This article is about the disbanded Italian Army Maneuver Logistic Battalion "Centauro". For the unrelated currently active unit, see Logistic Battalion "Centauro".
The Logistic Battalion "Piemonte" (Italian: Battaglione Logistico "Piemonte") is an inactive military logistics battalion of the Italian Army. The battalion was formed in 1976 as Logistic Battalion "Centauro" and assigned to the Armored Division "Centauro". After the division was disbanded in 1986 the battalion was reorganized as a brigade logistic battalion and renamed Logistic Battalion "Piemonte". From 1986 to 1991, the battalion was assigned to the 3rd Army Corps and earmarked to support the reserve Motorized Brigade "Piemonte". The battalion was disbanded in 1991.[1] The battalion's anniversary falls, as for all units of the Italian Army's Transport and Materiel Corps, on 22 May, the anniversary of the Royal Italian Army's first major use of automobiles to transport reinforcements to the Asiago plateau to counter the Austro-HungarianAsiago Offensive in May 1916.[2]
The battalion is the spiritual successor of the logistic units of the Royal Italian Army's I Motor-mechanized Brigade, which was formed on 2 June 1936 and expanded, on 20 April 1939, to 131st Armored Division "Centauro". The division participated in the Tunisian campaign, during which the division was destroyed in May 1943. The battalion is also the spiritual successor of the logistic units of the 136th Armored Legionary Division "Centauro", which was active from July to September 1943.[1]
Cold War
On 1 April 1951, the Armored Brigade "Centauro" was formed in Verona. The brigade inherited the traditions of the two preceding divisions bearing the name "Centauro". On 1 November 1952, the brigade was expanded to Armored Division "Centauro". In fall of 1955, the division moved its headquarters to Novara and joined the 3rd Army Corps.[1]
On 1 October 1956, the logistic units of the division were assigned to the newly formed Service Units Command "Centauro" in Novara. The command consisted of a medical section, a provisions section, a mobile vehicle park, a mobile workshop, and an auto unit. On 10 November 1961, the mobile vehicle park and mobile workshop merged to form the Resupply, Repairs, Recovery Unit "Centauro".[1]
The three service battalions of the division's brigades consisted of a command, a command company, a auto unit, a medical company, and a Resupply, Repairs, Recovery Unit, while the Services Grouping Command "Centauro" consisted of a command, a command platoon, the Auto Unit "Centauro", the Medical Company "Centauro", the Resupply, Repairs, Recovery Unit "Centauro", and the Provisions Company "Centauro", which was disbanded in 1964. On 1 November 1966, the Services Grouping Command "Centauro" expanded its Command Platoon to a Command Company.[1]
On 30 September 1968, the division's three brigade headquarters were disbanded and the next day, on 1 October 1968, the three service battalions were assigned to the division's Services Grouping Command "Centauro". The command now consisted of a command, a command company, the Auto Unit "Centauro", the Resupply, Repairs, Recovery Unit "Centauro", the Medical Company "Centauro", and the three service battalions.[1]
On the same date, 1 January 1976, the division's services grouping command in Novara was reorganized and renamed Logistic Battalion "Centauro", which received the traditions of all preceding logistic, transport, medical, maintenance, and supply units bearing the name "Centauro".[1] The battalion consisted of a command, a command platoon, a supply and transport company, a medium workshop, and a vehicle park. At the time the battalion fielded 472 men (21 officers, 66 non-commissioned officers, and 385 soldiers).[3]
On 1 October 1981, the battalion was reorganized and renamed Maneuver Logistic Battalion "Centauro". At the time the battalion consisted of the following units:[1]
Maneuver Logistic Battalion "Centauro", in Novara[1]
Command and Services Company
Supply Company
Maintenance Company
Medium Transport Company
Mixed Transport Company
