9th Alpini Regiment
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The 9th Alpini Regiment ( it, 9° Reggimento Alpini) is a
regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...
of the
Italian Army "The safeguard of the republic shall be the supreme law" , colors = , colors_labels = , march = ''Parata d'Eroi'' ("Heroes's parade") by Francesco Pellegrino, ''4 Maggio'' (May 4) ...
's
mountain infantry Mountain warfare (also known as alpine warfare) is warfare in mountains or similarly rough terrain. Mountain ranges are of strategic importance since they often act as a natural border, and may also be the origin of a water source (for example, t ...
speciality, the
Alpini The Alpini are the Italian Army's specialist mountain infantry. Part of the army's infantry corps, the speciality distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II. Currently the active Alpini units are organized in two operatio ...
, which distinguished itself in combat during
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
and
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Based in the city of
L'Aquila L'Aquila ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in central Italy. It is the capital city of both the Abruzzo region and of the Province of L'Aquila. , it has a population of 70,967 inhabitants. Laid out within medieval walls on a hill in the wide valle ...
in
Abruzzo Abruzzo (, , ; nap, label=Neapolitan language, Abruzzese Neapolitan, Abbrùzze , ''Abbrìzze'' or ''Abbrèzze'' ; nap, label=Sabino dialect, Aquilano, Abbrùzzu; #History, historically Abruzzi) is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy wi ...
the regiment is operationally assigned to the Alpine Brigade "Taurinense".


History


Interwar years

The 9th Alpini Regiment was formed on 1 July 1921 in
Gorizia Gorizia (; sl, Gorica , colloquially 'old Gorizia' to distinguish it from Nova Gorica; fur, label= Standard Friulian, Gurize, fur, label= Southeastern Friulian, Guriza; vec, label= Bisiacco, Gorisia; german: Görz ; obsolete English ''Gorit ...
and assigned to the 3rd Alpine Division. Initially the regiment consisted of four battalions, which had been transferred from other
Alpini The Alpini are the Italian Army's specialist mountain infantry. Part of the army's infantry corps, the speciality distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II. Currently the active Alpini units are organized in two operatio ...
regiments: * Alpini Battalion "Vicenza", in Tolmino (from the
6th Alpini Regiment The 6th Alpini Regiment ( it, 6° Reggimento Alpini) is a training regiment of the Italian Army's mountain infantry speciality, the Alpini, which distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II. The regiment is based in Bruneck ...
) * Alpini Battalion "Bassano", in
Gorizia Gorizia (; sl, Gorica , colloquially 'old Gorizia' to distinguish it from Nova Gorica; fur, label= Standard Friulian, Gurize, fur, label= Southeastern Friulian, Guriza; vec, label= Bisiacco, Gorisia; german: Görz ; obsolete English ''Gorit ...
(from the 6th Alpini Regiment) * Alpini Battalion "Feltre", in
Caporetto Kobarid (; it, Caporetto, fur, Cjaurêt, german: Karfreit) is a settlement in Slovenia, the administrative centre of the Municipality of Kobarid. Kobarid is known for the 1917 Battle of Caporetto, where the Italian retreat was documented by Erne ...
(from the
7th Alpini Regiment The 7th Alpini Regiment ( it, 7° Reggimento Alpini) is a regiment of the Italian Army's mountain infantry speciality, the Alpini, which distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II. History Formation The 7th Alpini Reg ...
) * Alpini Battalion "Cividale", in
Cividale del Friuli Cividale del Friuli ( fur, Cividât (locally ); german: Östrich; sl, Čedad) is a town and ''comune'' in the Province of Udine, part of the North-Italian Friuli Venezia Giulia ''regione''. The town lies above sea-level in the foothills of the e ...
(from the
8th Alpini Regiment The 8th Alpini Regiment ( it, 8° Reggimento Alpini) is a regiment of the Italian Army's mountain infantry speciality, the Alpini, which distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II. As of 2022 the regiment is assigned to ...
) In 1926 the Feltre and Cividale returned to their original regiments and the 9th Alpini Regiment consisted of the battalions Vicenza and Bassano. On 11 March 1926 the 3rd Alpine Division was reduced to III Alpine Brigade. On 13 April 1935 the Alpini Battalion "L'Aquila" was formed in
Gorizia Gorizia (; sl, Gorica , colloquially 'old Gorizia' to distinguish it from Nova Gorica; fur, label= Standard Friulian, Gurize, fur, label= Southeastern Friulian, Guriza; vec, label= Bisiacco, Gorisia; german: Görz ; obsolete English ''Gorit ...
, drawing its personnel from the "Vicenza" and "Bassano" battalions. The new battalion was considered to be the heir of the
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
Alpini Battalion "Monte Berico", which had consisted of soldiers recruited in
Abruzzo Abruzzo (, , ; nap, label=Neapolitan language, Abruzzese Neapolitan, Abbrùzze , ''Abbrìzze'' or ''Abbrèzze'' ; nap, label=Sabino dialect, Aquilano, Abbrùzzu; #History, historically Abruzzi) is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy wi ...
. Gabriele D'Annunzio created the battalion's motto "D'Aquila Penne, Ugne di Leonessa", which is a word pun: its literal translation is "Eagle feathers, Lioness claws", but
L'Aquila L'Aquila ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in central Italy. It is the capital city of both the Abruzzo region and of the Province of L'Aquila. , it has a population of 70,967 inhabitants. Laid out within medieval walls on a hill in the wide valle ...
,
Penne Penne () is an extruded type of pasta with cylinder-shaped pieces, their ends cut at an angle. ''Penne'' is the plural form of the Italian ''penna'' (meaning ''feather'' but ''pen'' as well), deriving from Latin ''penna'' (meaning "feather" or " ...
, Ugne and
Leonessa :''Leonessa is also the name of a ''frazione'' of Bassano Romano.'' Leonessa is a town and ''comune'' in the far northeastern part of the Province of Rieti in the Lazio region of central Italy. Its population in 2008 was around 2,700. Situated in ...
are
Abruzzo Abruzzo (, , ; nap, label=Neapolitan language, Abruzzese Neapolitan, Abbrùzze , ''Abbrìzze'' or ''Abbrèzze'' ; nap, label=Sabino dialect, Aquilano, Abbrùzzu; #History, historically Abruzzi) is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy wi ...
towns, which were the recruitment basin of the Monte Berico. On 10 September 1935, the
3rd Alpine Division "Julia" The 3rd Alpine Division "Julia" ( it, 3ª Divisione alpina "Julia") was a 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 c ...
was formed by renaming the III Superior Alpine Command "Julio", which was the their of the III Alpine Brigade. On 31 October 1935 the regiment was structured as follows: * 9th Alpini Regiment ** Alpini Battalion "L'Aquila" *** 93rd Alpini Company *** 108th Alpini Company *** 143rd Alpini Company *** 292nd Alpini Company ** Alpini Battalion "Vicenza" *** 59th Alpini Company *** 60th Alpini Company *** 61st Alpini Company *** 290th Alpini Company ** Alpini Battalion "Bassano" *** 62nd Alpini Company *** 63rd Alpini Company *** 74th Alpini Company *** 297th Alpini Company On 20 January 1936 the fourth companies of the battalions were disbanded and on 25 September 1937 the Alpini Battalion "Bassano" was transferred to the 11th Alpini Regiment.


