The
2nd Alpini Regiment is a
light InfantryTraditionally light infantry were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, harassing and delaying the enemy advance. Light infantry was distinct from medium, heavy or line infantry. Heavy infantry were dedicated primarily to fighting in tight...
regimentA regiment is a military unit, composed of variable numbers of battalions, commanded by a Colonel. A regiment can be broken into two distinct categories, one being an administrative unit which is responsible for non-operational management of battalions , while the other being a deployable combat...
of the
Italian ArmyThe Italian Army is the ground defence force of the Italian Republic. It has recently become a professional all-volunteer force of active-duty personnel, numbering 109,703 in 2008...
, specializing in
mountain combatMountain warfare refers to warfare in the mountains or similarly rough terrain. This type of warfare is also called Alpine warfare, named after the Alps mountains...
. The
AlpiniThe Alpini, , are the elite mountain warfare soldiers of the Italian Army. They are currently organized in two operational brigades, which are subordinated to the Alpini Corps Command. The singular is Alpino ....
are a mountain infantry corps of the Italian Army, that distinguished itself in combat during
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
and
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The regiment was disbanded in 1943 due to losses on the
Eastern FrontThe Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of war between the European Axis powers, Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Croatia and Finland , and the Soviet Union which encompassed central and eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9...
, however one of its component battalions, the Saluzzo Battalion, was reformed in November 1945 after the end of hostilities in Europe. The regiment itself was reformed in 1963 as a training unit, however, following a restructuring of the Italian Army in 1974 it was disbanded once again.
The
2nd Alpini Regiment is a
light InfantryTraditionally light infantry were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, harassing and delaying the enemy advance. Light infantry was distinct from medium, heavy or line infantry. Heavy infantry were dedicated primarily to fighting in tight...
regimentA regiment is a military unit, composed of variable numbers of battalions, commanded by a Colonel. A regiment can be broken into two distinct categories, one being an administrative unit which is responsible for non-operational management of battalions , while the other being a deployable combat...
of the
Italian ArmyThe Italian Army is the ground defence force of the Italian Republic. It has recently become a professional all-volunteer force of active-duty personnel, numbering 109,703 in 2008...
, specializing in
mountain combatMountain warfare refers to warfare in the mountains or similarly rough terrain. This type of warfare is also called Alpine warfare, named after the Alps mountains...
. The
AlpiniThe Alpini, , are the elite mountain warfare soldiers of the Italian Army. They are currently organized in two operational brigades, which are subordinated to the Alpini Corps Command. The singular is Alpino ....
are a mountain infantry corps of the Italian Army, that distinguished itself in combat during
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
and
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The regiment was disbanded in 1943 due to losses on the
Eastern FrontThe Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of war between the European Axis powers, Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Croatia and Finland , and the Soviet Union which encompassed central and eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9...
, however one of its component battalions, the Saluzzo Battalion, was reformed in November 1945 after the end of hostilities in Europe. The regiment itself was reformed in 1963 as a training unit, however, following a restructuring of the Italian Army in 1974 it was disbanded once again. In 1992 the regiment was raised once again and today it consists of only the Saluzzo Battalion, based at
Borgo San DalmazzoBorgo San Dalmazzo is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 80 km south of Turin and about 8 km southwest of Cuneo...
as part of the
Taurinense BrigadeThe Alpine Brigade Taurinense is a light Infantry brigade of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. Its core units are the Alpini, the mountain infantry corps of the Italian Army, that distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II.The brigade’s name "Taurinense"...
.
Formation
The 2nd Alpini Regiment was formed on 1 November 1882. It consisted of the three battalions:
Col TendaCol de Tende is a high mountain pass in the Alps, on the border of France and Italy.It separates the Maritime Alps from the Ligurian Alps. It connects Nice and Tende in Alpes-Maritimes with Cuneo in Piedmont....
,
Val SchioSchio is a town and comune in the province of Vicenza situated North of Vicenza and East of the Lake of Garda. It is surrounded by the Little Dolomites and Mount Pasubio.-History:...
and
Val PesioChiusa di Pesio is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 80 km south of Turin and about 13 km southeast of Cuneo, on the border with France...
, named after the valleys and localities from which their soldiers were recruited. In 1886 the Battalions were renamed, taking their new names from the location of their main logistic depot:
Borgo San DalmazzoBorgo San Dalmazzo is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 80 km south of Turin and about 8 km southwest of Cuneo...
,
VinadioVinadio is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 100 km southwest of Turin and about 30 km southwest of Cuneo, on the border with France...
(later renamed Saluzzo) and
DroneroDronero is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 70 km southwest of Turin and about 15 km northwest of Cuneo at the entrance of the Valle Maira.-Main sights:...
.
The "Saluzzo" battalion saw the regiment's first action in the
Italo-Turkish WarThe Italo-Turkish or Turco-Italian War was fought between the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Italy from September 29, 1911 to October 18, 1912.As a result of this conflict, Italy was awarded the Ottoman provinces of Tripolitania, Fezzan, and Cyrenaica...
of 1911, fighting Ottoman forces in the
LibyanA Libyan is a person or thing of, from, or related to Libya in North Africa.The term Libyan may also refer to:* A person from Libya, or of Libyan descent. For information about the Libyan people, see Demographics of Libya and Culture of Libya. For specific persons, see List of Libyans.* Libyan...
desert.
World War I
During World War I the regiment consisted of 10 battalions and saw heavy fighting in the
AlpsThe Alps are one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east; through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany; to France in the west....
against
Austria’sAustria–Hungary, also known as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the k.u.k. Monarchy, or Dual State, was a monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in Central Europe...
Kaiserjäger and
Germany’sThe German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871 to 1918, when it became a German republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of Wilhelm II .The term Second Reich...
AlpenkorpsThe Alpenkorps was a provisional mountain unit of division size formed by the Imperial German Army during World War I. It was considered by the Allies to be one of the best units of the German Army.-Formation:...
. The battalions of the regiment in these days were (pre-war raised units in bold, followed by their first and second line reserve battalions):
- Borgo San Dalmazzo, Val Stura, Monte Argentera, Cuneo
- Dronero, Val Maira, Bicocca
- Saluzzo, Val Varaita, Monte Viso
Interwar Period
On 31 October 1935 the 4th Alpine Division “Cuneense” was formed and was composed of the
1st AlpiniThe 1st Alpini Regiment was a light Infantry regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. The Alpini are a mountain infantry corps of the Italian Army, that distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II.- Formation :...
and 2nd Alpini Regiments and the
4th Mountain Artillery RegimentThe 4th Mountain Artillery Regiment was a field artillery regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in mountain combat. Since their formation the Mountain Artillery Regiments have served alongside the Alpini, a mountain infantry corps of the Italian Army, that distinguished itself in combat during...
. As part of the
5 Alpine Division PusteriaThe 5th Alpini Division Pusteria was a light Infantry division of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. The Alpini are a mountain infantry corps of the Italian Army, that distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II...
the "Saluzzo" battalion fought in 1936 in the
Second Italo-Abyssinian WarThe Second Italo–Abyssinian War was a brief colonial war that started in October 1935 and ended in May 1936. The war was fought between the armed forces of the Kingdom of Italy and the armed forces of the Ethiopian Empire...
.
At the time the regiment consisted of 160 officers and 5,046 NCOs and soldiers for a total strength of 5,206 men. The regiment also had 23 horses, 1,242 mules and 109 transport vehicles at its disposal. The order of Battle was as follows:
-
2nd Alpini Regiment HQ based in CuneoCuneo is a city in Piedmont, northern Italy, the capital of the province of Cuneo, the third largest of Italy’s provinces by area...
- Command Company in Cuneo
- Borgo San Dalmazzo Alpini Battalion in Cuneo
- 13th Alpini Company in Cuneo
- 14th Alpini Company in Cuneo
- 15th Alpini Company in Cuneo
- 104th Support Arms Company in Cuneo
- Dronero Alpini Battalion in Dronero
Dronero is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 70 km southwest of Turin and about 15 km northwest of Cuneo at the entrance of the Valle Maira.-Main sights:...
- 17th Alpini Company in Dronero
- 18th Alpini Company in San Damiano Macra
San Damiano Macra is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 70 km southwest of Turin and about 25 km northwest of Cuneo...
- 19th Alpini Company in Dronero
- 105th Support Arms Company in Dronero
- Saluzzo Alpini Battalion in Vinadio
Vinadio is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 100 km southwest of Turin and about 30 km southwest of Cuneo, on the border with France...
- 21st Alpini Company in Vinadio
- 22nd Alpini Company in Demonte
Demonte is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 90 km southwest of Turin and about 20 km southwest of Cuneo, in the Valle Stura di Demonte....
- 23rd Alpini Company in Demonte
- 106th Support Arms Company in Demonte
- 14th 47/32 M35 Cannon
The Cannone da 47/32 M35 was an Austrian artillery piece produced under license in Italy during World War II. It was used both as an infantry gun and an anti-tank gun....
Company in Cuneo
- 2nd Health Company in Cuneo
- 615th Field Hospital
A field hospital is a large mobile medical unit that temporarily takes care of casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent hospital facilities...
in Dronero
- 2nd Sanitary Support Company in Dronero
- 22nd Baggage Train Company in Bene Vagienna
Bene Vagienna is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 60 km south of Turin and about 30 km northeast of Cuneo...
World War II
On 21 June 1940 (one day before the French surrender) the “Cuneense” division began to advance with other Italian units into
Southern FranceIn World War II, the Battle of France, also known as the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, executed from 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations...
. The division was then sent to Albania, where it participated in the
Italian attackThe Greco-Italian War was a conflict between Italy and Greece which lasted from 28 October 1940 to 23 April 1941. It marked the beginning of the Balkans Campaign of World War II...
on Greece. As the German
WehrmachtWehrmacht was the name of the unified armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe ....
came to the aid of the beaten Italian armies in Albania in April 1941 through a
invasion of YugoslaviaThe Invasion of Yugoslavia , also known as the April War , was the Axis Powers' attack on Kingdom of Yugoslavia on April 6, 1941 during World War II...
the “Cuneense” was sent north to aid the rapidly advancing German divisions, advancing through
MontenegroMontenegro , is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast, Kosovo to the east and Albania to the south...
and reaching
Dubrovnik||-||-||-||-||-||-||}Dubrovnik , is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast in the extreme south of Dalmatia, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county...
at the end of the campaign.
In September 1942 the “Cuneense” was sent together with the Alpini divisions
JuliaThe 3rd Alpine Division Julia was a World War II light Infantry division of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. The Alpini that formed the divisions are a highly decorated and elite mountain corps of the Italian Army comprising both infantry and artillery units...
and
TridentinaThe 2nd Alpine Division Tridentina was a World War II light Infantry division of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. The Alpini that formed the divisions are a highly decorated and elite mountain corps of the Italian Army comprising both infantry and artillery units...
and other Italian units to the
Soviet UnionThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
to form the
ARMIRThe Italian participation in the Eastern Front during World War II began after the launch of Operation Barbarossa on 22 June 1941. Barbarossa was the German war against the Soviet Union...
(Armata Italiana in Russia or Italian Army in Russia) and fight alongside the Germans against the
Red ArmyThe Red Army The Red Army The Red Army was the Soviet government’s revolutionary militia beginning in the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the USSR. Since 1946, after the Second World War, it was called the Soviet Army.The 'Red...
. Taking up positions along the
Don RiverThe Don is one of the major rivers of Russia. It rises in the town of Novomoskovsk 60 kilometres southeast from Tula, southeast of Moscow, and flows for a distance of about 1,950 kilometres to the Sea of Azov....
the Italian units covered part of the left flank of the German Sixth Army, which spearheaded the German
summer offensive of 1942Case Blue was the German codename used by the German Armed Forces for its 1942 strategic summer offensive in southern Russia that lasted between 28 June and 19 August 1942....
into the city of
StalingradThe Battle of Stalingrad was a battle of World War II between Nazi Germany and its allies and the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in southwestern Russia. The battle took place between 17 July 1942 and 2 February 1943....
.
After successfully encircling the German Sixth army in Stalingrad the Red Army’s attention turned to the Italian units along the river Don. On 14 January 1943, the Soviet offensive Operation Little Saturn began and the three Alpini division found themselves quickly encircled by the rapidly advancing armoured Soviet Forces. The Alpinis held the front on the Don, but within three days the Soviets advanced 200 km to the left and right of the Alpini. On the evening of 17 January the commanding officer of the Italian Mountain corps General Gabriele Nasci finally ordered a full retreat. At this point the Julia and Cuneense divisions were already heavily decimated and only the Tridentina division was still capable of conducting combat operations. As the Soviets had already occupied every village bitter battles had to be fought to clear the way. On the morning of 28 January the last men of the 2nd Alpini Regiment had walked 200 km, fought in 20 battles and spent 11 nights camped out in the middle of the Russian
SteppeIn physical geography, a steppe is a biome region characterised by grassland plain without trees . The prairie can be considered a steppe. It may be semi-desert, or covered with grass or shrubs or both, depending on the season and latitude...
