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33rd Tank Regiment (Italy)
Italian Army tank unit / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 33rd Tank Regiment (Italian: 33° Reggimento Carri) is an inactive tank regiment of the Italian Army, which was based in Ozzano dell'Emilia in the Emilia Romagna and last operationally assigned to the 132nd Armored Brigade "Ariete". The regiment was formed in November 1939 by the Royal Italian Army and assigned to the 133rd Armored Division "Littorio". The regiment participated in June 1940 in the Invasion of France and in April 1941 in the Invasion of Yugoslavia. In November 1941, the regiment was replaced by the 133rd Tank Infantry Regiment as the tank regiment of the 133rd Armored Division "Littorio". Afterwards the regiment trained tank and self-propelled gun units, until German forces disbanded the regiment after the Armistice of Cassibile was announced on 8 September 1943.[1]
33rd Tank Regiment | |
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33° Reggimento Carri | |
![]() Regimental coat of arms | |
Active | 6 Nov. 1939 — 8 Sept. 1943 1 Nov. 1976 — 31 Aug. 2001 |
Country | ![]() |
Branch | Italian Army |
Part of | 132nd Armored Brigade "Ariete" |
Garrison/HQ | Ozzano dell'Emilia |
Motto(s) | "Aere Perennius" |
Anniversaries | 1 October 1927 |
Insignia | |
Tank units gorget patches |
In 1976 the regiment's flag and traditions were assigned to the 6th Tank Battalion "M.O. Scapuzzi", which had become an autonomous unit on 1 November 1976 and been assigned to the Mechanized Brigade "Granatieri di Sardegna". In 1993, the 6th Tank Battalion "M.O. Scapuzzi" lost its autonomy and entered the 4th Tank Regiment, while the flag of the 33rd Tank Regiment was transferred to Ozzano dell'Emilia, where the 33rd Tank Regiment was reformed and assigned the 11th Tank Battalion "M.O. Calzecchi". From 1993 to 1997 the regiment was assigned to the Mechanized Brigade "Friuli", and then to the 132nd Armored Brigade "Ariete". In 2001 the regiment was disbanded and the flag of the 33rd Tank Regiment was transferred to the Shrine of the Flags in the Vittoriano in Rome. Originally the unit, like all Italian tank units, was part of the army's infantry arm, but on 1 June 1999 the tankers specialty was transferred from the infantry arm to the cavalry arm. The regiment's anniversary falls, as for all tank units, which have not yet distinguished themselves on the battlefield, on 1 October 1927, the day the tankers speciality was founded.[1]