132ª Brigata corazzata “Ariete”

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Coat of arms of the Ariete Armored Brigade
Coat of arms of the 32nd Panzer Regiment
Coat of arms of the 132nd Panzer Regiment

The 132ª Brigata corazzata “Ariete” ( German  132nd Panzer Brigade “Ariete” ) is a major unit of the Italian Army . The staff of the brigade is in Pordenone , the subordinate units are mainly stationed in the northeast Italian lowlands ( Friuli ). The brigade goes back to the 132nd Armored Division "Ariete", which was one of the three Italian armored divisions during World War II .

assignment

The armored brigade "Ariete" is subordinate to the division command "Vittorio Veneto" in Florence . It is used for peace missions and combat missions abroad within the framework of the EU , NATO or the UN . As part of national defense , it is responsible for northern Italy , but can also be deployed in other regions or to fulfill NATO alliance obligations. If necessary, it also takes on support and security tasks on behalf of civil authorities .

structure

All regiments of the brigade have battalion strength . 2013, the brigade lost the 4th Armored Regiment, which formerly resolved to Armored Brigade Centauro belonged. For this she received a new logistics regiment and in 2014 a cavalry regiment of the Pozzuolo del Friuli Cavalry Brigade .

equipment

The two tank regiments each have 41 Ariete- type battle tanks (54 each in four companies until 2008), the infantry regiment has Dardo- type armored personnel carriers , and the cavalry regiment Centauro- type armored vehicles . In 2008 the artillery regiment replaced its M109 L self-propelled howitzer with the new 2000 self-propelled howitzer .

history

Destruction of the division on November 4, 1942 near El Alamein

The brigade was set up on July 15, 1937 as the 2nd tank brigade with the 3rd (later 8th) Bersaglieri regiment and the 32nd tank regiment. On February 1, 1939, the brigade became the 132nd Armored Division Ariete (German: battering ram ; previously weapon for storming castles) with the 8th Bersaglieri Regiment , the 32nd Panzer Regiment and the 132nd Armored Artillery Regiment. From September 1941 the 132nd Panzer Regiment was added to the heavily damaged 32nd. From the beginning of 1941 until the first battle of El Alamein , the division fought under Erwin Rommel in North Africa. Despite its inferior M13 tanks compared to the Allies , the division repeatedly distinguished itself. In the second battle of El Alamein (October / November 1942), their units fought until they were completely destroyed.

On April 1, 1943, the division was re-established as the 135th Ariete Cavalry Division in Italy and took part in brief battles against German troops in September 1943 near Rome .

In 1948 a tank brigade called "Ariete" was again set up in Rome, which was relocated to northeast Italy ( Friuli ) a short time later and in 1952 grew up in the Ariete Armored Division . There she was subordinate to the V Corps . The Ariete Division then consisted of the 132nd Panzer Regiment, the 8th Bersaglieri Regiment , the 132nd Armored Artillery Regiment and the 19th Cavalleggeri Guide and various division troops . After they had experimented with mixed associations since 1963, originated with the army reform of 1975, the three mixed brigades of the division : the 32nd Armored Brigade Mameli , the 132nd Armored Brigade Manin and the 8th Bersaglieri Brigade Garibaldi . In 1986 the division level was completely abolished in Italy and the brigades were placed directly under the corps or military regions. On this occasion, the 132nd Manin Tank Brigade took over the name of the disbanded Ariete Division . During the Cold War , the Ariete Panzer Division with its M60 main battle tanks was stationed behind the front lines in Friuli and, in the event of an attack by the Warsaw Pact, had the task of destroying the enemy that might break through between Tarvisio and Trieste by means of a counterattack before the Piave or at least weaken it to such an extent that it could be brought to a standstill on the Piave with the support of reserves (III. Corps).

After the end of the Cold War, the 32nd Mameli Tank Brigade was disbanded in 1991, and the 8th Bersaglieri Garibaldi Brigade was relocated to Caserta near Naples . Parts of the Ariete tank brigade have been deployed in peace missions in the former Yugoslavia , Iraq , Lebanon and Afghanistan over the past 25 years . The Ariete tank brigade , together with the Bersaglieri Garibaldi brigade , will continue to form the heavy component of the Italian army.

photos

  • Main battle tank Ariete , 132nd Panzer Regiment, 2016 in Grafenwoehr

  • Ariete tanks 2016 in Grafenwoehr

  • Armored personnel carrier Dardo , with which the 11th Bersaglieri Regiment is equipped

  • Self-propelled howitzer 2000, 132nd Panzer Artillery Regiment, 2020 in Grafenwoehr

See also

Web links