6th Pioneer Regiment (Italy)

The 6th Pioneer Regiment (Italian: 6° Reggimento Genio Pionieri) is a military engineer regiment of the Italian Army based in the Cecchignola quarter of Rome. Today the regiment is administratively assigned to the army's Engineer Command and the army's sole pioneer unit, whose focus, unlike the army's other engineer units, is on rear area construction tasks.[3][1][4]

6th Pioneer Regiment
6° Reggimento Genio Pionieri
Regimental coat of arms
Active1 Nov. 1926 - 8 Sept. 1943
1 Jan. 1976 - today[1]
Country Italy
BranchItalian Army
RoleCombat engineers
Part ofEngineer Command
Garrison/HQCecchignola
Motto(s)"Per aspra via ad aspra meta"
Anniversaries24 June 1918 - Second Battle of the Piave River
Decorations
1x Gold Medal of Army Valour
1x Bronze Medal of Civil Valour
1x Silver Cross of Army Merit[2]
Insignia
Pioneers gorget patches

The 6th Engineer Regiment was formed in 1926. During the World War II the regiment formed engineer battalions and smaller units for deploying divisions. The regiment was disbanded by invading German forces after the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943. In 1952 the Engineer Battalion "Granatieri di Sardegna" was formed and assigned to the Infantry Division "Granatieri di Sardegna". In 1976 the battalion was renamed 6th Engineer Battalion "Trasimeno" and assigned the flag and traditions of the 6th Engineer Regiment. The same year the Infantry Division "Granatieri di Sardegna" was disbanded and the battalion was transferred to the Central Military Region. In 1993, the battalion was disbanded and the regiment's flag was transferred to the newly formed 6th Pioneer Regiment. In 1997, the regiment was transferred to the army's Engineer Grouping.[4][1]

History

On 1 October 1922 the 4th Army Corps Engineer Grouping was formed in Bologna, which received the Sappers Battalion and the Telegraphers Battalion of the VI Army Corps, and a miners company from the disbanded Miners Engineer Regiment. The grouping consisted of a command, a sappers-miners battalion, a telegraphers battalion, a photo-electricians company, two dovecotes (in Bologna and Treviso, which was later replaced by a dovecote in Ancona), and a depot. On 1 November 1926 the grouping was renamed 6th Engineer Regiment.[4]

In February 1928 the regiment provided a sappers-miners company and telegraphers company for the formation of the 11th Engineer Regiment. On 28 October 1932 the regiment received the II Battalion of the disbanded 1st Radio-Telegraphers Regiment.[5] In January 1937 the telegraphers and radio-telegraphers battalions were renamed connections battalions.[4]

World War II

With the outbreak of World War II the regiment's depot began to mobilize new units:[4]

The 3rd Engineer Grouping was mobilized on 11 June 1940 and in April 1941 participated in the invasion of Yugoslavia. The grouping was then assigned to the 2nd Army for occupation duty in Yugoslavia and based in Sušak. After the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943 the grouping in Sušak and the 6th Engineer Regiment in Bologna were disbanded by invading German forces.[4][1]

Cold War
Main article: Infantry Division "Granatieri di Sardegna"

On 1 May 1952 the Engineer Battalion "Granatieri di Sardegna" was formed in Civitavecchia by expanding the Engineer Company "Granatieri di Sardegna". The company carried the traditions of the 54th Engineer Company formed in 1940 for the 21st Infantry Division "Granatieri di Sardegna", which defended Rome against German troops after the announcement of the .Armistice of Cassibile. In 1955 the battalion moved from Civitavecchia to Rome.[4][1]

During the 1975 army reform the army disbanded the regimental level and newly independent battalions were granted for the first time their own flags. During the reform engineer battalions were named for a lake if they supported a corps or named for a river if they supported a division or brigade. On 1 January 1976 the Engineer Battalion "Granatieri di Sardegna" was renamed 6th Engineer Battalion "Trasimeno" and assigned the flag and traditions of the 6th Engineer Regiment, and the traditions of the 54th Engineer Company.[4] The battalion was assigned to the Central Military Region and consisted of a command, a command and park company, and three engineer companies.[1][6] In 1988 the command and park company split into a command and services company, and a special equipment company.[4]

Recent Times

On 3 September 1993 the 6th Engineer Battalion "Trasimeno" was disbanded and the next day the 6th Pioneer Regiment was reformed with the personnel and materiel of the disbanded battalion. On 1 December 1997 the regiment was transferred to the army's Engineer Grouping. After the 1997 Umbria and Marche earthquake the regiment was deployed to the affected areas, where it remained until May 1998, earning a Bronze Medal of Civil Valour for its service.[2]

On 24 January 2005 the regiment formed a second pioneer battalion, which was for named for Lake Nemi near Rome.

After the 2016 earthquake in Central Italy the regiment was deployed to the area and remained there until April 2017, building shelters, clearing debris, and providing engineering services to the affected communities. For its service the regiment was awarded Gold Medal of Army Valour.[7]

Structure
A VTMM "Orso" Route Clearing vehicle of the Italian engineer corps

As of 2022 the 6th Pioneer Regiment consists of:[8]

  • Regimental Command, in Cecchignola
    • Command and Logistic Support Company
    • Pioneer Battalion "Trasimeno"
      • 1st Pioneer Company
      • 2nd Pioneer Company
      • 3rd Pioneer Company
    • Pioneer Battalion "Nemi"
      • 4th Pioneer Company
      • 5th Pioneer Company
      • 6th Pioneer Company

The Command and Logistic Support Company fields the following platoons: C3 Platoon, Transport and Materiel Platoon, Medical Platoon, Commissariat Platoon, and EOD Platoon. Each of the two pioneer battalions fields three construction companies with the necessary equipment to build camps, airfields, lodging, roads, etc.

References
  1. "6° Reggimento Genio Pionieri - La Storia". Italian Army. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  2. "6° Reggimento Genio Pionieri - Il Medagliere". Italian Army. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  3. "6° Reggimento Genio Pionieri". Italian Army. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  4. F. dell'Uomo, R. Puletti (1998). L'Esercito Italiano verso il 2000 - Vol. Primo - Tomo II. Rome: SME - Ufficio Storico. p. 278.
  5. F. dell'Uomo, R. Puletti (1998). L'Esercito Italiano verso il 2000 - Vol. Primo - Tomo II. Rome: SME - Ufficio Storico. p. 310.
  6. Stefani, Filippo (1989). La storia della dottrina e degli ordinamenti dell'Esercito Italiano - Vol. III - Tomo 2°. Rome: Ufficio Storico - Stato Maggiore dell'Esercito. pp. 1184–1185.
  7. "6° Reggimento Genio Pionieri". Quirinale - Presidenza della Repubblica. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  8. "6° Reggimento Genio Pionieri". Ministero della Difesa. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.