan

Armament

Currently an Alpino is equipped with a Beretta SC70/90 assault rifle, a Beretta 92 FS pistol, OD/82SE hand grenades, a Type III AP/98 bullet-proof vest and a 3rd generation night vision device. Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the The “Comando Truppe Alpine” (Alpine Troops Command or COMALP commands the Mountain Troops of the Italian Army called " Alpines quot - in Italian The 4th Alpini Regiment was a Light Infantry Regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. Parachuting, also known as skydiving is where a person jumps from enough height so that he can deploy a fabric Parachute and land safely "Cervino" redirects here For the Italian town see Cervino (CE. In most countries special forces (SF is a generic term for highly-trained Military teams/units that conduct specialized operations such as Reconnaissance The 6th Alpini Regiment is a Light Infantry Regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. Bassano del Grappa ( Venetian simply Basan, italianized Bassan or Bassàn) is a City and Comune The Alpini Brigade Tridentina was a Light Infantry Brigade of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain warfare. The Alpini Brigade Taurinense is a Light Infantry Brigade of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. The 2nd Alpini Regiment is a Light Infantry Regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. Saluzzo is a town and former principality in the Province of Cuneo, Piedmont region Italy. The 3rd Alpini Regiment is a Light Infantry Regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. Susa is a city in Piedmont, Italy. It is situated on a tributary of the Po River, at the foot of the Cottian Alps, 51 km (32 mi west of The 9th Alpini Regiment is a Light Infantry Regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. L'Aquila is a city and Comune of central Italy. Laid out within medieval walls on a hill in the wide valley of the Aterno river and surrounded The 1st Mountain Artillery Regiment is a Field artillery Regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in mountain combat. The 32nd Alpine Engineer Regiment is a Military engineer Regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in mountain combat. The Alpini Brigade Julia is a Light Infantry Brigade of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. The 5th Alpini Regiment is a Light Infantry Regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. Morbegno is a little town in the low Valtellina Valley in Italy, on the south side of the Adda river The 7th Alpini Regiment is a Light Infantry Regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. Feltre is a town and Comune of the Province of Belluno in Veneto, northern Italy. The 8th Alpini Regiment is a Light Infantry Regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. Tolmezzo ( Friulian: Tumieç) is a town and commune in the Province of Udine, part of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of north-eastern The 3rd Mountain Artillery Regiment is a Field artillery Regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in mountain combat. Conegliano is a town and comune of Veneto, Italy, in the Province of Treviso, c The 2nd Alpine Engineer Regiment is a Military engineer Regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in mountain combat. Lake Iseo or Lago d'Iseo or Sebino is the fourth largest Lake in Lombardy, Italy, fed by the Oglio river The 2nd Mountain Artillery Regiment is a Field artillery Regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in mountain combat. Vicenza, a city in northern Italy, is the capital of the eponymous province in the Veneto region at the northern base of the Monte Berico The 2nd Alpini Signals Regiment is a Signals Regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. Val Gardena (Gröden Ladin: Gherdëina) is a valley in the Dolomites of northern Italy. Pordoi is a pass in the Dolomites in the Alps, located between the Sella group in the north and the Marmolada group in the south The 24th Alpini Logistics Regiment is a Logistics Regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. The Dolomites (Dolomiti Dolomiten Dolomitis are a section of the Alps. The Beretta AR70/90 is a gas operated self loading Assault rifle chambered for the 5 The Beretta 92 (also Beretta 96 and Beretta 98) is a series of Semi-automatic pistols designed and manufactured by Beretta of Italy A ballistic vest is an item of protective clothing that absorbs the impact from gun-fired Projectiles and shrapnel fragments from explosion A night vision device (NVD is an Optical instrument that allows images to be produced in levels of light approaching total darkness

The squad automatic weapon is the FN Minimi or, alternatively, the Rheinmetall MG3 (sometime still called MG42). For the weapon known in British Forces service as the LSW see SA80 For the weapon known in American service as the SAW see M249 A squad automatic The Minimi (short for French: Mini Mitrailleuse; “mini machine gun” is a Belgian 5 The MG3 is a German air-cooled belt-fed General purpose machine gun chambered in the 7 The MG42 (shortened from German: Maschinengewehr 42, or "Machine Gun 42" is a Machine gun that was developed for and entered Supporting fire can be provided also by M2 Browning (0. This article is about the.50 caliber M2 machine gun For the.30-06 M2 machine gun see M1919 Browning machine gun. 50") machine gun, the Hirtenberger M6C-210 Commando 60 mm, man-portable light mortar or by the MO-120-RT-61 120 mm heavy mortar. For other uses of the phrase see Machine Gun (disambiguation. The Mortier 120mm Rayé Tracté Modèle F1 (MO-120-RT-61 "120mm rifled towed mortar model F1" is a heavy mortar used by the French Army.

