Formation In 1859, after the conclusion of the
Second Italian War of Independence, the
Austro-Hungarian Empire was forced to cede the Western half of the
Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia, the region of
Lombardy, to the
Second French Empire, which transferred the region to the
Kingdom of Sardinia. In 1861, after
Giuseppe Garibaldi's
Expedition of the Thousand the Kingdom of Sardinia annexed the
Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, which allowed the Sardinians to
proclaim the Kingdom of Italy on 17 March 1861. With the
Unification of Italy nearly complete the
Royal Italian Army began to form new regiments in the annexed territories. On 16 April 1861 the
1st Grenadier Regiment and
2nd Grenadier Regiment of the
Grenadiers of Sardinia Brigade ceded each one battalion to help form the
5th Grenadier Regiment (
Grenadiers of Naples Brigade). On the same date the
3rd Grenadier Regiment and 4th Grenadier Regiment of the
Grenadiers of Lombardy Brigade ceded each one battalion to help form the 6th Grenadier Regiment (Grenadiers of Naples Brigade). The 5th Grenadier Regiment was mustered and initially based in
Livorno, while the 6th Grenadier Regiment was mustered and initially based in
Florence. In September 1917 the brigade fought in the
Eleventh Battle of the Isonzo on the
Banjšice plateau. In October 1917, during the Italian defeat in the
Battle of Caporetto, the brigade fought at
Zagradan Pass and on
Bukova Ježa. The swift
Austro-Hungarian and
German advance forced the brigade to retreat to the
Piave river. In the violent fighting and during the retreat the brigade lost 3,987 officers and soldiers of the approximately 6,000 men the brigade had at the beginning of the battle.
Second Italo-Ethiopian War In February 1935 the
29th Infantry Division "Peloritana", including the 75th Infantry Regiment "Napoli", was shipped to
Somalia for the
Second Italo-Ethiopian War. As replacement for the 75th Infantry Regiment "Napoli" the regiment's depot in
Syracuse reformed on 11 February 1935 the 76th Infantry Regiment "Napoli". The regiment was assigned to the CXXIX Infantry Brigade "Peloritana II", but already on 10 March 1935 the 76th Infantry Regiment "Napoli" was renamed 146th Infantry Regiment "Catania". On 15 April 1939 the
54th Infantry Division "Napoli" was formed in
Caltanissetta. On the same date the 75th Infantry Regiment "Napoli" and 76th Infantry Regiment "Napoli" were transferred to the division. The same year the 76th Infantry Regiment "Napoli" moved from Trapani to
Agrigento. By 13 July 1943 an Allied landing north of
Augusta outflanked the division, and inflicted heavy casualties. The destruction continued on 14 July 1943, as remnants of division fought a rear-guard action at
Scordia. It has been estimated that the division lost up to eighty-percent of its effectiveness soon after its initial contact with British forces. On 25 July 1943 the division tried to reform at
Linguaglossa, but it became apparent that its cut-off subunits had either been destroyed or captured. Around this time the 75th Infantry Regiment "Napoli" was declared lost due to wartime events. The division's remaining personnel was ordered to move to
Messina, from where the it was evacuated to Southern Italy on 11–14 August 1943. The division was disbanded on 14 August 1943 in Melia southeast of
Scilla in
Calabria with the few survivors grouped into the 76th Infantry Regiment "Napoli". The battalion consisted of a command, a command and services company, three mechanized companies with
M113 armored personnel carriers, and a heavy mortar company with
M106 mortar carriers with 120mm Mod. 63 mortars. At the time the battalion fielded 896 men (45 officers, 100 non-commissioned officers, and 751 soldiers). On 1 November 1975 the personnel of the regimental command of the 76th Infantry Regiment "Napoli" formed the command of the
Mechanized Brigade "Isonzo" in the city of Cividale. On the same date the 76th Mechanized Infantry Battalion "Napoli" was assigned to the brigade, which in turn was assigned to the
Mechanized Division "Mantova". 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 under direct command of the Army's
3rd Army Corps or
5th Army Corps. As the Mechanized Division "Mantova" carried the traditions of the
104th Infantry Division "Mantova" and
Combat Group "Mantova", which had both fought against the Germans during the
Italian campaign of
World War II the army decided to retain the name of the division. On 30 September 1986 the Mantova's division command in
Udine was disbanded and the next day the command of the Mechanized Brigade "Isonzo" moved from
Cividale del Friuli to Udine, where the command was renamed
Mechanized Brigade "Mantova". The brigade retained the Isonzo's units, including the 76th Mechanized Infantry Battalion "Napoli".
Recent times On 5 August 1992 the 76th Mechanized Infantry Battalion "Napoli" lost its autonomy and the next day the battalion entered the reformed 76th Infantry Regiment "Napoli" as I Mechanized Battalion. On 31 July 1995 the 76th Infantry Regiment "Napoli" was disbanded after it had transferred its flag to the Shrine of the Flags in the
Vittoriano in Rome on 30 July. == References ==