Reggimento lagunari “Serenissima”
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The Lagunari ( Eng . "Lagoon hunters") are an amphibious force of the Italian army . Today's Lagunari Regiment Serenissima (it. Reggimento lagunari “Serenissima” ) has its seat near Venice and is subordinate to the Cavalry Brigade Pozzuolo del Friuli .
task
The regiment had during the Cold War, stationed in northeastern Italy the task lagoon rich southern flank V Corps to secure. Today the Lagunari are also intended for missions abroad. They operate particularly in inland areas ( riverine operations ) and coastal areas.
structure
The regiment consists of a staff, a logistic support company in Mestre , a tactical support company on the Vignole Island near Venice, a training company and an amphibious battalion in Malcontenta di Mira near Mestre. The battalion is divided into three amphibious companies (1st "Marghera", 2nd "Piave", 3rd "Isonzo"), equipped with Beretta ARX-160 and 200, FN Minimi , Panzerfaust 3 and light mortars, and in a company with Spike anti-tank guided missiles and heavy mortars and snipers . The battalion currently has lightly armored vehicles of the type VTLM Lince , some of which are equipped with heavy machine guns and grenade launchers . Equipment with new amphibious combat vehicles is planned. South of the battalion's barracks is a training area with access to the Venice lagoon . The regiment's tactical support company includes all sea vehicles (landing craft and small speedboats) as well as AAV7 amphibious tanks . You are also under a specialized reconnaissance platoon.
history
Lagunari used to exist in Italy in the field of pioneers (lagoon pioneers). These (few) associations secured the connecting routes in the area of the northeast Italian lagoons and the estuaries there with pontoons during the First World War . Artillery units were also deployed on such pontoons.
In 1951, the Italian army again set up a Lagunari formation, this time in the infantry area , because the above-mentioned V Corps needed a special amphibious formation to secure its flanks. This association also belonged to the San Marco Battalion of the Italian Navy until 1956 . Until the army reform in 1975, the Langunari regiment consisted of the amphibious battalions Marghera in Malcontenta ( ⊙ ), Piave in Mestre ( ⊙ ) and Isonzo in Villa Vicentina ( ⊙ ) as well as the XXII. Tank battalion in San Vito al Tagliamento ( ⊙ ). The regimental staff and smaller support and training units were located in the Guglielmo-Pepe barracks ( ⊙ ) on the Lido di Venezia , next to the Venice-Lido airport , until 1999 . This traditional barracks was built by the Republic of Venice between 1591 and 1596 for troops to defend the lagoon and is currently awaiting renovation and rededication. Other smaller support units were placed at the former seaplane base on the island of Vignole and at Cavallino-Treporti (Cà Vio) . At that time the association had brigade strength, the conscripts mostly came from the region.
With the army reform of 1975, the regimental level was largely abolished, so that independent battalions were now directly subordinate to the brigades or other command posts. From the staff of the previous Lagunari regiment the Comando Truppe Anfibie emerged , from the (mechanized) amphibious battalion Piave the 1st Lagunari Battalion Serenissima (to which the troop flag of the regiment also went), from an amphibious transport company the transport battalion Sile . The Marghera Battalion was dissolved, the Isonzo Battalion was renamed the 41st Mechanized Battalion Modena and, together with the 22nd Panzer Battalion, placed under the new Gorizia Brigade . In 1992 the Lagunari Regiment Serenissima emerged from the Anfibie troop , with the Sile transport battalion being reduced to one company again . With that the regiment only had battalion strength. The regiment was directly under the V Corps until 1997, after which it came to the Comando Forze di Proiezione in Milan and in June 2000 to the above-mentioned Brigade Pozzuolo del Friuli . In May 1999 the regimental staff and the staff and supply company moved from the Lido to Caserma Edmondo Matter in Mestre, the transport company stayed in Caserma Giuseppe Miraglia on Vignole Island, the other companies in Caserma Andrea Bafile in Malcontenta. In 2017 the Ministry of Defense announced that it would concentrate the entire regiment in Malcontenta. The facilities on the Lido, on Vignole and in Mestre are to be used for civilian purposes.
To date, Lagunari (who have a strong lobby in Veneto ) have not fallen victim to the waves of downsizing in the army. They are now intended for missions abroad and are to be used primarily in areas rich in inland water. The plans to integrate the Lagunari with the San Marco regiment, which belongs to the Italian marine infantry, and the creation of a joint amphibious brigade were initially rejected in the mid-nineties due to the fact that they were stationed far away ( Venice and Brindisi in Apulia ). In 2006 the close cooperation between the two regiments was institutionalized and a joint command staff was established in Brindisi (Forza Nazionale di Proiezione dal Mare) . The Italian Navy can fall back on the Lagunari and other support forces of the Army if necessary , today's 1st San Marco Regiment can also be completely active in the area of the Army in land operations. Both associations were deployed together with support forces for the first time as part of UNIFIL after the Lebanon War in 2006 on a joint assignment abroad (so-called Initial Entry Force , September 2006).
Both the Army Lagunari and today's San Marco Brigade of the Navy carry on the traditions of the marine infantry of the former Republic of Venice. This was first set up in 1202 by Doge Enrico Dandolo and existed permanently from the middle of the 16th century until 1797.
uniform
Like almost all other branches of the Italian army, the Lagunari wore a black beret for a long time . During a mission in Afghanistan in March 2011, they were given a new, lagoon-green beret. The collar tabs and scarves of the Lagunari are scarlet and show a lion of St. Mark .
See also
Web links
- Official website (it.)
- Lagunari Association (it.)
- Communication from the Ministry of Defense of March 9, 2017 on the planned reuse of the Lagunari barracks (it.)