World War II

After the outbreak of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
the regiment formed reserve battalions, which were named after valleys ( it, Val) located near L'Aquila and Vicenza. At the end of the 1939 the regiment consisted of the following units: * 9th Alpini Regiment ** Alpini Battalion "L'Aquila" *** 93rd Alpini Company *** 108th Alpini Company *** 143rd Alpini Company ** Alpini Battalion "Vicenza" *** 59th Alpini Company *** 60th Alpini Company *** 61st Alpini Company ** Alpini Battalion "
Val Leogra Val may refer to: Val-a Film * ''Val'' (film), an American documentary about Val Kilmer, directed by Leo Scott and Ting Poo Military equipment * Aichi D3A, a Japanese World War II dive bomber codenamed "Val" by the Allies * AS Val, a So ...
" ("Vicenza" reserve battalion) *** 259th Alpini Company *** 260th Alpini Company *** 261st Alpini Company ** Alpini Battalion "
Val Pescara Val may refer to: Val-a Film * ''Val'' (film), an American documentary about Val Kilmer, directed by Leo Scott and Ting Poo Military equipment * Aichi D3A, a Japanese World War II dive bomber codenamed "Val" by the Allies * AS Val, a Sov ...
" ("L'Aquila" reserve battalion) *** 285th Alpini Company *** 286th Alpini Company *** 287th Alpini Company In mid-April 1939 the 3rd Alpine Division "Julia" was sent to
Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
and posted to the Albanian- Yugoslav border until September 1941, when it was moved to the
Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
border for the planned
Italian invasion of Greece Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
. During the following
Greco-Italian war The Greco-Italian War (Greek language, Greek: Ελληνοϊταλικός Πόλεμος, ''Ellinoïtalikós Pólemos''), also called the Italo-Greek War, Italian Campaign in Greece, and the War of '40 in Greece, took place between the kingdom ...
the 9th Alpini consisted of the Vicenza and L'Aquila battalions, and was led by Colonel
Gaetano Tavoni Gaetano Tavoni (Vignola, 6 February 1889 – Rome, 16 March 1941) was an Italian Alpini officer, commander of the 9th Alpini Regiment. He was mortally wounded during the Greco-Italian War and posthumously awarded the Gold Medal of Military Va ...
. After the
German invasion of Greece The German invasion of Greece, also known as the Battle of Greece or Operation Marita ( de , Unternehmen Marita, links = no), was the attack of Greece by Italy and Germany during World War II. The Italian invasion in October 1940, which is usu ...
and the Greek surrender the Julia returned to Italy. For its conduct during the Greco-Italian war the 9th Alpini Regiment was awarded Italy's highest military honor a
Gold Medal of Military Valour The Gold Medal of Military Valour ( it, Medaglia d'oro al valor militare) 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 fac ...
. On 15 February 1942 the regiment's depot formed support weapons companies for the two regular battalions. In July 1942 the Julia was sent with the
2nd Alpine Division "Tridentina" The 2nd Alpine Division "Tridentina" ( it, 2ª Divisione alpina "Tridentina") was a 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 eli ...
,
4th Alpine Division "Cuneense" The 4th Alpine Division "Cuneense" ( it, 4ª Divisione alpina "Cuneense") was a 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 major ...
and other Italian units to the
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
to form the
Italian Army in Russia The Italian Army in Russia ( it, Armata Italiana in Russia; ARMIR) was an army-sized unit of the Royal Italian Army which fought on the Eastern Front during World War II between July 1942 and April 1943. The ARMIR was also known as the 8th I ...
( it, Armata Italiana in Russia abbreviated as ARMIR) and fight alongside the German
Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...
against the
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...
. To bring the regiment to full strength for the deployment to the Soviet Union it received the Alpini Battalion "Val Cismon" from the
7th Alpini Regiment The 7th Alpini Regiment ( it, 7° Reggimento Alpini) is a regiment of the Italian Army's mountain infantry speciality, the Alpini, which distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II. History Formation The 7th Alpini Reg ...
. Taking up positions along the
Don River The Don ( rus, Дон, p=don) is the fifth-longest river in Europe. Flowing from Central Russia to the Sea of Azov in Southern Russia, it is one of Russia's largest rivers and played an important role for traders from the Byzantine Empire. Its ...
