Garibaldi Bersaglieri Brigade
Encyclopedia
The Garibaldi Bersaglieri Brigade is a mechanized infantry
brigade
of the Italian Army
, based in the south of the country.
on November 1, 1975 by augmenting and renaming the existing 8th Bersaglieri Regiment of the Armored Division Ariete. In remembrance of the Bersaglieri
s combat service during the Italian unification
the brigade was awarded the name Garibaldi to honor the memory of General and national hero Giuseppe Garibaldi
. The brigade was subordinated to the Armored Division Ariete and consisted of the following units:
On July 1, 1976 the brigade received the 11th Bersaglieri Battalion Caprera.
During the Cold War
the Armored Division Ariete along with the Mechanized Divisions Mantova and Folgore was tasked to stop any Warsaw Pact
advances into Italy. With the abolition of the divisional level in the Italian army on October 1, 1986 the brigade came under direct control of the 5th Army Corps.
and the following massive reorganization of the Italian Army the brigade was transferred to the South of Italy. The brigade finished the move south to the city of Caserta
and declared full operational capability on July 1, 1991. Along with the move the brigade changed its name to 8th Bersaglieri Brigade Garibaldi to reflect the changed composition of its subordinated units:
Following the move the brigade became the first brigade in Italy to fully professionalize. From 1992 onwards all soldiers of the brigade were professional soldiers or long term volunteers. During the later 1990s the brigades composition was continuously changed as a result of the massive reduction of forces after the Cold War. On September 1, 1994 the brigade dropped the number from its name and with the renaming of the 11th Self-propelled Field Artillery Regiment Teramo as 8th Artillery Regiment Pasubio on October 1, 2001 the brigades transformation was finally complete.
All regiment
s are battalion
sized.
main battle tank
s, 14x Dardo
Infantry Fighting Vehicle
s, 8x Dardo Anti-tank vehicles, 34x Lince
Light Multirole vehicles, 6x M106A1 120mm Mortar
carriers and 4x M577 Command vehicles.
The Bersaglieri regiments were similarly proposed to be fielding 14x Ariete
main battle tank
s, 28x Dardo
Infantry Fighting Vehicle
s, 8x Dardo Anti-tank vehicles, 41x Lince
Light Multirole vehicles, 8x M106A1 120mm Mortar
carriers and 4x M577 Command vehicles.
However, at the moment, no step have been yet undertaken to implement the aforementioned reform, but the handing over of a number of ARIETE tanks to re-equip GARIBALDI Brigade's 131st tank regiment.
The artillery regiment has recently started to be equipped with 18x PzH 2000
self-propelled howitzer
s (delivery ongoing).
Mechanized infantry
Mechanized infantry are infantry equipped with armored personnel carriers , or infantry fighting vehicles for transport and combat ....
brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
of the Italian Army
Italian Army
The Italian Army is the ground defence force of the Italian Armed Forces. It is all-volunteer force of active-duty personnel, numbering 108,355 in 2010. Its best-known combat vehicles are the Dardo infantry fighting vehicle, the Centauro tank destroyer and the Ariete tank, and among its aircraft...
, based in the south of the country.
Formation
The Brigade was formed in the north-eastern city of PordenonePordenone
Pordenone is a comune of Pordenone province of northeast Italy in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region.The name comes from the Latin "Portus Naonis" meaning the port on the river Noncello - History :...
on November 1, 1975 by augmenting and renaming the existing 8th Bersaglieri Regiment of the Armored Division Ariete. In remembrance of the Bersaglieri
Bersaglieri
The Bersaglieri are a corps of the Italian Army originally created by General Alessandro La Marmora on 18 June 1836 to serve in the Piedmontese Army, later to become the Royal Italian Army...
s combat service during the Italian unification
Italian unification
Italian unification was the political and social movement that agglomerated different states of the Italian peninsula into the single state of Italy in the 19th century...
the brigade was awarded the name Garibaldi to honor the memory of General and national hero Giuseppe Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian military and political figure. In his twenties, he joined the Carbonari Italian patriot revolutionaries, and fled Italy after a failed insurrection. Garibaldi took part in the War of the Farrapos and the Uruguayan Civil War leading the Italian Legion, and...
. The brigade was subordinated to the Armored Division Ariete and consisted of the following units:
- Garibaldi Command and Signal Battalion
- 7th Armored Battalion M.O. Di Dio
- 3rd Bersaglieri Battalion Cernaia
- 26th Bersaglieri Battalion Castelfidardo
- 19th Self-propelled Field Artillery Group Rialto
- Garibaldi Logistic Battalion
On July 1, 1976 the brigade received the 11th Bersaglieri Battalion Caprera.
During the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
the Armored Division Ariete along with the Mechanized Divisions Mantova and Folgore was tasked to stop any Warsaw Pact
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance , or more commonly referred to as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe...
advances into Italy. With the abolition of the divisional level in the Italian army on October 1, 1986 the brigade came under direct control of the 5th Army Corps.
