Country Italy Type Alpini | Branch Italian Army Role Mountain Infantry | |
 | ||
Active 1 Nov. 1882 - 8 Sept. 1943
25 June 1944 - 30 Sept. 1945
23 Nov. 1993 - today Size 1 Battalion
Susa Battalion | ||
The 3rd Alpini Regiment (Italian: 3° 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 I and World War II.
Contents
Formation
The 3rd Alpini Regiment was formed on November 1, 1882. It consisted of the three battalions: Val Stura, Val Maira and Monti Lessini, named after the valleys and localities from which their soldiers were recruited. In 1886 the battalions were renamed, taking their new names from the location of their main logistic depot: Fenestrelle, Susa and "Susa 2°".
In 1908 the composition of the regiment changed: the Pinerolo battalion was moved from the 4th Alpini Regiment and the "Susa 2°" battalion was renamed "Exilles".
World War I
The 3rd regiment saw its first action in the Italo-Turkish War of 1911, fighting Ottoman forces in the Libyan desert. During World War I, the regiment consisted of 13 battalions and saw heavy fighting in the Alps against Austria’s Kaiserjäger and Germany’s Alpenkorps. The battalions of the regiment in these days were (pre-war raised units in bold, followed by their first and second line reserve battalions):
Interwar period
On September 10, 1935 the 1st Alpine Division “Taurinense” was formed and composed of the 3rd Alpini and 4th Alpini Regiment and the 1st Mountain Artillery Regiment. The division participated in 1936 in the Italian conquest of Abyssinia.
World War II
In 1940 the regiment, as part of the Taurinense division, fought in the Italian attack on Greece. After the German invasion of Yugoslavia the “Taurinense” performed garrison duties in Montenegro where the regiment disbanded after the signing of the Italian armistice with the Allies on September 8, 1943. Most of its soldiers joined the Italian Partisan Brigade Garibaldi, which operated in central Yugoslavia.
On June 25, 1944 the 3rd Alpini regiment was recreated in Southern Italy with the battalions Piemonte and Monte Granero. Along with the 4th Bersaglieri Regiment it formed the 1st Italian Brigade of the Italian Liberation Corps, which fought in the war on the Allied side. After the Bersaglieri regiment had suffered heavy casualties the two regiments were merged on 30 September 1944 to form the Special Infantry Regiment, which entered the Legnano Combat Group. The Combat Group was equipped with British weapons and materiel and fought as part of the Polish II Corps on the extreme left of the British 8th Army near the river Idice.
Cold War
After World War II, only the "Susa" battalion was reformed on November 23, 1945 as part of the 4th Alpini regiment and it carried on the traditions and regimental colours of the 3rd Alpini.
Today
On November 23, 1993 the 3rd Alpini Regiment was recreated and the "Susa" became its single battalion. Today the 3rd Regiment consists of the “Susa” battalion, the regimental command and a logistic support company. The regiment is based in Pinerolo, in the Province of Turin, and is part of the "Taurinense" Brigade. The 3rd regiment was based in Kabul as part of Italy's contributions to ISAF until August 2007, when it was replaced by the 7th Alpini Regiment.
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.