141st Infantry Regiment "Catanzaro"
| 141st Infantry Regiment "Catanzaro" | |
|---|---|
| 141° Reggimento Fanteria "Catanzaro" | |
 Regimental coat of arms | |
| Active | 1 March 1915 - June 1920 23 May 1940 - 5 Jan. 1941 1 Oct. 1975 - 27 May 1995[1] |
| Country |  Italy |
| Branch | Italian Army |
| Garrison/HQ | Pantelleria |
| Motto(s) | "Per la Patria" |
| Anniversaries | 27 May 1916 - Battle of Monte Mosciagh |
| Decorations |   1x Military Order of Italy 1x Gold Medal of Military Valour[1] |
| Insignia | |
| Regimental gorget patches |  |
The 141st Infantry Regiment "Catanzaro" (Italian: 141° Reggimento Fanteria "Catanzaro") is an inactive unit of the Italian Army last based on Pantelleria. Founded in 1915 the regiment is part of the Italian army's infantry arm and named for the city of Catanzaro.
History
The 141st Infantry Regiment was officially mustered, together with its sister regiment the 142nd Infantry Regiment, on 1 March 1915 in the city of Catanzaro, the capital of Calabria. The two regiments formed the Brigade "Catanzaro", which had been raised with reservists from Calabria by the following pre-war regiments:[2]
- 19th Infantry Regiment (Brigade "Brescia") in Monteleone Calabro: 142nd Infantry Regiment
- 48th Infantry Regiment (Brigade "Ferrara") in Catanzaro: Brigade "Catanzaro" Command and 141st Infantry Regiment
World War I
The Brigade "Catanzaro" fought on the Italian front during World War I. For its conduct during the war the 141st Infantry Regiment was awarded Italy's highest military honor, the Gold Medal of Military Valour.[3][2] After the war the brigade and its two regiments were disbanded in June 1920.[4][5][2]
World War II
On 3 June 1940 the 64th Infantry Division "Catanzaro" was activated in Acroma in Libya with the 141st and 142nd infantry regiments and the 203rd Artillery Regiment. The latter regiment had been part of the disbanded 3rd CC.NN. Division "21 Aprile", whose minor Royal Italian Army units and equipment were also transferred to the Catanzaro.[4]
Due to the urgent need to reinforce Libya the 141st Infantry Regiment had been formed by three different infantry regiments in mainland Italy:
- 141st Infantry Regiment "Catanzaro" - raised on 23 May 1940[6]
- Regimental Command - raised in Modena by the regimental depot of the 36th Infantry Regiment "Pistoia"/ 16th Infantry Division "Pistoia"
- I Battalion - raised in Brescia by the regimental depot of the 77th Infantry Regiment "Lupi di Toscana"/ 7th Infantry Division "Lupi di Toscana"
- II Battalion - raised in Modena by the regimental depot of the 36th Infantry Regiment "Pistoia"/ 16th Infantry Division "Pistoia"
- III Battalion - raised in Mantova by the regimental depot of the 80th Infantry Regiment "Roma"/ 9th Infantry Division "Pasubio"
After Italy's entry into World War II on 10 June 1940 the Catanzaro was deployed at Acroma to guard the approach to Tobruk. On 9 September 1940 the Italian invasion of Egypt commenced and on 13 September the Catanzaro followed the bulk of the 10th Army's into British Egypt. The division was forced to retreat to Bardia during the British Operation Compass offensive. The division and its regiments were destroyed on 5 January 1941 during the Battle of Bardia.[4]
Cold War
With the 1975 army reform the Italian Army abolished the regimental level and battalions came under direct command of the brigades and regional commands. Therefore, on 1 October 1975, the 5th Infantry Regiment "Aosta" was disbanded and the regiment's III Battalion in Palermo was reformed as 141st Motorized Infantry Battalion "Catanzaro". The battalion was given the flag and traditions of the 141st Infantry Regiment "Catanzaro".[7] The battalion was assigned to the Motorized Brigade "Aosta".
As retaliation for the 1986 United States bombing of Libya the Libyans fired 2 or 3 Scud missiles at the United States Coast Guard LORAN-C transmitter on the island of Lampedusa.[8] After the attack the Minor Islands Battalion was formed in Pantelleria, which administered rotating infantry companies that garrisoned the islands of Pantelleria and Lampedusa with the outlying Pelagie Islands. On 21 April 1991 the 141st Motorized Infantry Battalion "Catanzaro" was disbanded in Palermo and its name, flag and traditions transferred to the Minor Islands Battalion, which was renamed 141st Infantry Battalion "Catanzaro". The battalion's main base was in Pantelleria with a company detached to Lampedusa. On 27 May October 1995 the 141st Infantry Battalion "Catanzaro" was disbanded and its flag transferred to the Shrine of the Flags in the Vittoriano in Rome.
References
- ^ a b "Le Feste dei Reparti - Maggio". Italian Army. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
- ^ a b c "Brigata "Catanzaro"". Fronte del Piave. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
- ^ "141° Reggimento Fanteria "Catanzaro"". President of Italy. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
- ^ a b c "64ª Divisione di fanteria "Catanzaro"". Regio Esercito. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
- ^ Bollettino dell'Archivio dell'Ufficio Storico N.II-3 e 4 2002. Rome: Ministero della Difesa - Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito - Ufficio Storico. 2002. p. 317. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
- ^ "141° Reggimento di fanteria "Catanzaro"". Regio Esercito. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- ^ F. dell'Uomo, R. Puletti (1998). L'Esercito Italiano verso il 2000 - Vol. Primo - Tomo I. Rome: SME - Ufficio Storico. p. 373.
- ^ Pike, John. "Libyan Missiles". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
.svg){kind=small} Four-star rank (OF 9) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.svg){kind=small} Three-star rank (OF 8) | |||||||
.svg){kind=small} Two-star rank (OF 7) |
| ||||||
.svg){kind=small} One-star rank (OF 6) |
| ||||||
