Second Italo-Ethiopian War On 31 December 1935 the 5th Alpine Artillery Regiment "Pusteria" was formed by the depot of the
2nd Alpine Artillery Regiment "Tridentina" in
Bergamo. The regiment was assigned to the
5th Alpine Division "Pusteria" and consisted of a command, a command unit, the Alpine Artillery Group "Belluno", with the batteries 1st, 11th, and 24th, and the Alpine Artillery Group "Lanzo", with the batteries 5th, 13th, and 21st. As the regiment had been formed in preparation for the planned
Second Italo-Ethiopian War the regiment was cobbled together with parts from existing alpine artillery regiments: For its conduct and bravery during the Battle of Maychew the Group "Belluno" was awarded a
Bronze Medal of Military Valor. The same month the Alpine Artillery Group "Belluno" was reorganized and now consisted of its traditional batteries, the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th. In 1938 the regiment formed the 44th Battery for the Group "Lanzo" and on 27 August 1939 the regiment formed the Alpine Artillery Group "Val Piave", with the batteries 34th, 35th, and 39th. In December 1941 the Alpine Artillery Group "Val Piave" was reformed, with the batteries 35th, 36th, and 39th, and equipped with
105/11 mod. 28 mountain guns. The group was transferred in April 1942 to the
3rd Alpine Artillery Regiment "Julia" for that regiment's upcoming deployment to the
Soviet Union. In August 1942, the 5th Alpine Division "Pusteria" was repatriated and, after two months of rest, participated in the
Axis occupation of Vichy France. Afterwards the Pusteria took up garrison duties in
occupied France. After the announcement of the
Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943 the division and its regiments were disbanded by
invading German forces. • Command Unit • 51st and 52nd batteries with
100/17 mod. 14 howitzers • Mountain Artillery Group "Vestone", in Meran • Command Unit • 35th, 36th, and 39th batteries with
M30 107mm mortars • Light Anti-aircraft Group, in Meran • Command Unit • 1st, 2nd, and 3rd batteries with
40/56 anti-aircraft autocannons • Recruits Training Group, in Meran The Mountain Artillery Group "Bergamo", named for the city of
Bergamo at the Southern edge of the
Orobic Alps, was formed 1910 in Bergamo and assigned to the
2nd Mountain Artillery Regiment. The group was equipped with
65/17 mod. 13 mountain guns and consisted of the 31st, 32nd, and 33rd batteries. On 1 February 1915 the group was assigned to the
3rd Mountain Artillery Regiment. In
World War I the group fought in 1915 on the
Krn and the
Mrzli Vrh. In 1916–17 the group returned to the Krn and in 1918 it served on the
Presena Glacier and on
Monte Asolone. In 1926 the group returned to the 2nd Mountain Artillery Regiment, with which it moved in 1936 from Bergamo to
Meran. In
World War II the group served with the
2nd Alpine Artillery Regiment "Tridentina" in the
Greco-Italian War and then in the Soviet Union, where the
Italian Army in Russia was destroyed during the Soviet
Operation Little Saturn. The Mountain Artillery Group "Vestone", named for the village of
Vestone on the Eastern edge of the
Orobic Alps, was formed for the first time in 1953 with batteries that had been part of the Alpine Artillery Group "Val Piave". The Group "Val Piave" had served with the
3rd Alpine Artillery Regiment "Julia" in the
Soviet Union and been awarded, together with the other groups of the regiment, a
Gold Medal of Military Valor. On 12 November 1976 the
President of the Italian Republic Giovanni Leone issued decree 846, which assigned the flag and traditions of the 5th Mountain Artillery Regiment to the Mountain Artillery Group "Bergamo", and granted the Mountain Artillery Group "Sondrio" a new flag. On 26 September 1982 the Mountain Artillery Group "Sondrio" was equipped with
M114 155mm howitzers.
Recent times After the end of the
Cold War the Italian Army began to draw down its forces. On 24 October 1989 the 53rd Battery and the Command and Services Battery of the Mountain Artillery Group "Sondrio" were disbanded, while the 51st and 52nd batteries were transferred to the Mountain Artillery Group "Bergamo". On 26 October of the same year the flag of the Mountain Artillery Group "Sondrio" was transferred to the Shrine of the Flags in the
Vittoriano in Rome. One year later the 52nd Battery was disbanded and the 51st Battery was reorganized as a self-defense anti-aircraft battery, which was equipped with
Stinger man-portable air-defense systems. On 30 July 1991 the Mountain Artillery Group "Bergamo" was transferred to the
Alpine Brigade "Tridentina". On 31 July 1992 the Mountain Artillery Group "Bergamo" lost its autonomy and the next day the group entered the reformed 5th Mountain Artillery Regiment. The regiment consisted of the following units: •
5th Mountain Artillery Regiment, in
Schlanders • Command and Services Battery • 51st Self-defense Anti-aircraft Battery, with
Stinger man-portable air-defense systems •
Group "Bergamo" • 31st Battery, with
105/14 mod. 56 pack howitzers • 32nd Battery, with 105/14 mod. 56 pack howitzers • 33rd Battery, with 105/14 mod. 56 pack howitzers On 6 November 1995 the regiment moved from Schlanders to
Meran. On 15 May 2001 the regiment was disbanded and the flag of the 5th Mountain Artillery Regiment was transferred to the Shrine of the Flags in the
Vittoriano in Rome. == External links ==