Gorizia Mechanized Brigade

Brigata Meccanizzata Gorizia

Coat of Arms of the Mechanized Brigade Gorizia
Active 20 October 1975 - 30 October 1996
Country Italy
Branch Italian Army
Type Infantry
Role Armored warfare
Part of

1975-1986 Folgore Mechanized Division

1986-1996 5th Army Corps
Garrison/HQ Gorizia

The Gorizia Mechanized Brigade was a mechanized brigade of the Italian Army. Its core units were mechanized infantry battalions. The brigade's headquarters was in the city of Gorizia. All the brigades units where based in the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The brigades name was chosen in memory of the World War I Battle of Gorizia. The brigades sister brigade the Vittorio Veneto Armored Brigade was named to commemorate the World War I Battle of Vittorio Veneto.

History

Gorizia Mechanized Brigade battalions in 1989

The brigade was activated during a major reorganization of the Italian Army: in 1975 the regiment level was abolished and battalions came under direct command of newly formed brigades, which combined units from different arms. On 20 October 1975 the Gorizia Mechanized Brigade was activated along with the Vittorio Veneto Armored Brigade from disbanded regiments of the Folgore Mechanized Division. The Gorizia took command of the 82nd Infantry Regiment Torino and the 183rd Infantry Regiment Nembo. The Folgore division also received the Trieste Mechanized Brigade in Bologna.

The Folgore Mechanized Division was part of the 5th Army Corps based in North-Eastern Italy. The 5th Army Corps was tasked with defending the Italian-Yugoslavian border against possible attacks by either the Warsaw Pact, or Yugoslavia or both. The Gorizia brigade’s duty was to defend the city of Gorizia. The two position infantry battalions were tasked to man and hold the fixed positions of the Alpine Wall. The brigades strength was around 5,000 men and it was composed by the following units:

On 31 October 1986 the Italian Army abolished the divisional level and brigades, that until then had been under one of the Armys four divisions, came forthwith under direct command of the Armys 3rd or 5th Army Corps. The Gorizia along with the Vittorio Veneto came under the 5th Army Corps, while the Trieste was transferred to the 3rd Army Corps. From the disbanded Folgore Division the Gorizia received the 53rd Position Infantry Battalion Umbria, in Pavia di Udine.

After the end of the Cold War the Italian Army began to draw down its forces: as first the 63rd Position Infantry Battalion Cagliari was disbanded on 30 November 1991, followed by the 53rd Position Infantry Battalion Umbria on 31 March 1993, while the 183rd Mechanized Infantry Battalion Nembo was transferred to the Folgore Parachute Brigade in 1991. At the same time for traditional reasons the battalions were renamed as regiments without changing composition or strength. For the last year of its life the brigades was composed by the following units:

On 30 September 1995 the 41st Infantry Regiment was disbanded. On 30 October 1996 the brigade was disbanded with the rest of its units. Only the 82nd Infantry Regiment remained and passed to the Mantova Mechanized Brigade.

External links

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