11th Bersaglieri Regiment

The 11th Bersaglieri Regiment (11° Reggimento Bersaglieri) is a Bersaglieri military unit of the Italian Army. One of the most decorated units of the Italian Royal Army in World War I, it is now garrisoned in Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

History
The 11th Bersaglieri Regiment was established on 16 September 1883 in Caserta.

The newly established unit was composed from the fourth Battalions of the 1st, 4th and 7th Bersaglieri Regiments. At first, Battalions of the 11th Bersaglieri Regiment were named I, II, and III Battalions.

In 1886 Regimental Battalions were renamed with their old numbers: XV, XXVII, and XXXIII Battalions. The XI Cyclists Battalion was added in 1910, while the XXXIX Battalion was added in 1912.

The 11th Bersaglieri Regiment was involved in the First Italo-Ethiopian War in 1895 and in the Italo-Turkish War in 1911.

In the Italo-Turkish War, the XXVII Battalion conquered Sciara Sciat, near Tripoli. For this action the 11th Bersaglieri Regiment was awarded with a Gold Medal of Military Valour. The massacre of Italian captured prisoners led to a massive reprisal. The 11th Bersaglieri Regiment also valiantly fought in Assaba, where was awarded with a Bronze Medal of Military Valour.

The 11th Bersaglieri Regiment included the XV, XXVII, and XXXIII Battalions. The XV Battalion was moved to Libya in 1913.

World War I
During World War I, the 11th Regiment, then headquartered in Ancona, was framed within Infantry Divisions until 11 February 1916; since then it was included into the 2nd Bersaglieri Brigade - together with the 9th and 7th Bersaglieri Regiments. The 11th Bersaglieri Regiment served in Log di Cezsoca, Srpenica, Chiont, and Dogna Valley.

On 2 June 1917 the 2nd Bersaglieri Brigade was retired from frontlines, but only two days later it was brought again to the front. The 11th Bersaglieri Regiment was definitively retired on 7 November 1917.

On 3 November 1918 the 11th Bersaglieri Regiment entered Trieste.

During its war service, the 11th Bersaglieri Regiment included XXVII, XXXIII, XXXIX, and LXIV (since 22 January 1917, then part of the 17th Bersaglieri Regiment) Battalions. The XV Battalion was repatriated in September 1918 and assigned to the 2nd Assault Division.

During World War I, the 11th Bersaglieri Regiment was headquartered in Ancona, and recruited from Benevento, Cosenza, Ferrara, Gaeta, Lecce, Massa, Milan, and Savona Districts, while mobilized troops also from Ascoli Piceno, Chieti, Macerata, Sulmona, Teramo, and Campobasso Districts.

Alongside military operations, the 11th Bersaglieri Regiment provided disaster relief in the 1915 Avezzano earthquake.

Inter-war
In 1919 the XI Cyclists Battalion was disestablished; in 1920 the Regiment's strength was reduced to two Battalions and one Cadre Battalion.

A group of Bersaglieri of the 11th Regiment was involved in the "Fiume Exploit".

On 7 July 1924 the Regiment was transformed in a Cyclist Regiment and the Cadre Battalion was disestablished; on 11 March 1926 the 11th Regiment was organized on a Regimental Command, a Depot, the XV Battalion and the XXVII Battalion. Battalions were designated with Roman numerals, and the Regiment received its motto. The designation remained until 1936. .

During the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, the 11th Bersaglieri Regiment provided officers and troops to several mobilized units.

World War II
On 1 February 1938, the 11th Bersaglieri Regiment was assigned to the Celere Division "Eugenio di Savoia" (1^), together with Cavalry Regiments "Piemonte Reale" and "Cavalleggeri Saluzzo", the 1st Celere Artillery Regiment, as well as the 1st Light Tanks Group "San Giusto".

On 6 March 1941, the 11th Bersaglieri Regiment was deployed in the Vipacco Valley and on 11 April the whole Division invaded the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. In a few days, the 11th Bersaglieri Regiment occupied the whole of Dalmatia.

Between late 1941 and late 1942 the 11th Bersaglieri Regiment carried out intense counter-insurgency activity against Yugoslav Partisans.

In October 1942 the Regiment returned in Dalmatia from Sebenico to Vodizze. It fought in June 1943 to reconquest Zuta Lovka.

