| Divisione Meccanizzata "Folgore" | |
|---|---|
 Coat of Arms of the Mechanized Division "Folgore" | |
| Active | 25 September 1944 - 31 October 1986 |
| Country | Italy |
| Branch | Italian Army |
| Role | Armored warfare |
| Part of | V Army Corps |
| Garrison/HQ | Treviso |
| Engagements | World War II |
The Mechanized Division "Folgore" was a mechanized division of the Italian Army. Its core units were three mechanized brigades. The brigades headquarters was in the city of Treviso.
The division's history begins on 25 September 1944 with the formation of the Combat Group "Folgore" of the Italian Co-Belligerent Army with soldiers from the disbanded 184th Infantry Division "Nembo". The name of the combat group was chosen to commemorate the 185th Infantry Division "Folgore", which fought to annihilation in the Second Battle of El Alamein. The "Nembo" itself had been raised in 1942 with the Folgore's 185th Infantry Regiment "Folgore" as its core unit.
The Combat Group "Folgore" consisted of the army's Paratroopers Regiment "Nembo", [1] the navy's Marine Regiment "San Marco", the Paratroopers Artillery Regiment "Folgore" and the CLXXXIV Mixed Engineer Battalion. Both regiments consisted of three infantry battalions, a mortar company armed with British ML 3 inch mortars and an anti-tank company armed with British QF 6 pounder guns. The artillery regiment consisted of four artillery groups with British QF 25 pounder guns, one anti-tank group with British QF 17 pounder guns, and one anti-air group armed with British versions of the Bofors 40 mm gun. [2] Dressed in British uniforms the combat group took part in the Italian Campaign of World War II as part of the British XIII Corps.
During the war the fascist regime in Northern Italy fielded the 1st Paratroopers Arditi Regiment "Folgore", which also fielded a "Nembo" and a "Folgore" battalion.
At the end of World War II the combat group was based in Florence. When the "San Marco" regiment returned to the navy on 5 September 1945 the combat group received the Infantry Regiment "Garibaldi" as replacement. The "Garibaldi" regiment had been formed on 25 April 1945 in Viterbo with repatriated veterans of the Partisan Division "Garibaldi", which had fought alongside Yugoslav Partisans on the Yugoslav Front after the Armistice of Cassibile between Italy and the Western Allies. The "Garibaldi" division had been formed when the 19th Infantry Division "Venezia" on garrison duty in Montenegro refused to surrender or ally with the Germans. The "Venezia", together with men of the 1st Alpine Division "Taurinense", who had refused to surrender too (mainly troops from the Alpini Battalion "Ivrea" and the Mountain Artillery Group "Aosta"), saw heavy combat in Montenegro and out of its 16,000 men only 3,800 made it back to Italy. From these veterans the "Garibaldi" regiment was raised with the battalions "Aosta", "Venezia" and "Torino".
On 15 October 1945 the Combat Group "Folgore" was elevated to division and began to move to the Northern Italian city of Treviso. As the "Folgore" along with the Infantry Division "Mantova" formed the first line of defence towards Yugoslavia the division was augmented with the Divisional Reconnaissance Group "5° Lancieri", the 33rd Field Artillery Regiment, the 41st Anti-tank Field Artillery Regiment, and the 5th Light Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment. On 1 November 1948 the Infantry Regiment "Garibaldi" was renamed 182nd Infantry Regiment "Garibaldi", the Paratroopers Infantry Regiment "Nembo" was renamed 183rd Infantry Regiment "Nembo", [1] and the Paratroopers Artillery Regiment "Folgore" was renamed 184th Field Artillery Regiment. [2]
In 1949 the division was motorized and the Divisional Reconnaissance Group "5° Lancieri" was expanded to regiment and equipped with tanks, changing its name to 5th Armored Cavalry Regiment "Lancieri di Novara". In 1951 the division lost the 41st Anti-tank Field Artillery Regiment and the 5th Light Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment. On 1 July 1953 the 184th Field Artillery Regiment was reformed as 5th Mountain Artillery Regiment, which left the division and joined the Alpine Brigade "Orobica". [2]
On 15 September 1955 the division received the 82nd Infantry Regiment "Torino" from the Infantry Division "Trieste". As the division fielded now three regiments with three motorized infantry battalions each the army decided to reorganize the "Garibaldi" regiment into an armored regiment. On 1 November 1958 the "Garibaldi" finished its reorganization and became the 182nd Armored Infantry Regiment "Garibaldi" with a M47 Patton tank battalion and a mechanized Bersaglieri battalion. In anticipation of the transformation of the "Garibaldi" regiment the 5th Armored Cavalry Regiment "Lancieri di Novara" left the division on 1 April 1957 and was used to raise the Cavalry Brigade "Pozzuolo del Friuli".
