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The 5th Tank Battalion "M.O. Chiamenti" (Italian: 5° Battaglione Carri "M.O. Chiamenti") is an inactive tank battalion of the Italian Army, which was based in Tauriano in Friuli-Venezia Giulia and last operationally assigned to the 132nd Armored Brigade "Ariete". The unit's lineage traces back to the World War II V Tank Battalion M13/40, which was formed on 11 November 1940 by the depot of the 32nd Tank Infantry Regiment. In January 1941, the battalion arrived in Libya to shore up the crumbling Italian 10th Army, which was disintegrating quickly due to the British Operation Compass. On 10 January 1941, the battalion was assigned to the Special Armored Brigade and in the following 25 days the battalion fought British forces until the battalion was annihilated in the Battle of Beda Fomm. In 1964 the battalion was reformed and assigned to the 32nd Tank Regiment. In 1975 the battalion was renamed 5th Tank Battalion "M.O. Chiamenti" and assigned to the 32nd Armored Brigade "Mameli". In 1991, the battalion was transferred to the 132nd Armored Brigade "Ariete". On 25 August 1992, the battalion was disbanded and its personnel merged into the 3rd Tank Battalion "M.O. Galas", which the next day entered the reformed 32nd Tank Regiment.[2]
| 5th Tank Battalion "M.O. Chiamenti" | |
|---|---|
| 5° Battaglione Carri "M.O. Chiamenti" | |
 Battalion coat of arms | |
| Active | 11 Nov. 1940 — 8 Feb. 1941 1 July 1964 — 25 Aug. 1992 |
| Country |  Italy |
| Branch | Italian Army |
| Part of | Armored Brigade "Ariete" |
| Garrison/HQ | Tauriano |
| Motto(s) | "Con fede ed animo indomito" |
| Anniversaries | 8 February 1941 |
| Decorations |   1x Silver Medal of Military Valor 1x Silver Medal of Army Valor[1] |
| Insignia | |
| Tank units gorget patches |  |
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 battalion's anniversary falls on 8 February, the last day of the Battle of Beda Fomm, during which the remnants of the V Tank Battalion M13/40 continued to fight until the total annihilation of the battalion.[2]
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World War II
On 1 October 1927, the Royal Italian Army reorganized its Armed Tanks Formation Center in Rome and formed the Armed Tanks Regiment (Italian: Reggimento carri armati) as central training unit for the army's tank battalions. On the same date the regiment formed five tank battalions, which were equipped with Fiat 3000 Mod. 21 light tanks. On 15 September 1936, the Armed Tanks Regiment was split into four tank infantry regiments and the regiment's II Tank Battalion was renamed V Breach Tanks Battalion "Suarez" and assigned to the newly formed 4th Tank Infantry Regiment. In 1938 all Breach Tanks Battalions were renamed Tank Battalion M (with M standing for Italian: "Medio" or Medium). On 30 November 1938, the battalion was transferred to the 2nd Tank Infantry Regiment. On 1 December 1938, the 2nd Tank Infantry Regiment was reorganized and renamed 32nd Tank Infantry Regiment. On the same date the V Tank Battalion M was redesignated CCCXXIII Tank Battalion M21/30. The battalion was equipped with Fiat 3000 Mod. 30 light tanks. On 1 November 1939, the CCCXXIII Tank Battalion M21/30 was transferred to the 1st Tank Infantry Regiment. On 1 August 1940, the CCCXXIII Tank Battalion M21/30 was equipped with M13/40 tanks and renamed III Tank Battalion M13/40.[2]
On 11 November 1940, the depot of the 32nd Tank Infantry Regiment in Verona formed the V Tank Battalion M13/40, which was equipped with M13/40 tanks and is unrelated to the earlier V Tank Battalion M. On 9 December 1940, the British Western Desert Force commenced Operation Compass, which within weeks destroyed most of the Italian 10th Army. On 13 December 1940, the V Tank Battalion M13/40 embarked in Naples and after arriving in Libya was assigned on 10 January 1941 to the Special Armored Brigade and by 15 January had arrived at the front. On 24 January, the Special Armored Brigade battled the British 7th Armoured Division in the Action at Mechili. During the fighting the Mechili the V Tank Battalion M13/40 lost eight M13/40 tanks and suffered nine men killed in action and twelve wounded in action. By nightfall the Special Armored Brigade began its retreat to Antelat with the V Tank Battalion M13/40 as rearguard. Over the next days the retreat continued with British tanks in pursuit. On 6 February, the retreating Italian formations found their escape route blocked by the British Combeforce at Beda Fomm and in the ensuing Battle of Beda Fomm the last remnants of the Italian 10th Army, including the V Tank Battalion M13/40, were annihilated. On 8 February 1941, the V Tank Battalion M13/40 was declared lost due to wartime events.[2]
For its conduct and sacrifice between 15 January 1941 and 8 February the V Tank Battalion M13/40 was awarded a Silver Medal of Military Valor, which was affixed to the battalion's flag.[2]
Cold War
On 1 March 1964, the 32nd Tank Regiment was reformed in Cordenons and assigned to the II Armored Brigade "Ariete" of the Armored Division "Ariete". On 1 July 1964, the regiment reformed the III Tank Battalion in Cordenons and the V Tank Battalion in Tauriano and on 20 October of the same year the regiment received the XXIII Bersaglieri Battalion. On 1 October 1968, the brigade headquarters were disbanded and the same year the entire entire regiment moved to Tauriano.[2]
During the 1975 army reform the army disbanded the regimental level and newly independent battalions were granted for the first time their own flags. On 30 September 1975, the 32nd Tank Regiment was disbanded and the next day the regiment's V Tank Battalion in Tauriano became an autonomous unit and was renamed 5th Tank Battalion "M.O. Chiamenti". Tank and armored battalions created during the 1975 army reform were named for officers, soldiers and partisans of the tank speciality, who had served in World War II and been awarded Italy's highest military honor the Gold Medal of Military Valor. The 5th Tank Battalion was named for Marshal Carlo Chiamenti, who, while serving as platoon commander in the IV Tank Battalion M13/40, fell on 15 April 1941 during the Axis Invasion of Yugoslavia.[2][3][4]
On the same date, 1 October 1975, the regiment's III Tank Battalion became an autonomous unit and was renamed 3rd Tank Battalion "M.O. Galas", while the XXIII Bersaglieri Battalion became an autonomous unit and was renamed 23rd Bersaglieri Battalion "Castel di Borgo". The three battalions were assigned to the 32nd Armored Brigade "Mameli", which was formed on the same day by reorganizing the command of the 32nd Tank Regiment. Each of the two tank battalions consisted now of a command, a command and services company, and three tank companies with M60A1 Patton main battle tanks. Both battalions fielded now 434 men (32 officers, 82 non-commissioned officers, and 320 soldiers).[2][5] On 12 November 1976 the President of the Italian Republic Giovanni Leone assigned with decree 846 the flag and traditions of the 32nd Tank Regiment to the 3rd Tank Battalion "M.O. Galas" and granted 5th Tank Battalion "M.O. Chiamenti" a new flag.[2][6] The Silver Medal of Military Valor, which the battalion had been awarded for its conduct and sacrifice during the Western Desert campaign, was affixed to the battalion's new flag and added to the battalion's coat of arms.[2]
For its conduct and work after the 1976 Friuli earthquake the battalion was awarded a Silver Medal of Army Valor, which was affixed to the battalion's flag and added to the battalion's coat of arms.[1][2]
Recent times
After the end of the Cold War Italian Army began to draw down its forces: on 1 April 1991, the 32nd Armored Brigade "Mameli" was disbanded and the 3rd Tank Battalion "M.O. Galas", 5th Tank Battalion "M.O. Chiamenti", and 23rd Bersaglieri Battalion "Castel di Borgo" were transferred to the 132nd Armored Brigade "Ariete". On 25 August 1992, the 5th Tank Battalion "M.O. Chiamenti" was disbanded, while the 3rd Tank Battalion "M.O. Galas" lost its autonomy. The next day, on 26 August 1992, the personnel of the disbanded battalion was merged into the 3rd Tank Battalion "M.O. Galas", which on the same date entered the reformed 32nd Tank Regiment. On 24 November 1992, the flag of the 5th Tank Battalion "M.O. Chiamenti" was transferred to the Shrine of the Flags in the Vittoriano in Rome.[2]
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