Mobility is guaranteed by the use of Iveco VTLM Lince 4WD tactical vehicles, Puma 6x6 Armored Personal Carriers and Bv 206 / Bv 206S all terrain tracked vehicles. IVECO LMV (Light Multirole Vehicle is a 4WD tactical vehicle developed by IVECO, and in service with several countries The Puma light wheeled Armoured fighting vehicle family consists of the Puma 6x6 and the Puma 4x4 Bandvagn 206 ( Bv 206) is a tracked articulated all-terrain carrier developed by Hägglunds (now part of BAE Land Systems) for the Swedish Army

The anti-tank weapons are the Panzerfaust 3 rocket propelled grenade and the MILAN 2 and TOW II anti-tank guided missiles. The Panzerfaust 3 is a modern and disposable recoilless Anti-tank weapon developed between 1978 and 1985 and put into service by the Bundeswehr in 1992 RPG or rocket-propelled grenade, is a loose term describing hand-held shoulder-launched Anti-tank weapons capable of firing an unguided Milan (Milano Milan (listen) is one of the largest cities in Italy, located in the plains of Lombardy. The BGM-71 TOW is a US Anti-tank guided missile. TOW Tube-launched Optically-tracked Wire-to-command-Link guided Missile Set An anti-tank guided missile ( ATGM) or anti-tank guided weapon ( ATGW) is a guided Missile primarily designed to hit and destroy The latter two will be replaced by the Spike anti-tank guided missile over the next years. Spike is a third generation Anti-tank guided missile developed by the Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd

The artillery regiments were until recently equipped with the OTO Melara Mod 56 pack howitzer. The OTO-Melara Mod 56 is an Italian 105 mm pack Howitzer designed by OTO-Melara. This lightweight gun (1273 kg) can be manhandled by its crew, allowing its use in direct fire support role. Furthermore, it can be easily disassembled in 12 separate loads for ease of transportation, allowing its deployment almost anywhere in the rugged terrain of a mountain battlefield.

Recently the artillery regiments have been issued with the more powerful FH-70 howitzer. The FH-70 (Field Howitzer for the 1970s is a towed Howitzer in use with several nations Whereas this has led to a great increase in the firepower of the regiments, it has also reduced their versatility. Indeed they are not anymore designated as "mountain artillery". Mountain guns are Artillery pieces designed for use during Mountain combat.

National Alpini Association

The ANA (Associazione Nazionale Alpini or National Alpini Association) is a registered society representing the "Veci" or former members of the Alpini corps. Veci is the nickname of the members on extended leave (Italian in congedo) of the Alpini, a mountain infantry corps of the Italian Army, which distinguished As the "Veci" see themselves as merely "on leave" rather than veterans, the ANA is colloquially known to be the 10° Alpini Regiment. Since 1920 every year ANA organizes a national reunion the "Veci". Hundreds of thousands of Alpini congregate with family and friends to an Italian city for a weekend in the late spring to celebrate, drink heavily and have a good time while remembering old times. [2]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Current Alpini structure according to the Italian Army Official Site - accesed April 2007
  2. ^ Official Site of the National Alpini Association

Sources

Italian Army- The Alpini
COMALP- Alpine Troops Command
ANA Conegliano- History of Alpini units

External links

The Chasseurs Alpins ( Alpine Light Infantry) are the elite Mountain Infantry of the French Army. Gebirgsjäger, in English Mountain Huntsmen, is the German designation for mountain infantry. Podhale rifles (Strzelcy podhalańscy is a traditional name of the Mountain infantry units of the Polish Army. The Vânători de Munte (vɨnə'torʲ de 'munte English translation Mountain Rifles lit
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