| Lagunari Regiment "Serenissima" | |
|---|---|
| Reggimento Lagunari "Serenissima" | |
 Regimental coat of arms | |
| Active | 1 Sept. 1957 — today |
| Country |  Italy |
| Branch | Italian Army |
| Part of | Cavalry Brigade "Pozzuolo del Friuli" |
| Garrison/HQ | Venice |
| Motto(s) | "Come lo scoglio infrango, come l'onda travolgo" |
| Anniversaries | 25 June 1984 |
| Decorations |     1xMilitary Order of Italy 1x Gold Medal of Army Valor 1x Silver Medal of Army Valor 2x Silver Crosses of Army Merit[1][2][3][4][5] |
| Insignia | |
| Lagunarigorget patches |  |
TheLagunari Regiment "Serenissima" (Italian:Reggimento Lagunari "Serenissima") is a unit ofItalian Army'samphibious Lagunari speciality. The name of the speciality comes from the Italian word for lagoon (Italian:laguna), while the regiment's name "Serenissima" commemorates theMost Serene Republic of Venice (Italian:Serenissima Repubblica di Venezia). The regiment is based inVenice and assigned to theCavalry Brigade "Pozzuolo del Friuli". The "Pozzuolo del Friuli" brigade forms, together with theItalian Navy's Third Naval Division andSan Marco Marine Brigade, theItalian Armed Forces' Sea Projection Force (Italian:Forza di proiezione dal mare).[6][7][8][9]
In 1957, Italian Army formed the Lagunari Regiment "Serenissima" in Venice, which was tasked with the defense of the coastallagoons in the northernAdriatic Sea: theVenetian Lagoon, theMarano Lagoon, and theGrado Lagoon. Although the Lagunari are the youngest speciality of the Italian Army's infantry, the regiment carries the traditions of the naval infantry of theRepublic of Venice, the traditions of theRepublic of San Marco's Cacciatori del Sile, the traditions ofRoyal Italian Army's engineer arm's Lagunari units ofWorld War I, and the traditions of theAmphibious Battalion "Sile". The regiment's anniversary falls, as for all Lagunari units, on 25 June 1984, the day the Lagunari were elevated to a speciality of the Italian Army's infantry arm.[8]
In 1550, theRepublic of Venice formed a corps of embarked troops for theVenetian fleet, which were namedFanti da Mar (Infantry of the Sea). Present on all Venetian ships the Fanti da Mar were disbanded after theFall of the Republic of Venice on 12 May 1797.[8][10]
In 1848,revolutions erupted in the Italian states, which led to theFirst Italian War of Independence. On 17 March 1848, the people ofVenice rose up againstHabsburg rule and freedDaniele Manin and other revolutionaries from Habsburg imprisonment. On 22 March 1848, the citizens of Venice stormed theArsenal and distributed its weapons to the citizens of the city. On the same day, Manin proclaimed Venice's independence and theRepublic of San Marco. On 26 March 1848, Austrian forces fled from Venice. The news of the successful insurrection in Venice spread to the other cities of the formerRepublic of Venice, which formed volunteer units to fight the Austrian occupation forces. One such unit were theCacciatori del Sile, a light infantry unit formed by the cities ofTreviso andPadua and named for theSile river, which straddles theVenetian Lagoon. On 21 October 1848, the unit moved through the Venetian Lagoon to attack Austrian forces on theCavallino peninsula. After routing the Austrians the unit returned to its base inVenice-Lido, where GeneralGuglielmo Pepe honored the unit with a visit on 23 October. On 4 May 1849, Austrian forces, which in the meantime had defeated theKingdom of Sardinia in the First Italian War of Independence, began the Siege of Venice with an attack against the fort of Marghera. On 26 May 1849, the fort at Marghera had to be evacuated and Venice's defenders fell back to the city itself, which was heavily bombarded by the Austrian Army and Navy. On 22 August 1849, Venice surrendered and five days later, on 27 August, Austrian forces entered the city and the Cacciatori del Sile were disbanded.[10]
In 1866, after theThird Italian War of Independence, theAustro-Hungarian Empire ceded the parts of theKingdom of Lombardy–Venetia, which it still controlled, to theSecond French Empire, which in turn ceded it to theKingdom of Italy. On 1 January 1877, theRoyal Italian Army's2nd Engineer Regiment formed the 14th Sappers Company (Lagunari), which was based in Venice and tasked with operating in theVenetian Lagoon,Marano Lagoon, andGrado Lagoon. On 1 January 1883, the company was transferred to the newly formed4th Engineer Regiment. On 1 November 1887, the 4th Engineer Regiment formed a second Lagunari company and the two companies were renumbered as 9th Lagunari Company respectively 10th Lagunari Company.[10][11]
