18th Alpini Regiment

The 18th Alpini Regiment (Italian: 18° 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.

18th Alpini Regiment
18° Reggimento Alpini
Coat of Arms of the 18th Alpini Regiment
Active13 Sept. 1997 – 30 Sept. 2004[1]
CountryItaly
BranchItalian Army
TypeAlpini
RoleMountain Infantry
Size1 Battalion
"Edolo" Battalion
Part ofTridentina Alpine Brigade
1997 - 1998
COMALP
1998 - 2004
Garrison/HQCaserma Battisti in Merano (BZ)
Motto(s)"Dür per Düra"[1]
Anniversaries15 December 1940 - Battle of Dushar (Greece)[1]
EngagementsWorld War I
Battle of Monte Ortigara
World War II
Battle of Nikolayevka
Decorations
1x Military Order of Italy
2x Gold Medals of Military Valour
1x Silver Medal of Military Valour
1x 1908 Messina earthquake Medal of Merit[1]
Insignia
Alpini gorget patches

History

The regiment was formed on 13 September 1991 by elevating the existing "Edolo" Battalion to regiment. Between 1 November 1886 and 1 October 1975 the battalion was one of the battalions of the 5th Alpini Regiment. After the 5th Alpini Regiment was disbanded during the 1975 Italian Army reform the battalion, based in Meran, became one the battalions of the Alpine Brigade "Tridentina". As the traditions and war flag of the 5th Alpini Regiment were assigned to the "Morbegno" battalion, the Edolo battalion was granted a new war flag on 12 November 1976 by decree 846 of the President of the Italian Republic Giovanni Leone.[2] The two Gold Medals of Military Valour and the Messina earthquake Medal of Merit awarded to the 5th Alpini Regiment, were duplicated for the new flag of the Edolo battalion, and the Silver Medal of Military Valour awarded to the Edolo battalion for its conduct at Derna on 29 May 1913 during the Italian conquest of Libya was transferred from the flag of the 5th Alpini to the Edolo's flag.[3]

The main task of the regiment was the training of the recruits for the Alpini regiments based in the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region of northern Italy. On 1 March 1998 the regiment was assigned to the Alpine Corps Command, but with the suspension of compulsory military service the regiment was dissolved on 30 September 2004.

Structure

When the regiment was disbanded it had the following structure:

  • Regimental Command
    • 18th Command and Logistic Support Company "L'indispensabile"
    • Alpini Battalion "Edolo"
      • 50th Alpini Company "La balda"
      • 51st Alpini Company "La veloce"
      • 52nd Alpini Company "La ferrea"
      • 110th Mortar Company "La nobile" (in reserve status since 1975)

Source
  • Franco dell'Uomo, Rodolfo Puletti: L'Esercito Italiano verso il 2000 - Volume Primo - Tomo I, Rome 1998, Stato Maggiore dell'Esercito - Ufficio Storico, page: 519

References
  1. "Le Feste dei Reparti - Dicembre". Italian Army. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  2. "Decreto del Presidente della Repubblica 12 novembre 1976, n. 846". Quirinale - Presidenza della Repubblica. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  3. "Battaglione Alpini Edolo". vecio.it. Retrieved 8 December 2019.

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