The 1st Alpini Regiment () in a
mountain warfare
Mountain warfare or alpine warfare is warfare in mountains or similarly rough terrain. The term encompasses military operations affected by the terrain, hazards, and factors of combat and movement through rough terrain, as well as the strategies ...
unit of the
Italian Army
The Italian Army ( []) is the Army, land force branch of the Italian Armed Forces. The army's history dates back to the Italian unification in the 1850s and 1860s. The army fought in colonial engagements in China and Italo-Turkish War, Libya. It ...
based in
Turin
Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...
in
Piedmont
Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...
. The regiment belongs to the Italian Army's
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 operati ...
infantry speciality and was last active as Alpini Battalion Mondovì. On 1 October 2022, the flag and traditions of the 1st Alpini Regiment were assigned to the Command and Tactical Supports Unit "Taurinense" of the
Alpine Brigade "Taurinense", which on the same day was renamed 1st Alpini Command and Tactical Supports Unit. On 1 November 1882, the
Royal Italian Army
The Royal Italian Army () (RE) was the land force of the Kingdom of Italy, established with the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy. During the 19th century Italy started to unify into one country, and in 1861 Manfredo Fanti signed a decree c ...
formed the 1st Alpini Regiment, which had its recruiting area in the
Ligurian Alps
The Ligurian Alps are a mountain range in northwestern Italy. A small part is located in France. They form the south-western extremity of the Alps, separated from the Apennine Mountains, Apennines by the Colle di Cadibona. The Col de Tende and the ...
and
Maritime Alps
The Maritime Alps ( ; ) are a mountain range in the southwestern part of the Alps. They form the border between the regions of France, French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and the regions of Italy, Italian regions of Piedmont and Liguria ...
.
During
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
the regiment expanded to nine battalions, which fought separately in the
alpine areas of the
Italian front.
In 1935 the regiment was assigned to the
4th Alpine Division "Cuneense"
The 4th Alpine Division "Cuneense" () was a Division (military), division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II, which specialized in mountain warfare. The headquarters of the division was in the city of Cuneo, and the majority of its Alpi ...
, with which it served during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
in the
invasion of France
France has been invaded on numerous occasions, by foreign powers or rival French governments; there have also been unimplemented invasion plans.
* The 978 German invasion during the Franco-German war of 978–980
* The 1230 English invasion of ...
and the
Greco-Italian War
The Greco-Italian War (), also called the Italo-Greek War, Italian campaign in Greece, Italian invasion of Greece, and War of '40 in Greece, took place between Italy and Greece from 28 October 1940 to 23 April 1941. This conflict began the Balk ...
. In summer 1942 the division was transferred to the
Eastern Front in the
Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
, where it was destroyed in winter 1942-43 during the Soviet
Operation Little Saturn
Operation Little Saturn () was a Red Army offensive on the Eastern Front of World War II that led to battles in Don and Chir rivers region in German-occupied Soviet Union territory in 16–30 December 1942.
The success of Operation Uranus, lau ...
. The remnants of the division were repatriated in spring 1943. For its service and sacrifice on the Eastern Front the 1st Alpini Regiment was awarded Italy's highest military honor the
Gold Medal of Military Valor
The Gold Medal of Military Valor () is an Italian medal established on 21 May 1793 by King Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia for deeds of outstanding gallantry in war by junior officers and soldiers.
The face of the medal displayed the profile o ...
. On 8 September 1943, the
Armistice of Cassibile
The Armistice of Cassibile ( Italian: ''Armistizio di Cassibile'') was an armistice that was signed on 3 September 1943 by Italy and the Allies, marking the end of hostilities between Italy and the Allies during World War II. It was made public ...
was announced and two days later, on 10 September 1943,
invading German forces disbanded the 1st Alpini Regiment.
In 1950, the
4th Alpini Regiment formed a recruits training battalion in
Bra
A bra, short for brassiere or brassière (, ; ), is a type of form-fitting underwear that is primarily used to support and cover a woman's breasts. A typical bra consists of a chest band that wraps around the torso, supporting two breast cups ...
, which was designated Battalion "Mondovì". In 1953, the Alpini Battalion "Mondovì" was reformed as an operational unit. In 1962, the Alpini Battalion "Mondovì" moved to
Paluzza
Paluzza (, ) is a (municipality) in the Regional decentralization entity of Udine in the Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
Geography
It is located about northwest of Trieste and about northwest of Udine, in the historic Carnia region ...
in
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Friuli-Venezia Giulia () is one of the 20 regions of Italy and one of five autonomous regions with special statute. The regional capital is Trieste on the Gulf of Trieste, a bay of the Adriatic Sea.
Friuli-Venezia Giulia has an area of and a ...
and was assigned to the
8th Alpini Regiment
The 8th Alpini Regiment () is a mountain warfare regiment of the Italian Army based in Venzone in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The regiment belongs to the Italian Army's Alpini infantry speciality and is assigned to the Alpine Brigade "Julia". On 1 ...
. In 1975, the battalion in Paluzza was disbanded and on 1 October of the same year, the
Recruits Training Battalion "Cuneense" in
Cuneo
Cuneo (; ; ; ) is a city and in Piedmont, Italy, the capital of the province of Cuneo, the fourth largest of Italy’s provinces by area.
It is located at 550 metres (1,804 ft) in the south-west of Piedmont, at the confluence of the ri ...
was renamed Alpini Battalion "Mondovì". The battalion was assigned to the
