Regiment "Cavalleggeri Guide" (19th)

Regiment "Cavalleggeri Guide" (19th)
Reggimento "Cavalleggeri Guide" (19°)
Regimental coat of arms
Active	25 Feb. 1860 - 21 Nov. 1919 20 May 1920 - 8 Sept. 1943 1 July 1975 - today[1]
Country	Italy
Branch	Italian Army
Part of	Bersaglieri Brigade "Garibaldi"
Garrison/HQ	Salerno
Motto(s)	"Alla vittoria e all'onor son guida"
Anniversaries	24 June 1866 - Battle of Custoza
Decorations	1x Military Order of Italy[2] 1x Silver Medal of Military Valor 2x Bronze Medals of Military Valor 1x Gold Medal of Army Valor 1x Silver Medal of Army Valor 1x Silver Medal of Civil Valor[3]
Insignia
"Cavalleggeri Guide" gorget patches

The Regiment "Cavalleggeri Guide" (19th) (Italian: Reggimento "Cavalleggeri Guide" (19°) - "Guide Chevau-légers") is a cavalry unit of the Italian Army based in Salerno in Campania. The regiment was the only Guides cavalry unit of the Savoyard state and later the Kingdom of Italy. Today the regiment is the reconnaissance unit of the Bersaglieri Brigade "Garibaldi". The regiment was formed in 1860 by the Royal Sardinian Army with pre-existing units. In 1866 the regiment distinguished itself in the Battle of Custoza. In World War I the regiment fought on the Italian front.^[4][5]

After the war the regiment was disbanded in 1919, but already in 1920 it was reformed. In 1934 the regiment became the Fast Tanks School Regiment. Reorganized as a mounted unit, the regiment fought in 1940-41 in the Italian invasion of Greece and afterwards remained in Albania on occupation duty until it was disbanded by invading German forces after the Armistice of Cassibile was announced on 8 September 1943.^[1][5]

In 1949 the unit was reformed as the reconnaissance squadron of the Armored Brigade "Ariete". In 1953 the squadron was expanded to squadrons group. During the 1975 army reform the squadrons group was renamed 19th Reconnaissance Squadrons Group "Cavalleggeri Guide" and assigned the flag and traditions of the Regiment "Cavalleggeri Guide" (19th). The squadrons group continued to be the Armored Division "Ariete"'s reconnaissance unit until the division was disbanded in 1986 and the squadrons group was transferred to the 32nd Armored Brigade "Mameli". In 1991 the brigade was disbanded and the "Cavalleggeri Guide" moved to Salerno in the South of Italy, where it joined the 8th Bersaglieri Brigade "Garibaldi". The same year the squadrons group entered the reformed Regiment "Cavalleggeri Guide" (19th).^[1][5]

On 10 April 1859 the Cavalry School of the Royal Sardinian Army in Pinerolo formed a Horse Guides Squadron. The squadron consisted of seven officers and 150 enlisted men, which were divided into six platoons. The personnel for the squadron was drawn from existing cavalry regiments and mounted on fresh horses. Each of the squadron's platoons was attached to one of the six divisions of the Royal Sardinian Army for the upcoming Second Italian War of Independence, which began on 26 April 1859.^[5][6]

On 25 February 1860 the Horse Guides Squadron entered the newly formed Guides Regiment (Italian: Reggimento Guide), which also integrated the Guides Squadron of the Emilian Army, Lombardian troops, who had previously served in the Austrian Cavalry, and 200 officers and enlisted men drawn from existing light cavalry regiments of the Royal Sardinian Army.^[1][5][6]

In fall of 1860 the regiment participated in the Sardinian campaign in central and southern Italy. In 1864-66 the regiment operated in Campania Capitanata, and Sicily to suppress the anti-Sardinian revolt in Southern Italy after the Kingdom of Sardinia had invaded and annexed the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.^[5][6]

In 1866 the regiment participated in the Third Italian War of Independence and distinguished itself in the Battle of Custoza, for which the regiment was awarded a Silver Medal of Military Valor.^[3] Over the next years the regiment repeatedly changed its name:^[5]

• 10 September 1871: 19th Cavalry Regiment (Guide)
• 5 November 1876: Cavalry Regiment "Guide" (19th)
• 16 December 1897: Regiment "Cavalleggeri Guide" (19th)

In 1887 the regiment contributed to the formation of the 1st Cavalry Squadron Africa and the Mounted Hunters Squadron, which fought in the Italo-Ethiopian War of 1887–1889. In 1895-96 the regiment provided 73 enlisted personnel for units deployed to Italian Eritrea for the First Italo-Ethiopian War. In 1911-12 the regiment was deployed to Libya, where it fought in the Italo-Turkish War.^[5] Between the Second Italian War of Independence and World War I the Guide ceded on three occasions one of its squadrons to help form new Chevau-légers regiments:^[5][6]

• 1 October 1883: Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Catania" (22nd)
• 1 November 1887: Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Vicenza" (24th)
• 1 October 1909: Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Aquila" (27th)

At the outbreak of World War I the regiment consisted of a command, the regimental depot, and two cavalry groups, with the I Group consisting of three squadrons and the II Group consisting of two squadrons and a machine gun section. Together with the Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Treviso" (28th) the Guide formed the VIII Cavalry Brigade of the 4th Cavalry Division of "Piemonte". The regiment fought dismounted on the Italian front: in 1915 on the Karst Plateau and then in 1916 in Monfalcone. In 1916 the regiment was reinforced with the 3rd Squadron of the Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Lodi" (15th). In 1917 the regimental depot in Voghera formed the 737th Dismounted Machine Gunners Company as reinforcement for infantry units on the front.^[5]

After the Italian defeat in the Battle of Caporetto in late October 1917, the regiment fought a rearguard actions at the Isonzo river bridge at Lucinico, at the Tagliamento river bridge at Casarsa della Delizia, and at San Vito al Tagliamento. These actions allowed the 3rd Army to escape and reach the new Italian frontline at the Piave river.^[5]

After the Italian victory in the Battle of Vittorio Veneto, the regiment advanced through the breach in the Austrian lines liberating Sacile and Cordenons, before stopping in Pozzuolo del Friuli as the Armistice of Villa Giusti came into effect. For the regiment's conduct at Monfalcone and for the liberation of Sacile the regiment was awarded a Bronze Medal of Military Valor.^[3]

After the war the Italian Army disbanded 14 of its 30 cavalry regiments and so on 21 November 1919 the regiment was disbanded and part of its personnel and horses transferred to the Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Foggia" (11th), which formed the II Group "Cavalleggeri Guide" with the new arrivals.^[5]

On 20 May 1920 the regiment was reformed in the city Padua, where the regiment took over the barracks and personnel of the Regiment "Lancieri di Milano" (7th), which was disbanded on the same date. The Guide received the II Group "Cavalleggeri Guide" from the disbanded Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Foggia" (11th) and two squadrons from the disbanded Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Lucca" (16th). On the same date the Guide also received the traditions of the disbanded regiments "Lancieri di Milano", "Cavalleggeri di Lucca", "Cavalleggeri di Roma", "Cavalleggeri di Padova", and "Cavalleggeri di Vicenza".^[5]

In 1932 the regiment moved from Padua to Parma. The regiment became the first cavalry unit to receive L3/33 tankettes. In 1934 the regiment's cavalry squadrons groups were equipped with tankettes and the regiment became the Fast Tanks School Regiment (Italian: Reggimento Scuola Carri Veloci):^[5]

In January 1935 the I, II, and III fast tanks groups were transferred to the army's three cavalry divisions (1st Cavalry Division "Eugenio di Savoia", 2nd Cavalry Division "Emanuele Filiberto Testa di Ferro", 3rd Cavalry Division "Principe Amedeo Duca d'Aosta"), while the IV and V fast tanks groups moved to Italian Eritrea in May respectively in August 1935 in preparation for the Second Italo-Ethiopian War.^[7][8]

After ceding the fast tanks groups the Guide became a mounted regiment again, but it also retained its function as fast tanks school. In July 1935 the regiment formed six fast tank squadrons - one for each of the six cavalry regiments, which were not assigned to one of the cavalry divisions. In 1935-36 the "Duca degli Abruzzi" and "Baldissera" groups fought in the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, while the Guide contributed 39 officers and 603 enlisted as reinforcements for units deployed for the war.^[5] After the war the "Duca degli Abruzzi" was disbanded in Eritrea in March 1936, while the "Baldissera" was repatriated in February 1936 and then disbanded in Italy.^[7][8]

At the outbreak of World War II the regiment consisted of a command, a command squadron, the I and II squadrons groups, each with two mounted squadrons, and the 5th Machine Gunners Squadron. In August 1940 the regiment was sent to Albania, where the Guide fought in the Italian invasion of Greece. For its conduct during the initial Italian offensive and the following Greek counter-offensive the regiment was awarded its second Bronze Medal of Military Valor.^[3] The regiment participated in the Invasion of Yugoslavia and then remained in Albania, where it was disbanded after the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943.^[1][5]

