9th Alpini Regiment

9th Alpini Regiment
9° Reggimento Alpini
Regimental coat of arms
Active	1921 - 1943 26 August 1991 - present[1]
Country	Italy
Branch	Italian Army
Type	Alpine infantry
Part of	Alpine Brigade Taurinense
Garrison/HQ	"Pasquali-Campomizzi" Barracks, L'Aquila (since 2013)
Motto(s)	Ad ardua super alpes Patria vocat (Regimental motto) "D’aquila penne, ugne di Leonessa" ("L'Aquila" Battalion motto)
Anniversaries	23 April 1941[2]
Decorations	Military Order of Italy (1920, to the Italian Infantry) Military Order of Italy (2003) Gold Medal of Military Valour (1947) Gold Medal of Military Valour (1948) Silver Medal of Military Valour (1921, to Battalion "Monte Berico") Silver Medal of Military Valour (1922, to Battalion "Vicenza") Silver Medal of Military Valour (1947, to Battalion "L'Aquila") Silver Medal of Military Valour (1947, to Battalion "Val Leogra") Bronze Medal of Army Valour (1977, to Battalion "Vicenza") Bronze Medal of Army Valour (1981, to Battalion "L'Aquila")[3]
Commanders
Current commander	Col. Marco Iovinelli
Battalion "L'Aquila" Commander	Ten. Col. Michele Merola
Notable commanders	Colonel Gaetano Tavoni MOVM (2 October 1937-8 January 1941)

The 9th Alpini Regiment (Italian: 9° Reggimento Alpini) 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 II.

History

The Regimental history dates back to 1920s and consists of three main periods: the first regimental period (1921-1943), the Battalions era (1943-1991) and the second regimental period (since 1991).^[1]

1921 - 1943: unified regiment

The 9th Alpini Regiment was established on 1 July 1921, consisting of four Battalions: "Vicenza" (from the 6th Alpini Regiment), "Bassano" (from the 6th Alpini Regiment), "Feltre" (from the 7th Alpini Regiment) and "Cividale" (from the 8th Alpini Regiment).^[4] The Regiment was part of the 3rd Alpine Division.^[1]

In 1926 Battalions "Feltre" and "Cividale" returned to their former Regiments and the 9th Regiments consisted of Battalions "Vicenza" and "Bassano";^[4] the 3rd Alpine Brigade "Julia" was formed in the same year and the 9th Alpini Regiment was included within the formation.^[5] In 1935 the Regiment was kept in the newly formed "Julia" Division.^[1]

On 13 April 1935 "L'Aquila" Battalion was established in Gorizia,^[1] drawing its personnel from "Vicenza" and "Bassano" Battalions. The newly formed Battalion was considered being heir to the Battalion "Monte Berico", consisting of Abruzzo soldiers.^[4] Gabriele D'Annunzio created the Battalion's motto "D'Aquila Penne, ugne di Leonessa". The motto is a word pun: its literal translation is "Eagle pens, Lioness claws", but L'Aquila, Penne, Orsogne (near the Ugni Valley) and Leonessa are Abruzzo towns which were the recruitment basin of the Battalion.^[1]

On 10 September 1935, the 3rd Alpine Division "Julia" was established on the basis of the preceding Brigade, with the 9th Alpini Regiment as part of it.^[6]

On 25 September 1937 the Battalion "Bassano" was moved to the 11th Alpini Regiment.^[4] In mid-April 1939 the Regiment was sent in Albania and was posted to the Albanian-Yugoslav border until September 1941, when it was moved to the Greek border; support weapons companies were formed on 15 February 1942.^[4]

In the Italian invasion of Albania, the 9th Regiment consisted of "Vicenza" and "L'Aquila" Battalions, led by Colonel Gaetano Tavoni.^[6]

During World War II, the 9th Alpini Regiment fought in Greek and Russian campaigns.^[1] Several additional units were established: "Vicenza Bis" Battalion (established in April 1941, deployed in the Isonzo valley), IX Reserve Battalion (deployed in the Soviet Union), IX March Battalion (established in late 1942, deployed in Isonzo valley) and the 39th Battalion "Monte Berico" (formerly XXXIX Reserve Battalion of the 9th Alpini Regiment, and framed with the 167th Coast Alpini Regiment).^[4]

The Regiment fought valiantly and earned 2 collective Gold Medals of Military Valour and 20 individual Gold Medals of Military Valour (17 posthmous).^[4] Back in Italy, the Regiment was disbanded in Udine in September 1943:^[1] the "L'Aquila" Battalion consisted of only 3 Officers and 159 Alpine troops.^[4]

1943 - 1991: separate battalions

The Alpini Battalion "L'Aquila" was reestabilished in September 1944 as Alpini Battalion "Abruzzi"; shortly after, however, the unit regained its original name. The Battalion fought in the Italian Campaign as part of the Special Infantry Regiment of the Combat Group "Legnano".^[1] In 1946,^[4] the "L'Aquila" Battalion formed the nucleus of the 8th Alpini Regiment of the Alpine Brigade Julia. The Battalion was posted first in Edolo and then in Tarvisio.^[4] On 1 September 1975, the Battalion was moved to L'Aquila.^[1]

As part of the 1975 Italian Army reform, in 1976 the Alpini Battalion "Vicenza" was given the War flag and military traditions of the 9th Regiment.^[1]

1991 - present: unified regiment

On 4 September 1991 the 9th Alpini Regiment was re-established, on the basis of the Alpini Battalion "L'Aquila".^[1] After the disestablishment of the Alpini Battalion "Vicenza", the 9th Alpini Regiment regained its own War flag.^[4]

Since 1997^[4] the 9th Alpini Regiment is part of the Alpine Brigade "Taurinense" and depends on the Alpine Troops Command.^[1] In 2001 the 264th Anti-tank Company "Val Cismon" was assigned to the Regiment.^[4] On 29 May 2017, the Battalion "Orta" was established under the 9th Alpini Regiment.^[7]

Commanders

When an unified Regiment, the 9th Alpini Regiment has always been commanded by a Colonel.^[4][8]

1921-1943

From 1921 to 1943, the 9th Regiment had 11 Commanders:

• Col. Remigio Peretti (1 July 1921-17 June 1927);
• Col. Ferruccio Pisoni (18 June 1927-31 March 1929);
• Col. Gustavo Pesenti (1 April 1929-31 January 1933);
• Col. Mario Girotti (1 February 1933-18 October 1934);
• Col. Giuseppe Corrado (19 October 1934-15 October 1935);
• Col. Luigi Chatrian (16 October 1935-1 October 1937);
• Col. Gaetano Tavoni (2 October 1937-8 January 1941);
• Col. Achille Billia (9 January 1941-5 August 1941);
• Col. Umberto Manfredini (6 August 1941-31 May 1942);
• Col. Fausto Lavizzari (1 June 1942-21 January 1943);
• Col. Gerardo Sibille Sizia (22 January 1943-9 September 1943).

1991-present

Commanding officer Colonel Riccardo Cristoni in 2013.

Since 1991, the 9th Regiment has had 17 Commanders:

• Col. Gianfranco Marinelli (4 September 1991-20 August 1993);
• Col. Armando Monaco (21 August 1993-28 September 1995);
• Col. Pierluigi Campregher (29 September 1995-19 September 1996);
• Col. Giovanni Di Federico (13 September 1996-25 September 1998);
• Col. Oliviero Finocchio (25 September 1998-10 September 1999);
• Col. Paolo Serra (11 September 1999-2 July 2000);
• Col. Antonio Di Vita (3 July 2000-7 November 2002);
• Col. Claudio Berto (8 November 2002-26 February 2004);
• Col. Edmondo Panajoli (27 February 2004-15 September 2005);
• Col. Michele Pellegrino (16 September 2005-25 August 2007);
• Col. Andrea Mulciri (25 August 2007-1 October 2009);^[9]
• Col. Franco Federici (1 October 2009-25 November 2010);^[10]
• Col. Fabio Asso (25 November 2010-23 September 2011);^[10]
• Col. Riccardo Cristoni (23 September 2011-13 September 2013);^[11]
• Col. Massimo Iacobucci (13 September 2013-24 July 2015);^[12]
• Col. Antonio Sedia (24 July 2015-23 September 2016);^[13]
• Col. Marco Iovinelli (current commander, since 23 September 2016).^[14]

Operational history

The 9th Alpini Regiment has a long operational history:^[1][4][14]

• Balkans campaign;
• Russian campaign;
• Italian campaign;
• 1976: Friuli earthquake rescue operations;
• 1980: Irpinia earthquake rescue operations;
• 1993: UNOMOZ;
• 1997: Umbria and Marche earthquake rescue operations;
• 1997: Operation Alba;
• 2000: Kosovo Force;
• 2001- onwards: Operazione Domino;
• 2007-2013: Afghanistan (Khost, Kabul and Farah, more deployments);
• 2015: UNIFIL.

Current Structure

The 9th Alpini Regiment is part of the Alpine Brigade Taurinense and based in the central Italian city of L'Aquila. Nowadays the regiment consists of:

• Regimental Command
  • Command and Logistic Support Company
  • Alpini Battalion L'Aquila
    • 93rd Alpini Company
    • 108th Alpini Company
    • 143rd Alpini Company "La scassata"
    • 119th Mortar Company
    • 264th Anti-Tank Company "Val Cismon"
  • Alpini Battalion Orta (tasked with civil protection duties).^[7]

Equipment

The Alpini companies are equipped with Bv 206S tracked all-terrain carriers, Puma 6x6 wheeled armored personnel carriers and Lince light multirole vehicles. The mortar company is equipped with 120mm mortars, while the anti-tank company fields Spike anti-tank guided missile systems.

External links

• Official Homepage

Notes and references