Alpine Brigade "Taurinense" and trained the brigade's recruits. In 1976 the battalion was assigned the flag and traditions of the 1st Alpini Regiment. In 1997, the Alpini Battalion "Mondovì" was disbanded. On 1 October 2022, the flag and traditions of the 1st Alpini Regiment were assigned to the Command and Tactical Supports Unit "Taurinense" of the Alpine Brigade "Taurinense". The regiment's anniversary falls on 16 June 1917, the height of the
Battle of Mount Ortigara
The Battle of Mount Ortigara was fought from 10 to 25 June 1917 between the Italian and Austro-Hungarian armies for possession of Mount Ortigara, in the Asiago Plateau.
Battle
The attack began on 10 June and after fierce and bloody fighting, ...
, during which the regiment's battalions earned three
Silver Medals of Military Valor.
History
On 15 October 1872, the
Royal Italian Army
The Royal Italian Army () (RE) was the land force of the Kingdom of Italy, established with the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy. During the 19th century Italy started to unify into one country, and in 1861 Manfredo Fanti signed a decree c ...
formed 15 locally recruited
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 operati ...
companies in the
alpine regions of
Northern Italy
Northern Italy (, , ) is a geographical and cultural region in the northern part of Italy. The Italian National Institute of Statistics defines the region as encompassing the four Northwest Italy, northwestern Regions of Italy, regions of Piedmo ...
. Nine more companies were formed the following year. In 1875 the 24 companies were organized into seven battalions, and in 1878 the companies were increased to 36 and the battalions to ten. On 1 November 1882, the Alpini companies were increased to 72 and grouped into 20 battalions. On the same date the battalions were assigned to six newly formed Alpini regiments, which were numbered 1st to 6th from West to East, while companies were numbered from 1 to 72 from to West to East. Upon entering the regiments, the battalions, which until then had been designated by a
Roman numeral
Roman numerals are a numeral system that originated in ancient Rome and remained the usual way of writing numbers throughout Europe well into the Late Middle Ages. Numbers are written with combinations of letters from the Latin alphabet, ea ...
, were named for their recruiting zone, while the Alpini companies were renumbered sequentially from 1st to 72nd. One of the six Alpini regiments formed on 1 November 1882 was the 1st Alpini Regiment, which was formed in
Mondovì
Mondovì (; , ) is a town and ''comune'' (township) in Piedmont, northern Italy, about from Turin. The area around it is known as the Monregalese.
The town, located on the Monte Regale hill, is divided into several '' rioni'' (ancient quart ...
in
Southern Piedmont. The new regiment received the battalions "Alto Tanaro" and "Val Tanaro", which recruited in the
Tanaro Valley, as well as the Battalion "Val Camonica", which recruited in the
Camonica Valley in
Lombardy
The Lombardy Region (; ) is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in northern Italy and has a population of about 10 million people, constituting more than one-sixth of Italy's population. Lombardy is ...
.
* 1st Alpini Regiment, in
Mondovì
Mondovì (; , ) is a town and ''comune'' (township) in Piedmont, northern Italy, about from Turin. The area around it is known as the Monregalese.
The town, located on the Monte Regale hill, is divided into several '' rioni'' (ancient quart ...
** Battalion "Alto Tanaro", in
Pieve di Teco
Pieve di Teco () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Imperia, in the Italian region Liguria, located about southwest of Genoa and about northwest of Imperia.
Pieve di Teco borders the following municipalities: Armo, Aurigo, B ...
*** 1st, 2nd and 3rd Company
** Battalion "Val Tanaro", in
Ceva
Ceva, the ancient Ceba, is a small Italy, Italian town in the province of Cuneo, region of Piedmont, east of Cuneo. It lies on the right bank of the Tanaro River, Tanaro on a wedge of land between that river and the Cevetta stream.
History
In th ...
*** 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th Company
** Battalion "Val Camonica", in
Breno
*** 52nd, 53rd, 54th, and 55th Company
On 1 April 1885, the regiment transferred the Battalion "Val Camonica" to the
5th Alpini Regiment
The 5th Alpini Regiment () is a mountain warfare regiment of the Italian Army based in Sterzing in South Tyrol. The regiment belongs to the Italian Army's Alpini infantry speciality and is assigned to the Alpine Brigade "Julia". On 1 November 18 ...
and in turn received from the
2nd Alpini Regiment
The 2nd Alpini Regiment () is a mountain warfare regiment of the Italian Army based in Cuneo in Piedmont. The regiment belongs to the Italian Army's Alpini infantry speciality and is assigned to the Alpine Brigade "Taurinense". On 1 November 188 ...
the Battalion "Val Pesio", which recruited along the
Pesio river in Southern Piedmont. During the same year the regiment also ceded the 7th Company of the Battalion "Val Tanaro" to the
4th Alpini Regiment. The 7th Company moved to
Domodossola
Domodossola (; ) is a city and (municipality) in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, in the region of Piedmont, northern Italy. It was also known as Oscela, Oscella, Oscella dei Leponzi, Ossolo, Ossola Lepontiorum, and Domo d'Ossola (due to it ...
, where it joined the Battalion "Val d'Aosta". On 1 November 1886, the battalions changed their names from their recruiting zones to the cities and towns, where their base was located. At the same time Alpini soldiers and non-commissioned officers were issued thread tufts, called ''Nappina'' in Italian, which were clipped to the
Cappello Alpino
The Cappello Alpino (Alpine Hat) is the most distinctive feature of the Italian Army's Alpini troops' uniform. The ''Alpini'' are light Infantry troops, specializing in Mountain warfare, mountain combat. Initially, the Cappello was only issued to ...
headdress, and colored white for the troops of a regiment's first battalion, red for the troops of a regiment's second battalion, green for the troops of a regiment's third battalion, and blue for the troops of a regiment's fourth battalion. The 1st Alpini Regiment consisted afterwards of the following units:
* 1st Alpini Regiment, in
Mondovì
Mondovì (; , ) is a town and ''comune'' (township) in Piedmont, northern Italy, about from Turin. The area around it is known as the Monregalese.
The town, located on the Monte Regale hill, is divided into several '' rioni'' (ancient quart ...
**

Alpini Battalion "Ceva", in
Ceva
Ceva, the ancient Ceba, is a small Italy, Italian town in the province of Cuneo, region of Piedmont, east of Cuneo. It lies on the right bank of the Tanaro River, Tanaro on a wedge of land between that river and the Cevetta stream.
History
In th ...
(former Battalion "Val Tanaro")
*** 1st, 4th, 5th, and 6th Alpini Company
**

Alpini Battalion "Pieve di Teco", in
Pieve di Teco
Pieve di Teco () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Imperia, in the Italian region Liguria, located about southwest of Genoa and about northwest of Imperia.
Pieve di Teco borders the following municipalities: Armo, Aurigo, B ...
(former Battalion "Alto Tanaro")
*** 2nd, 3rd, and 8th Alpini Company
**

Alpini Battalion "Mondovì", in Mondovì (former Battalion "Val Pesio")
*** 9th, 10th, and 11th Alpini Company
In 1895-96 the regiment provided 20 officers and 527 troops to help form the I and II provisional Alpini battalions, which were deployed to
Eritrea
Eritrea, officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa, with its capital and largest city being Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopia in the Eritrea–Ethiopia border, south, Sudan in the west, and Dj ...
for the
First Italo-Ethiopian War
The First Italo-Ethiopian War, also referred to as the First Italo-Abyssinian War, or simply known as the Abyssinian War in Italy (), was a military confrontation fought between Kingdom of Italy, Italy and Ethiopian Empire, Ethiopia from 1895 to ...
. In 1901 the regiment was assigned together with the 2nd Alpini Regiment to the I Alpini Group, which on 9 August 1910 was renamed I Alpine Brigade. In January 1908, the regiment transferred the 6th Alpini Company of the Alpini Battalion "Ceva" to
7th Alpini Regiment
The 7th Alpini Regiment () is a mountain warfare regiment of the Italian Army based in Belluno in Veneto. The regiment belongs to the Italian Army's Alpini infantry speciality and is assigned to the Alpine Brigade "Julia". On 1 August 1887, the R ...
to help form the
Alpini Battalion "Tolmezzo". In 1911, the Alpini Battalion "Mondovì" was deployed to
Libya
Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...
for the
Italo-Turkish War
The Italo-Turkish (, "Tripolitanian War", , "War of Libya"), also known as the Turco-Italian War, was fought between the Kingdom of Italy and the Ottoman Empire from 29 September 1911 to 18 October 1912. As a result of this conflict, Italy captur ...
. The battalion distinguished itself during the occupation of El-Mergèb and in the
Battle of Misrata, and was awarded a
Bronze Medal of Military Valor
The Bronze Medal of Military Valor () is an Italian medal for gallantry.
It was established by Charles Albert of Sardinia on 26 March 1833, along with the higher ranking Gold Medal of Military Valor and Silver Medal of Military Valor, which were ...
, which was affixed to the flag of the 1st Alpini Regiment and added to the regiment's coat of arms.
During the war the 1st Alpini Regiment also provided 136 troops to augment other units fighting in the war.
World War I
At the outbreak of
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
the Alpini speciality consisted of eight regiments, which fielded 26 battalions with 79 companies. Each Alpini battalion, with the exception of the Alpini Battalion "Verona", fielded three Alpini companies, while the Alpini Battalion "Verona" fielded four companies. Each company consisted of one
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
, four
lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...
s and 250 other ranks. After Italy's initial declaration of neutrality 38 additional Alpini companies were formed in fall of 1914 with men, who had completed their military service in the preceding four years. These companies were numbered from 80th to 117th and assigned to the existing battalions. In January 1915, each Alpini battalion formed a reserve battalion, with men, who had completed their military service at least four years, but not more than eleven years earlier. These reserve battalions were named for a valley (; abbreviated ''Val'') located near their associated regular Alpini battalion's base, and the reserve battalions received the same ''Nappina'' as their associated regular Alpini battalion. The companies of the ''Valle'' battalions were numbered from 201st to 281st, with the numbers 227th, 233rd, 237th, 271st, and 273rd unused.
On 23 May 1915, Italy declared war on
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...
and at the time the 1st Alpini Regiment consisted of the following units:
* 1st Alpini Regiment, in
Mondovì
Mondovì (; , ) is a town and ''comune'' (township) in Piedmont, northern Italy, about from Turin. The area around it is known as the Monregalese.
The town, located on the Monte Regale hill, is divided into several '' rioni'' (ancient quart ...
**

Alpini Battalion "Ceva"
*** 1st, 4th, 5th, 98th, and 116th Alpini Company
**

Alpini Battalion "Pieve di Teco"
*** 2nd, 3rd, 8th, 107th, and 115th Alpini Company
**

Alpini Battalion "Mondovì"
*** 9th, 10th, 11th, and 114th Alpini Company (2nd Alpini Company, originally assigned to the Alpini Battalion "Pieve di Teco", joined the battalion in 1916)
**

Alpini Battalion "
Val Tanaro"
*** 201st, 204th, and 205th Alpini Company
**

Alpini Battalion "
Val Arroscia"
*** 202nd, 203rd, and 208th Alpini Company
**

Alpini Battalion "
Val Ellero"
*** 209th, 210th, and 211th Alpini Company
By the end of 1915 the Alpini regiments began to form additional companies with recruits born in 1896. These new companies were numbered from 118th to 157th and were used, together with the 38 companies formed earlier, to form an additional reserve battalion for each regular battalion. These new battalions were named for a mountain () located near their associated regular Alpini battalion's base, and the reserve battalions received the same ''Nappina'' as their associated regular Alpini battalion. The 1st Alpini Regiment thus added the following ''Monte'' battalions:
*

Alpini Battalion "
Monte Mercantour"
** 98th, 116th, and 121st Alpini Company
*

Alpini Battalion "
Monte Saccarello
Monte Saccarello ( Italian) or Mont Saccarel ( French) is a mountain located on the French- Italian border between Liguria, Piedmont and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.
History
The mountain up to World War II was totally belonging to Italy but ...
"
** 107th, 115th, and 120th Alpini Company
*

