World War I At the outbreak of
World War I Italy declared its neutrality. In January 1915, the existing Alpini battalions began with the formation of a reserve battalion, with men, who had completed their military service at least four years, but not more than eleven years prior. These reserve battalions were named for a valley (; abbreviated
Val) located near their associated regular Alpini battalion's base, and the reserve battalions wore the same
Nappina on their
Cappello Alpino as their associated regular Alpini battalion. On 15 February 1915, the
7th Alpini Regiment's Alpini Battalion "Feltre" formed the Alpini Battalion "Val Cismon", which initially consisted of the 264th and 265th Alpini Company. In November 1915, the 277th Alpini Company joined the battalion. On 23 May 1915, Italy declared war on
Austro-Hungary and the Alpini Battalion "Val Cismon" was located in the upper
Cismon Valley and the next day occupied occupied position
Monte Pavione. On 9 June 1915, the battalion occupied
Fiera di Primiero and
Imer in
Trentino. The rest of the year the battalion was deployed in the area of
Forcella Magna and on
Cimon Rava. As the mountainous terrain of the
Italian front made the deployment of entire Alpini regiments impracticable the Alpini battalions were employed either independently or assigned to groups, groupings, or infantry divisions as needed. Between 22 and 27 August 1916, the "Val Cismon" battalion supported the attack of the
Alpini Battalion "Feltre" and Alpini Battalion Monte Pavione towards
Monte Cauriol, which was conquered on the 27th. For the next months, until 1 March 1917, the Alpini battalions "Feltre" and "Val Cismon" alternated on the summit of Monte Cauriol. In November and December 1917, after the disastrous
Battle of Caporetto and following the retreat to the
Piave river, the "Val Cismon" battalion was deployed on the
Monte Grappa massif, where it fought in the
First Battle of Monte Grappa. During the battle, between 14 November and 18 December 1917, the "Val Cismon" battalion defended positions on
Monte Tomatico,
Monte Solarolo, and Monte Valderoa against a series of
Austro-Hungarian attacks that cost the battalion 591 casualties. In 1918, the battalion remained on Monte Grappa and fought in the
Second Battle of Monte Grappa and
Third Battle of Monte Grappa. For its conduct during the First Battle of Monte Grappa the Alpini Battalion "Val Cismon" was awarded a Bronze Medal of Military Valor, which was affixed to the flag of the 7th Alpini Regiment and added to the regiment's coat of arms.
World War II On 2 September 1939, one day after the German
Invasion of Poland had begun, the 7th Alpini Regiment reformed the Alpini battalions "Val Cismon", "Val Piave", and "Val Cordevole" were reformed. The three battalions were assigned to the 4th Alpini Group, with which they participated in June 1940 in the
Italian invasion of France. On 31 October 1940, the three battalions were disbanded. For its conduct and service on the Greek front between 17 January and 23 April 1941 the Alpini Battalion "Val Cismon" was awarded a
Silver Medal of Military Valor. On 27 April 1941, the battalion "Val Cismon" had been assigned as the regiment's third battalion to the
9th Alpini Regiment, which was assigned to the
3rd Alpine Division "Julia". In July 1942 the three alpine division arrived in
Eastern Ukraine, from where they marched eastwards towards the
Don river. The Italian 8th Army covered the left flank of the German
6th Army, which spearheaded the German
summer offensive of 1942 towards
Stalingrad. On the evening of 17 January 1943, the Alpine Army Corps commander, General
Gabriele Nasci, ordered a full retreat. At this point only the 2nd Alpine Division "Tridentina" was still capable of conducting combat operations. The 40,000-strong mass of stragglers — Alpini and Italians from other commands, plus German and Hungarians — followed the "Tridentina", which led the way westwards to the new Axis lines. As the Soviets had already occupied every village, bitter battles had to be fought to clear the way. On the morning of 26 January 1943, the spearheads of the "Tridentina" reached the hamlet of Nikolayevka, occupied by the Soviet
48th Guards Rifle Division. The Soviets had fortified the railway embankment on both sides of the village. General Nasci ordered a frontal assault and by nightfall the troops of the "Tridentina" division had managed to break through the Soviet lines. The Italian troops continued their retreat, which was no longer contested by Soviet forces. On 1 February 1943 the remnants of the Alpine Army Corps reached Axis lines. On 1 September 1957, the Barrier Group "Cadore" was redesignated XIX Alpini Position battalion and assigned to the
Alpine Brigade "Cadore". On 1 July 1963, the XIX Alpini Position Battalion was renamed Alpini Battalion "Val Cismon". The battalion consisted of a command, a command company, the 264th Alpini Company, which was tasked with the defense of the Kreuzbergpass, and the 265th Alpini Company, which was a reserve company and tasked with the defense of the Val Frison. On 30 June 1964, the Alpini Battalion "Val d'Adige" was disbanded and the next day the two companies of the battalion joined the Alpini Battalion "Val Cismon". The two companies were tasked with maintaining and, in case of war, manning the Alpine wall positions at
Prags and
Landro Nord, which blocked passage through the
Höhlensteintal into Cadore. The battalion then consisted of the following units: With the arrival of the 264th Alpini Fortification Company "Val Cismon" the Alpini Fortification Battalion "Val Brenta" also received the traditions and military awards of the disbanded battalion. Thus the
Gold Medal of Military Valor,
Silver Medal of Military Valor, and
Bronze Medal of Military Valor awarded to the Alpini Battalion "Val Cismon" were affixed to the flag of the Alpini Fortification Battalion "Val Brenta". On 30 June 1979, the 264th Alpini Fortification Company "Val Cismon" was disbanded and its duties taken over by the 262nd Alpini Fortification Company, which the next day was renamed 262nd Alpini Fortification Company "Val Cismon". On 1 August 1986, the Alpini Fortification Battalion "Val Brenta" became a reserve unit and its flag was transferred to the Shrine of the Flags in the
Vittoriano in
Rome. The same day, 1 August 1986, the "Val Brenta" battalion's 262nd Alpini Fortification Company "Val Cismon" was renamed 262nd Alpini Fortification Company "Val Brenta", and the medals and traditions of the Alpini Battalion "Val Cismon" were transferred to the Shrine of the Flags in the
Vittoriano in
Rome for safekeeping. == Fortifications ==