3rd Cavalry Division "Principe Amedeo Duca d'Aosta"

The division was formed on 1 November 1934 as 3rd Cavalry Division "Principe Amedeo Duca d'Aosta" in Milan. Although not officially sanctioned the division is considered to be the heir of the 3rd Cavalry Division of Lombardy, which fought in World War I and consisted of the V and VI cavalry brigades and was based in Milan. The division consisted of the III Cavalry Brigade "Principe Amedeo Duca d'Aosta" and the 3rd Artillery Regiment for Cavalry Division. The cavalry brigade consisted of the cavalry regiments Regiment "Savoia Cavalleria" and Regiment "Lancieri di Novara", the 8th Bersaglieri Regiment, and the III Light Tanks Group "San Giorgio". On 1 February 1938 the III Cavalry Brigade "Principe Amedeo Duca d'Aosta" was dissolved and its units came under direct command of the division. World War II In March 1941 the division had to transfer its 3rd Fast Artillery Regiment "Principe Amedeo Duca d'Aosta" with the II and III motorized groups to Libya, where it was assigned to the 17th Infantry Division "Pavia" to replace the 26th Artillery Regiment, which had been destroyed by British forces during the Battle of Beda Fomm on 6–7 February 1941. The division participated in the Invasion of Yugoslavia and returned to Milan on 31 May 1941. There the division received on 23 June the two remaining horse artillery groups of its two sister divisions 1st Cavalry Division "Eugenio di Savoia" and 2nd Cavalry Division "Emanuele Filiberto Testa di Ferro", which allowed the "Principe Amedeo Duca d'Aosta" to form the 3rd Horse Artillery Regiment for the division's upcoming deployment to the Eastern front. the LXVII Armored Bersaglieri Battalion (two companies of L6/40 light tanks), the IX Mortar Battalion, the XIII Squadrons Group/ Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Alessandria", with two squadrons of Semovente 47/32 self-propelled guns, and an expanded complement of mortars and anti-tank weapons. The division's two cavalry regiments, the horse artillery regiment and the III Light Tanks Group "San Giorgio" were removed from the division and formed the independent Horse Troops Grouping under direct command of the 8th Italian Army. With the new units and equipment the 3rd Cavalry Division was now structured similar to Italian motorized divisions. == Organization ==

August 1940 The division had undergone a level of mechanization and fielded two cavalry regiments, a Bersaglieri regiment, a motorized artillery regiment, and a light tanks group. The squadrons of the cavalry regiments were horse-mounted and, other than a motorcycle company, the Bersaglieri were issued with bicycles. The light tanks group had a total of 61 L3/35s and L6/40 tanks. • '''3rd Cavalry Division "Principe Amedeo Duca d'Aosta"''', in Milan • Command Squadron • I Squadrons Group • II Squadrons Group • 5th Machine Gun Squadron • Regiment "Lancieri di Novara", in Verona • Command Squadron • I Squadrons Group • II Squadrons Group • 5th Machine Gun Squadron • 3rd Bersaglieri Regiment, in Milan • Command Company • XVIII Bersaglieri Battalion • XX Bersaglieri Battalion • XXV Bersaglieri Battalion • 2nd Bersaglieri Motorcyclists Company (detached from the 2nd Bersaglieri Regiment) • 3rd Bersaglieri Motorcyclists Company • 3rd Anti-tank Company (47/32 anti-tank guns) • 3rd Fast Artillery Regiment "Principe Amedeo Duca d'Aosta", in Milan (replaced by the 3rd Horse Artillery Regiment for the campaign in the Soviet Union) • Command Unit • I Group (75/27 mod. 12 horse-drawn guns) • II Group (75/27 mod. 11 field guns) • III Group (75/27 mod. 11 field guns) • 1x Anti-aircraft battery (20/65 mod. 35 anti-aircraft guns) • Ammunition and Supply Unit • 3rd Horse Artillery Regiment • Command Squadron • I Squadrons Group • II Squadrons Group • 5th Machine Gun Squadron August 1942 After the reorganization in August 1942 the division consisted of the following units: • '''3rd Cavalry Division "Principe Amedeo Duca d'Aosta"''' • Command Company • VI Auto-transported Bersaglieri Battalion • XIII Auto-transported Bersaglieri Battalion • XIX Auto-transported Bersaglieri Battalion • 6th Anti-tank Company (47/32 anti-tank guns) • 120th Motorized Artillery Regiment • Command Unit • I Motorized Group (100/17 mod. 14 howitzers) • II Motorized Group (75/27 mod. 11 field guns) • III Motorized Group (75/27 mod. 11 field guns) • 101st Anti-aircraft Battery (20/65 md. anti-aircraft guns) • 220th Anti-aircraft Battery (20/65 mod. 35 anti-aircraft guns) • IC Mortar Battalion (81mm mod. 35 mortars) • XIII Self-propelled Anti-tank Squadrons Group "Cavalleggeri di Alessandria" (47/32 L40 self-propelled guns) • XLVII Bersaglieri Motorcyclists Battalion • LXVII Armored Bersaglieri Battalion (L6/40 tanks) • Anti-tank Battalion • 75th Anti-tank Battery (75/39 anti-tank guns) • 172nd Anti-tank Company (47/32 anti-tank guns) • 173rd Anti-tank Company (47/32 anti-tank guns) • 272nd Anti-tank Company (47/32 anti-tank guns) • 103rd Telegraph and Radio Operators Company • 105th Engineer Company • XIV Transport Group • 122nd Light Transport Section • 213th Medium Transport Section • 218th Heavy Transport Section • 219th Heavy Transport Section • 73rd Medical Section • 46th Field Hospital • 47th Field Hospital • 148th Field Hospital • 30th Surgical Unit • 93rd Supply Section • 3rd Cavalry Division Command Transport Squad • 355th Carabinieri Section • 356th Carabinieri Section • 40th Field Post Office == Military honors ==

For their conduct during the campaign in the Soviet Union the President of Italy awarded the division's units six Gold Medals of Military Valor - Italy's highest military honor. This makes the 3rd Cavalry Division "Principe Amedeo Duca d'Aosta" together with the 3rd Alpine Division "Julia" the two highest decorated Italian divisions of World War II. • 3rd Bersaglieri Regiment on 31 December 1947 • 3rd Bersaglieri Regiment on 30 January 1948 • Regiment "Savoia Cavalleria" on 13 December 1948 • Regiment "Lancieri di Novara" on 13 December 1948 • 6th Bersaglieri Regiment on 26 May 1956 • 6th Bersaglieri Regiment on 13 December 1958 == Commanding officers ==

The division's commanding officers were: • Generale di Divisione Francesco Guidi (20 September 1934 – 12 November 1935) • Generale di Divisione Sebastiano Murari della Corte Brà (13 November 1935 - ?) • Generale di Divisione Mario Berti (? - 31 March 1938) • Generale di Divisione Giovanni Messe (1 April 1938 – 16 May 1940) • Generale di Divisione Mario Marazzani (10 June 1940 – 1 November 1942) • Generale di Divisione Ettore de Blasio (3 November 1942 – 15 September 1943) == See also ==