11th Alpini Regiment

11th Alpini Regiment
11° Reggimento Alpini
Regimental coat of arms
Active	22 Dec. 1935 — 12 Sept. 1943 1 Oct. 1975 — 18 March 2002
Country	Italy
Branch	Italian Army
Type	Mountain Infantry
Part of	Alpine Brigade "Tridentina"
Garrison/HQ	Bruneck
Motto(s)	"Audacemente ascendere"
Anniversaries	15 February 1936
Decorations	2x Bronze Medals of Military Valor 1x Bronze Medal of Red Cross Merit
Insignia
Alpini gorget patches

The 11th Alpini Regiment (Italian: 11° Reggimento Alpini) is an inactive mountain warfare regiment of the Italian Army last based in Bruneck in South Tyrol. The regiment belongs to the Italian Army's Alpini infantry speciality and was last assigned to the Alpine Brigade "Tridentina". The regiment was formed by the Royal Italian Army on 22 December 1935 and assigned assigned to the 5th Alpine Division "Pusteria", with which it participated in the Second Italo-Ethiopian War. During World War II the regiment fought in the invasion of France and the Greco-Italian War. Afterwards the "Pusteria" division served on occupation duty in Montenegro and, after the occupation of Vichy France, in Alpes-Maritimes. On 8 September 1943, the Armistice of Cassibile was announced and four days later, on 12 September 1943, invading German forces disbanded the 11th Alpini Regiment. The regiment's anniversary falls on 15 February 1936, the day the Battle of Amba Aradam was fought, during which the regiment distinguished itself and was awarded a Bronze Medal of Military Valor.^[1][2]

On 22 December 1935, the Royal Italian Army formed the command of the 11th Alpini Regiment in the city of Bruneck. Although the regiment was the tenth Alpini regiment to be formed, its was numbered as 11th Alpini Regiment, as the fascist regime had declared that the National Alpini Association, which had been founded on 8 July 1919 and included all veterans and reservists of the Alpini speciality, as the "10th Alpini Regiment". Hence the Royal Italian Army and later the Italian Army, never used the number 10 for an Alpini regiment.^[1][2]

After its formation the 11th Alpini Regiment received the Alpini Battalion "Saluzzo" from the 2nd Alpini Regiment, the Alpini Battalion "Intra" from the 4th Alpini Regiment, and the Alpini Battalion "Trento" from the 6th Alpini Regiment. On 31 December of the same year, the 11th Alpini Regiment was assigned to the newly formed 5th Alpine Division "Pusteria", which also included the 7th Alpini Regiment and 5th Alpine Artillery Regiment "Pusteria". On 6 January 1936 the "Pusteria" division, which had been formed for the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, embarked in Livorno and Naples for the transfer to Massawa in Eritrea. The same month the 6th Alpini Regiment formed the command and the 643rd Company of the XI Replacements Battalion. The replacement troops were volunteers drawn from the regiments, which had transferred battalions to the 11th Alpini Regiment for the war. The XI Replacements Battalion consisted of the 609th, 623rd, and 635th companies, with the 609th Company having been formed by the 2nd Alpini Regiment, the 623rd Company having been formed by the 4th Alpini Regiment, and the 635th Company by the 6th Alpini Regiment. Each of the three companies used a different colored Nappina on the their Cappello Alpino, with the color corresponding to the battalion of the deployed regiment the company was meant to support. The XI Replacements Battalion was attached to 11th Alpini Regiment and immediately shipped to Eritrea, where in the meantime the "Pusteria" was engaged in combat against Ethiopian troops.^[1][2][3]

On 10-19 February 1936, the "Pusteria" fought in the Battle of Amba Aradam and on 27-29 February in the Second Battle of Tembien. The division then fought in the Battle of Maychew and the Battle of Lake Ashenge. After the end of the war the "Pusteria" remained in Ethiopia and was tasked with subjugating the restive population. In September 1936 the XI Replacements Battalion was disbanded and its remaining personnel distributed among the three battalions of the 11th Alpini Regiment. In March 1937, the "Pusteria" division returned to Italy, where its last units disembarked in Naples on 12 April 1937. The next day the division was honored with a parade through Rome and then the division's units returned to their bases. The command of the 11th Alpini Regiment and the Alpini Battalion "Trento" returned to the city of Trento, while the Alpini battalions "Saluzzo" and "Intra" returned on 17 April 1937 to their respective regiments.^[1][2]