In 1986, the Italian Army abolished the divisional level and brigades, which until then had been under one of the Army's four divisions, came under direct command of the Army's 3rd Army Corps or 5th Army Corps. As the Armored Division "Centauro" carried the traditions of the 131st Armored Division "Centauro", which had distinguished itself in the Tunisian campaign of World War II, the army decided to retain the name of the division. On 31 October 1986, the command of the Armored Division "Centauro" in Novara was disbanded and the next day the command of the 31st Armored Brigade "Curtatone" moved from Bellinzago Novarese to Novara, where the command was renamed 31st Armored Brigade "Centauro". The "Centauro" brigade retained the Curtatone's units, which, including the Logistic Battalion "Curtatone", changed their names from "Curtatone" to "Centauro".[1][5][6]
On the same date, 1 November 1986, the Maneuver Logistic Battalion "Centauro" was assigned to the Support Units Command of the 3rd Army Corps. As there existed now the "Centauro" brigade's Logistic Battalion "Centauro" and the disbanded division's Maneuver Logistic Battalion "Centauro", the army decided to rename the latter. On 1 May 1987, the Maneuver Logistic Battalion "Centauro" was renamed Maneuver Logistic Battalion "Piemonte". The battalion also received a new coat of arms, and was subsequently, reorganized as a brigade logistic battalion. As per army naming convention for logistic units supporting brigades the battalion was named for the brigade it would support, namely the Motorized Brigade "Piemonte", which was one of three wartime mobilization brigades of the Italian Army.[1]
On 1 February 1988, the battalion had finished its reorganization and was renamed Logistic Battalion "Piemonte". At the time the battalion consisted of the following units:[1]
On 31 July 1991, the Logistic Battalion "Piemonte" was disbanded and the following 7 November the battalion's flag was transferred to the Shrine of the Flags in the Vittoriano in Rome for safekeeping.[1]
The Cavalry Brigade "Pozzuolo del Friuli" is a brigade of the Italian Army, based in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Veneto regions. The Brigade consists of a command unit, a cavalry regiment, an amphibious infantry regiment, an artillery regiment, an engineer regiment and a logistic regiment.
After World War II the Italian Army had two units named "Centauro": from 1952 to 1986 the Armored Division "Centauro" and from 1986 to 2002 the Armored Brigade "Centauro". Both units were successor to the World War II era 131st Armored Division "Centauro". The units' name came from the mythological race of half human-half horse creatures named Centaurs.
The Mechanized Brigade "Goito" was a mechanized brigade of the Italian Army. Its core units were mechanized Bersaglieri battalions. The brigade's headquarters was in the city of Milan. The brigade's name was chosen in memory of the First Italian War of Independence Battle of Goito, where the Bersaglieri corps had its baptism of fire.
The Mechanized Brigade "Legnano" was a mechanized brigade of the Italian Army. Its core units were mechanized infantry battalions. The brigade's headquarters was in the city of Bergamo in Lombardy. The name of the brigade commemorates the Lombard League victory in the Battle of Legnano in 1176 and its coat of arms depicts the Monument to the Warrior of Legnano in the centre of Legnano.
The Motorized Brigade "Cremona" was an infantry brigade of the Italian Army. The brigade's headquarters was in the city of Turin. The brigade carried on the name and traditions of the 44th Infantry Division "Cremona".
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The 3rd Bersaglieri Regiment is an active unit of the Italian Army based in Teulada in Sardinia. The regiment is part of the army's infantry corps' Bersaglieri speciality and operationally assigned to the Mechanized Brigade "Sassari". The regiment is the highest decorated unit of the Italian Army with three Gold Medals of Military Valor. The regiment was formed in 1861 by the Royal Italian Army with preexisting battalions. During World War I the regiment served on the Italian front.
The Regiment "Nizza Cavalleria" (1st) is a cavalry unit of the Italian Army based in Bellinzago Novarese in Piedmont. The regiment is the reconnaissance unit of the Alpine Brigade "Taurinense". The regiment is named for the County of Nice in France, which makes the regiment, along with the Regiment "Savoia Cavalleria" (3rd), one of two Italian Army units named for a French region, which once was part of the Kingdom of Sardinia.
