The Alpini (Italian for "alpines") are a specialised mountain warfare infantry corps of the Italian Army, which distinguished itself in World War I fighting in the Alps against Austro-Hungarian Kaiserjäger and the German Alpenkorps. The Alpini were supported by the Mountain Artillery, which both share the Cappello Alpino as identifying symbol. Below follow tables listing the regiments, battalions and groups, companies and batteries of the Alpini and Mountain Artillery active in World War I.

Alpini History The Alpini were founded in 1872 and their mission was to protect Italy's northern mountain border with France and Austria-Hungary. Recruited locally in the valleys of the Alps they were the trained in mountain warfare and based in locations along the Alpine arch. The regiments were numbered 1 to 8 from West to East and the regular battalions named for the locations of their depots, which served as training centers and for materiel storage. These were organized in standard TO&E of:

Regimental HQ Three mountain infantry battalions Support elements assigned to HQ Depot elements

After the raising of the "Belluno" battalion on 1 October 1910 the Alpini numbered 79 companies organized in 26 battalions. Each battalion, with the exception of the "Verona", consisted of three Alpini companies of one captain, four lieutenants and 250 other ranks. The "Verona" was the only battalion to field four companies.

After the outbreak of World War I in 1914 an additional 38 Alpini companies, numbered from 80 to 117, were raised from men, who had completed their military service in the preceding four years (i.e. completed it between 1910 and 1914). These companies were used to augment the regular battalions. Starting in early January 1915 each Alpini battalion activated a reserve battalion. Named after a valley (in Italian: "Val" or "Valle") located near the regular battalion's depot, these "Valle" battalions were filled with men, who had completed their military service at least four years, but not more than 11 years earlier (i.e. completed it between 1911 and 1904). The companies of the "Valle" battalions were numbered from 201 to 281, with the numbers 227, 233, 237, 271, and 273 never assigned to a company (227th originally meant for the "Val Pellice", but the battalion received the 224th Company instead; 233rd originally meant for the "Val Dora", but the battalion received the 3rd Company instead; 271st originally meant for the "Val Fella", but the battalion received the 8th Company instead).

After the Italian declaration of war against Austria-Hungary on 23 May 1915 the Alpini were heavily employed in the mountainous areas of the Italian front. At the end of 1915 the depots began to raise new battalions with drafted men born in 1896. These battalions were named after mountains (in Italian: "Monte") located near the regular battalion's depots and they received the 38 companies already raised in 1914. The new companies of these battalions were numbered from 118 to 157. One additional "Monte" company (158th for the "Fenestrelle" battalion), and the "Monte Mandrone" battalion (159th, 160th, 161st company) were raised later (see 5th Alpini Regiment for details about the "Monte Mandrone").

All in all the regiments of Alpini mountain infantry had during the First World War organized into between 9 and 14 battalions (3 regular and 6 to 12 reserve), operationally assigned to regiment-sized Groups (Gruppo), each Group attached to brigade-sized Groupings (Raggruppamento) with operational HQ and support elements.

Machine Gunner Companies

At the outbreak of war each infantry and Bersaglieri battalion of the Italian Army fielded one machine gun section with two Maxim 1911 machine guns carried by horses. Alpini battalions fielded two machine gun sections with two Maxim 1911 machine guns carried by mules. After the outbreak of the war this proved quickly to be inadequate and in spring 1916 the army began to raise dedicated machine gunner companies ("Compagnia Mitraglieri"). These companies were attached to brigades, divisions and army corps, which deployed them with tactical units (regiments, battalions, companies) as needed. 2,277 Machine Gunner companies were raised and numbered continuously. The Alpini depots raised 50 companies equipped with six Hotchkiss M1909 Benét–Mercié machine gunmachine guns each, and 119 companies equipped with six Fiat–Revelli Modello 1914 machine guns each.

The St. Étienne Mle 1907 equipped machine gunner companies were the: 78th, 79th, 87th, 89th, 91st, 92nd, 116th, 117th, 121st, 133rd, 141st, 143rd, 166th, 167th, 176th, 190th, 191st, 192nd, 350th, 416th, 417th, 441st, 442nd, 456th, 467th, 491st, 492nd, 2021st, 2057th, 2101st, 2191st, 2207th, 2227th, 2230th, 2231st, 2232nd, 2233rd, 234th, 2235th, 2236th, 2237th, 2238th, 2260th, 2262nd, 2265th, 2266th, 2268th, 2284th, 2275th, and 2276th.

The Hotchkiss M1909 Benét–Mercié machine gun equipped machine gunner companies were the: 201st, 202nd, 215th, 218th, 219th, 257th, 296th, 316th, 337th,347th, 348th, 503rd, 504th, 505th, 506th, 507th, 508th, 509th, 526th, 527th, 557th, 558th, 559th, 560th, 617th, 625th, 636th, 637th, 638th, 639th, 652nd, 661st, 662nd, 663rd, 664th, 665th, 670th, 671st, 691st, 692nd, 693rd, 694th, 695th, 741st, 742nd, 745th, 799th, 817th, 819th, 820th, 821st, 880th, 890th, 891st, 932nd, 933rd, 934th, 935th, 936th, 938th, 979th, 980th, 981st, 982nd, 983rd, 1259th, 1260th, 1261st, 1284th, 1337th, 1351st, 1355th, 1356th, 1357th, 1358th, 1359th, 1374th, 1380th, 1388th, 1397th, 1411th, 1451st, 1452nd, 1457th, 1559th, 1560th, 1602nd, 1603rd, 1604th, 1620th, 1621st, 1622nd, 1634th, 1635th, 1636th, 1637th, 1638th, 1734th, 1740th, 1741st, 1742nd, 1743rd, 1744th, 1747th, 1771st, 1772nd, 1773rd, 1774th, 1775th, 1776th, 1777th, 1778th, 1779th, 1801st, 1802nd, 1830th, 1831st, 1832nd, 1833rd, and 1834th.

Skiers Battalions

During the war each Alpini battalion raised a skiers platoon from its ranks. Starting on 9 January 1917 the army began to combine these platoons in twelve skiers battalions ("Battaglione Sciatori") of two companies and one train unit each. Each company had 18 dog sleds: six configured to carry wounded and twelve to carry the company's six Villar Perosa submachine guns with their ammunition. Each company also fielded a machine gun section with two Fiat–Revelli Modello 1914 machine guns. Until the end of March 1917 twelve battalions and two autonomous companies had been formed and numbered from West to East. However already on 15 May of the same year ten of the battalions were disbanded or their men used to form seven regular Alpini battalions. Only the I and II Skiers battalion continued to serve on the glaciers of the Adamello-Presanella Alps and Ortler Alps. Ultimately both battalions were reformed as Alpini battalions in spring 1918. Until the end of the war a total of nine battalions were raised with men and companies of the former skiers battalions and their companies were numbered: from 282 to 286 for newly raised companies from 290 to 311 for former skiers companies

The numbers 287, 288, 289 were not assigned. As an example: on 15 May 1917 the two newly raised 282nd and 283rd companies were combined with the 302nd company, which contained the remaining men of the V Skiers Battalion to form the "Pallanza" Alpini Battalion. The battalions were assigned to higher commands as follows:

Army Battalion Company Fate 1st Army I Skiers Battalion 1st Skiers Company Became the Alpini Battalion "Monte Ortler" on 24 February 1918 9th Skiers Company II Skiers Battalion 2nd Skiers Company Became the Alpini Battalion "Monte Cavento" on 4 March 1918 10th Skiers Company III Skiers Battalion 11th Skiers Company Alpini Battalion "Monte Pasubio" 25th Skiers Company IV Skiers Battalion 12th Skiers Company 13th Skiers Company 24th Autonomous Skiers Company Alpini Battalion "Monte Tonale" 6th Army V Skiers Battalion 3rd Skiers Company Alpini Battalion "Pallanza" 4th Skiers Company VI Skiers Battalion 14th Skiers Company Alpini Battalion "Cuneo" 15th Skiers Company VII Skiers Battalion 5th Skiers Company Alpini Battalion "Courmayeur" 6th Skiers Company VIII Skiers Battalion 19th Skiers Company Alpini Battalion "Monte Marmolada" 20th Skiers Company 4th Army IX Skiers Battalion 8th Skiers Company disbanded 23rd Skiers Company X Skiers Battalion 7th Skiers Company 21st Skiers Company 22nd Autonomous Skiers Company XII Army Corps XI Skiers Battalion 16th Skiers Company Alpini Battalion "Monte Nero" 17th Skiers Company 2nd Army XII Skiers Battalion 18th Skiers Company 26th Skiers Company

Initial operational deployment The regimental commands of the eight Alpini regiments were disbanded in the first years of the war. Their officers were used to create regiment-sized Groups ("Gruppo"), which numbered twenty by the war's end (1° to 20°) and brigade-sized Groupings ("Raggruppamento"), which numbered nine by war's end (I to IX). These had HQ and support elements under them and were responsible for the battalions. For larger operations divisional commands were assigned groupings and the necessary support units, however these divisions were not part of the Alpini corps. By war's end the 52nd and 80th divisional commands had at one point or the other commanded two Alpini groupings, while the 5th and 75th divisional commands, which were tasked with static defense in the Giudicarie and Bergamasque Alps fielded almost exclusively Alpini Groupings.

As an example for the operational deployment of the Alpini below follows the order of battle of the 52nd Division for the assault on Monte Ortigara on 10 June 1917.

52nd Division Command of 1st and 2nd GroupNote 1 Command of 8th and 9th GroupNote 1 Divisional Reserve 1st Alpini Group Alpini Battalion "Monte Spluga" Alpini Battalion "Tirano" Alpini Battalion "Monte Stelvio" Alpini Battalion "Valtellina" Alpini Battalion "Vestone" 78th Machine Gunner Company 79th Machine Gunner Company 176th Machine Gunner Company 456th Machine Gunner Company 661st Machine Gunner Company 2nd Alpini Group Alpini Battalion "Ceva" Alpini Battalion "Val Tanaro" Alpini Battalion "Val Stura" Alpini Battalion "Bicocca" Alpini Battalion "Mondovì" 527th Machine Gunner Company 693rd Machine Gunner Company 694th Machine Gunner Company 695th Machine Gunner Company XIII Mountain Artillery Group 13th Artillery Battery 44th Artillery Battery 62nd Mountain Artillery Battery 8th Alpini Group Alpini Battalion "Monte Mercantur" Alpini Battalion "Val Arroscia" Alpini Battalion "Val Ellero" Alpini Battalion "Monte Clapier" 215th Machine Gunner Company 662nd Machine Gunner Company 691st Machine Gunner Company 9th Alpini Group Alpini Battalion "Verona" Alpini Battalion "Monte Baldo" Alpini Battalion "Bassano" Alpini Battalion "Sette Comuni" 202nd Machine Gunner Company 663rd Machine Gunner Company 692nd Machine Gunner Company XXII Mountain Artillery Group 45th Mountain Artillery Battery 47th Mountain Artillery Battery 48th Mountain Artillery Battery Alpini Battalion "Cuneo" Alpini Battalion "Monte Saccarello" Alpini Battalion "Val Dora" Alpini Battalion "Monte Marmolada" 10th Mountain Artillery Grouping XXIII Mountain Artillery Group 45th Artillery Battery 46th Mountain Artillery Battery 50th Mountain Artillery Battery XXIV Mountain Artillery Group 56th Mountain Artillery Battery 60th Mountain Artillery Battery

The two commands were renamed I Alpini Grouping respectively IV Alpini Grouping on 20 July 1920

Military Awards Medals of Military Valor awarded to a battalion for its conduct during the war are also listed in the table below. If more than one battalion distinguished itself in a battle they were collectively awarded a shared medal of military valor, but no matter the number of battalions awarded a shared medal, only one medal was pinned to the regiment's war flag.

1st Alpini Regiment