Alpini Battalion "
Monte Clapier"
** 114th, 118th, and 119th Alpini Company
As the mountainous terrain of the
Italian front made the deployment of entire Alpini regiments impracticable, the regimental commands of the eight Alpini regiments were disbanded in March 1916. Likewise in April 1916 the pre-war alpine brigade commands were disbanded, and the personnel of the regimental commands and alpine brigade commands used to from twenty regiment-sized group commands and nine brigade-sized grouping commands. Afterwards Alpini battalions were employed either independently or assigned to groups, groupings, or infantry divisions as needed. Between 10 and 14 March 1916, the companies of the Alpini Battalion "Pieve di Teco" were disbanded and its personnel assigned to other to the Alpini battalions "Exilles", "Bassano", and "Cividale". On 16 May 1916, the battalion "Pieve di Teco" was also disbanded and its companies reformed by other Alpini regiments and assigned to other Alpini battalions: the 2nd Alpini Company was reformed and assigned to the Alpini Battalion "Mondovì", while the 3rd Alpini Company was reformed to complement the Alpini Battalion "Val Dora" of the
3rd Alpini Regiment
The 3rd Alpini Regiment () is a mountain warfare regiment of the Italian Army based in Pinerolo in Piedmont. The regiment belongs to the Italian Army's Alpini infantry speciality and is assigned to the Alpine Brigade "Taurinense". On 1 November 1 ...
, and the 8th Alpini Company was reformed to complement the Alpini Battalion "Val Fella" of the
8th Alpini Regiment
The 8th Alpini Regiment () is a mountain warfare regiment of the Italian Army based in Venzone in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The regiment belongs to the Italian Army's Alpini infantry speciality and is assigned to the Alpine Brigade "Julia". On 1 ...
.
In June 1917, the remaining eight battalions of the regiment were concentrated, together with 14 other Alpini battalions and four mountain artillery groups, on
Mount Ortigara
Mount Ortigara () is one of the peaks, about tall, which delimit to the north the Seven Municipalities Plateau (in Italian: ''Altipiano dei Sette Comuni''), falling sheer on the underlying Sugana Valley with a jump of over . With the neighbou ...
for the
Battle of Mount Ortigara
The Battle of Mount Ortigara was fought from 10 to 25 June 1917 between the Italian and Austro-Hungarian armies for possession of Mount Ortigara, in the Asiago Plateau.
Battle
The attack began on 10 June and after fierce and bloody fighting, ...
. The battle resulted in heavy Italian losses, with the battalions of the 1st Alpini Regiment suffering 574 killed, 3,265 wounded, and 873 missing. In November and December 1917, after the disastrous
Battle of Caporetto
The Battle of Kobarid (also known as the Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo, the Battle of Caporetto or the Battle of Karfreit) took place on the Italian front of World War I.
The battle was fought between the Kingdom of Italy and the Central P ...
, the following retreat to the
Piave river, and the subsequent
First Battle of the Piave River and
First Battle of Monte Grappa, the Royal Italian Army disbanded twenty Alpini battalions, which had suffered heavy casualties during the battles and retreat. Among the twenty battalions were the following battalions of the 1st Alpini Regiment:
* Alpini Battalion "Monte Mercantour"; battalion annihilated during the retreat and disbanded on 18 November 1917, with the survivors assigned to the Alpini Battalion "Pinerolo" of the 3rd Alpini Regiment
* Alpini Battalion "Val Arroscia"; battalion annihilated during the retreat and disbanded on 18 November 1917, with the survivors assigned to the Alpini Battalion "Pinerolo" of the 3rd Alpini Regiment
* Alpini Battalion "Val Ellero"; battalion annihilated during the retreat and disbanded on 18 November 1917
* Alpini Battalion "Ceva"; disbanded on 30 November 1917 and the survivors used to reform the 10th Alpini Company of the Alpini Battalion "Mondovì"
* Alpini Battalion "Monte Saccarello"; battalion annihilated during the
First Battle of Monte Grappa and disbanded on 9 December 1917, with the survivors grouped into the 107th Alpini Company
On 1 August 1918, the Alpini Battalion "Monte Saccarello" was reformed with the 107th Alpini Company, and the Ski units of the Alpini battalions "Exilles" (3rd Alpini Regiment) and "Monte Suello" (
5th Alpini Regiment
The 5th Alpini Regiment () is a mountain warfare regiment of the Italian Army based in Sterzing in South Tyrol. The regiment belongs to the Italian Army's Alpini infantry speciality and is assigned to the Alpine Brigade "Julia". On 1 November 18 ...
). In October-November 1918, the reformed battalion participated in the
Battle of Vittorio Veneto
The Battle of Vittorio Veneto was fought from 24 October to 3 November 1918 (with an armistice taking effect 24 hours later) near Vittorio Veneto on the Italian Front during World War I. After having thoroughly defeated Austro-Hungarian troops ...
.
During the war a total of 1,200 officers and 40,000 soldiers served in the 1st Alpini Regiment, of which 175 officers and 4,126 soldiers were killed in action, while 390 officers and 10,805 soldiers were wounded.
For their service and sacrifice during the war four of the regiment's battalions were awarded a
Silver Medal of Military Valor
The Silver Medal of Military Valor () is an Italian medal for gallantry.
Italian medals for valor were first instituted by Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia on 21 May 1793, with a gold medal, and, below it, a silver medal. These were intended for j ...
:
* the Alpini Battalion "Monte Clapier" was awarded a Silver Medal of Military Valor for its conduct on
Monte Cimone
Monte Cimone is the highest mountain in the northern Apennines, of Italy.
Geography
The mountain has an elevation of 2,165 m and is also the highest point in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy.
It encompasses the ''comuni'' of Fiumalbo, ...
during the
Battle of Asiago
The Südtirol Offensive, also known as the Battle of Asiago or Battle of the Plateaux (in Italian: Battaglia degli Altipiani), wrongly nicknamed ''Strafexpedition'' "Punitive expedition" (this name has no reference in official Austrian document ...
on 23-26 May 1916, and its conduct on
Mount Ortigara
Mount Ortigara () is one of the peaks, about tall, which delimit to the north the Seven Municipalities Plateau (in Italian: ''Altipiano dei Sette Comuni''), falling sheer on the underlying Sugana Valley with a jump of over . With the neighbou ...
during the
Battle of Mount Ortigara
The Battle of Mount Ortigara was fought from 10 to 25 June 1917 between the Italian and Austro-Hungarian armies for possession of Mount Ortigara, in the Asiago Plateau.
Battle
The attack began on 10 June and after fierce and bloody fighting, ...
on 10-16 June 1917.
* the Alpini Battalion "Mondovì" was awarded a Silver Medal of Military Valor for its conduct during the Battle of Mount Ortigara on 10-19 June 1917.
* the Alpini battalions "Ceva" and "Monte Saccarello" were awarded a shared Silver Medal of Military Valor for their conduct during the Battle of Mount Ortigara on 10-19 June 1917; and the "Ceva" battalion's conduct on
Monte Čukla
Monte may refer to:
Places Argentina
* Argentine Monte, an ecoregion
* Monte Desert
* Monte Partido, a ''partido'' in Buenos Aires Province
Italy
* Monte Bregagno
* Monte Cassino
* Montecorvino (disambiguation)
* Montefalcione
Portugal
* Monte ...
on 23 August 1915 and 10-11 May 1916, and the "Monte Saccarello" battalion's conduct during the
Battle of Asiago
The Südtirol Offensive, also known as the Battle of Asiago or Battle of the Plateaux (in Italian: Battaglia degli Altipiani), wrongly nicknamed ''Strafexpedition'' "Punitive expedition" (this name has no reference in official Austrian document ...
in June 1916.
The three Silver Medals of Military Valor were affixed to the 1st Alpini Regiment's flag and added to the regiment's coat of arms.
Interwar years
After the end of the war the Alpini battalions "Monte Clapier" and "Monte Saccarello" were disbanded, while on 15 March 1919, the Alpini Battalion "Val Tanaro" was renamed Alpini Battalion "Ceva". At the end of 1919 the regiment consisted only of the Alpini battalions "Ceva" and "Mondovì". On 1 January 1920, the regimental command was reformed. The reformed regiment received the Alpini battalions "Dronero" and "Saluzzo" from the
2nd Alpini Regiment
The 2nd Alpini Regiment () is a mountain warfare regiment of the Italian Army based in Cuneo in Piedmont. The regiment belongs to the Italian Army's Alpini infantry speciality and is assigned to the Alpine Brigade "Taurinense". On 1 November 188 ...
and transferred its battalions "Ceva" and "Mondovì" to the
3rd Alpini Regiment
The 3rd Alpini Regiment () is a mountain warfare regiment of the Italian Army based in Pinerolo in Piedmont. The regiment belongs to the Italian Army's Alpini infantry speciality and is assigned to the Alpine Brigade "Taurinense". On 1 November 1 ...
, which in turn transferred its Alpini Battalion "Pinerolo" to the 1st Alpini Regiment. With the transfer of the battalions also the military awards of the battalions were transferred from regiment to regiment and affixed to the respective regimental flags. In 1921, the regiment was assigned to the 1st Alpine Division, which also included the 2nd Alpini Regiment, 3rd Alpini Regiment, and
1st Mountain Artillery Regiment. On 3 January 1923, the regiment returned the Alpini Battalion "Pinerolo" to the 3rd Alpini regiment, and on 1 February of the same year, the regiment swapped the battalions "Dronero" and "Saluzzo" for the battalions "Ceva" and "Mondovì" with the 2nd Alpini Regiment. On 31 May 1923, the regiment reformed the Alpini Battalion "Pieve di Teco". During the same year the 1st Alpine Division was replaced by the I Alpini Grouping, which in 1926 was reorganized as I Alpine Brigade. The brigade included, besides the 1st Alpini Regiment, also the 2nd Alpini Regiment, 3rd Alpini Regiment,
4th Alpini Regiment, and 1st Mountain Artillery Regiment.
On 19 October 1933, I Alpine Brigade was split and the 1st Alpini Regiment joined, together with the
4th Alpini Regiment, the newly formed IV Alpine Brigade, which was based in
Cuneo
Cuneo (; ; ; ) is a city and in Piedmont, Italy, the capital of the province of Cuneo, the fourth largest of Italy’s provinces by area.
It is located at 550 metres (1,804 ft) in the south-west of Piedmont, at the confluence of the ri ...
. On 1 January 1934, the newly formed
4th Mountain Artillery Regiment joined the brigade, which on 27 October 1934 was renamed IV Superior Alpine Command. In December of the same year the command was given the name "Cuneense". On 31 October 1935, the IV Superior Alpine Command "Cuneense" was reorganized as
4th Alpine Division "Cuneense"
The 4th Alpine Division "Cuneense" () was a Division (military), division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II, which specialized in mountain warfare. The headquarters of the division was in the city of Cuneo, and the majority of its Alpi ...
, which included 1st Alpini Regiment, 2nd Alpini Regiment, and
4th Alpine Artillery Regiment "Cuneense".
Second Italo-Ethiopian War

On 22 December 1935, the 1st Alpini Regiment transferred its Alpini Battalion "Pieve di Teco" to the
7th Alpini Regiment
The 7th Alpini Regiment () is a mountain warfare regiment of the Italian Army based in Belluno in Veneto. The regiment belongs to the Italian Army's Alpini infantry speciality and is assigned to the Alpine Brigade "Julia". On 1 August 1887, the R ...
, which on 31 December of the same year was assigned to the newly formed
5th Alpine Division "Pusteria"
The 5th Alpine Division "Pusteria" () was a Division (military), division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II, which specialized in mountain warfare. The Alpini are a mountain infantry corps of the Italian Army, that distinguished itself ...
. The new division had been formed for the
Second Italo-Ethiopian War
The Second Italo-Ethiopian War, also referred to as the Second Italo-Abyssinian War, was a war of aggression waged by Fascist Italy, Italy against Ethiopian Empire, Ethiopia, which lasted from October 1935 to February 1937. In Ethiopia it is oft ...
and on 6 January 1936 the "Pusteria" division's units embarked in
Livorno
Livorno () is a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of 152,916 residents as of 2025. It is traditionally known in English as Leghorn ...
and
Naples
Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...
for the transfer to
Massawa
Massawa or Mitsiwa ( ) is a port city in the Northern Red Sea Region, Northern Red Sea region of Eritrea, located on the Red Sea at the northern end of the Gulf of Zula beside the Dahlak Archipelago. It has been a historically important port for ...
in
Eritrea
Eritrea, officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa, with its capital and largest city being Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopia in the Eritrea–Ethiopia border, south, Sudan in the west, and Dj ...
. The same month the 1st Alpini Regiment formed the Alpini Battalion "Pieve di Teco II" as replacement for the battalion fighting in
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...
and the 603rd Company, which consisted of volunteers and was assigned to the VII Replacements Battalion. The VII Replacements Battalion was attached to 7th Alpini Regiment and shipped to East Africa, where in the meantime the "Pusteria" was engaged in combat against Ethiopian troops. In East Africa the Alpini Battalion "Pieve di Teco" fought in the battles of
Amba Aradam
Amba Aradam is a table mountain in northern Ethiopia. Located in the Debub Misraqawi (Southeastern) Zone of the Tigray Region, between Mek'ele and Addis Abeba, it has a latitude and longitude of and an elevation of .
The name in Tigrinya is ...
,
Amba Alagi,
Worq Amba, and
Maychew. During the latter the battalion distinguished itself at
Mekan Pass and was awarded a
Silver Medal of Military Valor
The Silver Medal of Military Valor () is an Italian medal for gallantry.
Italian medals for valor were first instituted by Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia on 21 May 1793, with a gold medal, and, below it, a silver medal. These were intended for j ...
, which was affixed to the flag of the 1st Alpini Regiment and added to the regiment's coat of arms.
In April 1937, the Alpini Battalion "Pieve di Teco" returned to Italy and on 10 April the Alpini Battalion "Pieve di Teco II" was disbanded.
World War II
On 25 August 1939, shortly before the German
Invasion of Poland
The invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign, Polish Campaign, and Polish Defensive War of 1939 (1 September – 6 October 1939), was a joint attack on the Second Polish Republic, Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany, the Slovak R ...
, the Alpini battalions "Val Tanaro", "Val Arroscia", and "Val Ellero" were reformed with reservists and assigned to the 6th Alpini Group. On 10 June 1940, the day Italy entered
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the regiment fielded 160 officers and 5,046 other ranks for a total strength of 5,206 men. The regiment had 23 horses, 1,242 mules and 109 transport vehicles at its disposal. The regiment's organization at the time was as follows:
* 1st Alpini Regiment, in
Mondovì
Mondovì (; , ) is a town and ''comune'' (township) in Piedmont, northern Italy, about from Turin. The area around it is known as the Monregalese.
The town, located on the Monte Regale hill, is divided into several '' rioni'' (ancient quart ...
** Regimental Command Company, in Mondovì
**

Alpini Battalion "Ceva", in
Ceva
Ceva, the ancient Ceba, is a small Italy, Italian town in the province of Cuneo, region of Piedmont, east of Cuneo. It lies on the right bank of the Tanaro River, Tanaro on a wedge of land between that river and the Cevetta stream.
History
In th ...
*** Command Company, in Ceva
*** 1st and 5th Alpini Company, in Ceva
*** 18th Alpini Company, in
Bagnasco
**

