9th Alpini Regiment


The 9th Alpini Regiment is a regiment of the Italian Army's mountain infantry speciality, the Alpini, which distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II. Based in the city of L'Aquila in Abruzzo the regiment is operationally assigned to the Alpine Brigade "Taurinense".

History

The regimental history dates back to 1920s and consists of three main periods: the first regimental period, the battalions' era and the second regimental period.

Interwar years

The 9th Alpini Regiment was formed on 1 July 1921, consisting of four battalions:
In 1926 the battalions "Feltre" and "Cividale" returned to their original regiments and the 9th Regiment consisted of the battalions "Vicenza" and "Bassano". The 3rd Alpine Brigade "Julia" was formed the same year and the 9th Alpini Regiment joined the brigade on its formation.
On 13 April 1935 Alpini Battalion "L'Aquila" was formed in Gorizia, drawing its personnel from the "Vicenza" and "Bassano" battalions. The new battalion was considered to be the heir of the World War I Alpini Battalion "Monte Berico", which had consisted of soldiers recruited in Abruzzo. Gabriele D'Annunzio created the battalion's motto "D'Aquila Penne, Ugne di Leonessa", which is a word pun: its literal translation is "Eagle feathers, Lioness claws", but L'Aquila, Penne, Ugne and Leonessa are Abruzzo towns, which were the recruitment basin of the battalion.
On 10 September 1935, the 3rd Alpine Division "Julia" was established on the basis of the Julia brigade, with the 9th Alpini Regiment being one of the constituent regiments. On 25 September 1937 the Alpini Battalion "Bassano" was transferred to the 11th Alpini Regiment.

World War II

In mid-April 1939 the regiment was sent to Albania and posted to the Albanian-Yugoslav border until September 1941, when it was moved to the Greek border for the planned Italian invasion of Greece. During the following Greco-Italian war the 9th Alpini consisted of the "Vicenza" and "L'Aquila" battalions, and was led by Colonel Gaetano Tavoni.
After the German invasion of Greece and the Greek surrender the battalion returned to Italy until July 1942 when the Julia division was assigned to the Italian Army in Russia and sent to the Eastern Front, where regiment and battalion barely escaped annihilation during the Battle of Nikolayevka in January 1943. For its conduct during the two campaigns the 9th Alpini Regiment was awarded two Gold Medals of Military Valour.
Meanwhile the regiment's depot raised several additional units: "Vicenza Bis" Battalion, IX Reserve Battalion, IX March Battalion and the 39th Battalion "Monte Berico".
The survivors of the regiment were repatriated in spring 1943 and garrisoned in Udine. After Italy changed sides with the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943, regiment and battalion were disbanded by the Germans.

Cold War

In September 1944 the Italian Co-belligerent Army raised the Alpini Battalion "Abruzzi", which was soon renamed Alpini Battalion "L'Aquila" for service with the Combat Group "Legnano". The Legnano participated in the Italian campaign until the German surrender. In 1946 the "L'Aquila" Battalion entered the newly raised 8th Alpini Regiment, first based in Edolo and then in Tarvisio.

Alpini Battalion "Vicenza"

During the 1975 Italian Army reform the 8th Alpini Regiment was disbanded and its battalions became independent. On 1 September 1975 the Alpini Battalion "Vicenza" was reformed as Alpini Battalion "Vicenza" in Tolmezzo. The Vicenza received the war flag and traditions of the 9th Alpini, but had to transfer two Silver Medals of Military Valour to the newly created flag of the Alpini Battalion L'Aquila, while the two Gold Medals of Military Valour, awarded to the 9th Alpini Regiment for its conduct during the Greco-Italian war and on the Eastern Front, were duplicated for the new flag of the L'Aquila battalion. The Silver Medal of Military Valour awarded to the Vicenza battalion for its conduct during World War I, and the Silver Medal of Military Valour awarded to the Val Leogra battalion for its conduct during the Greco-Italian war remained affixed to the war flag of the Alpini Battalion Vicenza.
For its conduct and work after the 1976 Friuli earthquake the battalion was awarded a Bronze Medal of Army Valour, which was affixed to the battalion's war flag and added to the battalion's coat of arms.
With the battalions base in Tolmezzo damaged the unit moved to Codroipo, with the exception of the 61st Company, which was transferred to Teramo to train the recruits of the L'Aquila Battalion.

Alpini Battalion "L'Aquila"

During the same reform the Alpini Battalion L'Aquila in Tarvisio was disbanded on 31 August 1975 and the next day the Alpini Recruits Training Battalion "Julia" in L'Aquila was reformed as Alpini Battalion "L'Aquila". As the traditions and war flag of the 9th Alpini Regiment had been assigned to the "Vicenza" battalion, the L'Aquila battalion was granted a new war flag on 12 November 1976 by decree 846 of the President of the Italian Republic Giovanni Leone. The two Gold Medals of Military Valour awarded to the 9th Alpini Regiment for its conduct during the Greco-Italian war and on the Eastern Front, were duplicated for the new flag of the L'Aquila battalion, while the Silver Medal of Military Valour awarded to the L'Aquila battalion for its conduct during the allied Spring 1945 offensive in Italy and the Silver Medal of Military Valour awarded to the Monte Berico battalion for its conduct in World War I, were transferred from the flag of the 9th Alpini to the L'Aquila battalion's flag.
The battalion recruited from the mountainous Abruzzo region and was operationally assigned to the Alpine Brigade "Julia". To support the battalion the 15th Battery of the Mountain Artillery Group "Conegliano" in Udine was detached to L'Aquila.
For its conduct and work after the 1980 Irpinia earthquake the battalion was awarded a Bronze Medal of Army Valour, which was affixed to the battalion's war flag and added to the battalion's coat of arms.

1991-onwards

On 4 September 1991 the Alpini Battalion "L'Aquila" entered the re-established 9th Alpini Regiment in L'Aquila. As the regiment's original war flag remained with the Vicenza Battalion the 9th used the flag of the L'Aquila battalion. On 27 August 1996 the Vicenza battalion was disbanded and the 9th Alpini Regiment received its original war flag in a ceremony on 13 September 1996.
On 1 September 1997 the regiment was transferred from the Alpine Brigade "Julia" to the Alpine Brigade "Taurinense". In 2001 the regiment raised the 264th Anti-tank Company "Val Cismon", which later merged with the 119th Mortar Company to form the 119th Maneuver Support Company. On 29 May 2017 the regiment raised the Multifunctional battalion "Orta", which was renamed later in the same year "Vicenza". As of 2019 the 9th Alpini Regiment is the only Alpini regiment with two battalions.

Current structure

The 9th Alpini Regiment is part of the Alpine Brigade "Taurinense" and based in the central Italian city of L'Aquila. It is the strongest regiment of the Italian Army, with the "L'Aquila" fielding four instead of the usual three infantry companies, and fielding a second battalion with transport, engineering, and support companies. As of 2019 the regiment consists of:
The Command and Logistic Support Company fields the following platoons: C3 Platoon, Transport and Materiel Platoon, Medical Platoon, and Commissariat Platoon.

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 maneuver support company is equipped with 120mm mortars and Spike MR anti-tank guided missiles.

Commanders

As regiment the 9th Alpini has always been commanded by a Colonel.

1921-1943

From 1921 to 1943, the 9th Regiment had 11 Commanders:
Since 1991, the 9th Regiment has had 17 Commanders:
The 9th Alpini Regiment has a long operational history: