The 5th Alpini Regiment () is a mountain warfare regiment of the Italian Army based in Sterzing in South Tyrol. The regiment belongs to the Italian Army's Alpini infantry speciality and is assigned to the Alpine Brigade "Julia". On 1 November 1882, the Royal Italian Army formed the 5th Alpini Regiment, which had its recruiting area in the valleys of Northern Lombardy, which lie mostly within the Lepontine Alps, Bergamasque Alps and Livigno Alps. The recruiting area of the 5th Alpini Regiment extended to the Westerns shore of Lake Garda, with the recruiting area of the 6th Alpini Regiment commencing on the Eastern shore.
During World War I the regiment expanded to 16 battalions and became the largest regiment ever fielded by the Italian Army. During the war the regiment's battalions fought separately in the alpine areas of the Italian front. In 1935 the regiment was assigned to the 2nd Alpine Division "Tridentina", with which it served during World War II in the invasion of France and the Greco-Italian War. For its service and sacrifice on the Greek Front the 5th Alpini Regiment was awarded Italy's highest military honor the Gold Medal of Military Valor. In summer 1942 the 2nd Alpine Division "Tridentina" was transferred to the Eastern Front in the Soviet Union, where it was destroyed in winter 1942–43 during the Soviet Operation Little Saturn. The remnants of the division were repatriated in spring 1943. For its service and sacrifice on the Greek Front and then on the Eastern Front the 5th Alpini Regiment was twice awarded a second Gold Medal of Military Valor. On 8 September 1943, the Armistice of Cassibile was announced and two days later, on 10 September 1943, invading German forces disbanded the 5th Alpini Regiment.
On 1 January 1953, the 5th Alpini Regiment was reformed and assigned to the Alpine Brigade "Orobica". In 1975 the regiment was disbanded and its flag and traditions assigned to the Alpini Battalion "Morbegno". In 1991 the Alpine Brigade "Orobica" was disbanded and the Alpini Battalion "Morbegno" was assigned to the Alpine Brigade "Tridentina". The regiment was reformed in 1992. On 31 December 2002, the Alpine Brigade "Tridentina" was disbanded and the next day the 5th Alpini Regiment was assigned to the Alpine Brigade "Julia". The regiment's anniversary falls on 8 June 1916, the height of the Battle of Asiago, during which the regiment's Alpini Battalion "Morbegno" earned a Silver Medal of Military Valor for holding Monte Fior and Monte Castelgomberto with other Alpini battalions.
History On 15 October 1872, the Royal Italian Army formed 15 locally recruited Alpini companies in the alpine regions of Northern Italy. Nine more companies were formed the following year. In 1875 the 24 companies were organized into seven battalions, and in 1878 the companies were increased to 36 and the battalions to ten. On 1 November 1882, the Alpini companies were increased to 72 and grouped into 20 battalions. On the same date the battalions were assigned to six newly formed Alpini regiments, which were numbered 1st to 6th from West to East, while companies were numbered from 1 to 72 from to West to East. Upon entering the regiments, the battalions, which until then had been designated by a Roman numeral, were named for their recruiting zone, while the Alpini companies were renumbered sequentially from 1st to 72nd. One of the six Alpini regiments formed on 1 November 1882 was the 5th Alpini Regiment, which was formed in Milan in Lombardy. The new regiment received the battalions "Val Dora" and "Moncenisio", which both recruited in the Susa Valley, through which the Dora Riparia river flows and which lies beneath the Moncenisio massif; as well as the battalions "Valtellina" and "Alta Valtellina", which both recruited in the Valtellina Valley.
5th Alpini Regiment, in Milan Battalion "Val Dora", in Susa 32nd, 33rd, and 34th Company Battalion "Moncenisio", in Susa 35th, 36th, and 37th Company Battalion "Valtellina", in Morbegno 44th, 45th, 46th, and 47th Company Battalion "Alta Valtellina", in Tirano 48th, 49th, 50th, and 51st Company
On 1 April 1885, the regiment transferred the battalions "Val Dora" and "Moncenisio" to the 3rd Alpini Regiment, and received from the 1st Alpini Regiment the Battalion "Val Camonica", which recruited in the Camonica Valley. On 1 November 1886, the battalions changed their names from their recruiting zones to the cities and towns, where their base was located. At the same time Alpini soldiers and non-commissioned officers were issued thread tufts, called Nappina in Italian, which were clipped to the Cappello Alpino headdress, and colored white for the troops of a regiment's first battalion, red for the troops of a regiment's second battalion, green for the troops of a regiment's third battalion, and blue for the troops of a regiment's fourth battalion. The same year the 5th Alpini Regiment formed the Alpini Battalion "Rocca d’Anfo" with companies split off from the Alpini Battalion "Edolo" and then consisted of the following units:
5th Alpini Regiment, in Milan Alpini Battalion "Morbegno", in Morbegno (former Battalion "Valtellina") 44th, 45th, and 47th Alpini Company Alpini Battalion "Tirano", in Tirano (former Battalion "Alta Valtellina") 46th, 48th, and 49th Alpini Company Alpini Battalion "Edolo", in Edolo (former Battalion "Val Camonica") 50th, 51st, and 52nd Alpini Company Alpini Battalion "Rocca d'Anfo", in Rocca d'Anfo 53rd, 54th, and 55th Alpini Company
In 1887–88 the regiment's 48th Alpini Company deployed to Massawa for the Italo-Ethiopian War of 1887–1889, which led to the establishment of the Italian colony of Eritrea. In 1889 the Alpini Battalion "Rocca d’Anfo" moved to Vestone and therefore changed its name Alpini Battalion "Vestone". In 1895–96 the regiment provided 25 officers and 641 troops to help form the I and IV provisional Alpini battalions, which were deployed to Eritrea for the First Italo-Ethiopian War. In 1901 the regiment was assigned together with the 3rd Alpini Regiment and 4th Alpini Regiment to the II Alpini Group, which on 9 August 1910 was renamed II Alpine Brigade. In December 1908 the regiment was deployed to the area of the Strait of Messina for the recovery efforts after the 1908 Messina earthquake. For its service the regiment was awarded a Silver Medal of Merit, which was affixed to the regiment's flag.
