Mountain Artillery Group "Udine"
Inactive mountain artillery group of the Italian Army / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Mountain Artillery Group "Udine" (Italian: Gruppo Artiglieria da Montagna "Udine") is an inactive mountain artillery group of the Italian Army, which was based in Vacile in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The group was formed on 1 February 1915 by the Royal Italian Army's 2nd Mountain Artillery Regiment and served with the regiment during World War I on the Italian front. In World War II the group was assigned to the 3rd Alpine Artillery Regiment "Julia", with which it participated in the invasion of France and the Greco-Italian War. In summer 1942 the 3rd Alpine Artillery Regiment "Julia" was transferred to the Soviet Union, where it was destroyed in winter 1942–43 during the Soviet Operation Little Saturn. The remnants of the regiment were repatriated in spring 1943 and invading German forces disbanded the regiment and its groups after the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943.[4]
Mountain Artillery Group "Udine" | |
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Gruppo Artiglieria da Montagna "Udine" | |
Active | 1 Oct. 1975 – 31 July 1995 |
Country | Italy |
Branch | Italian Army |
Part of | Alpine Brigade "Julia" |
Garrison/HQ | Vacile |
Motto(s) | "Tire e tàs" |
Anniversaries | 15 June 1918 - Second Battle of the Piave River |
Decorations | 2x Gold Medals of Military Valor[1][2] 1x Silver Medal of Army Valor[3] |
Insignia | |
Regimental gorget patches |
The group was reformed in 1957 and assigned to the 3rd Mountain Artillery Regiment of the Alpine Brigade "Julia". In 1975 the group became an autonomous unit and was granted a flag and coat of arms. After the end of the Cold War the group was reorganized as Light Anti-aircraft Artillery Group "Udine" and in 1995 it was disbanded. The Italian mountain artillery has served since its inception alongside the infantry's Alpini speciality, with whom the mountain artillery shares the distinctive Cappello Alpino. The regimental anniversary falls, as for all Italian Army artillery units, on June 15, the beginning of the Second Battle of the Piave River in 1918.[4]