For its service and conduct in Ethiopia the 11th Alpini Regiment was awarded, together with all other infantry regiments that had served in the war, a Military Order of Italy, which was affixed to the flag of the 11th Alpini Regiment and added to the regiment's coat of arms. The regiment was also awarded a Bronze Medal of Military Valor for its service and conduct in the war, while the Alpini Battalion "Trento" was awarded a separate Bronze Medal of Military Valor for its service and conduct in the war. Both Bronze Medals of Military Valor were affixed to the 11th Alpini Regiment's flag and added to the regiment's coat of arms.^[1][2]

On 17 April 1937, the Alpini Battalion "Trento" was permanently assigned to the 11th Alpini Regiment. Around the same time the Alpini Battalion "Trento II", which had been formed by the 6th Alpini Regiment as replacement for the Alpini Battalion "Trento", was disbanded and its personnel merged into the Alpini Battalion "Trento". The 11th Alpini Regiment also received the Complement Officer Cadets Battalion "Bolzano" of the 6th Alpini Regiment, which was detached to the Alpini specialty's Complement Officer Cadets School in Bassano del Grappa. On 25 September 1937 the regiment received the Alpini Battalion "Bassano" from the 9th Alpini Regiment. Afterwards the 11th Alpini Regiment consisted of the following units:^[1][2]

On 2 September 1939, one day after the German Invasion of Poland had begun, the Alpini battalions "Val Brenta", "Val Fassa", and "Val Venosta" were formed with reservists and assigned to the 6th Alpini Group. These reserve battalions were named for a valley (Italian: Valle; abbreviated Val) located near their associated regular Alpini battalion's base, and the reserve battalions received the same Nappina as their associated regular Alpini battalion.^[1][2]

• Alpini Battalion "Val Brenta"
  • 262nd, 263rd, and 274th Alpini Company
• Alpini Battalion "Val Fassa"
  • 227th, 237th, and 273rd Alpini Company
• Alpini Battalion "Val Venosta"
  • 282nd, 283rd, and 284th Alpini Company

On 10 June 1940, the day Italy entered World War II, the regiment fielded 160 officers and 5,046 other ranks for a total strength of 5,206 men. The regiment had 23 horses, 1,242 mules and 109 transport vehicles at its disposal. The regiment's organization at the time was as follows:^[1][2][4]

In June 1940 the regiment participated in the invasion of France. After the Battle of France the Alpini battalions "Val Venosta", "Val Fassa", and "Val Brenta" were disbanded on 31 October 1940.^[1][2]

In November 1940, the 5th Alpine Division "Pusteria" was transferred to Albania to shore up the crumbling Italian front during the Greco-Italian War. By late November 1940, the 11th Alpini Regiment entered the front in the Berat sector. In December 1940, the regiment suffered heavy losses in the Greek counter-offensive. The regiment retreated into Albania, where it continued to fight until the German invasion of Greece in April 1941. The "Pusteria" division then pursued the retreating Greek forces.^[1][2][3][5] For their conduct and service on the Greek front between November 1940 and April 1941 the Alpini battalions "Trento" and "Bolzano" were both awarded a Silver Medal of Military Valor, which were both affixed to the 11th Alpini Regiment's flag and added to the regiment's coat of arms.^[1][2]

After the conclusion of the Greco-Italian War and the Invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941 the "Pusteria" division was sent in July 1941 as occupation force to Pljevlja in Montenegro. Soon the division was embroiled in heavy fighting against Yugoslavian Partisans, which culminated in the Battle of Pljevlja in December 1941. On 15 February 1942, the regiment formed a support weapons company for each of its three battalions. These companies were equipped with Breda M37 machine guns, and 45mm Mod. 35 and 81mm Mod. 35 mortars. The 127th Support Weapons Company was assigned to the Alpini Battalion "Bassano", the 128th Support Weapons Company to the Alpini Battalion "Trento", and the 129th Support Weapons Company to the Alpini Battalion "Bolzano".^[1][2]

In August 1942, the division was repatriated, and - after two months of rest - participated in the Axis occupation of Vichy France. Afterwards the "Pusteria" division took up garrison duties in Alpes-Maritimes. After the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943 part of the division surrendered to invading German forces near Gap, while some units of the division managed to return to the Italian region of Piedmont were they dissolved.^[1][2]

With the reintroduction of the regimental level in the Italian Army the regiment was reformed on 8 August 1992 in Bruneck as part of the Alpine Brigade "Tridentina". The regiment only consisted of the Alpini Battalion "Trento". Battalion and regiment were disbanded on 18 March 2002.^{[citation needed]}

When the regiment was disbanded it had the following structure: