The Regiment "Lancieri di Aosta" (6th) ( - "Lancers of Aosta") is a cavalry unit of the Italian Army based in Palermo in Sicily. The regiment is the reconnaissance unit of the Mechanized Brigade "Aosta". In 1774, King Victor Amadeus III ordered to form two new cavalry regiments for the Royal Sardinian Army and named his son Victor Emmanuel, Duke of Aosta as honorary colonel of one of the two regiments. Consequently, Victor Emmanuel named his regiment Cavalry Regiment "Aosta". The regiment fought in the War of the First Coalition against French forces. However after Napoleon Bonaparte defeated the Royal Sardinian Army in the Montenotte campaign the regiment was disbanded in October of 1796.
The Regiment "Aosta Cavalleria" was reformed in 1831. In 1845, the regiment's troops were armed with lances. In 1848-49, the regiment fought in the First Italian War of Independence. During the Second Italian War of Independence the regiment distinguished itself in the Battle of Montebello. On 6 June 1860, the regiment joined the new Lancers speciality and was renamed Regiment "Lancieri di Aosta". In 1866, the regiment fought in the Third Italian War of Independence, during which it distinguished itself in the Battle of Custoza at Monte Vento and was awarded, as only the second Italian cavalry regiment, Italy's highest military honor the Gold Medal of Military Valor. In 1870, the regiment participated in the Capture of Rome.
In World War I the regiment fought on the Italian Front. In 1935, the regiment formed two machine gunners squadrons groups for the Second Italo-Ethiopian War. Both squadrons groups distinguished themselves in the conquest of the Galla-Sidamo region, for which each squadrons group was awarded a Bronze Medal of Military Valor. Both medals are today affixed to standard of the Regiment "Lancieri di Aosta" (6th). In April 1939, the regiment's command and I Squadrons Group participated in the Italian invasion of Albania. In 1940, the regiment fought in the Greco-Italian War. Afterwards the regiment remained on occupation duty in Greece. After the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943, the regiment refused German demands to surrender, contacted the British Middle East Command, placed itself under British command, marched into the Pindus Mountains and joined the Greek partisans in their fight against the German occupiers. However, in October 1944, the Greek People's Liberation Army forced the regiment to surrender its weapons and interred the regiment's remaining troops.
In July 1951, the Italian Army reformed the regiment as 6th Armored Cavalry Regiment "Lancieri di Aosta" in Bologna. From its formation until October 1954, the regiment was assigned to the Infantry Division "Trieste" and then transferred to the VI Territorial Military Command. In 1964, the regiment was disbanded and its I Squadrons Group renamed Squadrons Group "Lancieri di Aosta". The same year the squadrons group moved to Cervignano del Friuli, where it joined the Infantry Division "Mantova" as the division's reconnaissance unit. In 1975, the squadrons group was reorganized, equipped with Leopard 1A2 main battle tanks and renamed 6th Tank Squadrons Group "Lancieri di Aosta". The squadrons group then joined the newly formed Armored Brigade "Vittorio Veneto" and was assigned the traditions and standard of the Regiment "Lancieri di Aosta" (6th). In July 1991, the Mechanized Brigade "Vittorio Veneto" was one of the first brigades to disband after the end of the Cold War and, consequently, in May of the same year, the 6th Tank Squadrons Group "Lancieri di Aosta" moved to Palermo, where it joined the Motorized Brigade "Aosta". In March 1992, the squadrons group lost its autonomy and entered the reformed Regiment "Lancieri di Aosta" (6th).
The regiment's anniversary falls on 24 June 1866, the day regiment distinguished itself in heavy combat at Monte Vento during the Battle of Custoza, for which the regiment was awarded Italy's highest military honor the Gold Medal of Military Valor. As the regiment is a lancer unit, its enlisted personnel is addressed as "Lancer" ().
History Formation On 20 February 1773, the King of Sardinia Charles Emmanuel III died and was succeeded by his son Victor Amadeus III, who set out to reform the Royal Sardinian Army. The army's cavalry regiments were assigned to the newly formed Department of the Cavalry, which consisted of a Wing of Dragoons and a Wing of Cavalry. Both wings consisted of two brigades of two regiments. On 28 August 1774, Victor Amadeus III ordered to complete the reform by forming two new cavalry regiments. With the same decree the King made his fifteen-year-old son Victor Emmanuel, Duke of Aosta and his brother Prince Benedetto, Duke of Chablais the two new regiments' honorary colonels. To form the new regiments, the six existing cavalry regiments would each cede two companies: the Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Sua Maestà", Cavalry Regiment "Piemonte Reale", and Cavalry Regiment "Savoia" would each cede two companies to help form a cavalry regiment, while the Regiment "Dragoni di Sua Maestà", Regiment "Dragoni di Piemonte" and Regiment "Dragoni della Regina" would each cede two companies to help form a dragoon regiment. On 16 September 1774, the two new regiments were formed and in Voghera Duke Victor Emmanuel named his regiment for his Duchy of Aosta Cavalry Regiment "Aosta", while on the same day Prince Benedetto named his regiment for his Duchy of Chablais Regiment "Dragoni del Chiablese".
The Cavalry Regiment "Aosta" consisted of three squadrons, with each squadron consisting of two companies. The companies had administrative functions and each fielded 47 officers and troops, including the company's support personnel. Two companies formed one squadron, with a squadron's first company fielding 38 mounted troops, while the second company fielded 37 mounted troops. On 23 April 1778, the regiment formed its fourth squadron and now consisted of 300 mounted troops and a regimental staff. After the reform the Sardinian Cavalry, which excluded the Dragoons of Sardinia stationed in Sardinia, consisted of the following units:
Department of the Cavalry Wing of Dragoons Wing of Cavalry Brigade "Dragoni di Sua Maestà" Brigade "Dragoni di Piemonte" Brigade "Cavalleggeri di Sua Maestà" Brigade "Piemonte Reale" Regiment "Dragoni di Sua Maestà" Regiment "Dragoni di Piemonte" Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Sua Maestà" Cavalry Regiment "Piemonte Reale" Regiment "Dragoni della Regina" Regiment "Dragoni del Chiablese" Cavalry Regiment "Savoia" Cavalry Regiment "Aosta"
French Revolutionary Wars On 21 September 1792, French forces invaded the Duchy of Savoy and on 29 September the County of Nice. Due to these unprovoked attacks King Victor Amadeus III joined the War of the First Coalition against the French Republic. At the time the Sardinian cavalry fielded some 4,000 troops in eight regiments, each of which consisted of four squadrons of two companies. Additionally in Sardinia the Corps of Light Dragoons of Sardinia consisted of two squadrons of two companies. On 29 September 1792, the French invaded Nice, where also a squadron of the Cavalry Regiment "Aosta" was stationed. In the following retreat towards Piedmont the squadron had its baptism of fire. From 1792 to 1796, the regiment fought against the French Army of Italy. In March 1796 Napoleon Bonaparte arrived in Italy and took command of the French forces, with which he defeated the Royal Sardinian Army in the Montenotte campaign within a month. On 28 April 1796, King Victor Amadeus III had to sign the Armistice of Cherasco and, on 15 May 1796, the Treaty of Paris, which forced Sardinia out of the First Coalition. The treaty also codified the transfer of the Duchy of Savoy and the County of Nice to France, gave the French Army free passage through the Kingdom of Sardinia, and imposed a limit of 10,000 troops on the Royal Sardinian Army. On 16 October 1796, King Victor Amadeus III died and his eldest son Charles Emmanuel IV ascended the throne. On 26 October 1796, the new king ordered to reform and reduce the size of the Royal Sardinian Army and, on the same day, the army's two youngest cavalry regiments: "Dragoni del Chiablese" and "Aosta" were disbanded. The 1st and 2nd squadrons of the Cavalry Regiment "Aosta" were transferred to the Cavalry Regiment "Piemonte Reale", while the 3rd and 4th squadrons were transferred to the Cavalry Regiment "Savoia".
Restoration On 28 August 1831, the five Royal Sardinian Army cavalry regiments, Regiment "Piemonte Reale Cavalleria", Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Piemonte", Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Savoia", Regiment "Dragoni del Génévois", and Regiment "Dragoni di Piemonte", were reduced from eight to six squadrons and a depot squadron, which was to be formed in wartime and train new recruits. On 3 November of the same year, the personnel of the disbanded squadrons was used to reform the Regiment "Aosta Cavalleria" in Vercelli. The reformed regiment consisted of six squadrons and a depot squadron, which was to be formed in wartime. On 3 January 1832, the now six Royal Sardinian Army cavalry regiments were renamed uniformly as "Cavalleria". The troops of five regiments, including the Regiment "Aosta Cavalleria", were equipped with a flintlock musket, two flintlock pistols, and a sabre, while the troops of the Regiment "Piemonte Reale Cavalleria" continued to be equipped with a flintlock musket, two flintlock pistols, and a straight cavalry sword. At its formation the identifying color of the Regiment "Aosta Cavalleria" was defined as scarlet, which is still used as the color of the regiment's gorget patches today.
On 7 March 1835, the six cavalry regiments were grouped into two brigades: the I Brigade consisted of the regiments "Nizza Cavalleria", "Savoia Cavalleria" and "Novara Cavalleria", while the II Brigade consisted of the regiments "Piemonte Reale Cavalleria", "Genova Cavalleria" and "Aosta Cavalleria". On 15 March 1836, the 6th Squadron of all six cavalry regiments was reorganized as a depot squadron. During the same year the troops of one squadron of each regiment, with the exception of the Regiment “Piemonte Reale Cavalleria”, replaced their flintlock musket with a lance. On 4 October of the same year, the number of brigades was increased from two to three and the regiments were reassigned: the I Brigade consisted now of the regiments "Nizza Cavalleria" and "Genova Cavalleria", the II Brigade of the regiments "Piemonte Reale Cavalleria" and "Novara Cavalleria", and the III Brigade of the regiments "Savoia Cavalleria" and "Aosta Cavalleria".
In 1841, all six regiments were uniformly organized and equipped: the troops of the regiments' first four squadrons were equipped with a flintlock musket, two flintlock pistols, and a sabre, while the troops of the regiments' fifth squadron were equipped with a lance, two flintlock pistols, and a sabre. On 1 January 1842, the six regiments disbanded their depot squadrons. In 1843, each regiments equipped a second squadron with lances. On 17 March 1845, all six regiments replaced their flintlock muskets and flintlock pistols with a percussion pistolone — a pistol with a shoulder stock and were issued lances. Afterwards all of the regiment's troops were equipped with a lance, a pistolone and a sabre.
Italian Wars of Independence First Italian War of Independence