In May 1915, just before Italy's entry intoWorld War I, the 4th Engineer Regiment (Pontieri) formed the 15th Lagunari Company. On 1 December 1915, the 4th Engineer Regiment (Pontieri) formed the 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, and 24th Lagunari companies. From 1915 to 1918, the Lagunari were tasked with maintaining a 1,700 kilometer long navigable network lagoons and rivers of theMantua-Ferrara-Marano Lagoon triangle. After theBattle of Caporetto and the Italian retreat to thePiave river the Lagunari companies operated on the extreme right flank of theItalian front in the Piave estuary and along the Sile river. In June and July 1918, the Lagunari companies fought during theSecond Battle of the Piave River on the lower Piave and along the Sile river.[10][11]
On 28 August 1918, the Royal Italian Army formed the 8th Engineer Regiment (Lagunari) inFerrara, which received the eight existing Laguanri companies. The regiment consisted of a command, the I Lagunari Battalion inVenice with the 9th, 15th, 20th, and 23rd Lagunari companies, and the II Lagunari Battalion with the 10th, 21st, 22nd, and 24th Lagunari companies in Ferrara. In October 1918, the regiment formed the 1stTrain Company and the same month the regiment's companies were heavily engaged in the Piave delta during theBattle of Vittorio Veneto. In November 1918, the regiment moved from Ferrara to Venice, where it was disbanded on 21 November 1919. The regiment's last remaining battalion, which consisted of two Lagunari companies, was returned on the same day to the 4th Engineer Regiment (Pontieri), which was renamed on the same day Pontieri and Lagunari Engineer Regiment.[10][11][12]
On 1 March 1926, the Pontieri and Lagunari Engineer Regiment shortened its name to Pontieri and Lagunari Regiment. On 15 May 1933, the regiment was split into the1st Pontieri Regiment (Light Bridges) and2nd Pontieri Regiment (Heavy Bridges). The 1st Pontieri Regiment was based inVerona and received the II Pontieri Battalion in Verona, the IV Pontieri Battalion inRome, and the V Lagunari Battalion in Venice. The 1st Pontieri Regiment formed these units into two Pontieri battalions, with each battalion also fielding two Lagunari companies. On 1 October 1938, the Lagunari companies were disbanded and their personnel merged into the regiment's bridge companies.[10][13]
On 15 January 1951, the Italian Armed Forces began with the formation of the Lagoonal Forces Sector Command (Italian:Comando Settore Forze Lagunari) inVenice Lido. The command was a mixedItalian Army-Italian Navy formation under the command of a navyCounter admiral and assigned to the army's V Territorial Military Command for training and operational use and dependent to the navy's Upper Adriatic Autonomous Maritime Military Command for the disciplinary issues. The command was tasked with the defense of the coastallagoons in the northernAdriatic Sea: theVenetian Lagoon, theMarano Lagoon, and theGrado Lagoon. On 1 July 1951, the command formed a command platoon, which included navy and army personnel. On 30 August of the same year, the Coastal Lagoon Battalion "Marghera" was formed inMalcontenta. The battalion consisted of a command company with personnel from the army and navy, a truck-transported company with army personnel, an amphibious company with navy personnel. On 15 October 1951, the Italian Navy'sBattalion "San Marco" inVilla Vicentina, which was manned by navy personnel and organized as an army infantry battalion, was assigned, in regards to training and disciplinary issues, to the Lagoonal Forces Sector Command, while theInfantry Division "Folgore" retained operational control of the battalion. On 1 December 1951, the Lagoonal Forces Sector Command and the Coastal Lagoon Battalion "Marghera" reached full operational capability.[6][8][10]
On 1 December 1952, the Upper Adriatic Autonomous Maritime Military transferred its disciplinary oversight of the Lagoonal Forces Sector Command to V Territorial Military Command. On 15 July 1952, the Coastal Lagoon Battalion "Marghera" formed the Lagoonal Support Unit. On 1 September 1952, the Coastal Lagoon Battalion "Piave" was formed inMestre with the same organization as the "Marghera" battalion. On 1 January 1953, the Lagoonal Forces Sector Command was transferred from the V Territorial Military Command to theV Army Corps.[6][8][10]