, the Italian units covered part of the left flank of the German Sixth Army, which spearheaded the German summer offensive of 1942 into the city of
Stalingrad Volgograd ( rus, Волгогра́д, a=ru-Volgograd.ogg, p=vəɫɡɐˈɡrat), geographical renaming, formerly Tsaritsyn (russian: Цари́цын, Tsarítsyn, label=none; ) (1589–1925), and Stalingrad (russian: Сталингра́д, Stal ...
. After successfully encircling the German Sixth army in Stalingrad the Red Army's attention turned to the Italian units along the Don. On 14 January 1943, 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, launch ...
began and the three alpine division found themselves quickly encircled by rapidly advancing armored Soviet Forces. The Alpini held the front on the Don, but within three days the Soviets had advanced 200 km to the left and right of the Alpini. On the evening of 17 January the commanding officer of the Italian Mountain Corps General
Gabriele Nasci Gabriele Nasci (3 October 1887, Venice – 12 April 1947) was a general of the Alpine Corps in the Royal Italian Army. Biography Gabriele Nasci fought in the First World War. Between the two World Wars, he was commander of the 2nd Alpine Div ...
ordered a full retreat. At this point the Julia and Cuneense divisions were already heavily decimated and only the Tridentina was still capable of conducting combat operations. As the Soviets had already occupied every village bitter battles had to be fought to clear the way out of the encirclement. The remnants of the Tridentina were able to break the Soviet encirclement in the
Battle of Nikolayevka The Battle of Nikolayevka was the breakout of Italian forces in January 1943, as a small part of the larger Battle of Stalingrad. The breakout involved the Alpine Army Corps of the Italian 8th Army near the village of Nikolayevka (now Livenka, ...
on 26 January 1943, allowing the survivors of the Julia to reach German lines, which were reached on the morning of 28 January. By then the men of the 9th Alpini Regiment had walked 200 km, fought in 20 battles and spent 11 nights camped out in the middle of the
Steppe In physical geography, a steppe () is an ecoregion characterized by grassland plains without trees apart from those near rivers and lakes. Steppe biomes may include: * the montane grasslands and shrublands biome * the temperate grasslands, ...
. Temperatures during the nights were between -30 °C and -40 °C. For its conduct during the campaign in the Soviet Union the 9th Alpini Regiment was once more awarded Italy's highest military honor a
Gold Medal of Military Valour The Gold Medal of Military Valour ( it, Medaglia d'oro al valor militare) 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 fac ...
. The few survivors of the regiment were repatriated in spring 1943 and garrisoned in
Udine Udine ( , ; fur, Udin; la, Utinum) is a city and ''comune'' in north-eastern Italy, in the middle of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, between the Adriatic Sea and the Alps (''Alpi Carniche''). Its population was 100,514 in 2012, 176,000 with t ...
. The L'Aquila was the worst affected battalion and returned with just three officers and 159 Alpini out more than 1,500 deployed. After the announcement of the
Armistice of Cassibile The Armistice of Cassibile was an armistice signed on 3 September 1943 and made public on 8 September between the Kingdom of Italy and the Allies during World War II. It was signed by Major General Walter Bedell Smith for the Allies and Brig ...
on 8 September 1943, the regiment and its battalions were disbanded by invading German forces. During the war the regiment's depot raised several additional units: * Alpini Battalion "Vicenza Bis", raised in April 1941 and deployed for anti-partisan duties to the Isonzo valley * IX Reserve Battalion, deployed with the Julia to the Soviet Union, where it was destroyed * IX March Battalion, raised in late 1942 for the 8th Marching Division * XXXIX Battalion "Monte Berico", initially raised as XXXIX Reserve Battalion for the 9th Alpini Regiment, but after the destruction of the regiment the battalion was assigned to the 167th Alpini Coastal Regiment of the 223rd Coastal Division. In September 1944 the Italian Co-belligerent Army raised the Alpini Battalion "Abruzzi", which was soon renamed Alpini Battalion "L'Aquila" for service with the Combat Group "Legnano". The Legnano participated on the allied side in the Italian campaign until the German surrender.


Cold War

On 15 April 1946 the Alpini Battalion "L'Aquila" was the first battalion to enter the reformed of the
8th Alpini Regiment The 8th Alpini Regiment ( it, 8° Reggimento Alpini) is a regiment of the Italian Army's mountain infantry speciality, the Alpini, which distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II. As of 2022 the regiment is assigned to ...
, first based in
Edolo Edolo ( Camunian: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Brescia, Lombardy, northern Italy, located in the upper Camonica valley. Edolo is neighbour to the comuni of Corteno Golgi, Incudine, Lovero, Malonno, Monno, Ponte di Legno, Saviore ...
and then in
Tarvisio Tarvisio (German and fur, Tarvis, sl, Trbiž) is a comune in the northeastern part of the autonomous Friuli Venezia Giulia region in Italy. Geography The town is in the Canal Valley (''Val Canale'') between the Carnic Alps and Karawanks range ...
.


Alpini Battalion "Vicenza"

During the 1975 Italian Army reform the 8th Alpini Regiment was disbanded and its battalions became independent. On 1 September 1975 the Alpini Battalion "Vicenza" in
Tolmezzo Tolmezzo ( fur, Tumieç; sl, Tolmeč; archaic german: Tolmein or ''Schönfeld'') is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Udine, part of the autonomous Friuli Venezia Giulia region of north-eastern Italy. Geography Tolmezzo is located at the ...
was reformed as Alpini Battalion "Vicenza" (Recruits Training). The Vicenza received the flag and traditions of the 9th Alpini Regiment, but had to transfer the two Silver Medals of Military Valour awarded to the Alpini Battalion "L'Aquila" to that battalion's newly created flag; while the two Gold Medals of Military Valour, awarded to the 9th Alpini Regiment for its conduct during the
Greco-Italian war The Greco-Italian War (Greek language, Greek: Ελληνοϊταλικός Πόλεμος, ''Ellinoïtalikós Pólemos''), also called the Italo-Greek War, Italian Campaign in Greece, and the War of '40 in Greece, took place between the kingdom ...
and on the Eastern Front, were duplicated for the new flag of the L'Aquila battalion. The
Silver Medal of Military Valour The Silver Medal of Military Valor ( it, Medaglia d'argento al valor militare) 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, ...
awarded to the Vicenza battalion for its conduct during
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, and the
Silver Medal of Military Valour The Silver Medal of Military Valor ( it, Medaglia d'argento al valor militare) 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, ...
awarded to the Val Leogra battalion for its conduct during the Greco-Italian war remained affixed to the flag of the Alpini Battalion Vicenza. For its conduct and work after the
1976 Friuli earthquake Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...
the battalion was awarded a Bronze Medal of Army Valour, which was affixed to the battalion's flag and added to the battalion's coat of arms. With the battalions base in Tolmezzo damaged by the earthquake the battalion moved to
Codroipo Codroipo ( fur, Codroip) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Italian region Friuli Venezia Giulia, located about northwest of Trieste and about southwest of Udine. Codroipo borders the following municipalities: Basiliano, Bertiolo, Camino al ...
, with the exception of the 61st Company, which was transferred to
Teramo Teramo (; nap, label= Abruzzese, Tèreme ) is a city and ''comune'' in the Italian region of Abruzzo, the capital of the province of Teramo. The city, from Rome, is situated between the highest mountains of the Apennines (Gran Sasso d'Italia) ...
to train the recruits of the L'Aquila Battalion.


Alpini Battalion "L'Aquila"