Italo-Turkish War On 29 September 1911 the Kingdom of Italy declared war against the Ottoman Empire and the Alpini Battalion "Edolo" was deployed to Libya for the Italo-Turkish War. On 11–12 February 1912, a platoon of the battalion's 51st Company distinguished itself during the defense of the Italian position designated Ridotta Lombardia near Derna, which was held in hand-to-hand combat against Bedouin forces. On 8–10 October 1912, the battalion distinguished itself in the Battle of Bu Msafer near Derna. The same month the Alpini Battalion "Vestone" was assigned to the 8th Special Regiment, which had been formed in Libya with the command of the 8th Alpini Regiment and was led by Colonel Antonio Cantore. On 23 March 1913, the 8th Special Regiment fought in the Battle of Assaba against local rebel forces. During the war the 5th Alpini Regiment also provided 4 officers and 276 troops to augment other units fighting in the war.
For its conduct at Ridotta Lombardia and in the Battle of Bu Msafer the Alpini Battalion "Edolo", was awarded a Silver Medal of Military Valor, while the Alpini Battalion "Vestone" was awarded a Bronze Medal of Military Valor for its conduct in the Battle of Assaba. Both medals were affixed to the flag of the 5th Alpini Regiment and added to the regiment's coat of arms.
World War I
At the outbreak of World War I the Alpini speciality consisted of eight regiments, which fielded 26 battalions with 79 companies. Each Alpini battalion, with the exception of the Alpini Battalion "Verona", fielded three Alpini companies, while the Alpini Battalion "Verona" fielded four companies. Each company consisted of one captain, four lieutenants and 250 other ranks. After Italy's initial declaration of neutrality 38 additional Alpini companies were formed during the autumn of 1914 with men, who had completed their military service in the preceding four years. These companies were numbered from 80th to 117th and assigned to the existing Alpini battalions. During the same year the regimental command of the 5th Alpini Regiment moved from Milan to Edolo. In January 1915, each Alpini battalion formed 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 received the same Nappina as their associated regular Alpini battalion. The companies of the Valle battalions were numbered from 201st to 281st, with the numbers 227th, 233rd, 237th, 271st, and 273rd unused.
In spring 1915, the depot in Morbegno formed the 1st Alpini Volunteers Company, while in Milan volunteers formed the 2nd Alpini Volunteers Company, and the depot in Edolo formed the 3rd Alpini Volunteers Company "Val Camonica". In Brescia volunteers formed another Volunteer Unit, which after training at the depot in Vestone, was designated Volunteer Unit "Vestone". On 23 May 1915, Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary and at the time the 5th Alpini Regiment consisted of the following units:
5th Alpini Regiment, in Edolo Alpini Battalion "Morbegno" 44th, 45th, 47th, 88th, and 104th Alpini Company Alpini Battalion "Tirano" 46th, 48th, 49th, 89th, and 113th Alpini Company Alpini Battalion "Edolo" 50th, 51st, 52nd, 90th, and 105th Alpini Company Alpini Battalion "Vestone" 53rd, 54th, 55th, and 91st Alpini Company Alpini Battalion "Val d'Intelvi" 244th, 245th, and 247th Alpini Company Alpini Battalion "Valtellina" 246th, 248th, and 249th Alpini Company Alpini Battalion "Val Camonica" 250th, 251st, and 252nd Alpini Company Alpini Battalion "Val Chiese" 253rd, 254th, and 255th Alpini Company
By the end of 1915 the Alpini regiments began to form additional companies with recruits born in 1896. These new companies were numbered from 118th to 157th and were used, together with the 38 companies formed earlier, to form an additional reserve battalion for each regular battalion. These new battalions were named for a mountain () located near their associated regular Alpini battalion's base, and the reserve battalions received the same Nappina as their associated regular Alpini battalion. The 5th Alpini Regiment thus added the following Monte battalions:
Alpini Battalion "Monte Spluga" 88th, 104th, and 136th Alpini Company Alpini Battalion "Monte Stelvio" 89th, 113th, and 137th Alpini Company Alpini Battalion "Monte Adamello" 90th, 105th, and 138th Alpini Company Alpini Battalion "Monte Suello" 91st, 139th, and 140th Alpini Company