On 30 November 1940 the regiment's depot in Parma formed the XIV Dismounted Group "Cavalleggeri Guide", which was assigned to the 210th Coastal Division in Salento. After the Armistice of Cassibile the unit was reorganized as 14th Combat Supply Unit "Guide" by the Italian Co-belligerent Army and served in the Italian liberation campaign.^[1][5]

On 1 April 1949 the unit was reformed in Tor di Quinto as Armored Cavalry Squadron "Guide", which moved the same year to Casarsa. The squadron was equipped with M8 Greyhound armored cars and assigned to the Armored Brigade "Ariete" as the brigade's reconnaissance unit. On 1 October 1952 the Ariete was expanded to Armored Division "Ariete" and consequently on 25 November 1953 the Armored Cavalry Squadron "Guide" was expanded to Squadrons Group "Cavalleggeri Guide".^[1][5] In 1963 the squadrons group was sent to Longarone to help rescue efforts after the Vajont dam disaster. For its conduct in Longarone the squadrons group was awarded a Silver Medal of Civil Valor.^[3]

During the 1975 army reform the army disbanded the regimental level and newly independent battalions were granted for the first time their own flags. On 1 July 1975 the squadrons group was renamed 19th Reconnaissance Squadrons Group "Cavalleggeri Guide" and assigned the flag and traditions of the Regiment "Cavalleggeri Guide" (19th).^[5][9] The squadrons group consisted of a command, a command and services squadron, and three reconnaissance squadrons equipped with Fiat Campagnola reconnaissance vehicles, M113 armored personnel carriers, and M47 Patton tanks. At the time the squadrons group fielded 667 men (36 officers, 105 non-commissioned officers, and 526 soldiers).^[10] The Guide continued to be the Armored Division "Ariete"'s reconnaissance unit. In 1980 the Guide began to replace its M47 Patton tanks with Leopard 1A2 main battle tanks.^[1][5]

For its conduct and work after the 1976 Friuli earthquake the squadrons group was awarded a Silver Medal of Army Valor, which was affixed to the squadrons group's flag and added to its coat of arms.^[11][3]

In 1986 the Italian Army disbanded the divisional level and placed brigades under direct command of its Army Corps. With the Ariete scheduled to disband the 19th Reconnaissance Squadrons Group "Cavalleggeri Guide" was transferred to the 32nd Armored Brigade "Mameli".^[1][5]

After the end of the Cold War the Italian Army began to draw down its forces and on 1 April 1991 the 32nd Armored Brigade "Mameli" was disbanded. Consequently the "Cavalleggeri Guide" moved from Casarsa to Salerno in the South of Italy, where the squadrons group was assigned to the 8th Bersaglieri Brigade "Garibaldi". On 4 August 1991 the 19th Reconnaissance Squadrons Group "Cavalleggeri Guide" lost its autonomy and the next day the squadrons group entered the reformed 19th Regiment "Cavalleggeri Guide", which on 3 September 1992 was renamed Regiment "Cavalleggeri Guide" (19th). The regiment consisted of a command, a command and services squadron, and a squadrons group with three armored squadrons equipped with wheeled Centauro tank destroyers.^[1][5]

In 1992 the regiment participated in the international Unified Task Force and UNOSOM II missions in Somalia. In December 1998 the regiment was deployed to North Macedonia for a possible NATO-led ground invasion of Kosovo during the Kosovo War. After the signing of the Kumanovo Agreement between Yugoslavia and the Kosovo Force the regiment entered Kosovo as part of the Bersaglieri Brigade "Garibaldi". The regiment remained in Kosovo until 7 September 1999 and for its conduct there was awarded a Gold Medal of Army Valor, which was affixed to the regiment's flag and added to the regiment's coat of arms.^[1][3][12]

As of 2023 the Regiment "Cavalleggeri Guide" (19th) is organized as follows:^[13]

The three reconnaissance squadrons are equipped with Lince vehicles and Centauro tank destroyers, which are scheduled to be replaced by Lince 2 vehicles and Freccia EVO Reconnaissance vehicles. The Heavy Armored Squadron is equipped with Centauro tank destroyers, which are being replaced by Centauro II tank destroyers.^[14]

• Bersaglieri Brigade "Garibaldi"

• Italian Army Website: Reggimento "Cavalleggeri Guide" (19°)