Alpini Battalion "Pieve di Teco", in
Chiusa di Pesio
Chiusa di Pesio is a comune (municipality) of 3,650 inhabitants in the Province of Cuneo in the Italy, Italian region Piedmont, located about 80 km south of Turin and about 15 km south-east of Cuneo, on the border with France.
Geography ...
*** Command Company, in Dronero
*** 2nd and 3rd Alpini Company, in Chiusa di Pesio
*** 8th Alpini Company, in
Roccaforte Mondovì
Roccaforte Mondovì ( Vivaro-Alpine: ''Ròcafuòrt'', ''Ròcafòrt'', or ''Rocafòrt'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about south of Turin and about southeast of Cuneo.
Roccaforte ...
**

Alpini Battalion "Mondovì", in
Mondovì
Mondovì (; , ) is a town and ''comune'' (township) in Piedmont, northern Italy, about from Turin. The area around it is known as the Monregalese.
The town, located on the Monte Regale hill, is divided into several '' rioni'' (ancient quart ...
*** Command Company, in Mondovì
*** 9th Alpini Company, in
Torre Mondovì
Torre Mondovì is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about south of Turin and about east of Cuneo
Cuneo (; ; ; ) is a city and in Piedmont, Italy, the capital of the province of ...
*** 10th Alpini Company, in
San Michele Mondovì
San Michele Mondovì is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about south of Turin and about east of Cuneo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 2,064 and an area of .All demograph ...
*** 11th Alpini Company, in
Vicoforte
Vicoforte is a ''comune'' in the Province of Cuneo in Italy. It is located in Val Corsaglia at above sea level, east of Cuneo and from Mondovì.
It is known mainly for the Santuario di Vicoforte, built between 1596 and 1733 to honour the Virgi ...
** 1st Quartermaster Unit, in
Beinette
Beinette is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italy, Italian region Piedmont, located about south of Turin and about east of Cuneo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 2,898 and an area of .All demographics an ...
** 1st Medical Section, in Mondovì
** 21st Supply Section, in San Bernolfo Mondovì
** 612th
Field Hospital
A field hospital is a temporary hospital or mobile medical unit that takes care of casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent facilities. This term was initially used in military medicine (such as the Mobile ...
, in Mondovì
In June 1940 the regiment participated in the
invasion of France
France has been invaded on numerous occasions, by foreign powers or rival French governments; there have also been unimplemented invasion plans.
* The 978 German invasion during the Franco-German war of 978–980
* The 1230 English invasion of ...
. After the
Battle of France
The Battle of France (; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign (), the French Campaign (, ) and the Fall of France, during the Second World War was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembour ...
the Alpini battalions "Val Tanaro", "Val Arroscia", and "Val Ellero" were disbanded on 31 October 1940.
Greco-Italian War
In November 1940, the 4th Alpine Division "Cuneense" was transferred to
Albania
Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...
to shore up the crumbling Italian front during the
Greco-Italian War
The Greco-Italian War (), also called the Italo-Greek War, Italian campaign in Greece, Italian invasion of Greece, and War of '40 in Greece, took place between Italy and Greece from 28 October 1940 to 23 April 1941. This conflict began the Balk ...
. On 15 December 1940 the division entered combat and until 18 March 1941, when the division was taken out of the front in preparation for the
Invasion of Yugoslavia
The invasion of Yugoslavia, also known as the April War or Operation 25, was a Nazi Germany, 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 put fo ...
, the division was in constant combat with
Greek Army
The Hellenic Army (, sometimes abbreviated as ΕΣ), formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece. The term '' Hellenic'' is the endogenous synonym for ''Greek''. The Hellenic Army is the largest of the three branches of the Hellenic Armed F ...
units. On 10 April 1941, the division crossed into
Macedonia
Macedonia (, , , ), most commonly refers to:
* North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia
* Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity
* Macedonia (Greece), a former administr ...
and advanced to
Debar
Debar ( ; , sq-definite, Dibra or Dibra e Madhe) is a city in the western part of North Macedonia, near the border with Albania, off the road from Struga to Gostivar. It is the seat of Debar Municipality. Debar has an ethnic Albanian majorit ...
. After the war's conclusion the division returned in May 1941 to Italy .
For its conduct and service on the Greek front and during the invasion of Yugoslavia the 2nd Alpini Regiment was awarded a
Silver Medal of Military Valor
The Silver Medal of Military Valor () is an Italian medal for gallantry.
Italian medals for valor were first instituted by Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia on 21 May 1793, with a gold medal, and, below it, a silver medal. These were intended for j ...
, which was affixed to the regiment's flag and added to the regiment's coat of arms.
In November 1941, the regiment formed two replacement battalions, with personnel meant to replace the casualties of the Alpini battalions: the I Replacements Battalion, which consisted of a command company, and the 601st, 604th, and 607th companies, was placed at the disposition of the General Staff of the Royal Italian Army, while the XII Replacements Battalion, which consisted of a command company, and the 602nd, 603rd, 673rd, and 674th companies, was assigned to the 7th Alpini Valley Group, which fought
Yugoslav partisans
The Yugoslav Partisans,Serbo-Croatian, Macedonian language, Macedonian, and Slovene language, Slovene: , officially the National Liberation Army and Partisan Detachments of Yugoslavia sh-Latn-Cyrl, Narodnooslobodilačka vojska i partizanski odr ...
in
Croatia
Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
. On 15 February 1942, the regiment formed a support weapons company for each of its three battalions. These companies were equipped with
Breda M37
The Mitragliatrice Breda calibro 8 modello 37 (commonly known as the Breda mod. 37 or simply Breda 37/M37 and also just M37) was an Italian Medium machine gun produced by Breda and adopted in 1937 by the Royal Italian Army. It was the standard h ...
machine guns, and
45mm Mod. 35 and
81mm Mod. 35 mortar
Mortar may refer to:
* Mortar (weapon), an indirect-fire infantry weapon
* Mortar (masonry), a material used to fill the gaps between blocks and bind them together
* Mortar and pestle, a tool pair used to crush or grind
* Mortar, Bihar, a village i ...
s. The 101st Support Weapons Company was assigned to the Alpini Battalion "Ceva", the 102nd Support Weapons Company to the Alpini Battalion "Pieve di Teco", and the 103rd Support Weapons Company to the Alpini Battalion "Mondovì".
Eastern Front
On 2 March 1942, the 4th Alpine Division "Cuneense" was assigned, together with the
2nd Alpine Division "Tridentina"
The 2nd Alpine Division "Tridentina" () was a Division (military), division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II, which specialized in mountain warfare. The Alpini that formed the divisions are a highly decorated and elite mountain corp ...
and
3rd Alpine Division "Julia"
The 3rd Alpine Division "Julia" () was a Division (military), division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II, which specialized in mountain warfare. The Alpini that formed the divisions are a highly decorated, elite mountain corps of the ...
, to the
Alpine Army Corps
The Comando Truppe Alpine (Alpine Troops Command) or COMTA (formerly also COMALP) commands the Mountain Troops of the Italian Army, called ''Alpini'' (singular: ''Alpino'') and various support and training units. It is the successor to the ''4º ...
. The corps was assigned to the Italian
8th Army, which was readied to be deployed in summer 1942 to the
Eastern Front. In preparation for the deployment to the
Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
the 1st Alpini Regiment's depot formed on 1 April 1942 the 84th Cannons Company, which was equipped with
47/32 mod. 35 anti-tank gun
An anti-tank gun is a form of artillery designed to destroy tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, normally from a static defensive position. The development of specialized anti-tank munitions and anti-tank guns was prompted by the appearance ...
s. In May 1942, the XII Replacements Battalion was disbanded and its remaining personnel assigned to other Alpini battalions deployed in Croatia.
In June 1942, the depots of the 1st Alpini Regiment formed the I Replacements Battalion, which consisted of the 601st, 602nd, and 604th Alpini companies, and the 401st Support Weapons Company. On 20 June 1942, the I Replacements Battalion was assigned to the newly formed 104th Alpini Marching Regiment, which was assigned to the III Marching Brigade of the
8th Marching Division. The division provided replacement troops for the 8th Army's regiments fighting on the Eastern Front.

