8th Alpini Regiment

The 8th Alpini Regiment was formed on 1 October 1909 in Udine with the Alpini battalions "Tolmezzo", "Gemona", which had been transferred from the 7th Alpini Regiment, and the newly raised Alpini Battalion "Cividale". The regiment's first commander was Colonel Antonio Cantore. As with all Alpini regiments the regiment's battalions were named for the location of their depot around which they recruited their troops. At the end of 1910 the regiment was structured as follows:[1][4]

• 8th Alpini Regiment, in Udine[5][4]
  • Alpini Battalion "Tolmezzo", in Tolmezzo
    • 6th Alpini Company
    • 12th Alpini Company
    • 72nd Alpini Company
  • Alpini Battalion "Gemona", in Gemona
    • 69th Alpini Company
    • 70th Alpini Company
    • 71st Alpini Company
  • Alpini Battalion "Cividale", in Cividale del Friuli
    • 16th Alpini Company
    • 20th Alpini Company
    • 76th Alpini Company

In September 1912 the Tolmezzo was dispatched to Tripolitania to fight against the Ottoman Empire in the Italo-Turkish War. Together with the Alpini Battalion "Susa" from the 3rd Alpini Regiment, the Alpini Battalion "Vestone" from the 5th Alpini Regiment, and the Alpini Battalion "Feltre" from the 7th Alpini Regiment the Tolmezzo formed the 8th Special Alpini Regiment under command of Colonel Antonio Cantore. During its time in North Africa the Tolmezzo was awarded two Silver Medals of Military Valour for its conduct at the Battle of Assaba and at the Battle of Ettangi. On 2 December 1913 the battalion returned to Italy.[1][4]

During World War I the regiment consisted of ten battalions and saw heavy fighting in the Alps regions of the Italian front against Austro-Hungarian and German forces. During the war the regiment consisted of the following battalions (pre-war battalions in bold, followed by their first and second line reserve battalions):[4]

• Tolmezzo, Val Tagliamento, Monte Arvenis
• Gemona, Val Fella, Monte Canin
• Cividale, Val Natisone, Monte Matajur, Monte Nero

Initially the regiment was deployed in the Dolomites and then in the Carnic Alps. In spring 1915 the depot of the Gemona battalion formed the Alpini Volunteers Company "Gemona-Cividale", which was disbanded in March 1917 after suffering heavy losses. During the Battle of Caporetto in October 1917 and the following retreat to the Piave river the regiment suffered extreme losses and the battalions Gemona, Val Fella, Monte Canin, and Monte Nero had to be disbanded in November and December 1917. In February 1918 the battalions Val Tagliamento, Val Natisone, and Monte Matajur were disbanded to bring the regiment's remaining three battalions (Tolmezzo, Cividale, Monte Arvenis) back to full strength.[4]

During the war 145 officers and 5,987 soldiers of the regiment were killed, and 294 officers and 8,099 soldiers were wounded. The regiment's battalions were awarded two Silver Medals of Military Valour, which were shared between the Gemona, Val Fella, and Monte Canin, respectively between the Tolmezzo and Val Tagliamento battalions. The Cividale and Val Natisone battalions were awarded a shared Bronze Medal of Military Valour.[4][3]

On 21 November 1919 the Alpini Battalion "Cividale" was transferred to the newly formed 9th Alpini Regiment. As replacement the Alpini Battalion "Verona" was transferred from the 6th Alpini Regiment. In 1926 both transfers were reversed. After World War I the 8th Alpini was assigned to the 3rd Alpine Division, which was reduced to III Alpine Brigade on 11 March 1926.[6]

On 10 September 1935, the 3rd Alpine Division "Julia" was formed by renaming the III Superior Alpine Command "Julio", which was the their of the III Alpine Brigade.[7]

In mid-April 1939 the 3rd Alpine Division "Julia" 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 division suffered heavy casualties and only massive reinforcements allowed the Italians to hold the front in the Pindus mountains.[7] These reinforcements included the 8th Alpini's first line reserve battalions: Val Tagliamento, Val Fella, and Val Natisone, which had been formed after the outbreak of World War II. The three battalions were assigned to the 1st Alpine Group "Valle" and sent to Albania as reinforcements for the Alpini units fighting there. After the German invasion of Greece and the Greek surrender the Julia returned to Italy. On the voyage home the ship Galilea carrying the Gemona was torpedoed and sunk by a British submarine on 28 March 1942: 21 officers and 630 soldiers drowned.[4]

For its conduct during the Greco-Italian war the 8th Alpini Regiment was awarded Italy's highest military honor a Gold Medal of Military Valour.[8]

In July 1942 the Julia was sent with the 2nd Alpine Division "Tridentina", 4th Alpine Division "Cuneense" and other Italian units to the Soviet Union to form the Italian Army in Russia (Italian: Armata Italiana in Russia abbreviated as ARMIR) and fight alongside the German Wehrmacht against the Red Army. Taking up positions along the Don River, the Italian units covered part of the left flank of the German Sixth Army, which spearheaded the German summer offensive of 1942 into the city of Stalingrad.[4]

