1ª Divisione celere “Eugenio di Savoia”

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1ª Divisione celere “Eugenio di Savoia”

Coat of arms of the 1st Divisione Celere Eugenio di Savoia

coat of arms
active April 17, 1930 to September 13, 1943
Country Italy 1861Kingdom of Italy (1861-1946)
Armed forces Royal Italian Army
Type Cavalry
Division , Rapid Division
structure See outline
Installation site Udine
Second World War Balkan campaign (1941) , partisan war

The 1ª Divisione celere "Eugenio di Savoia" ( German  1st rapid division "Eugenio di Savoia" ) was one of three rapid divisions of the Italian army . These three partly mounted, partly motorized units existed from 1930 to 1943. The 1st rapid division was named after Prince Eugene of Savoy , who came from the later Italian royal house of Savoy , but served as a general in the service of the Habsburgs . The 1st Rapid Division was the successor to the Italian 1st Cavalry Division .

history

General

In the Piedmontese army , from which the Italian army emerged in 1861, there were six cavalry regiments in the 1830s . In 1835 these were combined in two cavalry brigades of three regiments each, and in the following year in three brigades of two regiments each . In 1841, these three brigades were the first to form an (unnumbered) cavalry division . In the following three decades, the cavalry division and the cavalry brigades were disbanded and reestablished several times because the cavalry regiments were assigned to the infantry divisions as required or they (in brigades) were subordinate to the corps as corps troops.

Between 1861 and 1915 the number of Italian cavalry regiments increased to 30, that of cavalry brigades to eight (at times nine), and that of cavalry divisions to four. The latter were eventually combined into a cavalry corps. 16 of the 30 regiments formed the eight brigades mentioned, the remaining regiments were usually assigned to other corps or infantry divisions.

The (1st) Cavalry Division, first set up in 1841, was joined by the 2nd Cavalry Division in 1882, the 3rd in 1887 and the 4th shortly before the First World War . These four divisions were given the names of four northern Italian regions in addition to their numbers :

  • 1ª Divisione di cavalleria del Friuli ( Friuli )
  • 2ª Divisione di cavalleria del Veneto ( Veneto )
  • 3ª Divisione di cavalleria della Lombardia ( Lombardy )
  • 4ª Divisione di cavalleria del Piemonte ( Piedmont ).

Their two brigades were numbered consecutively with Roman numerals from I to VIII and had no names. The cavalry divisions (with the exception of the 1st) were not stationed in the regions mentioned, but mostly in the northeast Italian Friuli. Since the Trentino at that time belonged to Austria-Hungary and from there it was possible to cut off Italian army units in Friuli with an attack on Venice , the Italian army preferred for a long time to concentrate its more mobile cavalry in the far northeast.

1st Cavalry Division

The (since 1882: 1st) cavalry division led the 1st and 2nd cavalry brigades from 1841, and at times also the III. and very rarely other brigades. In 1915 it had the following composition:

  • I. Cavalry Brigade
  • 13th Cavalry Regiment Cavalleggeri di Monferrato ( Chevaulegers )
  • 20th Cavalry Regiment Cavalleggeri di Roma
  • 4th Genova Cavalleria Cavalry Regiment
  • 5th Cavalry Regiment Lancieri di Novara

The allocation of infantry , Bersaglieri and field artillery units was temporary and war-related. Apart from smaller support units had the division not own Division troops . In 1915 the division was subordinate to VI. 3rd Army Corps on the Lower Isonzo . Because of the positional warfare there and the use of machine guns , the cavalry was hardly usable on other fronts and was soon dismounted like infantry. In 1916 almost all units of the four cavalry divisions were on foot. They were directly subordinate to the Army General Staff.

After the Italian defeat in the twelfth battle of the Isonzo , the four cavalry divisions were able to use their horses again at the end of October and beginning of November 1917 and make significant contributions to covering the retreat from the Isonzo to the Piave . The 2nd Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division at Pozzuolo del Friuli stood out, while the 1st Brigade fought a little further north, at Basiliano . A largely uneventful year followed for the division as a reserve and security force behind the Piave. After the Austro-Hungarian defeat in the Battle of Vittorio Veneto , horses could be used again in various pursuit battles at the end of October and beginning of November 1918.

After the war, the Italian army dissolved all cavalry divisions, leaving three cavalry brigades with a total of twelve cavalry regiments. A period of uncertainty followed for the cavalry, as there were no precise ideas about the future of this traditional force in view of the incipient motorization of the armed forces. The coexistence of mounted and armored squadrons , which was characteristic of the interwar period, began , the latter being equipped with light cavalry tanks ( tankettes ), which were then used in World War II .

1st quick division

On April 17, 1930, the 1st rapid division was set up in Udine . She took over the 1st Cavalry Brigade with three regiments, then an artillery regiment and other division troops the following year. On January 1, 1934, the division adopted the designation 1ª Divisione celere “Eugenio di Savoia” . On February 1, 1938, the brigade level was dropped, whereupon the division was structured as follows:

  • 11th Bersaglieri Regiment (bicycle, motorcycle)
  • 12th Cavalleggeri di Saluzzo Cavalry Regiment (mounted)
  • 14th Cavalry Regiment Cavalleggeri di Alessandria (mounted)
  • I. San Giusto light tank division ( L3 / 33 , L6 / 40 )
  • 1st rapid artillery regiment (motorized)
  • Smaller support units

During the Second World War, the fast divisions in the above-mentioned mixed composition with horses and tankettes were hardly suitable for combat missions against motorized and armored units. The 1st and 2nd rapid divisions were therefore mainly used as an occupation force and used to fight partisans . In addition, in the course of the war they had to surrender or reorganize units in order to supplement or reorganize other associations. The 3rd Division, on the other hand, was reclassified and motorized in the Soviet Union in early 1942 .

From 1938 the three fast divisions formed the so-called fast corps with headquarters in Padua (6th Army, Verona ), which remained in reserve in northern Italy until early 1941. In April 1941, the 1st Rapid Division with the Rapid Corps participated as part of the 2nd Army in the Yugoslavia campaign led by the German Wehrmacht . She stayed in the Karlovac area until October 1942 , after which she moved to Šibenik in Dalmatia . Heavy fighting against units of the Yugoslav People's Liberation Army occurred repeatedly in both occupation areas . On October 17, 1942, the Cavalleggeri di Alessandria regiment at Poloj ( Barilović ) carried out one of the last cavalry attacks of the Second World War, where it was able to free itself and other units from a very critical situation after considerable losses.

As early as March 30, 1941, the 1st Rapid Division had to surrender its 1st Rapid Artillery Regiment, which was particularly distinguished in North Africa. On April 3, 1941, the division temporarily received the 1st Cavalry Regiment Nice Cavalleria . From June to September 1943 the regiments of the division were subordinate to other large units. After the Cassibile armistice was announced , the 1st Rapid Division was disbanded on September 13, 1943.

Web links

literature

  • Raffaele Arcella: L'ultima carica. Dolnij Poloj 17 ottobre 1942 . Bonanno Editore, Acireale 2008.
  • Vittorio Cogno: 400 anni di vita degli eserciti sabaudo e italiano - repertorio generale 1593–1993 . Edizioni Fachin, Trieste 1995.