The 11th Bersaglieri Regiment was disestablished on 9 September 1943 in Dalmatia.

During World War II, the 11th Bersaglieri Regiment included the Regimental command, the Command Company, XV Cyclist Bersaglieri Battalion, XXVII Cyclist Bersaglieri Battalion, XXXIII Cyclist Bersaglieri Battalion, 51st Replacements Regiment, 271st Armoured-motorized Company, and 11th Anti-tank Company.

Cold War
In 1964 the XI Bersaglieri Battalion "Caprera" was established within the 182nd Armoured Infantry Regiment "Garibaldi" in Sacile. The Battalion was later renamed XI Bersaglieri Battalion "Caprera".

The 27th Bersaglieri Battalion "Jamiano" was established on 1 November 1975, after the transformation of the XXXVIII Bersaglieri Battalion of the 132nd Tank Regiment, which was disestablished. The 27th Bersaglieri Battalion "Jamiano" was assigned to the 132nd Armoured Brigade "Manin" and received War Flag and traditions of the 11th Bersaglieri Regiment.

In 1975 the 182nd Armoured Infantry Regiment "Garibaldi" was disestablished and the 11th Bersaglieri Battalion "Caprera" (with the ordinal number converted back to Arabic numerals) was moved in Orcenico Superiore di Zoppola. The 11th Bersalieri Battalion inherited both the War Flag of the 182nd Armoured Infantry Regiment "Garibaldi" and the three Silver Medals for Military Valour awarded during World War I by the XI Cyclists Battalion. The 11th Bersaglieri Battalion was put under the 8th Mechanized Brigade "Garibaldi".

From 6 May 1976 to 30 April 1977 the 11th Battalion "Caprera" provided disaster relief and civil protection services to victims of the 1976 Friuli earthquake.

1992-onwards
The 27th Bersaglieri Battalion was framed in the re-established 11th Bersaglieri Regiment in Aviano on 30 September 1992. On 21 November 1992 the re-established 11th Bersaglieri Regiment was moved to Orcenico Superiore. On 18 April 1997, the 27th Bersaglieri Battalion was replaced by the 11h Bersaglieri Battalion, keeping all traditions and awards bestowed to the 11th Bersaglieri Regiment.

The 11th Bersaglieri Regiment was part of the Operation Ancient Babylon until May 2004. On the night of 6 April 2004 the Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army occupied the three main bridges of Nasiriyah. Three companies of the 11th Regiment, one squadron of the Savoia Cavalleria Regiment, and some logistical detachments of the Ariete armoured brigade were involved in a 18-hours long firefight. In 2008, the 11th Bersaglieri Regiment was decorated with the War Cross for Military Valor.

Commanders

 * Colonel Giuseppe Barbiani (24 May - 1 December 1915);
 * Colonel Giovanni Beruto, (3 December 1915 - 13 January 1917);
 * Lieutenant Colonel Giovanni Capoani (19 January 1917 - 15 February 1917);
 * Colonel Gino Graziani (10 March 1917 - end of hostilities);
 * Colonel Vincenzo Robertiello;
 * Colonel Guglielmo Mingo;
 * Colonel Michele Adabbo;
 * Colonel Lalli (1943);
 * Colonel Alessandro Guarisco;
 * Colonel Michele Cittadella;
 * Colonel Fabio Polli;
 * Colonel Salvatore Daniele Patanè (2010-2011);
 * Colonel Alfonso Cornacchia (2011-2013);
 * Colonel Eugenio Dessì (2013-2015);
 * Colonel Alessandro Colaiacomo (2015-present).

Organization
The 11th Bersaglieri Regiment consists of:
 * Regimental Command;
 * Command and Logistic Support Company "Sciara Sciat";
 * XI Bersaglieri Battalion "Caprera";
 * 1st Rifle Company "Jamiano";
 * 2nd Rifle Company "San Michele";
 * 3rd Rifle Company "Nasiriyya";
 * Maneuver Support Company "Assaba".

Uniform
In order to display the lineage of the 182nd Armoured Infantry Regiment "Garibaldi", soldiers of the XI Bersaglieri Battalion "Caprera" wear the red tie.

Notable members
From 13 September 1915 to 28 December 1918, Benito Mussolini served in the 11th Regiment.