The Regiment "Lancieri di Montebello" (8th) ( - "Lancers of Montebello") is a cavalry unit of the Italian Army based in Rome. The regiment is the reconnaissance unit of the Mechanized Brigade "Granatieri di Sardegna" and performs guard and public duties in Rome. In September 1859, after being victorious in the Second Italian War of Independence, the Royal Sardinian Army formed three new cavalry regiments, among them the Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Montebello", which was named for the Battle of Montebello, that had been fought on 20 May of the same year. Thus the regiment became the only Italian Army cavalry regiment named for a battle. In June 1860, the regiment was renamed Regiment "Lancieri di Montebello". In 1866, the regiment fought in the Third Italian War of Independence. In World War I the regiment's squadrons fought on the Italian front. After the war the regiment was disbanded.
During World War II the regiment was reformed as Armored Reconnaissance Grouping "Lancieri di Montebello". After the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943, the grouping fought in the defence of Rome against the invading German forces. On 10 September 1943, the grouping, together with the 21st Infantry Division "Granatieri di Sardegna" and civilian volunteers, fought a last stand at the Porta San Paolo, for which the regiment was awarded a Silver Medal of Military Valor. On 16 September, due to the hopeless situation, the grouping's commanding officer ordered the grouping to dissolve. In 1950, during the Cold War, the Italian Army formed the Squadrons Group "Lancieri di Montebello" in Rome, which was given the name and traditions of the regiment. In 1951, the squadrons group was expanded to 8th Armored Cavalry Regiment "Lancieri di Montebello" and equipped with M47 Patton tanks. In 1975, the regiment was disbanded and its name, traditions and standard were assigned to the 8th Armored Squadrons Group "Lancieri di Montebello". In 1979, the squadrons group was reorganized as 8th Mechanized Squadrons Group "Lancieri di Montebello". In 1992, the squadrons group lost its autonomy and entered the reformed Regiment "Lancieri di Montebello" (8th). In 1997, the regiment was assigned to the Mechanized Brigade "Granatieri di Sardegna" as the brigade's reconnaissance unit. In March 2004, the regiment formed the Horse Squadrons Group to perform mounted public duties in Rome.
The regiment's anniversary falls on 15 September 1943, the day the Armored Reconnaissance Grouping "Lancieri di Montebello" ceased its week-long resistance against the German forces attacking Rome. As the regiment is a lancer unit, its enlisted personnel is addressed as "Lancer" ().
History Italian Wars of Independence Second Italian War of Independence On 21 July 1858, French Emperor Napoleon III and the Prime Minister of Sardinia Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour met in Plombières and reached a secret verbal agreement on a military alliance between the French Empire and the Kingdom of Sardinia against the Austrian Empire. On 26 January 1859, Napoleon III signed the Franco-Sardinian Treaty, followed by King Victor Emmanuel II on 29 January 1859. On 9 March 1859, Sardinia mobilized its army, followed by Austria on 9 April. On 23 April, Austria delivered an ultimatum to Sardinia demanding its demobilization. Upon Sardinia's refusal, Austria declared war on 26 April and three days later the Austrians crossed the Ticino river into Piedmont. Consequently, France honored its alliance with Sardinia and declared war on Austria on 3 May 1859, which led to the Second Italian War of Independence. On 24 June 1859, the three armies met in the Battle of Solferino. On 11 July 1859, Emperor Napoleon III and Emperor Franz Joseph I met at Villafranca and concluded the Armistice of Villafranca, which transferred Lombardy, then part of the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia, from Austria to France. France and Sardinian would then exchange Lombardy for the Duchy of Savoy and the County of Nice.
After the conclusion of the armistice the French and Sardinian armies occupied Lombardy. On 16 September 1859, the nine cavalry regiments of the Royal Sardinian Army ceded each one squadron to help form three new Chevau-légers regiments: Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Milano" and Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Lodi", which were named for cities in Lombardy, and the Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Montebello", which was named for the Battle of Montebello, that had been fought on 20 May of the same year. The Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Montebello" was formed in the city of Voghera and received the squadrons ceded by the Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Novara", Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Aosta", and Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Monferrato". The three regiments had distinguished themselves in the Battle of Montebello four months earlier, and thus the new regiment was named for the battle, which makes the regiment the only Italian Army cavalry regiment named for a battle. Initially the regiment's troops were armed with musket, pistol, and sabre, but on 13 October 1859 the regiment's troops were equipped with lance, sabre and pistolone — a pistol with a shoulder stock. On 6 June 1860, the Sardinian War Ministry ordered that the army's cavalry regiments, which were equipped with lances — with the exception of the four line cavalry regiments — were to join the new Lancers speciality. Consequently, on the same day, the Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Montebello" was renamed Regiment "Lancieri di Montebello".
In 1861-64, the regiment operated in southern Italy to suppress the anti-Sardinian revolt, which had erupted after the Kingdom of Sardinia had annexed the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. During this time the regiment was first based in the Capitanata area in Apulia and then in the city of Caserta in Campania. In fighting against the rebels the regiment lost 40 troops.
Third Italian War of Independence On 20 June 1866, the Third Italian War of Independence between the Kingdom of Italy and the Austrian Empire began. During the war the Regiment "Lancieri di Montebello" formed, together with the Regiment "Lancieri di Milano" and Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Lodi", the I Cavalry Brigade of the IV Corps of the Army of the Po, which operated along the Po river. On 5 July 1866, the Army of the Po began the siege of the Austrian fortress at Borgoforte and during the night between 6 and 7 July the army crossed the Po river. On 11 July, the first forces of the Army of the Po entered Rovigo, which had been abandoned by the Austrians, as the Austrian forces in Italy had received the order to retreat towards the Isonzo river and the Trentino region. On 14 July, the Italian IV Corps ceded five divisions and the Italian I Corps one division to form the V Corps and VI Corps. Additionally the Italian II Corps and III Corps ceded both one division to form the VIII Corps. Afterwards the Army of the Po, which now consisted of the I, IV, V, VI, and VIII corps with a combined force of 14 divisions and six cavalry brigades, began a rapid advance through Veneto towards the Isonzo river without encountering Austrian forces.
On 10 September 1871, the regiment was renamed 8th Cavalry Regiment (Montebello), and on 5 November 1876, Cavalry Regiment "Montebello" (8th). In 1887, the regiment provided personnel and horses for the formation of the Mounted Hunters Squadron, which fought in the Italo-Ethiopian War of 1887–1889. In 1895-96, the regiment provided one officer and 69 enlisted for units deployed to Italian Eritrea for the First Italo-Ethiopian War. On 16 December 1897, the regiment was renamed Regiment "Lancieri di Montebello" (8th).
On 1 October 1909, the regiment ceded its 3rd Squadron to help form the Regiment "Lancieri di Vercelli" (26th). In 1911–12, the regiment provided 91 enlisted to units deployed for the Italo-Turkish War.
World War I
At the outbreak of World War I the regiment consisted of a command, a depot, and two cavalry groups, with the I Group consisting of three squadrons and the II Group consisting of two squadrons and a machine gun section. Together with the Regiment "Savoia Cavalleria" (3rd) the regiment formed the VI Cavalry Brigade, which was assigned to the 3rd Cavalry Division "Lombardia". On 24 May 1915, one day after Italy had declared war against the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the VI Cavalry Brigade began to patrol the coast of the Veneto region to guard against Austro-Hungarian Army landings. In April 1916, the 3rd Cavalry Division was dismounted for service in the trenches of the Italian front, however once the Austro-Hungarian Army began the Asiago offensive the division was quickly mounted again and sent to guard the assembly of the Italian 5th Army around Vicenza.
In August 1916, after Italian forces had entered the city of Gorizia during the Sixth Battle of the Isonzo, the dismounted 3rd Cavalry Division pursued the retreating Austro-Hungarian forces along the Vipava river. In 1917, the regiment's depot in Parma formed the 860th Dismounted Machine Gunners Company as reinforcement for the regiment. On 24 October 1917, the Imperial German Army and Austro-Hungarian Army began the Battle of Caporetto and already on the first day of the battle the German 14th Army broke through the Italian lines at Kobarid. All mounted Italian cavalry regiments were sent forward to cover the retreat of the Italian 2nd Army and 3rd Army from the Isonzo front. At the time the VI Cavalry Brigade was located deep in the rear and on 31 October began its march to the front. In the morning of 5 November 1917, the brigade crossed the Cellina and Meduna rivers at Vivaro and then advanced North to attack enemy columns marching from Lestans to Sequals. However due to the strength of the enemy advance the regiment had to fall back to Roveredo in Piano, where the regiment came under heavy Austro-Hungarian air attack. On 8 November, the Regiment "Lancieri di Montebello" (8th) had retreated further and now held a line along the road from Vittorio Veneto to San Fior. In the afternoon of the same day, the regiment was reinforced by a Bersaglieri Cyclists Battalion and five Lancia 1ZM armored cars. The next day the regiment then fell back to the new Italian line along the Piave river.
On 24 October 1918, the Royal Italian Army began the Battle of Vittorio Veneto and on 30 October, the regiment, like all cavalry regiments, was ordered to pursue the retreating Austro-Hungarian armies. The next day, on 31 October, the regiment's I Group charged the Austro-Hungarian rearguards to the South of Polcenigo. Afterwards the regiment captured the bridge over the Livenza river in the center of Polcenigo. The next day, the regiment advanced through Roveredo in Piano and onward to Tauriano and Spilimbergo. On 2 November, the regiment attacked the Austro-Hungarian forces crossing the Tagliamento river at Dignano, but failed to capture the bridge, which the Austro-Hungarians blew up. The next day the regiment crossed the Tagliamento river and on 4 November 1918, the regiment arrived in Udine, where it was informed of the Armistice of Villa Giusti.
Interwar years After the war the Royal Italian Army disbanded the second groups of all thirty cavalry regiments, while the first groups were reduced to two squadrons. On 21 November 1919, 14 cavalry regiments were disbanded and their groups transferred to 14 of the remaining cavalry regiments. One of the disbanded regiments was the Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Catania" (22nd), whose remaining group was renamed II Squadrons Group "Cavalleggeri di Catania". Afterwards, the squadrons group, which remained based in Turin and retained the disbanded regiment's standard, joined the Regiment "Lancieri di Montebello" (8th).