The 31st Tank Regiment is an inactive 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 Royal Italian Army and assigned to the I Armored Brigade. In April 1939, the regiment moved from Siena to Tirana in occupied Albania. In winter 1940-41 the regiment fought in the Greco-Italian War and in 1941 it participated in the Invasion of Yugoslavia. In November 1942, the regiment was sent to Libya, where it fought in the Western Desert campaign and then in the Tunisian campaign. In April 1943 the regiment was disbanded due to the heavy losses it had suffered in the Battle of El Guettar. The regiment was immediately reformed in Italy, but it saw no further action, until German forces disbanded it after the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943.
The Logistic Regiment "Garibaldi" is a military logistics regiment of the Italian Army based in Persano in Campania. The regiment is the most decorated logistic unit of the Italian Army and assigned to the Bersaglieri Brigade "Garibaldi". The regiment's anniversary falls, as for all units of the Italian Army's Transport and Materiel Corps, on 22 May, the anniversary of the Royal Italian Army's first major use of automobiles to transport reinforcements to the Asiago plateau to counter the Austro-Hungarian Asiago Offensive in May 1916.
The Logistic Regiment "Ariete" is a military logistics regiment of the Italian Army based in Maniago in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Today the regiment is the logistic unit of the 132nd Armored Brigade "Ariete". The regiment's anniversary falls, as for all units of the Italian Army's Transport and Materiel Corps, on 22 May, the anniversary of the Royal Italian Army's first major use of automobiles to transport reinforcements to the Asiago plateau to counter the Austro-Hungarian Asiago Offensive in May 1916.
The Logistic Regiment "Pozzuolo del Friuli" is a military logistics regiment of the Italian Army based in Remanzacco in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The battalion was formed in 1976 as Logistic Battalion "Mantova" and assigned to the Mechanized Division "Mantova". After the division was disbanded in 1986 the battalion was reorganized as a corps logistic battalion, renamed 8th Maneuver Logistic Battalion "Carso" and assigned to the 5th Army Corps. In 1994, the battalion was reorganized as 8th Maneuver Logistic Regiment "Carso". Today the regiment is the logistic unit of the Cavalry Brigade "Pozzuolo del Friuli". The regiment's anniversary falls, as for all units of the Italian Army's Transport and Materiel Corps, on 22 May, the anniversary of the Royal Italian Army's first major use of automobiles to transport reinforcements to the Asiago plateau to counter the Austro-Hungarian Asiago Offensive in May 1916.
The 231st Signal Battalion "Sempione" is signals unit of the Italian Army. The battalion was formed in 1959 and assigned to the Armored Division "Centauro". In 1975, the battalion was named for the Simplon Pass and received the number 231st, which had been used by the 231st Connections Company that had served with the 131st Armored Division "Centauro" during the Tunisian campaign of World War II. With the name and number the battalion also received its own flag. In 1991, the battalion was disbanded. In 2001, the battalion was reformed and assigned to the 1st Signal Regiment as the regiment's second signal battalion. The battalion's anniversary falls, as for all signal units, on 20 June 1918, the day the Austro-Hungarian Army began its retreat across the Piave river during the Second Battle of the Piave River.
The Transit Areas Management Regiment is a military logistics regiment of the Italian Army based in Bellinzago Novarese and Bari. The regiment is operationally assigned to the Logistic Support Command and manages the reception, staging and onward movement of equipment, personnel, and materiel from Italy to Italian military operations abroad. The regiment provides, together with the 6th General Support Logistic Regiment, third line logistic support for the army's brigades and Rapid Deployable Corps – Italy. The regiment was formed on 1 January 2015 by reorganizing and expanding the 1st Transport Regiment. The regiment's anniversary falls, as for all units of the Italian Army's Transport and Materiel Corps, on 22 May, the anniversary of the Royal Italian Army's first major use of automobiles to transport reinforcements to the Asiago plateau to counter the Austro-Hungarian Asiago Offensive in May 1916.
