World War II On 1 February 1942, the depot of the
31st Tank Infantry Regiment in
Siena formed the XIX Tank Battalion M15/42 (with M standing for or Medium). The battalion was equipped with
M15/42 tanks and based at
Colle di Val d'Elsa. Initially the battalion was to be assigned to the
33rd Tank Infantry Regiment, but ultimately it remained with the 31st Tank Infantry Regiment and became part of the forces tasked with the coastal defense of
Tuscany. On 1 August 1943, the battalion was assigned to the
215th Coastal Division, which was tasked with the
coastal defense of the coast of southern
Tuscany from Cap San Vincenzo in
San Vincenzo to
Albinia. The division was also responsible for the defense of the islands of the
Tuscan Archipelago and the harbor of
Piombino. On 15 August 1943, the
136th Armored Legionary Division "Centauro" was transferred from the
fascist militia to the
Royal Italian Army and the XIX Tank Battalion M15/42 was one of the units the Army intended to assign to the division. Due to a lack of tanks the battalion at the time fielded 20
M15/42 tanks and 18
Semoventi 75/34 self-propelled guns. In the evening of 8 September 1943, the
Armistice of Cassibile, which ended hostilities between the
Kingdom of Italy and the
Anglo-American Allies, was announced by General
Dwight D. Eisenhower on Radio Algiers and by Marshal
Pietro Badoglio on
Italian radio. However, as the Italian King
Victor Emmanuel III fled
Rome without issuing orders, Italian military units were left without clear instructions how to respond to the
German forces occupying Italian cities and towns. On 10 September, a German detachment tried to land by sea and occupy the harbor of Piombino. The
Royal Italian Navy units guarding the harbor, as well as the Navy's coastal defense batteries, one battalion of the 215th Coastal Division, and armed civilians immediately began to fight the Germans, and a heavy battle ensued. By 18:00 in the evening the tanks and self-propelled guns of the XIX Tank Battalion M15/42 arrived in Piombino and opened fire on the German troops. The battle lasted until the early hours of 11 September, when the remaining German forces surrendered. However, due to a lack of ammunition and additional German forces on the way to Piombino, the XIX Tank Battalion M15/42 retreated to
Venturina, where the battalion destroyed its tanks and self-propelled guns. Afterwards the battalion's personnel changed into civilian clothes and dispersed. The battalion was assigned to the
Motorized Brigade "Friuli" and consisted of a command, a command and services company, two tank companies with
M47 Patton tanks, and a mechanized company with M113
armored personnel carriers. The battalion fielded now 536 men (34 officers, 83 non-commissioned officers, and 419 soldiers). On 12 November 1976, the
President of the Italian Republic Giovanni Leone granted with decree 846 the 19th Armored Battalion "M.O. Tumiati" its flag. In 1988 the battalion replaced its
M47 Patton tanks with
Leopard 1A2 main battle tanks.
Recent times After the end of the
Cold War Italian Army began to draw down its forces and, on 16 January 1991, the 19th Armored Battalion "M.O. Tumiati" was reduced to a reserve unit. On 6 March 1991, the battalion was disbanded and its flag transferred to the
Shrine of the Flags in the
Vittoriano in
Rome for safekeeping. == See also ==