Italian Army - 32nd Tank Regiment Ariete main battle tanks during an exercise 2024

The 1st Armored Regiment () is an

armored warfare Armoured warfare or armored warfare (American English; see spelling differences), is the use of armoured fighting vehicles in modern warfare. It is a major component of modern methods of war. The premise of armored warfare rests on the abil ...

training regiment 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 Teulada in

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 ...

. The regiment is assigned to the Army Military Command "Sardegna". The regiment was formed in 1936 as a training and administrative formation. 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 ...

the regiment participated in June 1940 in the

Italian invasion of France The Italian invasion of France (10–25 June 1940), also called the Battle of the Alps, was the first major Fascist Italy, Italian engagement of World War II and the last major engagement of the Battle of France. The Italian entry into the war ...

. In summer 1940, the regimental command was sent 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 ...

, where it was tasked with administrative and logistical duties. On 6-7 February 1941, the regimental command was destroyed during the

Battle of Beda Fomm The Battle of Beda Fomm took place following the rapid British advance during Operation Compass (9 December 1940 – 9 February 1941). The Italian 10th Army () was forced to evacuate Cyrenaica, the eastern province of Libya. In late January, th ...

. In March 1941, the regiment was reformed, but it remained in Vercelli for the rest of the war and was disbanded by German forces after 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. The regiment was reformed in 1948, but already in 1949 it was disbanded its personnel and battalions used to reform the 132nd Tankers Regiment. In May 1974, the Armored Units Training Center in Teulada in

was renamed 1st Armored Infantry Regiment. Since then the regiment is tasked with managing the Capo Teulada Training Range and provide the

opposing force An opposing force (alternatively enemy force, abbreviated OPFOR or OpFor) is a military unit tasked with representing an enemy, usually for training purposes in war game scenarios. The related concept of aggressor squadron is used by some ai ...

for visiting units. Originally the unit, like all Italian tank units, was part of the army's infantry arm, but on 1 June 1999 the tankers specialty was transferred from the infantry arm to the cavalry arm. The regiment's anniversary falls, unique among all tank units, on 15 September 1936, the day the regiment was founded.

History

Interwar years

On 1 October 1927, 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 ...

reorganized its Armed Tanks Formation Center 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, ...

and formed the Armed Tanks Regiment () as central training unit for the army's tank battalions. In 1931 the regimental headquarter moved from Rome to

Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...

. On 15 September 1936, the Armed Tanks Regiment was split into four tank infantry regiments, which had training and administrative functions only: * 1st Tank Infantry Regiment, in

Vercelli Vercelli (; ) is a city and ''comune'' of 46,552 inhabitants (January 1, 2017) in the Province of Vercelli, Piedmont, northern Italy. One of the oldest urban sites in northern Italy, it was founded, according to most historians, around 600 BC. ...

* 2nd Tank Infantry Regiment, in

Verona Verona ( ; ; or ) is a city on the Adige, River Adige in Veneto, Italy, with 255,131 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region, and is the largest city Comune, municipality in the region and in Northeast Italy, nor ...

3rd Tank Infantry Regiment The 3rd Armored Infantry Regiment () is an inactive armored warfare regiment of the Italian Army, which was based in Persano in Campania and last operationally assigned to the Infantry Division "Granatieri di Sardegna". The regiment was formed ...

, in

4th Tank Infantry Regiment The 4th Tank Regiment () is a tank regiment of the Italian Army based in Persano in Campania. The regiment is equipped with Ariete main battle tanks and assigned to the Bersaglieri Brigade "Garibaldi". The regiment was formed in 1936 as a train ...

, in

The 1st Tank Infantry Regiment received four battalions from the disbanded regiment and formed a depot, which included training and maintenance units. The four battalions, like all tank battalions at the time, were named for infantry officers, who had served in

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 ...

and been awarded posthumously 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 ...

. The regiment consisted of the following units after its founding.: * 1st Tank Infantry Regiment, in

** I Assault Tanks Battalion "Ribet", 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 ...

** II Assault Tanks Battalion " Berardi", in

Alessandria Alessandria (; ) is a city and commune in Piedmont, Italy, and the capital of the Province of Alessandria. It is also the largest municipality of the region. The city is sited on the alluvial plain between the Tanaro and the Bormida rivers, ...