The 131st Engineer Battalion "Ticino" is an inactive military engineering unit of the Italian Army last based in Novara in Piedmont. The battalion was formed in 1958 and assigned to the Armored Division "Centauro". In 1975, the battalion was named for the Ticino river and received the number 131st, which had been used by the 131st Engineer Company that served with the 131st Armored Division "Centauro" during the Tunisian campaign in World War II. With the name and number the battalion was also assigned the flag and traditions of the 9th Engineer Regiment, which had been active between 1926 and 1943. In 1986, the Armored Division "Centauro" was disbanded and the battalion was assigned to the 3rd Army Corps. In 1993, the battalion was disbanded and part of its personnel joined the 10th Engineer Regiment. The battalion's anniversary falls, as for all engineer units, on 24 June 1918, the last day of the Second Battle of the Piave River.
The Logistic Battalion "Goito" is an inactive military logistics battalion of the Italian Army, which was assigned to the Mechanized Brigade "Goito". The battalion's anniversary falls, as for all units of the Italian Army's Transport and Materiel Corps, on 22 May, the anniversary of the Royal Italian Army's first major use of automobiles to transport reinforcements to the Asiago plateau to counter the Austro-Hungarian Asiago Offensive in May 1916.
The Logistic Battalion "Mameli" is an inactive military logistics battalion of the Italian Army, which was assigned to the Armored Brigade "Mameli". The battalion's anniversary falls, as for all units of the Italian Army's Transport and Materiel Corps, on 22 May, the anniversary of the Royal Italian Army's first major use of automobiles to transport reinforcements to the Asiago plateau to counter the Austro-Hungarian Asiago Offensive in May 1916.
The Logistic Battalion "Granatieri di Sardegna" is an inactive military logistics battalion of the Italian Army, which was assigned to the Mechanized Brigade "Granatieri di Sardegna". The battalion's anniversary falls, as for all units of the Italian Army's Transport and Materiel Corps, on 22 May, the anniversary of the Royal Italian Army's first major use of automobiles to transport reinforcements to the Asiago plateau to counter the Austro-Hungarian Asiago Offensive in May 1916.
The 5th Maneuver Logistic Battalion "Euganeo" is an inactive military logistics battalion of the Italian Army. The battalion was formed in 1976 as Logistic Battalion "Folgore" and assigned to the Mechanized Division "Folgore". After the division was disbanded in 1986 the battalion was reorganized as a corps logistic battalion, renamed 5th Maneuver Logistic Battalion "Euganeo" and assigned to the 5th Army Corps. The battalion was disbanded in 1996. The battalion's anniversary falls, as for all units of the Italian Army's Transport and Materiel Corps, on 22 May, the anniversary of the Royal Italian Army's first major use of automobiles to transport reinforcements to the Asiago plateau to counter the Austro-Hungarian Asiago Offensive in May 1916.
The 50th Maneuver Logistic Battalion "Carnia" is an inactive military logistics battalion of the Italian Army. The battalion was formed in 1975 as Logistic Battalion "Ariete" and assigned to the Armored Division "Ariete". After the division was disbanded in 1986 the battalion was reorganized as a corps logistic battalion, renamed 50th Maneuver Logistic Battalion "Carnia" and assigned to the 5th Army Corps. The battalion was disbanded in 1991. The battalion's anniversary falls, as for all units of the Italian Army's Transport and Materiel Corps, on 22 May, the anniversary of the Royal Italian Army's first major use of automobiles to transport reinforcements to the Asiago plateau to counter the Austro-Hungarian Asiago Offensive in May 1916.
References
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 F. dell'Uomo, R. di Rosa (2001). L'Esercito Italiano verso il 2000 - Vol. Secondo - Tomo II. Rome: SME - Ufficio Storico. p.442.
↑ Stefani, Filippo (1989). La storia della dottrina e degli ordinamenti dell'Esercito Italiano - Vol. III - Tomo 2°. Rome: Ufficio Storico - Stato Maggiore dell'Esercito. p.1188.
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