66th Airmobile Infantry Regiment "Trieste"

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66th Airmobile Infantry Regiment "Trieste"
66° Reggimento Fanteria Aeromobile "Trieste"
CoA mil ITA rgt fanteria 066.png
Regimental coat of arms
ActiveAugust 1862 - 13 May 1943
1975 - today[1]
Country Italy
BranchItalian Army
TypeAirmobile infantry
Part ofAirmobile Brigade "Friuli"
Garrison/HQForlì
Motto(s)"Osando vinco"
Anniversaries22 April 1943 - Battle of Takrouna
DecorationsCavaliere BAR.svg Valor militare gold medal BAR.svg Valor dell'esercito gold medal BAR.svg Valor dell'esercito silver medal BAR.svg Valor dell'esercito bronze medal BAR.svg
1x Military Order of Italy
1x Gold Medal of Military Valour
1x Gold Medal of Army Valour
1x Silver Medal of Army Valour
1x Bronze Medal of Army Valour[2]
Commanders
Current
commander		Col. Marco Licari
Insignia
Regimental gorget patches
Mostrina - 66° Aeromobile "Trieste".png
Mostrina - 66° Aeromobile "Trieste".png

The 66th Airmobile Infantry Regiment "Trieste" (Italian: 66° Reggimento Fanteria Aeromobile "Trieste") is an active unit of the Italian Army based in Forlì in the Emilia-Romagna. The regiment is part of the Italian army's infantry corps and operationally assigned to the Airmobile Brigade "Friuli".[3]

The 66th Airmobile Infantry Regiment "Trieste" is the only airmobile infantry unit of the Italian Army.

History[]

The 66th Infantry Regiment "Trieste" draws its origins from the 66th Infantry Regiment, established in 1862. The Regiment had its baptism of fire during the Third War of Independence, in the battle of Custoza.[1]

The 66th Infantry Regiment participated in the First World War fighting on the Julian Alps, at Cima Tre Pozzi, in Assa Valley and deserving, like all Italian infantry, the Knight's Cross of the Military Order of Savoy.[1]

In 1926, the 66th Infantry Regiment takes the name of 66th Infantry Regiment "Valtellina".[4]

On 6 May 1937, the Regiment was placed in the Motorised Division "Po" together with the 65th Infantry Regiment and the 21st Artillery Regiment for Motorised Division and took the name of the 66th Motorized Infantry Regiment "Valtellina". On 4 April 1939 it changed its name to the 66th Infantry Regiment "Trieste", on the occasion of the change of name of the large unit it depended on into Motorized Division "Trieste" (101a).[4]

Second World War[]

On 10 June 1940 the regiment had:[4]

  • Command and command company;
  • three Rifle Battalions;
  • Mortars company;
  • Support weapons Battery with 65/17 guns.

During the Second World War, framed within the 101st Motorised Division "Trieste", the 66th Infantry Regiment "Valtellina" (with three Battalions)[5] participated in the North African campaign, competing for the terrain with the British Eighth Army from El Alamein to Tunisia where, during the battle of Takrouna, the 1st Battalion, under the command of Captain Mario Politi, valiantly fought, holding an enemy division at bay for several days and surrendering only after running out of ammunition, thus deserving the Gold Medal of Military Valour.[1]

Cold War[]

The Regiment was reconstituted in Forlì on 1 October 1975, as the 66th Mechanized Nattalion "Valtellina", by renaming the 2nd battalion of the 40th Infantry Regiment "Bologna" and as part of the Mechanized Brigade "Trieste" of the Mechanized Division "Folgore".[1]

In 1980 the battalion intervened in support of the populations hit by the earthquake in the province of Salerno, deserving the Bronze Medal for Army Valour. In 1983 it was employed in Lebanon with the ITALCON contingent.[1]

1990 - 2000[]

The Mechanized Brigade "Trieste" was dissolved in 1991 and gave way to the Brigade "Friuli"; the 66th Mechanized Battalion was transferred to the "Friuli" Brigade.[1]

The 66th Battalion was engaged with paratroopers in the first iteration of Operation Sicilian Vespers in 1992. In 1993 the Battalion assumed the name of the 66th Infantry Regiment "Trieste". From August 1993 to March 1994, the Regiment participated in Operation "IBIS" in Somalia, where on 6 February 1994 Lieutenant Giulio Ruzzi fell in Balad, victim of an ambush by Somali bandits.[1]

In the following years the regiment was often engaged in the Balkans, being sent on several occasions to Albania, Bosnia and Kosovo.[1]

2000 - present[]

The 66th Infantry Regiment "Trieste" was transformed into an airmobile infantry regiment in 2000.[1]

Current structure[]

66th Airmobile Infantry Regiment "Trieste" soldiers and 7th Army Aviation Regiment "Vega" NH90 helicopter and during exercise Kinetic I/2020

As of 2019 the 66th Airmobile Infantry Regiment "Trieste" consists of:

  • CoA mil ITA rgt fanteria 066.png Regimental Command, in Forlì
    • Command and Logistic Support Company "Takrouna"
    • 1st Airmobile Battalion
      • 1st Airmobile Company "Cobra"
      • 2nd Airmobile Company "Beirut"
      • 3rd Airmobile Company "Aquile"
      • Airmobile Maneuver Support Company "Diavoli"

The Command and Logistic Support Company fields the following platoons: C3 Platoon, Transport and Materiel Platoon, Medical Platoon, and Commissariat Platoon. The regiment is equipped with VTLM Lince vehicles. The Maneuver Support Company is equipped with 120mm mortars and Spike MR anti-tank guided missiles.

See also[]

External links[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "66° Reggimento Fanteria Aeromobile "Trieste" - La Storia". Italian Army. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  2. ^ "66° Reggimento Fanteria Aeromobile "Trieste" - Il Medagliere". Italian Army. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  3. ^ "66° Reggimento Fanteria Aeromobile "Trieste"". Italian Army. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  4. ^ a b c "Regio Esercito - 66° Rgt. Trieste". www.regioesercito.it (in Italian). Regio Esercito. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  5. ^ "101a Divisione di fanteria "Trieste"". www.regioesercito.it (in Italian). Regio Esercito. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
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