** III Assault Tanks Battalion " Paselli", in

Monza Monza (, ; ; , locally ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the Lambro, River Lambro, a tributary of the Po (river), River Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy, about north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the province of Mo ...

** IV Breach Tanks Battalion " Prestinari", in Vercelli ** 1st Training Center, in Vercelli ** 1st Maintenance Workshop, in Vercelli The assault tanks battalions fielded initially

L3/33 The Carro Veloce 33 (CV 33) or L3/33 was a tankette originally built in 1933 and used by the Italian Army before and during World War II. It was based on the imported British Carden Loyd tankette (license-built by Italy as the CV 29). M ...

tankettes, which were then replaced by slightly improved

L3/35 The L3/35, also known as the Carro Veloce CV-35, was an Italian tankette that saw combat before and during World War II. It was one of the smallest tanks that faced combat. Although designated a light tank by the Italian Army, its turretless con ...

, while the breach tanks battalion fielded

Fiat 3000 The Fiat 3000 was the first tank to be produced in series in Italy. It became the standard tank of the emerging Italian armored units after World War I. The 3000 was based on the French Renault FT. History Although 1,400 units were ordered, with ...

light tanks. On 1 January 1938, the regiment received the XXIII Assault Tanks Battalion "Stennio", which had returned from

and took up residence in

Fidenza Fidenza (, locally ) is a town and (municipality) in the province of Parma, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. It has around 27,000 inhabitants. The town was renamed Fidenza in 1927, recalling its ancient Rome, Roman name of ; before, it was ...

. In 1938, all Assault Tanks Battalions were renamed Tank Battalion L (with L standing for or Light), while Breach Tanks Battalions were renamed Tank Battalion M (with M standing for or Medium). On 1 December 1938, the 2nd Tank Infantry Regiment was disbanded and the regiment's command and depot formed the

32nd Tank Infantry Regiment The 32nd Tank Regiment () is a Armoured warfare, tank regiment of the Italian Army based in Spilimbergo, Tauriano in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The regiment is equipped with Ariete main battle tanks and assigned to the 132nd Armored Brigade "Ariete". ...

as an operational unit for the II Armored Brigade. Already a day earlier, on 30 November 1938, the 1st Tank Infantry Regiment had transferred its IV Tank Battalion M to the new regiment, while on 1 December the 32nd Tank Infantry Regiment transferred its IV Tank Battalion L "Monti" and XXII Tank Battalion L "Coralli" to the 1st Tank Infantry Regiment. Afterwards the 1st Tank Infantry Regiment consisted of the following units: * 1st Tank Infantry Regiment, in

** I Tank Battalion L "Ribet", in

** II Tank Battalion L "Berardi", in

** III Tank Battalion L "Paselli", in

** IV Tank Battalion L " Monti", in

Bolzano Bolzano ( ; ; or ) is the capital city of South Tyrol (officially the province of Bolzano), Northern Italy. With a population of 108,245, Bolzano is also by far the largest city in South Tyrol and the third largest in historical Tyrol. The ...

** XXII Tank Battalion L "

Coralli Coralli is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Claudio Coralli (born 1983), Italian footballer *Giulio Coralli (born 1641), Italian painter * Jean Coralli (1779–1854), French dancer and choreographer See also *Corallo Corallo ...

", in

** XXIII Tank Battalion L " Stennio", in

** 1st Training Center, in Vercelli ** 1st Maintenance Workshop, in Vercelli All of the regiment's battalions were equipped with

tankettes. In early 1939 the battalions dropped their names.

World War II

Italian tanks captured at Beda Fomm 1941

On 23 September 1939, the regiment transferred its III Tank Battalion L to the 32nd Tank Infantry Regiment, which in turn transferred on 1 November 1939 its CCCXXIII Tank Battalion M21/30 to the 1st Tank Infantry Regiment. Originally the CCCXXIII Tank Battalion M21/30, which was equipped with Fiat 3000 light tanks, had been the V Breach Tanks Battalion "Suarez" of the

. On 6 November 1939, the 1st Tank Infantry Regiment transferred the XXII and XXIII tank battalions L to the

33rd Tank Infantry Regiment The 33rd Tank Regiment () is an inactive Armoured warfare, tank regiment of the Italian Army, which was based in Ozzano dell'Emilia in the Emilia Romagna and last operationally assigned to the 132nd Armored Brigade "Ariete". The regiment was form ...

, which was formed on the same date in

Parma Parma (; ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmesan, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,986 inhabitants as of 2025, ...

. In June 1940, the regiment participated with the I, II, and IV tank battalions L in the

. The tankettes of the regiment attacked French positions in the

Col du Mont Cenis Mont Cenis (; , ) is a massif in Savoie (France) (with an elevation of at Pointe de Ronce and a pass at an elevation of ), which forms the limit between the Cottian and Graian Alps. Etymology The term "Mont Cenis" could be derived from '' ...

sector. After the French surrender the tank battalion advanced into Southern France, before returning to their bases in early July. On 1 August 1940, the regiment transferred its I and II tank battalions L to the 32nd Tank Infantry Regiment. At the same time the CCCXXIII Tank Battalion M21/30 was equipped with

M13/40 tank The Carro Armato M13/40 was an Italian World War II tank designed to replace the M11/39 in the Royal Italian Army at the start of World War II. It was the primary tank used by the Italians throughout the war. The design was influenced by the Brit ...

s and renamed III Tank Battalion M13/40. In September 1940, the battalion was sent to

, where it joined the Special Armored Brigade. At the end of summer of 1940, the regimental command and IV Tank Battalion L were transferred to Libya. The regimental command moved to

Mechili Mechili () is a small village in Cyrenaica, Libya and the site of a former Turkish fort. It is nearly east of Benghazi and west of Timimi. Geography Because of its location in the desert, Mechili suffered in the past from isolation. However, i ...

, where it took up administrative and logistic duties, while the regiment's commanding officer Colonel Pietro Aresca took command of the Special Armored Brigade's I Tank Group (also known as "Aresca Group"). On 26 December 1940, the IV Tank Battalion L was transferred to the X Army Corps. The regiment's command remained in Mechili until 24 January 1941, when advancing British forces pushed the Italians out of Mechili. The regimental command retreated with the remnants of the Italian 10th Army along the

Via Balbia Via or VIA may refer to the following: Arts and entertainment * ''Via'' (Volumes album), 2011 * Via (Thalia Zedek album), 2013 * VIA (music), Soviet and Russian term for a music collective Businesses and organisations * Via Foundation, a Cz ...

, but British forces cut off the escape route at Beda Fomm. On 6-7 February 1941, the

raged, which ended with the surrender of the last Italian units, including the regimental command of the 1st Tank Infantry Regiment, which was declared lost due to wartime events on 8 February 1941. On 15 March 1941, the 1st Tank Infantry Regiment was reformed in Vercelli by reorganizing the command of the regiment's depot. For a short time the regiment was assigned to the 136th Armored Division "Giovani Fascisti", which was in the process of being formed. The envisioned structure of the regiment would have included the XVI Tank Battalion M14/41, which was being formed by the depot of the 32nd Tank Infantry Regiment, the III Tanks Group "Lancieri di Novara", which was equipped with L6/40 light tanks and was being formed by the depot of the cavalry Regiment "Lancieri di Novara", the 54th Maintenance Workshop, an anti-aircraft company equipped with 20/65 mod. 35 anti-aircraft guns, and a Repair and Recovery Unit. However the regiment never deployed with the divisions, which was sent unfinished to Libya to shore up Axis forces fighting in the

Western Desert campaign The Western Desert campaign (Desert War) took place in the Sahara Desert, deserts of Egypt and Libya and was the main Theater (warfare), theatre in the North African campaign of the Second World War. Military operations began in June 1940 with ...

. In spring 1941 the regiment's depot formed the X Tank Battalion M13/40, which was assigned in June 1941 to the

133rd Tank Infantry Regiment The 133rd Tank Regiment () is an inactive Armoured warfare, tank regiment of the Italian Army, which was based in Altamura in Apulia and last operationally assigned to the Mechanized Brigade "Pinerolo". The regiment was formed in June 1941 by the ...