On 1 January 1954, the landing crafts and boats of the Lagoonal Forces Sector Command were merged into the Landing Craft Group, which, on 15 January 1956, was renamed Naval Vehicles Group. On 1 March 1956, the command of the Lagoonal Forces Sector was assigned to a colonel of the Italian Army and the process of detaching the navy component began. On 1 July 1957, the Battalion "San Marco" was renamed Coastal Lagoon Battalion "Isonzo" and its navy personnel and materiel replaced by army personnel and materiel. By 1 September 1957, the Lagoonal Forces Sector Command, which now consisted almost entirely of army personnel, was renamed Lagoonal Grouping (Italian:Raggruppamento Lagunare). On 1 February 1958, the grouping formed the Motorized Battalion "Adria", which consisted of one active truck-transported company and two reserve truck-transported companies. On 1 May 1958, the lagoonal support units of the "Marghera", "Piave", and "Isonzo" battalions were merged into a single Lagoonal Support Unit. Afterwards the Lagoonal Grouping consisted of the following units:[6][8][10]
On 25 October 1959, the Lagoonal Grouping received itsflag in a ceremony onPiazza San Marco in Venice. In 1963, the grouping's three amphibious battalions were mechanized and equipped withM113armored personnel carriers. In 1964, the Lagoonal Support Unit was equipped withM4 Sherman tanks and renamedXXII Tank Battalion. On 24 May 1964, the Lagoonal Grouping was elevated to regiment and renamed Lagunari Regiment "Serenissima". The regiment was assigned the traditions of the Venetian Fanti da Mar and the Royal Italian Army's Lagunari. At the same time the regiment's Naval Vehicles Group was disbanded. In October 1964, the XXII Tank Battalion moved from Mestre toSan Vito al Tagliamento, while the amphibious battalion's watercraft platoons and amphibious vehicles platoons were merged and formed the Amphibious Transports Company. Afterwards the regiment consisted of the following units:[6][8][10]
Lagunari Regiment "Serenissima", inVenice Lido[6][8][10]During the1975 army reform the army disbanded the regimental level and newly independent battalions were granted for the first time their own flags. On 1 September 1975, the Amphibious Battalion "Marghera" in Malcontenta was disbanded. On 19 October 1975, the Lagunari Regiment "Serenissima" was disbanded. The next day the personnel of the regiment's command formed the Amphibious Troops Command and the regiment's remaining battalions became autonomous units. On the same day, 20 October 1975, the Amphibious Battalion "Isonzo" was renamed41st Mechanized Infantry Battalion "Modena", while the XXII Tank Battalion was renamed22nd Tank Battalion "M.O. Piccinini". The two battalions were assigned to theMechanized Brigade "Gorizia", when that brigade was activated on 1 November 1975. Furthermore on the same day, the Amphibious Battalion "Piave" was renamed 1st Lagunari Battalion "Serenissima", the Lagunari regiment's Command Company and Signal Company merged to form the Command and Signal Company of the Amphibious Troops Command, and the Amphibious Transports Company was reorganized asAmphibious Vehicles Battalion "Sile".[6][8][10]
After its formation the Amphibious Troops Command was assigned to theMechanized Division "Folgore". The 1st Lagunari Battalion "Serenissima" consisted of a command, a command and services company, three mechanized companies withM113armored personnel carriers, and a heavy mortar company withM106 mortar carriers with 120mm Mod. 63 mortars. At the time the battalion fielded 896 men (45 officers, 100 non-commissioned officers, and 751 soldiers).[8][10][14]
On 25 October 1975, the 1st Lagunari Battalion "Serenissima" received the flag of the Lagunari Regiment "Serenissima" in a ceremony onPiazza San Marco in Venice. On 12 November 1976, thePresident of the Italian RepublicGiovanni Leone assigned with decree 846 theflag and traditions of the Lagunari Regiment "Serenissima" and the traditions of the Fanti di Mar to the 1st Lagunari Battalion "Serenissima".[6][8][10][15]
On 25 June 1984, the Lagunari became a speciality within the Italian Army's infantry arm and, on 26 August 1984, the Italian Armed Forces'Military VicarGaetano Bonicelli assignedSaint Mark the Evangelist aspatron saint of the new speciality.[6][8][10]
On 31 October 1986, the Mechanized Division "Folgore" was disbanded and the next day the Amphibious Troops Command was assigned to the5th Army Corps.[6][8][10]
