Formation On 16 April 1861, the
Royal Italian Army formed the
Brigade "Calabria" in
Modena. The brigade consisted of the
59th Infantry Regiment and 60th Infantry Regiment, which were formed on the same day and based in
Brescia, respectively in Modena. The 59th Infantry Regiment received three battalions ceded by the
20th Infantry Regiment of the
Brigade "Brescia", and by the
21st Infantry Regiment and
22nd Infantry Regiment of the
Brigade "Cremona", while the 60th Infantry Regiment received three battalions ceded by the
11th Infantry Regiment and 12th Infantry Regiment of the
Brigade "Casale", and by the
17th Infantry Regiment of the
Brigade "Acqui". On 1 August 1862, both regiments of the Brigade "Calabria" ceded one of their depot companies to help form the 67th Infantry Regiment (
Brigade "Palermo"), and their 17th Company and 18th Company to help form the
68th Infantry Regiment (
Brigade "Palermo"). In 1862–63 the 60th Infantry Regiment operated in the area of
Capua to suppress the
anti-Sardinian revolt, which had erupted in
Southern Italy after the
Kingdom of Sardinia had annexed the
Kingdom of Two Sicilies. In 1866, the Brigade "Calabria" participated in the
Third Italian War of Independence. In October 1866, the 60th Infantry Regiment was sent to
Palermo to patrol the city after the suppression of the
Seven and a Half Days Revolt. In September 1870, the 60th Infantry Regiment participated in the
capture of Rome. During the night of 18 April 1916, the Italians detonated five tonnes of
blasting gelatin in a mine driven under the summit of Col di Lana. The explosion destroyed the Austro-Hungarian summit position and the 59th Infantry Regiment's I Battalion stormed the summit, while the III Battalion attacked the ridge between the summits of Col di Lana and
Monte Sief. On 20–21 April, the 60th Infantry Regiment continued the attack over the summit ridge towards Monte Sief. On 6 May 1916, the 60th Infantry Regiment's depot in
Viterbo provided one newly formed battalion for the
231st Infantry Regiment of the newly formed
Brigade "Avellino". On 26 May 1916, the 59th Infantry Regiment's III Battalion attempted again to storm the summit of Monte Sief. On 18 July 1916, the Brigade "Calabria" was transferred to the
Travignolo Valley. The brigade was now tasked with taking the summits of
Cima Stradon and
Piccolo Colbricon. On 20 July 1916, the brigade began its attack and on 26 July the brigade broke into the Austro-Hungarian defenses on Cima Stradon, but was forced to retreat due to an Austro-Hungarian counterattack. The brigade resumed the attack on 4 August, and then after a pause renewed the attack again on 23, 24, and 25 August. On the latter date, the 59th Infantry Regiment's 6th Company managed to break into the Austro-Hungarian trenches on the Piccolo Colbricon, but was again forced to retreat after the enemy counterattacked. By now the brigade had suffered 2,842 casualties and further attacks were called off. After the disastrous
Battle of Caporetto the brigade retreated to the new frontline along the
Piave river. On 18 November 1917, the Brigade "Calabria" entered the frontline on the
Monte Grappa massif, where the brigade fought in the
First Battle of Monte Grappa on
Monte Tomba and the neighboring
Monfenera. On 22 November 1917, the Austro-Hungarian forces drove the Brigade "Calabria" off the summit of Monte Tomba, but the brigade counterattacked five times and retook the summit. On the same day the 59th Infantry Regiment's II Battalion and III Battalion defeated a series of enemy attacks on Monfenera. On this day alone the brigade suffered more than 650 casualties. On 2 December 1917, the brigade, which had suffered 1,665 casualties in two weeks of combat, was replaced in the first line by French troops. In 1934, the 30th Territorial Division of Cagliari was renamed Military Command Cagliari –
30th Infantry Division "Sabauda" and in September of the same year the Military Command Sassari –
31st Infantry Division "Caprera" was formed. The Military Command Cagliari was based in
Cagliari and responsible for the South of the island of Sardinia, while the Military Command Sassari was based in
Sassari and responsible for the island's North. The same month the XXXI Infantry Brigade "Caprera" was formed and assigned to the 31st Infantry Division "Caprera". The XXX Infantry Brigade "Sabauda" then transferred the 45th Infantry Regiment "Reggio" and 59th Infantry Regiment "Calabria" to the newly formed brigade. To bring the XXX Infantry Brigade "Sabauda" back up to strength the 60th Infantry Regiment "Calabria" was reformed in
Iglesias with personnel drawn from the 45th, 46th, and 59th infantry regiments.
Second Italo-Ethiopian War In 1935–36, the
30th Infantry Division "Sabauda", including the 60th Infantry Regiment "Calabria", participated in the
Second Italo-Ethiopian War. On 21 June 1935, the division arrived in
Massawa in
Eritrea. Initially the "Sabauda" division was tasked with border defence duties in the
Asmara-Dek’emhāre area. At the outbreak of the war on 3 October 1935 the division held a defensive line near Barachit and after overcoming initial Ethiopian resistance at
Fik’ada it advanced rapidly into Ethiopian territory. In November 1935, the "Sabauda" division took
Negash,
Agula and Bolbala and then moved to positions on the heights overlooking the
Tekezé river during the Ethiopian
Christmas Offensive. On 6 January 1936, the division resumed its advance only to stop for all of February 1936 in
Enderta Province. On 13–27 February 1936, the "Sabauda" division fought in the
Battle of Amba Aradam. On 3 April 1936, the division arrived at
Amba Alagi, where it won a decisive encounter and pursued the retreating Ethiopians to Agumserta and finally to
Lake Ashenge. With the way to
Addis Ababa open, the division surged forward, reaching Shewa Kifle Hāger village on the capital's outskirts on 26 April 1936, and captured
Addis Ababa itself on 5 May 1936. On 14 February 1978, the
46th Infantry Battalion "Reggio", which had trained the recruits assigned the
Motorized Brigade "Aosta", was disbanded and the 60th Infantry Battalion "Col di Lana" from then onward also trained the recruits destined for the Motorized Brigade "Aosta".
Recent times On 31 July 1991, the 60th Infantry Battalion "Col di Lana" lost its autonomy and the next day entered the newly formed 60th Infantry Regiment "Col di Lana". On 3 September 1992, the regiment was disbanded and the battalion became once more an autonomous unit as 60th Battalion "Col di Lana". The battalion continued to train recruits drafted in Sicily until the regiment was disbanded on 31 May 2005 and the flag of the 60th Infantry Regiment "Calabria" transferred to the Shrine of the Flags in the
Vittoriano in
Rome. == References ==