Brigata meccanizzata “Aosta”

Coat of arms of the Aosta Brigade

The Brigata meccanizzata “Aosta” ( German Mechanized Infantry Brigade Aosta ) is a large unit of the Italian Army stationed in Sicily . The brigade's headquarters are in Messina .

assignment

The Aosta infantry brigade is subordinate to the Acqui division command in Capua near Naples . It is used for peace missions abroad within the framework of the EU , NATO or the UN . In the field of national defense, she is responsible for Sicily, but can also be deployed on the mainland or to fulfill NATO alliance obligations. In Sicily, if necessary, it also takes on support and security tasks on behalf of civil authorities .

structure

5. crest Regiment Inf.. Aosta

Regiment crest 62nd Inf., Sicilia

Staff and supply association Aosta ( Messina )
5th Aosta Infantry Regiment (Messina)
62nd Sicilia Infantry Regiment ( Catania )
6th Bersaglieri Regiment ( Trapani )
6th Cavalry Regiment Lancieri di Aosta ( Palermo )
24th Artillery Regiment "Peloritani" (Messina)
4th Engineer Regiment (Palermo)
Aosta Logistics Regiment (Palermo)

All regiments of the brigade have battalion strength .

equipment

The brigade will be converted from tracked vehicles to wheeled vehicles. The cavalry regiment has, among other things, wheeled armored vehicles of the Centauro type , the infantry regiments receive wheeled armored personnel carriers of the Freccia type and protected Lince vehicles instead of a modified version of the M113 personnel carrier . Instead of the M109L self-propelled howitzers , the artillery regiment now has field howitzers FH70 , which can fire range-increased, guided Vulcano shells .

history

The Aosta Infantry Brigade emerged from the Fucilieri di Sua Altezza Reale infantry regiment (" Fusiliers of His Royal Highness ") founded in 1690 in the then Duchy of Savoy . This regiment was stationed in Sicily from 1713 to 1718 when the island was temporarily owned by the House of Savoy , which exchanged Sicily for Sardinia in 1720. In the course of an army reform in the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont , the Aosta Infantry Brigade emerged from this regiment in 1831 , which consisted of infantry regiments 5 and 6. She took part in the Italian wars of unification and stood out in the Battle of San Martino in 1859 . During the First World War, the most important mission took place on Monte Grappa . From November 22nd to 26th, 1917, the brigade with its many Sicilian soldiers successfully defended the important Col della Berretta in a very critical situation for Italy. Since then, the brigade has had close ties with Sicily. After the First World War, her two regiments, together with the 85th Verona Infantry Regiment and the 22nd Field Artillery Regiment, formed the 28th Infantry Division based in Palermo . With the army reform of 1939, the weak so-called "binary" divisions, consisting of only two infantry regiments, emerged, including the Aosta division with infantry regiments 5 and 6, and the 22nd field artillery regiment. During the Second World War, the division remained in Sicily and fought against US troops in the west and north of the island in July and August 1943 . From August 9 to 12, 1943, the Aosta regiments were relocated to mainland Italy, first to Avellino and then to Trento , and disbanded there in September 1943.

As early as October 1, 1944, an Italian brigade called Aosta was established on the Allied-occupied island of Sicily , which initially had security tasks. From this brigade the new Aosta infantry division emerged in Palermo in 1948 , but was reduced to a brigade again in 1961. After the army reform of 1975 it was subordinate to three motorized infantry battalions (5th Col della Berretta , 62nd Sicilia , 141st Catanzaro ), a tank battalion (62nd Jero ), a field artillery battalion (24th Peloritani ) and a logistics battalion ( Aosta ). In 1992 the brigade was mechanized and its battalions took on the designation regiment.

The infantry brigade Aosta made in 1968 in western Sicily after an earthquake in Belice -region Disaster Relief , 1980, on the mainland after a quake in Irpinia . In 1992 the brigade was deployed in Sicily to maintain public safety , and in 2001 to combat lava flows following an Etna eruption. After the last conscripts passed (2005), the Aosta Brigade took part in peace missions in Kosovo several times . Parts of the brigade were also deployed in Lebanon and Afghanistan .