During the same reform the Alpini Battalion "L'Aquila" in Tarvisio was disbanded on 31 August 1975 and the next day the Alpini Recruits Training Battalion "Julia" in L'Aquila was reformed as Alpini Battalion "L'Aquila". As the traditions and flag of the 9th Alpini Regiment had been assigned to the Alpini Battalion "Vicenza", the L'Aquila was granted a new flag on 12 November 1976 by decree 846 of the
President of the Italian Republic President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Giovanni Leone Giovanni Leone (; 3 November 1908 – 9 November 2001) was an Italian politician, jurist, and university professor. A founding member of the Christian Democracy (DC), Leone served as the President of Italy from December 1971 until June 1978. H ...
. The two Gold Medals of Military Valour awarded to the 9th Alpini Regiment for its conduct during the
Greco-Italian war The Greco-Italian War (Greek language, Greek: Ελληνοϊταλικός Πόλεμος, ''Ellinoïtalikós Pólemos''), also called the Italo-Greek War, Italian Campaign in Greece, and the War of '40 in Greece, took place between the kingdom ...
and on the Eastern Front, were duplicated for the new flag of the L'Aquila, while the
Silver Medal of Military Valour The Silver Medal of Military Valor ( it, Medaglia d'argento al valor militare) 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, ...
awarded to the L'Aquila battalion for its conduct during the allied
Spring 1945 offensive in Italy The spring 1945 offensive in Italy, codenamed Operation Grapeshot, was the final Allied attack during the Italian Campaign in the final stages of the Second World War. The attack into the Lombard Plain by the 15th Allied Army Group started on 6 ...
and the
Silver Medal of Military Valour The Silver Medal of Military Valor ( it, Medaglia d'argento al valor militare) 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, ...
awarded to the Monte Berico battalion for its conduct in World War I, were transferred from the flag of the 9th Alpini to the L'Aquila's flag. The battalion recruited from the mountainous
Abruzzo Abruzzo (, , ; nap, label=Neapolitan language, Abruzzese Neapolitan, Abbrùzze , ''Abbrìzze'' or ''Abbrèzze'' ; nap, label=Sabino dialect, Aquilano, Abbrùzzu; #History, historically Abruzzi) is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy wi ...
region and was operationally assigned to the
Alpine Brigade "Julia" The Alpine Brigade "Julia" is a light infantry brigade of the Italian Army, specializing in mountain warfare. Its core units are Alpini, an infantry corps of the Italian Army, that distinguished itself during World War I and World War II. The br ...
. To support the battalion the 15th Battery of the Mountain Artillery Group "Conegliano" in
Udine Udine ( , ; fur, Udin; la, Utinum) is a city and ''comune'' in north-eastern Italy, in the middle of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, between the Adriatic Sea and the Alps (''Alpi Carniche''). Its population was 100,514 in 2012, 176,000 with t ...
was detached to L'Aquila. For its conduct and work after the
1980 Irpinia earthquake The 1980 Irpinia earthquake ( it, Terremoto dell'Irpinia) took place in Italy on 23 November 1980, with a moment magnitude of 6.9 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (''Extreme''). It left at least 2,483 people dead, at least 7,700 injured, an ...
the battalion was awarded a Bronze Medal of Army Valour, which was affixed to the battalion's flag and added to the battalion's coat of arms.


Recent times

On 4 September 1991 the Alpini Battalion "L'Aquila" entered the reformed 9th Alpini Regiment in L'Aquila. As the regiment's original flag had been assigned to the Alpini Battalion "Vicenza" the 9th Alpini continued to use the flag of the L'Aquila. On 27 August 1996 the Vicenza battalion was disbanded and the 9th Alpini Regiment received its original flag in a ceremony on 13 September 1996. On 1 September 1997 the regiment was transferred from the
Alpine Brigade "Julia" The Alpine Brigade "Julia" is a light infantry brigade of the Italian Army, specializing in mountain warfare. Its core units are Alpini, an infantry corps of the Italian Army, that distinguished itself during World War I and World War II. The br ...
to the Alpine Brigade "Taurinense". In 2001 the regiment raised the 264th Anti-tank Company "Val Cismon", which later merged with the 119th Mortar Company to form the 119th Maneuver Support Company. On 29 May 2017 the regiment raised the Multifunctional battalion "
Orta Orta may refer to: Places *Orta, Møre og Romsdal, an island in Aukra, Norway *Orta, Çankırı, a district of Çankırı Province, Turkey *Orta, a town near Rome which, in medieval contexts, may also be called Orte *Lake Orta, in north Italy *Orta ...
", which was renamed later in the same year "Vicenza". As of 2022 the 9th Alpini Regiment is the only Alpini regiment with two battalions.