On 1 January 1963 the army raised the Paratroopers Brigade "Folgore" in Pisa and both units were allowed to keep the name and traditions of the Italian airborne divisions of World War II. In 1963 the "Folgore" division received the 53rd Infantry Fortification Regiment "Umbria", and in 1964 the XII Squadrons Group "Cavalleggeri di Saluzzo". By 1974 the division was organized as follows:
Infantry Division "Folgore", in Treviso 
53rd Fortification Infantry Regiment "Umbria", in Ialmicco [3] 
82nd Infantry Regiment "Torino", in Gorizia 
182nd Armored Infantry Regiment "Garibaldi", in Sacile [4] 
183rd Infantry Regiment "Nembo", in Cervignano del Friuli [1] 
33rd Field Artillery Regiment, in Treviso [5] The Italian Army undertook a major reform in 1975: the regimental level was abolished and battalions came under direct command of multi-arms brigades. As tensions with Yugoslavia over the city of Trieste were allayed by the Treaty of Osimo and because a reduction of the military service from 15 to 12 months for the army and air force and from 24 to 18 months for the navy, forced the army to reduce its forces by nearly 45,000 troops, it was decided that the units of the Infantry Division "Folgore" would contract to a brigade. Therefore, during 1975 most units of the "Folgore" division were either disbanded or reorganized and on 23 October 1975 the remaining units of the division were used to raise the Mechanized Brigade "Gorizia" in Gorizia. To bring the division back to full strength it received the Mechanized Brigade "Trieste" in Bologna and the Armored Brigade "Vittorio Veneto" in Villa Opicina. By the end of the year the division consisted of the following units.
Mechanized Division "Folgore", in Treviso 
Mechanized Brigade "Gorizia" , in Gorizia 
Mechanized Brigade "Trieste" , in Bologna 
Armored Brigade "Vittorio Veneto" , in Villa Opicina 33rd Heavy Self-propelled Field Artillery Group "Terni", in Treviso (M109G 155 mm self-propelled howitzers) [10] 
184th Heavy Self-propelled Field Artillery Group "Filottrano", in Padua (M114 155 mm towed howitzers, the planned transition to M109G 155 mm self-propelled howitzers was canceled) [11] [2] 
12th Squadrons Group "Cavalleggeri di Saluzzo", in Gorizia (M47 Patton tanks, M113 armored personnel carriers and AR59 Campagnola reconnaissance vehicles)
28th Infantry Battalion "Pavia" (Recruits Training), in Pesaro [12] 53rd Infantry Fortification Battalion "Umbria", in Pavia di Udine (13x companies) [13] 
184th Engineer Battalion "Santerno", in Villa Vicentina
184th Signal Battalion "Cansiglio", in Treviso [14] 
Logistic Battalion "Folgore", in TrevisoThe division was disbanded on 31 October 1986 and its units came under direct command of the 5th Army Corps.
The traditions of both "Folgore" divisions are today carried on by the Paratroopers Brigade "Folgore", while the name of the "Garibaldi" division and regiment live on in the Bersaglieri Brigade "Garibaldi".
The Paratroopers Brigade "Folgore" is an airborne brigade of the Italian Army. Its core units are three battalions of paratroopers (paracadutisti). The name "Folgore" is Italian for lightning. The Folgore is one of three light infantry brigades of the Italian Army. While the Folgore specializes in parachute operations its sister brigade in the Division "Vittorio Veneto" the Airmobile Brigade Friuli specializes in helicopter assault operations. The Folgore and its units are based in Tuscany, Veneto and Lazio.
On March 1, 1984 the Italian Institute for Disarmament, Development and Peace (Istituto di ricerche per il disarmo, lo sviluppo e la pace in Rome published the entire Italian Army order of battle down to company level – this was justified by the radical party as one of its core demands was total disarmament of Europe, even though the data which was published was top secret. The Radical Party dissolved in 1989 and the IRDISP followed suit in 1990. But Radio Radicale has survived, and the OrBat can still be found today on the homepage of the radio.
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.
The Mechanized Brigade "Granatieri di Sardegna" is a mechanized infantry brigade of the Italian Army, based in Rome and central Italy. The brigade fields one of the oldest regiments of the Army and is one of the guard regiments of the President of Italy. The name of the unit dates back to the Kingdom of Sardinia and not the eponymous Mediterranean island of Sardinia. The brigade is part of the Division "Acqui".
The Mechanized Brigade "Aosta" is a mechanized infantry brigade of the Italian Army based on the island of Sicily. The Brigade is one of the oldest of the Italian Army and the name connects the brigade to its original area of recruitment the Aosta Valley and therefore the brigade's coat of arms is modeled after the coat of arms of Aosta. The brigade is part of the Division "Acqui".