After successfully encircling the German Sixth army in Stalingrad the Red Army's attention turned to the Italian units along the Don. On 14 January 1943, the Soviet Operation Little Saturn began and the three alpine division found themselves quickly encircled by rapidly advancing armored Soviet Forces. The Alpini held the front on the Don, but within three days the Soviets had advanced 200 km to the left and right of the Alpini. On the evening of 17 January the commanding officer of the Italian Mountain Corps General Gabriele Nasci ordered a full retreat. At this point the Julia and Cuneense divisions were already heavily decimated and only the Tridentina was still capable of conducting combat operations. As the Soviets had already occupied every village bitter battles had to be fought to clear the way out of the encirclement. The remnants of the Tridentina were able to break the Soviet encirclement in the Battle of Nikolayevka on 26 January 1943, allowing the survivors of the Julia to reach German lines, which were reached on the morning of 28 January. By then the men of the 8th Alpini Regiment had walked 200 km, fought in 20 battles and spent 11 nights camped out in the middle of the Steppe. Temperatures during the nights were between -30 °C and -40 °C. For its conduct during the campaign in the Soviet Union the 8th Alpini Regiment was once more awarded Italy's highest military honor a Gold Medal of Military Valour.[9]

The few survivors of the regiment were repatriated in spring 1943. After the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943, the regiment and its battalions were disbanded by invading German forces.[4]

After World War II the 8th Alpini Regiment was reformed on 1 April 1946, in the city of Padua with the battalions Feltre, Tolmezzo and L'Aquila.[1] In May 1947 the regiment moved to Tolmezzo. On 20 August 1948 the regiment reformed the Alpini Battalion "Cividale". On 15 October 1949 the regiment entered the newly formed Alpine Brigade "Julia". On 1 June 1956 the Feltre was transferred to the 7th Alpini Regiment and as replacement the Gemona was reformed. On 26 October 1962 the regiment received the Alpini Battalion "Mondovì" from the 4th Alpini Regiment.[4]

At the end of 1964 the regiment was the largest regiment of the Italian Army and consisted of the following units:[4]

• 8th Alpini Regiment, in Tolmezzo[5]
  • Command and Services Company, in Tolmezzo
  • Alpini Battalion "Gemona", in Pontebba
    • 69th Alpini Company
    • 70th Alpini Company
    • 71st Alpini Company
    • 155th Mortar Company
  • Alpini Battalion "Tolmezzo", in Venzone
    • 6th Alpini Company
    • 12th Alpini Company
    • 72nd Alpini Company
    • 114th Mortar Company
  • Alpini Battalion "Cividale", in Chiusaforte
    • 16th Alpini Company
    • 20th Alpini Company
    • 76th Alpini Company
    • 115th Mortar Company
  • Alpini Battalion "L'Aquila", in Tarvisio
    • 93rd Alpini Company
    • 108th Alpini Company
    • 143rd Alpini Company
    • 119th Mortar Company
  • Alpini Battalion "Mondovì", in Paluzza
    • 9th Alpini Company
    • 10th Alpini Company
    • 11th Alpini Company
    • 103rd Mortar Company

During the 1975 army reform the army disbanded the regimental level and newly independent battalions were given for the first time their own flags. The changes to the 8th Alpini and its battalions were as follows:[5][4]

• 8th Alpini Regiment, in Tolmezzo
  • Alpini Battalion "Tolmezzo", in Venzone - disbanded on 31 August 1975[10]
  • Alpini Battalion "Gemona", in Pontebba - disbanded on 31 August 1975[5]
  • Alpini Battalion "Cividale", in Chiusaforte - granted a new flag[11]
  • Alpini Battalion "L'Aquila", in Tarvisio - renamed Alpini Battalion "Gemona" on 1 September 1975[5]
  • Alpini Battalion "Mondovì", in Paluzza - renamed Alpini Battalion "Tolmezzo" on 1 September 1975 and granted a new flag

Additional changes to the infantry units of the Alpine brigade "Julia" were the following: the name and traditions of the Alpini Battalion "L'Aquila" were transferred to the Alpini Recruits Training Battalion "Julia" in L'Aquila, which was renamed and granted a new flag.[12] On 1 September 1975 the Alpini Battalion "Vicenza" (Recruits Training) was activated in Tolmezzo and assigned the flag of the 9th Alpini Regiment.[13] The reform concluded on 30 September 1975 when the 8th Alpini Regiment was disbanded and its flag and traditions assigned to the Gemona, the regiment's senior battalion.[5][4]

After the end of the Cold War the 8th Alpini Regiment was reformed on 8 August 1992 in Tarvisio with the Gemona as its sole battalion.[4]

On 1 November 1997 the regiment moved to Cividale del Friuli.[1] On 14 October 2005 the 14th Alpini Regiment and its sole battalion, the Alpini Battalion "Tolmezzo", were disbanded. To keep the traditions of the other battalions of the regiment alive the Gemona was disbanded on 14 October 2006 and in its stead a new Alpini Battalion "Tolmezzo" was raised with companies from all the traditional battalions of the 8th Alpini:[4]

• 8th Alpini Regiment
  • Command and Services Company
  • Alpini Battalion "Tolmezzo"
    • 6th Alpini Company (Alpini Battalion "Tolmezzo")
    • 12th Alpini Company (Alpini Battalion "Tolmezzo")
    • 69th Alpini Company (Alpini Battalion "Gemona")
    • 115th Mortar Company (Alpini Battalion "Cividale")
    • 216th Support Weapons Company (Alpini Battalion "Val Natisone")

In 2011 the 216th was disbanded and its personnel integrated into the 69th Alpini Company.[4]