Current structure

The 9th Alpini Regiment is assigned to the Alpine Brigade "Taurinense" and based in the central Italian city of
L'Aquila L'Aquila ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in central Italy. It is the capital city of both the Abruzzo region and of the Province of L'Aquila. , it has a population of 70,967 inhabitants. Laid out within medieval walls on a hill in the wide valle ...
. It is the strongest regiment of the Italian Army, with the "L'Aquila" fielding four instead of the usual three infantry companies, and fielding a second battalion with transport, engineering, and support companies. As of 2022 the regiment consists of: * Regimental Command ** Command and Logistic Support Company ** Alpini Battalion "L'Aquila" *** 93rd Alpini Company *** 108th Alpini Company *** 119th Alpini Company *** 143rd Alpini Company "La Scassata" *** 119th Maneuver Support Company ** Alpini Battalion "Vicenza", multifunctional battalion with
civil protection Civil defense ( en, region=gb, civil defence) or civil protection is an effort to protect the citizens of a state (generally non-combatants) from man-made and natural disasters. It uses the principles of emergency operations: prevention, miti ...
duties. *** General Support Company *** Tactical Mobility and Deployment Company *** Special Transports Company The Command and Logistic Support Company fields the following platoons: C3 Platoon, Transport and Materiel Platoon, Medical Platoon, and Commissariat Platoon.


Equipment

The Alpini companies are equipped with Bv 206S tracked all-terrain carriers, Puma 6x6 wheeled
armored personnel carriers An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world. Acc ...
and Lince light multirole vehicles. The maneuver support company is equipped with 120mm mortars and Spike MR
anti-tank guided missile An anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), anti-tank missile, anti-tank guided weapon (ATGW) or anti-armor guided weapon is a guided missile primarily designed to hit and destroy heavily armored military vehicles. ATGMs range in size from shoulder ...
s.


Military honors

After
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
the
President of Italy The president of Italy, officially denoted as president of the Italian Republic ( it, Presidente della Repubblica Italiana) is the head of state of Italy. In that role, the president represents national unity, and guarantees that Italian poli ...
awarded the 9th Alpini Regiment twice Italy's highest military honor, the
Gold Medal of Military Valour The Gold Medal of Military Valour ( it, Medaglia d'oro al valor militare) 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 fac ...
, for the regiment's conduct and sacrifice during the
Greco-Italian War The Greco-Italian War (Greek language, Greek: Ελληνοϊταλικός Πόλεμος, ''Ellinoïtalikós Pólemos''), also called the Italo-Greek War, Italian Campaign in Greece, and the War of '40 in Greece, took place between the kingdom ...
and Italian campaign on the Eastern Front: *
Greco-Italian War The Greco-Italian War (Greek language, Greek: Ελληνοϊταλικός Πόλεμος, ''Ellinoïtalikós Pólemos''), also called the Italo-Greek War, Italian Campaign in Greece, and the War of '40 in Greece, took place between the kingdom ...
, awarded 30 January 1948 * Italian campaign on the Eastern Front, awarded 31 December 1947


Commanders

As regiment the 9th Alpini has always been commanded by a
Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
.


1921-1943

From 1921 to 1943, the 9th Regiment had 11 Commanders: * Col. Remigio Peretti (1 July 1921 – 17 June 1927); * Col. Ferruccio Pisoni (18 June 1927 – 31 March 1929); * Col.
Gustavo Pesenti Gustavo Pesenti (January 15, 1878 – January 18, 1960) was an Italian general. He was Italian colonial governor of Somaliland. Biography He was a knight of the Military Order of Savoy. He was a recipient of the Bronze Medal of Military Valor. ...
(1 April 1929 – 31 January 1933); * Col.
Mario Girotti Terence Hill (born Mario Girotti; 29 March 1939) is an Italian actor, film director, screenwriter and producer. He began his career as a child actor and gained international fame for starring roles in action and comedy films, many with longtim ...
(1 February 1933 – 18 October 1934); * Col. Giuseppe Corrado (19 October 1934 – 15 October 1935); * Col. Luigi Chatrian (16 October 1935 – 1 October 1937); * Col.
Gaetano Tavoni Gaetano Tavoni (Vignola, 6 February 1889 – Rome, 16 March 1941) was an Italian Alpini officer, commander of the 9th Alpini Regiment. He was mortally wounded during the Greco-Italian War and posthumously awarded the Gold Medal of Military Va ...
(2 October 1937 – 8 January 1941); * Col. Achille Billia (9 January 1941 – 5 August 1941); * Col. Umberto Manfredini (6 August 1941 – 31 May 1942); * Col. Fausto Lavizzari (1 June 1942 – 21 January 1943); * Col. Gerardo Sibille Sizia (22 January 1943 – 9 September 1943).