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 Armored Brigade "Vittorio Veneto" was an armored brigade of the Italian Army. Its core units were armored and mechanized cavalry squadrons groups. The brigade's headquarters was in the city of Villa Opicina, with most of its units based in the Province of Trieste. The brigade's name was chosen to remember the decisive Italian World War I victory at the Battle of Vittorio Veneto.
The 132nd Armored Brigade "Ariete" is currently the only active armored brigade of the Italian Army. Its core units are tank and Bersaglieri regiments. The brigade's headquarters is in Pordenone, and most of its units are based in the North-East of Italy. The brigade's name comes from the battering ram. The brigade draws much of its historical traditions from the 132nd Armored Division "Ariete," which fought in the Western Desert Campaign of World War II. In 1948, the Ariete was reconstituted as a division and remained active until 1986. Today the brigade is part of the Division "Vittorio Veneto".
The Mechanized Brigade "Gorizia" was a mechanized brigade of the Italian Army. Its core units were mechanized infantry battalions. The brigade's headquarters was in the city of Gorizia and the brigade's units were based in the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The brigade's name was chosen in memory of the World War I Battle of Gorizia. The brigade's sister brigade, the Armored Brigade "Vittorio Veneto", was named to commemorate the World War I Battle of Vittorio Veneto.
The Mechanized Brigade "Brescia" was a mechanized brigade of the Italian Army. Its core units were mechanized infantry battalions. The brigade was founded in, named after, and headquartered in the city of Brescia and accordingly the brigade's coat of arms was modeled after the city's coat of arms.
The Mechanized Brigade "Mantova" was a mechanized brigade of the Italian Army. Its core units were mechanized infantry battalions. The brigade's headquarters was in the city of Cividale del Friuli and all the brigade's units were based in the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. In 2003, the "Mantova" was raised again as a division command.
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".
The Mechanized Brigade "Trieste" was a mechanized brigade of the Italian Army. Its core units were mechanized infantry battalions. The brigade's headquarter was in the city of Bologna. Named after the North-Eastern city of Trieste the brigade's coat of arms was modeled after the city's coat of arms.
The following is a hierarchical outline for the Italian Army at the end of the Cold War. It is intended to convey the connections and relationships between units and formations.
With the 1975 reforms the Italian Army abolished the regimental level and replaced it with brigades made up of multiple arms. During the reform the army disbanded 48 regimental commands and reduced its force by 87 battalions. A further ten regimental commands were used to raise ten new brigade commands. Ten training centers, which for traditional reasons had carried the names of regiments, were also disbanded. The reduction in units also allowed to mechanize most of the remaining units in Northern Italy and Italy's defense strategy changed from a hold-at-all-costs territorial defense to one of mobile warfare.
The 183rd Paratroopers Regiment "Nembo" is an active unit of the Italian Army based in Pistoia in Tuscany. The regiment is part of the Italian Army's infantry arm's Paracadutisti speciality and assigned to the Paratroopers Brigade "Folgore".
The Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Saluzzo" (12th) is an inactive cavalry unit of the Italian Army. The regiment was formed during the First Italian War of Independence and participated in the Second Italian War of Independence, Crimean War, and Third Italian War of Independence. In World War I the regiment fought dismounted on the Italian Front. During World War II the regiment was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division "Eugenio di Savoia", which was deployed to occupied Yugoslavia on anti-partisan duty. The division and its units were disbanded after the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile by invading German forces. During the Cold War the unit served as the reconnaissance group of the Mechanized Division "Folgore" and after 1986 as a mechanized group of the Mechanized Brigade "Vittorio Veneto". At the end of the Cold War the regiment was disbanded.
The 182nd Armored Infantry Regiment "Garibaldi" is an inactive unit of the Italian Army last based in Sacile in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The regiment was part of the Italian Army's infantry arm and was last assigned to the Infantry Division "Folgore".
The 184th Artillery Regiment "Nembo" is an inactive field artillery regiment of the Italian Army, which was based in Gradisca d'Isonzo in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Originally an artillery regiment of the Royal Italian Army, the regiment was assigned in World War II to the 184th Infantry Division "Nembo", which was Italy's second paratroopers divisions. After the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile the division and regiment joined the Italian Liberation Corps and fought on the allied side in the Italian campaign. In 1944 the regiment joined the Combat Group "Folgore" of the Italian Co-belligerent Army and was assigned to the British XIII Corps. During the Cold War the regiment was assigned to the Infantry Division "Folgore" and from 1976 the Mechanized Division "Folgore". The regiment was disbanded in 1996. The regimental anniversary falls, as for all Italian Army artillery regiments, on June 15, the beginning of the Second Battle of the Piave River in 1918.
 Esercito Italiano (Army)  Marina Militare (Navy)  Aeronautica Militare (Air Force)  Arma dei Carabinieri (Gendarmerie) | |||||||
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 One-star rank (OF 6) |
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