In July 1942 the three alpine division arrived in
Eastern Ukraine
Eastern Ukraine or East Ukraine (; ) is primarily the territory of Ukraine east of the Dnipro (or Dnieper) river, particularly Kharkiv, Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts (provinces). Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts are often also regarded as ...
, from where they marched eastwards towards the
Don
Don, don or DON and variants may refer to:
Places
*Don (river), a river in European Russia
*Don River (disambiguation), several other rivers with the name
* Don, Benin, a town in Benin
* Don, Dang, a village and hill station in Dang district, Gu ...
river. The Italian 8th Army covered the left flank of the German
6th Army, which spearheaded the German
summer offensive of 1942 towards
Stalingrad
Volgograd,. geographical renaming, formerly Tsaritsyn. (1589–1925) and Stalingrad. (1925–1961), is the largest city and the administrative centre of Volgograd Oblast, Russia. The city lies on the western bank of the Volga, covering an area o ...
. On 12 December 1942, the
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
commenced
Operation Little Saturn
Operation Little Saturn () was a Red Army offensive on the Eastern Front of World War II that led to battles in Don and Chir rivers region in German-occupied Soviet Union territory in 16–30 December 1942.
The success of Operation Uranus, lau ...
, which, in its first stage, attacked and encircled the Italian
II Army Corps and
XXXV Army Corps, to the southeast of the Alpine Army Corps. On 13 January 1943, the Red Army launched the second stage of Operation Little Saturn with the
Voronezh Front
The 1st Ukrainian Front (), previously the Voronezh Front (), was a major formation of the Red Army during World War II, being equivalent to a Western army group. They took part in the capture of Berlin, the capital of Nazi Germany.
Wartime ...
encircling and destroying the
Hungarian Second Army
The Hungarian Second Army (''Második Magyar Hadsereg'') was one of three field armies raised by the Kingdom of Hungary which saw action during World War II. All three armies were formed on March 1, 1940. The Second Army was the best-equipped Hu ...
to the northwest of the Alpine Army Corps.
On the evening of 17 January 1943, the Alpine Army Corps commander, General
Gabriele Nasci, ordered a full retreat. At this point only the 2nd Alpine Division "Tridentina" was still capable of conducting combat operations. The 40,000-strong mass of stragglers — Alpini and Italians from other commands, plus German and Hungarians — followed the "Tridentina", which led the way westwards to the new Axis lines. As the Soviets had already occupied every village, bitter battles had to be fought to clear the way. By morning of 28 January the "Cuneense" had walked 200 km, fought 20 battles, lost 80% of its men and spent 11 nights camped out in the middle of the Russian
Steppe
In physical geography, a steppe () is an ecoregion characterized by grassland plains without closed forests except near rivers and lakes.
Steppe biomes may include:
* the montane grasslands and shrublands biome
* the tropical and subtropica ...
. Temperatures during the nights were between -30 °C and -40 °C. On 28 January the last remnants of the division were overrun by Cossack forces.
On 11 February 1943, the survivors were counted and just 722 men of the regiment had reached Axis lines; none of the soldiers of the battalions "Ceva", "Pieve di Teco", and "Mondovì" had made it out of the Soviet encirclement. For its bravery and sacrifice in the Soviet Union the 1st Alpini Regiment was awarded a
Gold Medal of Military Valor
The Gold Medal of Military Valor () is an Italian medal established on 21 May 1793 by King Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia for deeds of outstanding gallantry in war by junior officers and soldiers.
The face of the medal displayed the profile o ...
, which was affixed to the regiment's flag and is depicted on the regiment's coat of arms.
In January 1943, the regiment's depots in Italy reformed two ''Monte'' battalions: the Alpini Battalion "Monte Mercantour" and the Alpini Battalion "
Mongioje", which inherited the traditions and companies of the Alpini Battalion "Monte Clapier". Both battalions were assigned to the
175th Coastal Alpini Regiment, which was sent in April 1943 to the occupied French island of
Corsica
Corsica ( , , ; ; ) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the Regions of France, 18 regions of France. It is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of the Metro ...
.
The 1st Alpini Regiment was still in the process of being rebuilt, when the
Armistice of Cassibile
The Armistice of Cassibile ( Italian: ''Armistizio di Cassibile'') was an armistice that was signed on 3 September 1943 by Italy and the Allies, marking the end of hostilities between Italy and the Allies during World War II. It was made public ...
was announced on 8 September 1943. Two days later, on 10 September 1943, the regiment was disbanded by
invading German forces. After the announcement of the armistice the Alpini battalions "Monte Mercantour" and "Mongioje" fought against German forces retreating through Corsica. Afterwards the battalions, along with the rest of the 175th Coastal Alpini Regiment, were transferred to
Sardinia
Sardinia ( ; ; ) is the Mediterranean islands#By area, second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, and one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. It is located west of the Italian Peninsula, north of Tunisia an ...
, where the battalions "Monte Mercantour" and "Mongioje" were disbanded on 31 August 1944.
Cold War
On 23 November 1945, an Alpini regiment was formed in
Turin
Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...
, which was initially designated 1st Alpini Regiment as it was formed within the area overseen by the I Territorial Military Command. The regiment consisted of the I, II, and III Alpini battalions, which had been formed by renaming the 530th, 526th, and 515th guard battalions of the
Italian Co-belligerent Army
The Italian Co-belligerent Army (Italian: ''Esercito Cobelligerante Italiano''), or Army of the South (''Esercito del Sud''), were names applied to various of the now former Royal Italian Army during the period when it fought alongside the Alli ...
. On 1 January 1946, the I Alpini Battalion was renamed
Alpini Battalion "Saluzzo", while the II Alpini Battalion was renamed
Alpini Battalion "Susa". On 1 February 1946, the Alpini Battalion "Saluzzo" was transferred to the
Special Infantry Regiment "Legnano", which in turn ceded the Alpini Battalion "Piemonte" to the 1st Alpini Regiment. On the same date, 1 February 1946, the Alpini Battalion "Piemonte" was renamed Alpini Battalion "Aosta", while the regiment's III Alpini Battalion was renamed Alpini Battalion "Saluzzo". On 15 April 1946, the regiment was renumbered as
4th Alpini Regiment.
On 1 January 1950, the 4th Alpini Regiment formed a recruits training battalion in
Bra
A bra, short for brassiere or brassière (, ; ), is a type of form-fitting underwear that is primarily used to support and cover a woman's breasts. A typical bra consists of a chest band that wraps around the torso, supporting two breast cups ...
, which was designated Battalion "Mondovì". On 15 April 1952, the 4th Alpini Regiment joined the newly formed
Alpine Brigade "Taurinense". On 1 January 1953, the Battalion "Mondovì" was renamed Recruits Training Battalion and on the same date the regiment began the process of reforming the Alpini Battalion "Mondovì". The 4th Alpini Regiment now consisted of the Alpini Battalion "Mondovì", which was one of the traditional battalions of the 1st Alpini Regiment, the Alpini Battalion "Aosta", which was one of the traditional battalions of the 4th Alpini Regiment, the Alpini Battalion "Saluzzo", which was one of the traditional battalions of the
2nd Alpini Regiment
The 2nd Alpini Regiment () is a mountain warfare regiment of the Italian Army based in Cuneo in Piedmont. The regiment belongs to the Italian Army's Alpini infantry speciality and is assigned to the Alpine Brigade "Taurinense". On 1 November 188 ...
, the Alpini Battalion "Susa", which was one of the traditional battalions of the
3rd Alpini Regiment
The 3rd Alpini Regiment () is a mountain warfare regiment of the Italian Army based in Pinerolo in Piedmont. The regiment belongs to the Italian Army's Alpini infantry speciality and is assigned to the Alpine Brigade "Taurinense". On 1 November 1 ...
, and the 4th Mortar Company.
On 1 November 1962, the Alpini Battalion "Mondovì" moved from
Bra
A bra, short for brassiere or brassière (, ; ), is a type of form-fitting underwear that is primarily used to support and cover a woman's breasts. A typical bra consists of a chest band that wraps around the torso, supporting two breast cups ...
in
Piedmont
Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...
to
Paluzza
Paluzza (, ) is a (municipality) in the Regional decentralization entity of Udine in the Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
Geography
It is located about northwest of Trieste and about northwest of Udine, in the historic Carnia region ...
in
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Friuli-Venezia Giulia () is one of the 20 regions of Italy and one of five autonomous regions with special statute. The regional capital is Trieste on the Gulf of Trieste, a bay of the Adriatic Sea.
Friuli-Venezia Giulia has an area of and a ...
, where the battalion joined the
8th Alpini Regiment
The 8th Alpini Regiment () is a mountain warfare regiment of the Italian Army based in Venzone in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The regiment belongs to the Italian Army's Alpini infantry speciality and is assigned to the Alpine Brigade "Julia". On 1 ...
of the
Alpine Brigade "Julia". The battalion continued to be manned by recruits drafted in Piedmont. On 1 January 1965, the Alpini Battalion "Mondovì" added the 103rd Mortar Company. On 31 December 1974, the Alpini Battalion "Mondovì" was reduced to a reserve unit.
During the
1975 army reform the army disbanded the regimental level and newly independent battalions were granted for the first time their own flags. On 1 June 1975, the Alpini Battalion "Mondovì" in Paluzza was disbanded. On 1 October 1975, the
Recruits Training Battalion "Cuneense" in
Cuneo
Cuneo (; ; ; ) is a city and in Piedmont, Italy, the capital of the province of Cuneo, the fourth largest of Italy’s provinces by area.
It is located at 550 metres (1,804 ft) in the south-west of Piedmont, at the confluence of the ri ...
was renamed Alpini Battalion "Mondovì" and assigned to the
Alpine Brigade "Taurinense". On 12 November 1976 the
President of the Italian Republic
The president of Italy, officially titled President of the Italian Republic (), is the head of state of Italy. In that role, the president represents national unity and guarantees that Italian politics comply with the Constitution. The presid ...
Giovanni Leone
Giovanni Leone (; 3 November 1908 – 9 November 2001) was an Italian politician, jurist and university professor who was President of Italy from 1971 to 1978. A founding member of Christian Democracy (Italy), Christian Democracy (DC), Leone br ...
assigned with decree 846 the flag and traditions of the 1st Alpini Regiment to the Alpini Battalion "Mondovì".
*