1990s
With the end of the Cold WarCold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
and the following massive reorganization of the Italian Army the brigade was transferred to the South of Italy. The brigade finished the move south to the city of Caserta
Caserta
Caserta is the capital of the province of Caserta in the Campania region of Italy. It is an important agricultural, commercial and industrial comune and city. Caserta is located on the edge of the Campanian plain at the foot of the Campanian Subapennine mountain range...
and declared full operational capability on July 1, 1991. Along with the move the brigade changed its name to 8th Bersaglieri Brigade Garibaldi to reflect the changed composition of its subordinated units:
- Garibaldi Command and Signal Battalion
- 31st Armored Battalion M.O. Andreani
- 19th Cavalry Squadron Cavalleggeri Guide
- 3rd Bersaglieri Battalion Cernaia
- 67th Bersaglieri Battalion Fagarè
- 91st Infantry Battalion Lucania
- 11th Self-propelled Field Artillery Group Teramo
- Garibaldi Logistic Battalion
Following the move the brigade became the first brigade in Italy to fully professionalize. From 1992 onwards all soldiers of the brigade were professional soldiers or long term volunteers. During the later 1990s the brigades composition was continuously changed as a result of the massive reduction of forces after the Cold War. On September 1, 1994 the brigade dropped the number from its name and with the renaming of the 11th Self-propelled Field Artillery Regiment Teramo as 8th Artillery Regiment Pasubio on October 1, 2001 the brigades transformation was finally complete.
Structure
-
1st Bersaglieri Regiment in CosenzaCosenzaCosenza is a city in southern Italy, located at the confluence of two historic rivers: the Busento and the Crathis. The municipal population is of around 70,000; the urban area, however, counts over 260,000 inhabitants...
(CalabriaCalabriaCalabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
) -
8th Bersaglieri Regiment in Caserta (Campania) -
131st Tank Regiment in Persano (Campania) -
19th Cavalry Regiment "Cavalleggeri Guide" in SalernoSalernoSalerno is a city and comune in Campania and is the capital of the province of the same name. It is located on the Gulf of Salerno on the Tyrrhenian Sea....
(Campania) -
8th Self propelled Artillery Regiment "Pasubio" in Persano (Campania) -
21st Engineer Regiment in Caserta (Campania)
All regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
s are battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
sized.
Equipment
A proposal was made on the Italian Army Magazine to reform the tank regiments, to be equipped with 30x ArieteAriete
The C1 Ariete is the main battle tank of the Italian Army, developed by a consortium formed by Iveco-Fiat and Oto Melara . The chassis and engine were produced by Iveco, while the turret and fire-control system were produced by Oto Melara...
main battle tank
Main battle tank
A main battle tank , also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the heavy direct fire role of many modern armies. They were originally conceived to replace the light, medium, heavy and super-heavy tanks. Development was spurred onwards in the Cold War with the development...
s, 14x Dardo
Dardo IFV
The Dardo is a infantry fighting vehicle designed for the Italian Army as a replacement for the M113 APC. It is designed and built by the Iveco Fiat Oto Melara Syndicated Company based in Rome...
Infantry Fighting Vehicle
Infantry fighting vehicle
An infantry fighting vehicle , also known as a mechanized infantry combat vehicle , is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to carry infantry into battle and provide fire support for them...
s, 8x Dardo Anti-tank vehicles, 34x Lince
Iveco LMV
Iveco LMV is a 4WD tactical vehicle developed by Iveco, and in service with several countries.After its adoption by the Italian Army under the name VTLM Lince , it won the “FCLV” competition of the British Army as the Panther and has been adopted by the armies of Belgium, Croatia, Norway, Russia...
Light Multirole vehicles, 6x M106A1 120mm Mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
carriers and 4x M577 Command vehicles.
The Bersaglieri regiments were similarly proposed to be fielding 14x Ariete
Ariete
The C1 Ariete is the main battle tank of the Italian Army, developed by a consortium formed by Iveco-Fiat and Oto Melara . The chassis and engine were produced by Iveco, while the turret and fire-control system were produced by Oto Melara...
main battle tank
Main battle tank
A main battle tank , also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the heavy direct fire role of many modern armies. They were originally conceived to replace the light, medium, heavy and super-heavy tanks. Development was spurred onwards in the Cold War with the development...
s, 28x Dardo
Dardo IFV
The Dardo is a infantry fighting vehicle designed for the Italian Army as a replacement for the M113 APC. It is designed and built by the Iveco Fiat Oto Melara Syndicated Company based in Rome...
Infantry Fighting Vehicle
Infantry fighting vehicle
An infantry fighting vehicle , also known as a mechanized infantry combat vehicle , is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to carry infantry into battle and provide fire support for them...
s, 8x Dardo Anti-tank vehicles, 41x Lince
Iveco LMV
Iveco LMV is a 4WD tactical vehicle developed by Iveco, and in service with several countries.After its adoption by the Italian Army under the name VTLM Lince , it won the “FCLV” competition of the British Army as the Panther and has been adopted by the armies of Belgium, Croatia, Norway, Russia...
Light Multirole vehicles, 8x M106A1 120mm Mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
carriers and 4x M577 Command vehicles.
However, at the moment, no step have been yet undertaken to implement the aforementioned reform, but the handing over of a number of ARIETE tanks to re-equip GARIBALDI Brigade's 131st tank regiment.
The artillery regiment has recently started to be equipped with 18x PzH 2000
PzH 2000
The Panzerhaubitze 2000 , abbreviated PzH 2000, is a German 155 mm self-propelled howitzer developed by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Rheinmetall for the German Army. The PzH 2000 is one of the most powerful conventional artillery systems currently deployed...
self-propelled howitzer
Self-propelled artillery
Self-propelled artillery vehicles are combat vehicles armed with artillery. Within the term are covered self-propelled guns and rocket artillery...
s (delivery ongoing).