On 13 October 1992, the 1st Lagunari Battalion "Serenissima" lost its autonomy and the next day the battalion entered the reformed Lagunari Regiment "Serenissima" as 1st Lagunari Battalion. The reformed regiment also incorporated the Nautical Vehicles Company of the disbandedAmphibious Battalion "Sile". Afterwards the regiment consisted of a command, a command and services company, a nautical vehicles company, and the 1st Lagunari Battalion. On 16 September 1996, the regiment was transferred from the 5th Army Corps to theSupport Units Command "Legnano". On 31 December 1997, the Support Units Command "Legnano" was disbanded and regiment was transferred to theProjection Forces Command. On 1 December 2000, the Lagunari Regiment "Serenissima" joined theCavalry Brigade "Pozzuolo del Friuli".[6][8] The regiment repeatedly deployed toBosnia and Herzegovina andKosovo as part ofNATO's peacekeeping missions. For its conduct in theBalkans the regiment was awarded a Silver Medal of Army Valor, which was affixed to the regiment's flag and added to the regiment's coat of arms.[1][2]
In 2004, the Lagunari Regiment "Serenissima" deployed toIraq as part of theMulti-National Force – Iraq. On 5 and 6 August 2004, forces ofMuqtada al-Sadr'sMahdi Army fought units of theCavalry Brigade "Pozzuolo del Friuli" for control of the three main bridges over theEuphrates river inNasiriyah. The Lagunari Regiment "Serenissima", together with troops of the3rd Engineer Regiment, defeated the insurgents' attacks. For its conduct in the two day battle the regiment was awarded a Gold Medal of Army Valor, which was affixed to the regiment's flag and added to the regiment's coat of arms.[1][3] From 9 November 2006 to 13 April 2007, the regiment deployed toLebanon as part of theUN'sUnited Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. For its service in Lebanon the regiment was awarded a Silver Cross of Army Merit, which was affixed to the regiment's flag.[1][4]
In 2007, the Lagunari Regiment "Serenissima" and the navy'sRegiment "San Marco" became part of the Italian Armed Forces' Sea Projection Force. In 2010-11, the regiment deployed toFarah inAfghanistan as part of NATO'sInternational Security Assistance Force. In 2011, the regiment replaced the infantry's black beret with a "lagoon green"-colored beret.[6] In 2019, the regiment deployed toHerat inAfghanistan as part of NATO'sResolute Support Mission. For its conduct in Afghanistan the regiment was awarded aMilitary Order of Italy, which was affixed to the regiment's flag and added to the regiment's coat of arms.[1][4] For its conduct and work during theCOVID-19 pandemic the regiment was awarded in 2022 a Silver Cross of Army Merit, which was affixed to the regiment's flag.[1][5]
As of 2024 the Lagunari Regiment "Serenissima" is organized as follows:[9][16]
Lagunari Regiment "Serenissima", inMestre[9][16]The Command and Logistic Support Company consists of a command platoon, a medical platoon, aquartermaster platoon, and a transport and materiel platoon. The Amphibious Tactical Support Company consists of an Amphibious Reconnaissance Platoon, an Amphibious Vehicles Platoon, which is equipped withAAV7-A1 amphibious assault vehicles andAmphibious Combat Vehicles, and a Watercraft Platoon, which operates the regiment'slanding craft and speedboats. Each of the three Lagunari companies consists of three fusilier platoons, one maneuver support platoon, and a logistic squad. Each fusilier platoon consists of three fusilier squads and a maneuver support squad, with each fusilier squad fielding two fire teams of four Lagunari and a driver. Each fusilier squad is equipped with oneMinimi machine gun, oneARX200battle rifle, and twoARX160assault rifles, one of which includes an underslung GLX160grenade launcher. The fusilier platoons' maneuver support squads include the platoon's commander and deputy commander, two drivers, a radio operator, and a fire support squad, which is equipped with a Minimi machine gun, aPanzerfaust 3anti-tank rocket launcher, and aM6C-210 60mm mortar. Each fusilier squad rides in twoVTLM Lince vehicles. The Lagunari companies' maneuver support platoons consist of a command team, a surveillance and target acquisition team, a fire direction squad, three mortar squads, equipped with MX2 81mm mortars, and two anti-tank squads withSpike MRanti-tank guided missiles. The 1st Lagunari Battalion's Maneuver Support Company fields a heavy mortar platoon, an anti-tank platoon, and a sniper squad. The Heavy Mortar Platoon consists of four mortar squads, each of which is equipped with aMO-120 RT 120mm mortar. The Anti-tank Platoon consists of four anti-tank squads equipped withSpike LRanti-tank guided missiles. The Sniper Squad, consists of three sniper teams, which field one sniper, one spotter, and a driver.[17][16]
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