1st Heavy Artillery Regiment (Italy)
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The 1st Heavy Artillery Regiment (Italian: 1° Reggimento Artiglieria Pesante) is an inactive heavy artillery regiment of the Italian Army, which was based in Elvas in South Tyrol. Originally an artillery regiment of the Royal Italian Army, the regiment was formed in 1902 with pre-existing batteries. During World War I the regiment's groups and batteries fought on the Italian front. In World War II the regiment formed two army artillery groupings, which participated in 1940 in the invasion of France and in 1941 in the invasion of Yugoslavia. The regiment and its groupings were disbanded by invading German forces after the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943.[1]
1st Heavy Artillery Regiment | |
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1° Reggimento Artiglieria Pesante | |
Active | 1 Nov. 1902 — 8 Sept. 1943 1 Oct. 1975 — 31 July 1983[1] |
Country | Italy |
Branch | Italian Army |
Part of | 3rd Missiles Brigade "Aquileia" |
Garrison/HQ | Elvas |
Motto(s) | "Flamma ac tonitru exterrent" |
Anniversaries | 15 June 1918 - Second Battle of the Piave River |
Insignia | |
Regimental gorget patches |
In 1975 the XIV Heavy Artillery Group in Elvas was renamed 1st Heavy Artillery Group "Adige" and assigned the flag and traditions of the 1st Heavy Artillery Regiment. The group was assigned to the 3rd Missiles Brigade "Aquileia", which consisted of the Italian Army's units with a nuclear weapons mission. The group was armed with M115 203mm howitzers, for which the US Army's 11th Field Artillery Detachment, which was part of the 559th Artillery Group, stored W33 and later W79 nuclear artillery shells at Site Rigel in Natz-Schabs.[2][3] In 1983 the group was disbanded and the group's 8th Battery was transferred to the 9th Heavy Artillery Group "Rovigo".[1][4][5] The regimental anniversary falls, as for all Italian Army artillery regiments, on June 15, the beginning of the Second Battle of the Piave River in 1918.[1]
This article is about the Royal Italian Army's 1st Heavy Artillery Regiment, which was a support unit assigned to an army-level command. This regiment is unrelated to the 1st Heavy Field Artillery Regiment, which was a support unit assigned to a corps-level command, and unrelated to the 1st Field Artillery Regiment, which was a support unit assigned to a division-level command.[1]