. Temperatures during the nights were between -30°C and -40°C. During the 28th the last remnants of the regiment were annihilated by Cossack forces.
On 11 February 1943, the survivors were counted and out of 5,206 men of the 1st Alpini Regiment just 208 had survived; none of the soldiers of the battalions
Borgo San Dalmazzo and
Saluzzo had survived.
The survivors were repatriated and after the signing of the
Italian armistice with the AlliesThe Armistice with Italy was an armistice signed on September 3 and publicly declared on September 8, 1943, during World War II, between Italy and the Allied armed forces, who were then occupying the southern end of the country, entailing the capitulation of Italy...
on 8 September 1943 the regiment dissolved.
The Cold War
After World War II the "Saluzzo" battalion was reformed on 23 November 1945 as part of the
4th Alpini regimentThe 4th Alpini Regiment was a light Infantry regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. The Alpini are a mountain infantry corps of the Italian Army, that distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II...
and it carried on the traditions and
regimental coloursRegimental colours are the ceremonial flags of military regiments. Historically, their roots can be traced back at least as far as the Roman Empire.In many countries, regiments may have two colours, rather than one...
of the 2nd Alpini. The regiment itself was reformed on 1 July 1963 as a training unit with four battalions, which were named for the four Alpini Brigades to which the conscripts were sent after training:
TridentinaThe Alpini Brigade Tridentina was a light Infantry brigade of the Italian Army, specializing in mountain warfare. Its core units were the Alpini, the mountain infantry corps of the Italian Army, that distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II...
,
OrobicaThe Alpine Brigade Orobica was a light Infantry brigade of the Italian Army, specializing in mountain warfare. Its core units were the Alpini, the mountain infantry corps of the Italian Army, that distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II.- Constitution :The Orobica was...
,
CadoreThe Alpini Brigade Cadore was a light Infantry brigade of the Italian Army, specializing in mountain warfare. Its core units were the Alpini, the mountain infantry corps of the Italian Army, that distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II. The brigade was based in the...
and
TaurinenseThe Alpine Brigade Taurinense is a light Infantry brigade of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. Its core units are the Alpini, the mountain infantry corps of the Italian Army, that distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II.The brigade’s name "Taurinense"...
battalions. On 31 October 1974 the regiment was disbanded in the 1974 restructuring of the Italian Army and the colours passed again to the "Saluzzo" battalion. After the disbandment of the regimental level in the Italian Army, the "Saluzzo" battalion came under direct control of the "
TaurinenseThe Alpine Brigade Taurinense is a light Infantry brigade of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. Its core units are the Alpini, the mountain infantry corps of the Italian Army, that distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II.The brigade’s name "Taurinense"...
" brigade.
Today
On 28 August 1992, the 2nd Alpini Regiment was recreated again and the "Saluzzo" became its single battalion. Today the 2nd Regiment consists of the “Saluzzo” battalion, the regimental command and a logistic support company. The regiment is based in Borgo San Dalmazzo in the province of
CuneoCuneo is a province in the southwest of the Piedmont region of Italy. To the west it borders on the French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur ....
and part of the Taurinense Brigade.
- Regimental Command
- Command and Logistic Support Company
- Alpini Battalion Saluzzo
Saluzzo is a town and former principality in the province of Cuneo, Piedmont region, Italy.The city of Saluzzo is built on a hill overlooking a vast, well-cultivated plain. Iron, lead, silver, marble, slate etc...
- 21st Alpini Company
- 22nd Alpini Company
- 23rd Alpini Company
- 106th Mortar Company
- 217th Anti-Tank Company
"Val Maira"
See also
- 3 Alpini Regiment
The 3rd Alpini Regiment is a light Infantry regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. The Alpini are a mountain infantry corps of the Italian Army, that distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II ....
- 9 Alpini Regiment
The 9th Alpini Regiment is a light Infantry regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. The Alpini are a mountain infantry corps of the Italian Army, that distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II....
- Alpine Brigade Taurinense
The Alpine Brigade Taurinense is a light Infantry brigade of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. Its core units are the Alpini, the mountain infantry corps of the Italian Army, that distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II.The brigade’s name "Taurinense"...
- Italian Army
The Italian Army is the ground defence force of the Italian Republic. It has recently become a professional all-volunteer force of active-duty personnel, numbering 109,703 in 2008...
External links