Regiment "Lancieri di Novara" (5th)

Regiment "Lancieri di Novara" (5th)
Reggimento "Lancieri di Novara" (5°)
Regimental coat of arms
Active	24 December 1828 - today[1]
Country	Italy
Branch	Italian Army
Part of	132nd Armored Brigade "Ariete"
Garrison/HQ	Codroipo
Motto(s)	"Albis ardua"
Anniversaries	27 August 1942 -
Decorations	1x Gold Medal of Military Valour 2x Silver Medals of Military Valour 4x Bronze Medals of Military Valour 1x Bronze Medal of Army Valour 1x Silver Cross of Army Merit[2]
Commanders
Current commander	Col. Tommaso Magistretti
Notable commanders	Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta Egidio Giusiana
Insignia
"Lancieri di Novara" gorget patches

The Regiment "Lancieri di Novara" (5th) (Italian: Reggimento "Lancieri di Novara" (5°) - "Lancers of Novara") is a cavalry regiment of the Italian Army based in Codroipo in Friuli Venezia Giulia. Originally a Dragoon unit of the Savoyard state the regiment reformed as Chevau-léger unit in 1832 and as Lancers in 1860. Initially its recruiting area was the Piedmont region around the city of Novara. Today the regiment is the reconnaissance unit of the 132nd Armored Brigade "Ariete".^[3]

History[]

The Regiment is the first of the cavalry regiments born in the nineteenth century and remained to the present day.

Kingdom of Sardinia[]

The Regiment was established on 24 December 1828 as the Regiment "Dragoni di Piemonte" in Vigevano. The personnel of the new Regiment was drawn from that of four other regiments and was supplied with new horses directly from the herds and not yet completely tamed. The first Colonel was Giuseppe Gattinara, Count of Zubiena, while the strength of the regiment was, following the reform of 1823, 900 men and 784 horses in six Squadrons.^[4]: 3 The Regiment took on its current name on 3 January 1832.^[1] The distinctive colour was originally orange, but it became white from 1839, remaining so until today.^[5]

In 1850 the Regiment became "Cavalleggeri di Novara" and, after having received the spears alongside the sabers in 1859, it acquired the definitive name of "Lancieri di Novara" which it still carries today.^[4]: 4

Part of the Sardinian Army, the Regiment fought in the First Italian War of Independence (1848-49). While the Regiment fought all the battles, it was decorated with the Bronze Medal for Military Valour for the battle of Santa Lucia at the gates of Verona on 6 May 1848.^[5]

The Regiment provided its own 1st Squadron to the Sardinina forces in the Crimean War (1855-56).^[1] The provisional cavalry regiment fought on 16 August 1855 at the battle of the Chernaya.^[5]

In the Second Italian War of Independence (1859) the Regiment distinguished itself in the battle of Montebello and was awarded of the second Bronze Medal for Military Valour.^[1][5]

The Regiment participated in the 1860-1861 Campaign in central and southern Italy. In this Campaign the Regiment was awarded of two Bronze Medals for Military Valour: in recognition of the battle of Castelfidardo in 1860 and of the battle of Macerone. In this battle, the Regiment captured the Standard of the 8th Line Jäger Battalion of the Army of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.^[1][5]

Kingdom of Italy[]

Having become part of the Royal Italian Army in 1861, in 1866 the Regiment fought in the Third Italian War of Independence and in 1870 it participated to operations for the capture of Rome. However, the Regiment did not see much action.^[1][5]

The Regiment mobilized, on several occasions, personnel for the Eritrean campaign in the years 1887-1888 and for the First Italo-Ethiopian War in 1895-96. The Regiment also sent personnel to the Libya Campaign in 1911-1912.^[1]

First World War[]

The Regiment participated in the First World War. Gabriele D'Annunzio served in this Regiment. In 1915 it established the 735th and 1354th Machine Guns Companies. In November 1915 it was dismounted^[5] and, in December 1915, all Cavalry Regiments were reduced to five line Squadrons.^[6]: 11 The Regiment, like all the Italian cavalry, was dismounted in February 1916^[7]: 22 and sent to the trenches on the Carso at the outbreak of hostilities.^[5]

In January 1917 the Regiment was sent to Treviso and remounted and held back as operational reserve. In August 1917 it was assigned to the 2nd Cavalry Brigade. On 29 and 30 October 1917 the Regiment, together with the Regiment "Genova Cavalleria" (4th) and with the Infantry Brigade "Bergamo" (25th and 26th Regiments)^[7]: 4 fought against enemy forces eight times as many^[7]: 13 in the Battle of Pozzuolo in order to allow the retreat of the III Field Army across the Tagliamento.^[8]: 10 With the defence of Pozzuolo del Friuli, as well as with the other arrest operations of the Italian forces conducted in Friuli, the advancing forces of the Central Powers were slowed by the II Cavary Brigade. This allowed the safe passage of the Tagliamento of the bulk of the Royal Italian Army. In the battle of Pozzuolo the Regiment lost 16 Officers, 170 Subofficers and Lancers, 185 horses but earned a Silver Medal for Military Valour to the unit and several individual decorations.^[1][5]

The following year the Regiment was remounted and fought in the battle of Vittorio Veneto. On 2 November 1918, the Regiment arrived in Stazione di Carnia and captured the 34th Infantry Division.^[5]

Interwar[]

In 1920, the Regiment was renamed Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Novara" (5th) and abandoned cavalry lances. It incorporated the Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Piacenza" (18th) and the 1st Squadron of the Regiment "Lancieri di Milano" (7th).^[9]

In 1935, the Regiment generated the 12th Fast Tank Squadron which was sent to Eritrea.^[1]

Second World War[]

In the Second World War, the Regiment fought in the Italian invasion of France, in the North African campaign, on the Eastern Front, and in Italy.^[9]

At the outbreak of the Second World War, the Regiment participated in operations against France, framed in the "Principe Amedeo Duca D'Aosta" Celere Division. Subsequently, it participated in the Yugoslavia campaign in 1941.^[9]

On 20 July 1941 it was sent in Russia as part of the Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia, being deployed on the right bank of the Dnjepr in support to the 3rd Bersaglieri Regiment. The Regiment had 880 troops (including 45 officers and 43 subofficers), 760 horses, fully staffed weapons and vehicles. In October 1941 it contributed to the occupation of Donetsk and assaulted Rikowo and Horlivka.^[1][9] On 17 October the Regiment had the first clash with enemy forces in Uspeniwka.^[4]: 10

In late Autumn 1941 and until 5 December, the Regiment defended Nikitovka against superior forces of the 74th Rifle Division of the Soviet Union.^[4]: 11

At the same time, the III Armoured Group "Lancieri di Novara", led by Major Resse, was established in March 1941 and in November 1941 fought in Bir el Gubi, Al Marghet and in El Guai Tenat.^[9]

As of early 1942, the Regiment had lost 100 lancers and 15 Officers and the half of the horses.^[4]: 11 On 15 March 1942, the "Giusiana" Group (from the name of the "Lancieri di Novara" commander), consisting of the II Dismounted Group, of the III L Tanks Group "San Giorgio", the whole Regiment and other units, entered the "Horse Troops Group". In summer 1942 the Regiment, separated from the Horse Troops Group, participated to the occupation of Krasnyi Luch.^[9] For this operation, the Regiment was awarded its second Silver Medal of Military Valour.^[10]

In late August, the Regiment, reinforced by some artillery, occupied and defended Jagodnji in order to protect the right flank of the 2nd Infantry Division "Sforzesca". For the defence of Jagodnji, where it was conducted the second-last cavalry charge in wartime, the Regiment was awarded with the Gold Medal of Military Valour.^[9][10] Some days later and until 23 September, the Regiment, together with the Alpine Battalion "Monte Cervino", the Alpine Battalion "Val Chiese", the 54th Infantry Regiment and a Group of the 17th Artillery Regiment, defended the Zuzkan Valley against 26 enemy Battalions.^[4]: 18

For the defence of Bolshoj and the following actions, several individual decorations were awarded: 1 Military Order of Savoy; 1 Gold Medal of Military Valour; 10 German Iron Crosses; 24 Silver Medals for Military Valour. All Lancers were then awarded, for the whole campaign, the Ostmedaille.^[4]: 19

In early 1943, after the battle of Nikolayevka, the Regiment managed to withdraw in 33 stages for over 1,050 km until Gomel.^[4]: 22 The survivors were repatriated on 23 March 1943;^[9] on 30 March the Regimental Standard was returned to the garrison.^[4]: 23

In North Africa, the Machine Gun Group "Novara" of the Saharan group, hit in El Hamma by overwhelming forces, after strenuous resistance was forced to retreat on 27 March 1943 with heavy losses. On 7 April, the remnants of the Group, assigned to the 131st Armoured Division Centauro, occupy the positions of Abd El Rahnane. On 8 April, with the III Armoured Group "Monferrato", it reached Takrouna, west of Enfidaville, under the command of the Italian-German Army Group. On 20 and 21 April, hit by armored forces in the locality of Gebel Gargi, the Group resisted strenuously: almost all the members of the Group fell on the field and only about thirty Lancers were captured. On 22 April the remains of the Group were assigned to the "Raggruppamento Lequio" and participated in the operations in Cape Bon until 11 May 1943.^[9]

Having returned decimated from the Eastern Front, the Regiment was moved to Medicina for reinforcements in early July 1943. The 25 July 1943 coup d'etat did not cause any movement in Medicina or within the Regiment. On 8 September 1943, two Training Squadrons were captured by German forces; the Regiment itself was disbanded on 17 September 1943, after having secured the Regimental Standard.^{[4]: 23 [1]}

Cold War to present[]

The Regiment was reconstituted on 1 September 1946 in Coverciano (FI) as the 5th Lancers Exploring Group and, on 1 February 1949, immediately transferred to Codroipo, its current location. Part of the "Pozzuolo del Friuli" Cavalry Brigade, the Regiment followed the events of this formation passing from Squadron Group to Regiment twice.^[1]

In 1949 it was renamed Armoured Cavalry Regiment "Lancieri di Novara", downgraded to Battalion-level Squadrons Group in 1964.^[4]: 7 On 5 September 1992 he was reorganized into the Regiment "Lancieri di Novara" (5th).^[1]

The first missions in which he took part were the "Sicilian Vespers" Operation in 1992 and 1993 and the Unified Task Force in Somalia in 1994. For the high professionalism and the sense of duty and responsibility shown in Somalia, the Regiment was awarded a Solemn Commendation by the Chief of Staff of the Army. Subsequently, the Regiment was employed in Bosnia, FYROM (Macedonia), Kosovo, Iraq, Lebanon, Afghanistan and Sudan.^[1]

Current structure[]

As of 2019 the Regiment "Lancieri di Novara" (5th) consists of:

• Regimental Command, in Codroipo
  • Command and Logistic Support Squadron "Pozzuolo Del Friuli"
  • 1st Reconnaissance Squadrons Group
    • 1st Reconnaissance Squadron "Macerone"
    • 2nd Reconnaissance Squadron "Jagodnij"
    • 3rd Reconnaissance Squadron "Montebello"
    • Heavy Armour Squadron "Deir El Qattara"

The Command and Logistic Support Squadron fields the following platoons: C3 Platoon, Transport and Materiel Platoon, Medical Platoon, and Commissariat Platoon. The three reconnaissance squadrons are equipped with VTLM Lince vehicles and Centauro tank destroyers, the latter of which are scheduled to be replaced by Freccia reconnaissance vehicles. The Heavy Armor Squadron is equipped with Centauro tank destroyers, which are being replaced by Centauro II tank destroyers. With the introduction of the Freccia reconnaissance vehicles the reconnaissance squadrons will be reduced from three to two.

See also[]

• 132nd Armored Brigade "Ariete"

External links[]

• Italian Army Website: Reggimento "Lancieri di Novara" (5°)

References[]