. In summer 1941 depot formed the command and one company of the XV Tank Battalion M13/40, while the battalion's second company was formed by the

. Once M14/41 tanks became available, the XV Tank Battalion was re-equipped with M14/41 tanks. The battalion remained with the 1st Tank Infantry Regiment until November 1942, when it was sent to

with the

31st Tank Infantry Regiment The 31st Tank Regiment () is an inactive Armoured warfare, tank regiment of the Italian Army, which was based in Lecce in Apulia and last operationally assigned to the Mechanized Brigade "Pinerolo". The regiment was formed in July 1937 by the Roy ...

. In November 1941, the regiment's depot formed the I Tank Battalion Lf (with Lf standing for or Flamethrower). However already a month later the battalion was disbanded and one of its two companies joined the II Tank Battalion Lf, which had been formed by the depot of the 4th Tank Infantry Regiment, while the other company was transferred to the Italian

Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_motto = , national_anthem = () , image_map = Europe-Mont ...

Troops Command. Meanwhile, the regiment's IV Tank Battalion L, which had remained in Libya, participated in April 1941 in

Operation Sonnenblume Operation Sonnenblume (, "Operation Sunflower") was the name given to the dispatch of German and Italian troops to North African campaign, North Africa in February 1941, during the Second World War. The Italian Tenth Army (Italy), 10th Army () ha ...

, during which Axis forces retook the

Cyrenaica Cyrenaica ( ) or Kyrenaika (, , after the city of Cyrene), is the eastern region of Libya. Cyrenaica includes all of the eastern part of Libya between the 16th and 25th meridians east, including the Kufra District. The coastal region, als ...

. In July 1941, the battalion returned to Mechili and the battalion command and 1st Company remained there to garrison the important logistic hub, while the battalion's 2nd Company was sent to

Tobruk Tobruk ( ; ; ) is a port city on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District (formerly Tobruk District) and has a population of 120,000 (2011 est.)."Tobruk" (history), ''Encyclop� ...

, where it fought in the

Siege of Tobruk The siege of Tobruk () took place between 10 April and 27 November 1941, during the Western Desert campaign (1940–1943) of the World War II, Second World War. An Allies of World War II, Allied force, consisting mostly of the 9th Division ...

, and the 3rd Company was attached in September 1941 to the 55th Infantry Division "Savona", which garrisoned the frontline towards Egypt. On 18 November 1941, the British Eighth Army commenced

Operation Crusader Operation Crusader (18 November – 30 December 1941) was a military operation of the Western Desert campaign during World War II by the British Eighth Army (with Commonwealth, Indian and Allied contingents) against the Axis forces (German and ...

, which broke the Siege of Tobruk threw Axis forces back to their starting positions at

El Agheila El Agheila ( ) is a coastal city at the southern end of the Gulf of Sidra and Mediterranean Sea in far western Cyrenaica, Libya. In 1988 it was placed in Ajdabiya District; remaining there until 1995. It was removed from Ajdabiya District in 1995 ...

. During the British offensive the IV Tank Battalion L and its companies were destroyed and on 1 January 1942 the battalion was declared lost due to wartime events. In February 1942, the regiment's depot formed the 1st and 2nd tank companies M21/30 with the last available

light tanks. The two companies were sent to

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

, where they were assigned to the XVI Army Corps, which was tasked with the defence of the Southern part of the island. On 10 July 1943, the day allied forces landed on Sicily, the 1st Tank Company M21/30 was attached to the 207th Coastal Division in the area of

Licata Licata (, ; , whence or ''Plintis''), formerly also Alicata (), is a city and ''comune'' located on the south coast of Sicily, at the mouth of the Salso River (the ancient ''Himera''), about midway between Agrigento and Gela. It is a major se ...

, while the 2nd Tank Company M21/30 was assigned to the Mobile Group "H" in the area of

Scordia Scordia () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Catania in the Italy, Italian region Sicily, located about southeast of Palermo and about southwest of Catania. Scordia borders the following municipalities: Lentini, Mili ...