1991-present

Since 1991, the 9th Regiment has had 17 Commanders: * Col. Gianfranco Marinelli (4 September 1991 – 20 August 1993); * Col. Armando Monaco (21 August 1993 – 28 September 1995); * Col. Pierluigi Campregher (29 September 1995 – 19 September 1996); * Col. Giovanni Di Federico (13 September 1996 – 25 September 1998); * Col. Oliviero Finocchio (25 September 1998 – 10 September 1999); * Col. Paolo Serra (11 September 1999 – 2 July 2000); * Col. Antonio Di Vita (3 July 2000 – 7 November 2002); * Col. Claudio Berto (8 November 2002 – 26 February 2004); * Col. Edmondo Panajoli (27 February 2004 – 15 September 2005); * Col. Michele Pellegrino (16 September 2005 – 25 August 2007); * Col. Andrea Mulciri (25 August 2007 – 1 October 2009); * Col. Franco Federici (1 October 2009 – 25 November 2010); * Col. Fabio Asso (25 November 2010 – 23 September 2011); * Col. Riccardo Cristoni (23 September 2011 – 13 September 2013); * Col. Massimo Iacobucci (13 September 2013 – 24 July 2015); * Col. Antonio Sedia (24 July 2015 – 23 September 2016); * Col. Marco Iovinelli (current commander, since 23 September 2016).


Operational history

The 9th Alpini Regiment has a long operational history: * Balkans campaign; * Russian campaign; * Italian campaign; * 1976: Friuli earthquake rescue operations; * 1980: Irpinia earthquake rescue operations; * 1993: UNOMOZ; * 1997: Umbria and Marche earthquake rescue operations; * 1997:
Operation Alba Operation Alba ("Sunrise" or "Dawn" in Italian) was a multinational peacekeeping force sent to Albania in 1997. Led by Italy, it was intended to help the Albanian government restore law and order during the Albanian Civil War.Kosovo Force The Kosovo Force (KFOR) is a North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO-led international NATO peacekeeping, peacekeeping force in Kosovo. Its operations are gradually reducing until Kosovo Security Force, Kosovo's Security Force, established in 2 ...
; * 2001- onwards: Operazione Domino; * 2007-2013:
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
(Khost, Kabul and Farah, more deployments); * 2015:
UNIFIL The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon ( ar, قوة الأمم المتحدة المؤقتة في لبنان, he, כוח האו"ם הזמני בלבנון), or UNIFIL ( ar, يونيفيل, he, יוניפי״ל), is a UN peacekeeping m ...
.


External links


Official Homepage

9th Alpini Regiment on vecio.it


Source

* Franco dell'Uomo, Rodolfo Puletti: ''L'Esercito Italiano verso il 2000 - Volume Primo - Tomo I'', Rome 1998, Stato Maggiore dell'Esercito - Ufficio Storico, pages: 494-497 (''L'Aquila'' Battalion) & 515-518 (''Vicenza'' Battalion)


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alpini Regiment 09 Alpini regiments of Italy Regiments of Italy in World War I Regiments of Italy in World War II Military units and formations established in 1921 Military units and formations disestablished in 1943 Military units and formations established in 1991 1921 establishments in Italy