World War I On 1 February 1915 the
2nd Mountain Artillery Regiment ceded its Group "Bergamo" to help form the
3rd Mountain Artillery Regiment. The 2nd Mountain Artillery Regiment retained the numbers of the batteries of the Group "Bergamo" (16th, 17th, 18th) and assigned them to the batteries of the newly formed Mountain Artillery Group "Udine", which was formed on the same date in
Udine. The group's batteries were equipped with
65/17 mod. 13 mountain guns. The group entered
World War I with the following organization: •
(VI) Mountain Artillery Group "Udine" World War I On 10 June 1940, the day Italy entered
World War II, the Alpine Artillery Group "Udine", with the 17th and 18th batteries, was assigned to the
3rd Alpine Artillery Regiment "Julia" of the
3rd Alpine Division "Julia". The two batteries were equipped with
75/13 mod. 15 mountain guns. In October 1940 the regiment was transferred to
Albania to shore up the crumbling Italian front during the
Greco-Italian War. On 5 March 1941 the Group "Val Piave" of the
5th Alpine Artillery Regiment "Pusteria" ceded its 34th Battery to the Group "Udine". For its bravery and sacrifice on the Greek front the 3rd Alpine Artillery Regiment "Julia" was awarded Italy's highest military the
Gold Medal of Military Valor.
Cold War On 1 April 1952 the
3rd Mountain Artillery Regiment formed the Mountain Artillery Group "Gemona" in
Tolmezzo. The group was equipped with
M30 107mm mortars and consisted of the 17th, 18th, and 34th batteries, which had been the batteries of the Group "Udine" during World War II. Consequently, on 1 January 1957 the Mountain Artillery Group "Gemona" was renamed Mountain Artillery Group "Udine". In 1958 the group replaced its M30 107mm mortars with
Brandt AM-50 120mm mortars. In 1960 the Brandt AM-50 120mm mortars of the Group "Udine" were distributed among the three groups of the regiment, which fielded afterwards two howitzer, respectively in the case of the
Group "Conegliano" three howitzer batteries, and one mortar battery each. The Group "Udine" was now organized as follows: On 12 November 1976 the
President of the Italian Republic Giovanni Leone issued decree 846, which assigned the flag and traditions of the 3rd Mountain Artillery Regiment to the Mountain Artillery Group "Conegliano". With the same decree the
Mountain Artillery Group "Belluno" and Mountain Artillery Group "Udine" were both granted a new flag. The two
Gold Medals of Military Valor, which had been awarded to the
3rd Alpine Artillery Regiment "Julia" for its service in World War II, were duplicated for the Group "Udine" and affixed to the group's flag. Both medals are also depicted on the group's coat of arms. For its conduct and work after the
1976 Friuli earthquake the Mountain Artillery Group "Udine" was awarded a Silver Medal of Army Valor, which was affixed to the group's war flag and added to the group's coat of arms.
Recent times After the end of the
Cold War the Italian Army began to draw down its forces. On 31 October 1989 the 22nd Battery and the Command and Services Battery of the
Mountain Artillery Group "Belluno" were disbanded, while the 23th and 24th batteries were transferred to the Mountain Artillery Group "Udine". Afterwards the 24th Battery was reorganized as 24th Light Anti-aircraft Battery and equipped with
Stinger man-portable air-defense systems. In 1991 the Italian Army's General Staff decided that the Mountain Artillery Group "Udine" should become a light anti-aircraft artillery group. In preparation for the reorganization the 24th Light Anti-aircraft Battery was transferred on 4 December 1991 from the Mountain Artillery Group "Udine" to the
Mountain Artillery Group "Conegliano". Afterwards the two groups exchanged their names and flags. Two days later, on 6 December 1991, the Mountain Artillery Group "Udine", which was now based in Udine, was reorganized as Light Anti-aircraft Artillery Group "Udine" and assigned to the
4th Alpine Army Corps. On 1 March 1992 the group moved from Udine to
Vacile. On 31 July 1995 the Light Anti-aircraft Artillery Group "Udine" was disbanded and on 3 August the groups's flag was transferred to the Shrine of the Flags in the
Vittoriano in
Rome. As of 2023 the traditions of the Mountain Artillery Group "Udine" are carried on by the 17th Fire and Technical Support Battery of the
3rd Field Artillery Regiment (Mountain). == References ==