Alpini Battalion "Mondovì", in
Cuneo
Cuneo (; ; ; ) is a city and in Piedmont, Italy, the capital of the province of Cuneo, the fourth largest of Italy’s provinces by area.
It is located at 550 metres (1,804 ft) in the south-west of Piedmont, at the confluence of the ri ...
**

Command and Services Company
**

9th, 10th, 11th, and 103rd Alpini Company
Recent times
On 31 August 1997, the Alpini Battalion "Mondovì" was disbanded and the flag of the 1st Alpini Regiment transferred to the Shrine of the Flags in the
Vittoriano
The Victor Emmanuel II National Monument (), also known as the Vittoriano or for synecdoche Altare della Patria ("Altar of the Fatherland"), is a large national monument built between 1885 and 1935 to honour Victor Emmanuel II, the first king ...
in
Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
.
On 1 October 2022, the flag and traditions of the 1st Alpini Regiment were assigned to the Command and Tactical Supports Unit "Taurinense" of the
Alpine Brigade "Taurinense". On the same day the unit was renamed 1st Alpini Command and Tactical Supports Unit.
Organization
As of 2024 the 1st Alpini Command and Tactical Supports Unit is organized as follows:
*

1st Alpini Command and Tactical Supports Unit, in
Turin
Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...
**

Command and Logistic Support Company
**

111th Signal Company
See also
*
Alpine Brigade "Taurinense"
External links
Italian Army Website: 1° Reparto Comando e Supporti Tattici Alpini
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alpini Regiment 01
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 1945
Military units and formations disestablished in 1946
Military units and formations established in 1975
Military units and formations disestablished in 1997
Military units and formations established in 2022