11th Alpini Regiment

11th Alpini Regiment
11° Reggimento Alpini
Coat of Arms of the 11th Alpini Regiment
Active	22 December 1935 – 12 September 1943 8 August 1992 – 18 March 2002[1]
Country	Italy
Branch	Italian Army
Type	Alpini
Role	Mountain Infantry
Size	3 Battalions Bolzano Battalion Trento Battalion Bassano Battalion
Part of	5th Alpine Division Pusteria 1935 - 1943
Garrison/HQ	Bruneck
Motto(s)	"Audacemente ascendere"[1]
Anniversaries	15 February 1936 - Battle of Amba Aradam[1]
Engagements	Second Italo-Abyssinian War World War II: Battle of France Greco-Italian War
Decorations	1x Military Order of Italy 2x Silver Medals of Military Valour 2x Bronze Medals of Military Valour 1x Bronze Medal of Red Cross Merit [1]
Insignia
Alpini gorget patches

The 11th Alpini Regiment (Italian: 11° Reggimento Alpini) is an inactive 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[]

On 22 December 1935 the 11th Alpini Regiment was formed in the city of Bruneck with existing battalions from other Alpini regiments:

• 11th Alpini Regiment
  • Alpini Battalion "Intra" (from the 4th Alpini Regiment)
  • Alpini Battalion "Trento" (from the 2nd Alpini Regiment)
  • Alpini Battalion "Saluzzo" (from the 6th Alpini Regiment)

On 1 January 1936 the regiment was subordinated to the newly created 5th Alpine Division "Pusteria" and sent with the division to Eritrea to fight in the Second Italo-Abyssinian War

Ethiopia[]

For the war the Pusteria had been augmented by the "Exilles" and "Intra" battalions and four artillery batteries form the 1st Alpine Division "Taurinense". The Pusteria participated in all battles of the Northern Theater and the 11th regiment distinguished itself during the Battle of Amba Aradam, for which it received its first Bronze Medal of Military Valour. The division returned to the Italy in 1937 and was honored with a parade through the streets of Rome on 13 March 1937.

World War II[]

After its return the regiment was reorganized, returning two battalions to their original regiments. As replacement the regiment received an existing battalion and raised another one. Thus as of 11 April 1937 the new structure of the regiment was:

• 11th Alpini Regiment
  • Alpini Battalion "Bolzano" (newly raised)
  • Alpini Battalion "Trento"
  • Alpini Battalion "Bassano" (from the 9th Alpini Regiment)

With the outbreak of World War II reserve battalions for the active battalions were formed. Named after valleys (Italian: Val) located near Bolzano, Trento, and Bassano the reserve battalions could be called up if necessary. The reserve battalions were:

• Alpini Battalion "Val Venosta"
• Alpini Battalion "Val Fassa"
• Alpini Battalion "Val Brenta"

On 21 June 1940 (one day before the French surrender) the Pusteria division began to advance into southern France during the last days of the Battle of France.

Afterwards the 11th Alpini was sent to Albania, where it participated in the Italian attack on Greece. After the German invasion of Yugoslavia the 5th Alpine Division "Pusteria" and its units were sent to Pljevlja,Montenegro, where the division was decimated in heavy fighting during the Battle of Pljevlja,first organized attack on fascism in Europe by Yugoslavian Partisans.

In August 1942 the division was repatriated, and after two months of rest participated in Case Anton - the Axis occupation of Vichy France. Afterwards the Pusteria took up garrison duties in the southern region of Provence. After the signing of the Italian armistice with the Allies on 8 September 1943 part of the division surrendered to German forces in Southern France while other units managed to return to the Italian region of Piedmont were they disbanded.

1990s[]

With the reintroduction of the regimental level in the Italian Army in 1991/1992 the regiment was reformed on 8 August 1992 in Bruneck as part of the Alpine Brigade "Tridentina". The regiment only consisted of the "Trento" battalion. Battalion and regiment were dissolved on 18 March 2002.

Structure[]

When the regiment was disbanded it had the following structure:

• 11th Alpini Regiment, in Bruneck^[2]
  • Command and Logistic Support Company, in Bruneck
  • Alpini Battalion "Trento", in Bruneck
    • 94th Alpini Company
    • 144th Alpini Company
    • 145th Alpini Company
    • 1128th Mortar Company

References[]

Sources[]

• Franco dell'Uomo, Rodolfo Puletti: L'Esercito Italiano verso il 2000 - Volume Primo - Tomo I, Rome 1998, Stato Maggiore dell'Esercito - Ufficio Storico, page: 498

External links[]

• 11th Alpini Regiment on vecio.it Archived 16 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine