The Regiment "Savoia Cavalleria" (3rd) () is a cavalry unit of the Italian Army based in Grosseto in Tuscany. The regiment is the reconnaissance unit of the Paratroopers Brigade "Folgore". The regiment is named for the Duchy of Savoy in France, which makes the regiment, along with the Regiment "Nizza Cavalleria" (1st), one of two Italian Army units named for a French region, which once was part of the Kingdom of Sardinia.
In 1692, Victor Amadeus II, Duke of Savoy ordered to form two cavalry regiments for service in the Nine Years' War. One of the two new regiments was named Cavalry Regiment "Savoia" (). After the Nine Years' War the regiment was disbanded in 1699. In May 1701, after Victor Amadeus II had entered the War of the Spanish Succession the regiment was reformed. From 1701 to 1713, regiment fought in the War of the Spanish Succession. Between 1733 and 1735, the regiment fought in the War of the Polish Succession, and from 1741 to 1748 in the War of the Austrian Succession. From 1792 to 1796, the regiment fought in the War of the First Coalition against the French Republic. In November 1798, during the War of the Second Coalition, French forces occupied Piedmont, forced King Charles Emmanuel IV into exile, and formed the Piedmontese Republic, a French client-state. In January 1799, the regiment was disbanded.
In May 1814, King Victor Emmanuel I returned from exile in Sardinia and, on 1 December of the same year, the King ordered to reform the regiment. In 1848, the regiment fought in the First Italian War of Independence and in 1859 in the Second Italian War of Independence. In 1866, the regiment fought in the Third Italian War of Independence. During World War I the regiment formed together with the Regiment "Lancieri di Montebello" (8th) the VI Cavalry Brigade of the 3rd Cavalry Division "Lombardia". In November 1918, after the Battle of Vittorio Veneto, the regiment distinguished itself in the pursuit of the beaten Austro-Hungarian Army, for which it was awarded a Bronze Medal of Military Valor. During World War II the regiment was assigned, together with the Regiment "Lancieri di Novara", to the 3rd Cavalry Division "Principe Amedeo Duca d'Aosta", which in April 1941 fought in the invasion of Yugoslavia. In summer of the same year, the division was sent to the Soviet Union to fight in the Operation Barbarossa. In October 1941, the regiment distinguished itself in the capture of Donetsk and Horlivka in Ukraine, for which the regiment was awarded its second Bronze Medal of Military Valor. On 24 August 1942, the regiment charged Soviet forces at Izbushensky, for which the regiment was awarded Italy's highest military honor the Gold Medal of Military Valor. In January 1942, the regiment suffered heavy casualties during the Soviet Operation Little Saturn and, subsequently, the regiment's survivors were repatriated to Italy. After the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943 invading German forces disbanded the remnants of the regiment in the Emilia region, while the troops of the regiment's depot in Somma Lombardo escaped with the regiment's horses to Switzerland.
In October 1946, the Italian Army formed the 3rd Cavaliers Reconnaissance Group, which received the regiment's traditions and black gorget patches. In 1950, the group was expanded to 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment "Savoia Cavalleria". In 1957, the regiment moved to Meran, where it joined the IV Army Corps. In 1975, the regiment was disbanded and its I Squadrons Group became an autonomous unit and was renamed 3rd Armored Squadrons Group "Savoia Cavalleria". The squadrons group was equipped with a mix of M47 Patton tanks and M113 armored personnel carriers and assigned the traditions and standard of the Regiment "Savoia Cavalleria" (3rd). In 1992, the squadrons group lost its autonomy and entered the Regiment "Savoia Cavalleria" (3rd). The regiment then received wheeled Centauro tank destroyers. In 1995, the regiment's squadrons in Meran were disbanded and the regiment's standard was transferred to Grosseto in Tuscany, where it replaced the standard of the Regiment "Lancieri di Firenze" (9th) and took over the latter regiment's base, squadrons, and personnel. From 1995 to 2013, the regiment was the reconnaissance unit of the Mechanized Brigade "Friuli" respectively the reconnaissance unit of the Airmobile Brigade "Friuli". In September 2013 the regiment was transferred to the Paratroopers Brigade "Folgore".
The regiment's anniversary falls on 24 August 1942, to commemorate the regiment's charge at Izbushensky, for which the regiment was awarded a Gold Medal of Military Valor. As one of the two Italian Army heavy cavalry regiments, whose history dates back to the 17th century, the regiment's enlisted personnel is addressed as "Cavalier" ().
History Formation In June 1690, the Victor Amadeus II, Duke of Savoy joined Grand Alliance, which required Savoy to enter the Nine Years' War against the Kingdom of France. Initially the Savoyard Army fielded only two cavalry regiments (Regiment "Dragoni di Sua Altezza Reale", Regiment "Dragoni del Génévois"), to which a third was added on 4 July 1690 (Regiment "Dragoni di Piemonte"). On 23 July 1692, the existing Piedmont Squadron, which had been formed upon Savoy's entry into the war and consisted of two brigades of mounted Gens d'Arme, was split and formed two regiments: one in Turin, which was initially named for its commander Regiment Cavaglià, the other in Valdengo, which was initially named for one of its company commanders Regiment None, and then for its commander Regiment Montbrison. Later in the same year the Regiment Cavaglià was given the name Cavalry Regiment "Piemonte Reale" (), while the Regiment Montbrison was given the name Cavalry Regiment "Savoia" (). The Cavalry Regiment "Piemonte Reale" was named for the Principality of Piedmont, while the Cavalry Regiment "Savoia" was named for the Duchy of Savoy. Both regiments consisted of a staff of 36 officers and nine companies of 50 cavaliers per company.
On 4 October 1693, all five Savoyard cavalry regiments fought in the Battle of Marsaglia. On 5 December 1696, the regiment was reduced from nine to eight companies. On 29 August 1696, France and Savoy signed the Treaty of Turin, which ended the latter's involvement in the war, followed on 20 September 1697, by the Peace of Ryswick, which ended the Nine Years' War. Consequently, the number of cavaliers per company in the Savoyard Army's two cavalry regiments were reduced 50 to 35 cavaliers. On 22 November 1699, the Cavalry Regiment "Savoia" was disbanded and its personnel and horses transferred to the Cavalry Regiment "Piemonte Reale" and Regiment "Dragoni di Sua Altezza Reale".
Cabinet Wars War of the Spanish Succession In March 1701, Duke Victor Amadeus II joined the War of the Spanish Succession on the French side and, consequently on 7 May of the same year, the Cavalry Regiment "Savoia" was reformed. At the time the Savoyard Army's cavalry regiments fielded a staff and eight companies, which were grouped in four squadrons. Each company fielded 60 cavaliers, while the regiment's staff consisted of 30 officers. On 15 August 1702, the regiments "Dragoni di Sua Altezza Reale", "Dragoni del Génévois", "Piemonte Reale" and "Savoia" fought in the Battle of Luzzara. In 1703, Victor Amadeus II entered secret negotiations with the anti-French Second Grand Alliance and in October of that year declared war on France. On 24 December of the same year, the Cavalry Regiment "Savoia" added a fifth squadron of two companies and then fielded some 700 men.
By 1706, France had occupied most of the territories of Victor Amadeus II, leaving only his capital Turin in his possession. On 2 June 1706, a French army led by Louis de la Feuillade began to besiege Turin. Victor Amadeus II left the Austrian general Philipp von Daun in command of defences of Turin and escaped from the city on 17 June with 7,000 Austrian and Savoyard cavalry. Two days later the French closed the siege ring around the city. Meanwhile, further East, a French field army under Philippe II, Duke of Orléans maneuvered to prevent an Imperial army led by Austrian field marshal Prince Eugene of Savoy from coming to the relief of Turin. Attempting to buy time for Prince Eugene, Victor Amadeus II spent the next two months attacking French supply lines with his cavalry. On 15 August, Prince Eugene began his advance on Turin, easily evading Orléans' covering force. On 29 August, he reached Carmagnola south of Turin, where he was joined by Victor Amadeus II. Aware of Prince Eugene's approach, Orléans joined La Feuillade, and their combined force made three assaults on Turin between 27 August and 3 September. On 5 September, the Savoyard-Imperial army concentrated at Collegno, between the Dora Riparia and the Stura di Lanzo rivers near a weak spot in the French lines. On 7 September, Prince Eugene divided his force into eight columns and ordered an all out attack on the French forces. Victor Amadeus II personally led his cavalry regiments into the fray, charged the Duke of Orléans and his entourage, which led to the Duke of Orléans being wounded and forced to retreated from the battlefield. Afterwards Victor Amadeus II led the regiments "Dragoni di Sua Altezza Reale" and "Dragoni del Génévois" to the bridges over the Po river to block the French's route of escape.
A legend tells that at the end of the Battle of Turin a messenger was dispatched by the Cavalry Regiment "Savoia" to bring the news of the victorious outcome of the battle to Victor Amadeus II. Spotted by a French squad, the messenger was surrounded and in the ensuing melee received a sabre blow that slashed his throat. Nonetheless, the messenger continued to gallop until he reached Victor Amadeus II and barely had time to deliver his message before he fell lifeless from his horse, while blood gushed out from his slashed throat, coloring his white cravat. Victor Amadeus II, upon hearing the news, exclaimed: "Savoye bonnes nouvelles" ("Savoy good news"), which was subsequently adopted by the Cavalry Regiment "Savoia" as its motto. The regiment also earned the privilege to add a scarlet stripe on the black lapel of its uniform jacket, in memory of the regiment's courageous messenger.
In August 1708, the regiment fought in the Siege of Fenestrelle and the campaign to liberate the Duchy of Savoy. On 12 July 1711, the regiments "Dragoni di Sua Altezza Reale", "Dragoni del Génévois", and "Savoia" captured Conflans, liberated Annecy and Chambéry, and drove the fleeing French back to Montmélian. On 12 September 1712, the regiments "Piemonte Reale" and "Savoia" defeated a French column at Villanovetta and forced the French to retreat back through the Val Varaita into France. On 14 March 1713, France and Savoy signed a truce, while the other belligerents signed the first of the treaties of the Peace of Utrecht, which transferred the Kingdom of Sicily and parts of the Duchy of Milan to Savoy and confirmed the 1708 transfer of the Duchy of Montferrat to the House of Savoy. On 27 March of the same year, the Cavalry Regiment "Savoia" was reduced to eight companies, which were grouped into two squadrons.
War of the Polish Succession