On 16 September 1883 the 11th Bersaglieri Regiment was formed in
Caserta with the fourth battalions of the
1st Bersaglieri Regiment,
4th Bersaglieri Regiment, and
7th Bersaglieri Regiment. The three battalions were numbered I, II, and III until 18 June 1886, when all Bersaglieri battalions resumed their original numbering. The 11th Bersaglieri Regiment consisted afterwards of the following battalions: • XV Battalion, which had been formed in 1859 and been assigned to the
2nd Bersaglieri Regiment from 1861 to 1871 and to the
7th Bersaglieri Regiment from 1871 to 1883. • XXVII Battalion, which had been formed in 1860 and been assigned to the
1st Bersaglieri Regiment from 1861 to 1883. • XXXIII Battalion, which had been formed in 1861 and been assigned to the
6th Bersaglieri Regiment from 1861 to 1871 and to the
4th Bersaglieri Regiment from 1871 to 1883. The XXVII Battalion had participated in 1860 with the
Royal Sardinian Army in the
Piedmontese invasion of Central and Southern Italy. In 1861 the battalions joined the
Royal Italian Army and were assigned to the newly formed Bersaglieri regiments, which at the time had only administrative functions. In 1866 the three battalions fought in the
Third Italian War of Independence. In September 1870 the XXXIII Battalion participated in the
capture of Rome. For the conduct and sacrifice of its troops during the Battle at Shar al-Shatt the regiment was awarded a
Gold Medal of Military Valor, which was affixed to the regiment's flag and added to the regiment's coat of arms. In August 1916 the II Bersaglieri Brigade fought in the
Sixth Battle of the Isonzo and
Seventh Battle of the Isonzo in the
Monfalcone sector. On 6 November 1916 the 9th Bersaglieri Regiment was replaced by the
7th Bersaglieri Regiment. The brigade then returned to the
Karst plateau. In May 1917 the II Bersaglieri Brigade fought at
Jamiano. On 2 June 1917, the brigade was taken out of the front to rest, but only two days later it returned to the first line as on 3 June 1917 the Royal Italian Army began the
Battle of Flondar, which was part of the larger
Tenth Battle of the Isonzo. For its conduct at Jamiano and Flondar the 11th Bersaglieri Regiment was awarded a
Silver Medal of Military Valor, which was affixed to the regiment's flag and added to the regiment's coat of arms.
World War II In April 1939 the regiment's XXVII Battalion participated in the
Invasion of Albania. At the outbreak of
World War II the regiment consisted of a command, a command company, the XV Battalion, the XXVII Battalion, the XXXIII Battalion, the 11th Bersaglieri Motorcyclists Company, and the 71st Cannons Company. On 6 March 1941, the 11th Bersaglieri Regiment was deployed to the
Vipava Valley, and on 11 April the whole division participated in the
Invasion of Yugoslavia. After the invasion the regiment remained in
occupied Yugoslavia, where it fought against
Yugoslav Partisans. On 1 June 1941 the XXXIII Battalion was transferred to the
VII Army Corps on
Corsica. One month later, on 1 July, the regiment's depot in Gradisca d'Isonzo formed the LI Bersaglieri Training Battalion, which the regiment ceded one month later to the
2nd Cavalry Division "Emanuele Filiberto Testa di Ferro". The regiment was disbanded by
German forces one day after the announcement of the
Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943. On 15 July 1976 the 182nd Armored Infantry Regiment "Garibaldi" was disbanded and the next day the XI Bersaglieri Battalion became an autonomous unit and was renamed
11th Bersaglieri Battalion "Caprera". The flag, motto and traditions of the 182nd Armored Infantry Regiment "Garibaldi" were assigned to the 11th Bersaglieri Battalion "Caprera". With the traditions the battalion also inherited the regiment's right to wear a red tie with the formal uniform. On 12 November 1976 the
President of the Italian Republic Giovanni Leone assigned with decree 846 the flag and traditions of the 11th Bersaglieri Regiment to the battalion. In 1986 the Italian Army abolished the divisional level and brigades, which until then had been under one of the Army's four divisions, came forthwith under direct command of the Army's
3rd Army Corps or
5th Army Corps. As the
Armored Division "Ariete" carried a
historically significant name, the division ceased to exist on 30 September in
Pordenone, and the next day in the same location the
132nd Armored Brigade "Ariete" was activated. The new brigade took command of the units of the 132nd Armored Brigade "Manin", whose name was stricken from the roll of active units of the Italian Army. For retaking the three bridges the 11th Bersaglieri Regiment was decorated with a
War Cross of Military Valor, which was affixed to the regiment's flag and is depicted on the regiment's coat of arms. == Organization ==