. Both companies with their obsolete light tanks were destroyed in the following days. On 6 May 1943, the XVI Tank Battalion M14/41 deployed to

, where it joined the 32nd Tank Infantry Regiment. In August 1943, the regiment's depot began with the formation of the I Tank Battalion P26/40 (with P standing for or Heavy), which was to receive the first of the new P26/40 tanks. However, on 8 September 1943, the

was announced, and invading German forces disbanded the regiment and its depot.

Cold War

On 15 March 1948, the Tank School in Rome formed the I Tank Battalion, which was equipped with

M4 Sherman The M4 Sherman, officially medium tank, M4, was the medium tank most widely used by the United States and Western Allies in World War II. The M4 Sherman proved to be reliable, relatively cheap to produce, and available in great numbers. I ...

tanks. On 10 July 1948, the school reformed the 1st Tankers Regiment and formed the II Tank Battalion. On 7 September of the same year the regiment was assigned to the Armored Brigade "Ariete", which had been formed on 1 June 1948. On 1 April 1949, the 1st Tankers Regiment was renamed 132nd Tankers Regiment. On 1 May 1959, the Italian Army established the Armored Units Training Center in Teulada in

, which on 1 May 1974 was renamed 1st Armored Infantry Regiment. The regiment was assigned the flag and traditions of the 1st Tank Infantry Regiment and at the time consisted of the following units: * 1st Armored Infantry Regiment, in Teulada ** Command and Services Company ** I Armored Battalion *** 1st Tank Company, with Leopard 1A2 main battle tanks *** 2nd

Bersaglieri The Bersaglieri, singular Bersagliere, (, "sharpshooter") are a troop of marksmen in the Italian Army's infantry corps. They were originally created by General Alessandro Ferrero La Marmora on 18 June 1836 to serve in the Royal Sardinian Ar ...

Company, with

M113 The M113 is a fully tracked armored personnel carrier (APC) that was developed and produced by the FMC Corporation. The M113 was sent to United States Army Europe in 1961 to replace the mechanized infantry's M59 APCs. The M113 was first used ...

armored personnel carriers *** 3rd Self-propelled Battery, with M109G 155 mm self-propelled howitzers ** II Armored Battalion (Reserve) *** same organization as I Armored Battalion ** Auto Unit ** Special Medium Workshop **

Carabinieri The Carabinieri (, also , ; formally ''Arma dei Carabinieri'', "Arm of Carabineers"; previously ''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'', "Royal Carabineers Corps") are the national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carry out domestic and foreign poli ...

Squad In June 1987 the regiment was reorganized and then consisted of the following units: * 1st Armored Infantry Regiment, in Teulada ** Command, Maintenance, and Transport Unit ** 1st Armored Battalion *** Command and Services Company *** 1st Tank Company, with Leopard 1A2 main battle tanks *** 2nd Bersaglieri Company, with VCC-2 armored personnel carriers *** 3rd Self-propelled Battery, with M109G 155 mm self-propelled howitzers **

Squad On 9 March 1993, the regiment was renamed 1st Armored Regiment and again reorganized: * 1st Armored Infantry Regiment, in Teulada ** Command and Services Company ** 1st Armored Battalion *** 1st Tank Company, with Leopard 1A2 main battle tanks *** 2nd Bersaglieri Company, with VCC-2 armored personnel carriers *** 3rd Support Weapons Company, with TOW

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 shoulde ...

s and M113 with 120 mm mortars *** 4th Self-propelled Field Artillery Battery, with M109G 155 mm self-propelled howitzers ** Maintenance Company ** Garrison Unit **

Squad In 2009 the 3rd Bersaglieri Regiment moved from Milan to Teulada and shares since then the base with the 1st Armored Regiment.

Organization

As of 2024 the 1st Armored Regiment is organized as follows: * 1st Armored Regiment, in Teulada ** Personnel Office ** Administration Office ** Logistics Office ** General Services and Support Company ** Training Range Center

External links

Italian Army Website: 1st Armored Regiment

References

{{Italian Cavalry Tank Regiments of Italy