18th Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment (Italy)

The 18th Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment (18° Reggimento Artiglieria Controaerei) is an inactive air defence regiment of the Italian Army, which was based in Rimini in the Emilia Romagna. Originally an artillery regiment of the Royal Italian Army, the regiment was formed in 1888 and served in World War I on the Italian front. In 1935 the regiment was assigned to the 24th Infantry Division "Gran Sasso", which participated in the Second Italo-Ethiopian War. In 1939 the division was renamed 24th Infantry Division "Pinerolo". The division fought in the Greco-Italian War of World War II and then remained in Greece on anti-partisan duty. The division and regiment were located in Thessaly in Greece, when the Armistice of Cassibile was announced on 8 September 1943. The division resisted German demands to surrender and moved into the Pindus mountain range, where the division was disarmed by the Greek People's Liberation Army.

The regiment was reformed in 1947 and one year later assigned to the Infantry Division "Mantova". In 1951 the regiment was disbanded and reformed one year later. In 1953 the regiment was reorganized as an anti-aircraft artillery regiment, which remained active until 1975. From 1976 to 1981 the unit was active as 18th Field Artillery Group "Gran Sasso", which was a training formation of the Artillery School. From 1992 to 1997 the regiment was active as an anti-aircraft artillery regiment. The regimental anniversary falls, as for all Italian Army artillery regiments, on June 15, the beginning of the Second Battle of the Piave River in 1918.

History
On 1 November 1888 the 17th Field Artillery Regiment was formed in L'Aquila. The new regiment consisted of eight batteries and one train company ceded by the 6th Field Artillery Regiment. The ceded batteries had participated in the Third Italian War of Independence and been awarded a Bronze Medal of Military Valor for their conduct during the Battle of Custoza in 1866.

In 1895-96 the regiment provided one officer and 90 troops for the formation of the 9th Artillery Battery, which was deployed to Eritrea for the First Italo-Ethiopian War. In 1911-12 the regiment provided 16 officers and 363 troops to augment units deployed to Libya for the Italo-Turkish War. On 1 January 1915 the regiment ceded its III Group to help form the 31st Field Artillery Regiment.

World War I
At the outbreak of World War I the regiment consisted of a command, three groups, and a depot. During the war the regiment's depot formed the XLI Mountain Group and three siege batteries. During the war the regiment fought in 1915 at Ronchi, and on the Karst plateau between Sagrado and Monfalcone, as well as at Doberdò. In 1916 the regiment was again at Doberdò and Monfalcone, before being sent to fight on Mount Košnik, and during the Ninth Battle of the Isonzo to fight at Doberdò, on Nad Logem, at Nova Vas, on Mount Pečinka, and on Veliki Hribach. During the Tenth Battle of the Isonzo in 1917 the regiment was deployed on Fajtji hrib and at Hudi Log, and then fought in the Battle of Flondar. During the Eleventh Battle of the Isonzo the regiment was on Banjšice Plateau. After suffering losses in the retreat to the Piave river after the Battle of Caporetto in November 1917 the regiment returned to the front in summer 1918 on the Monte Zugna.

In 1926 the regiment was assigned to the 24th Territorial Division of Chieti and consisted of a command, one group with 100/17 mod. 14 howitzers, two groups with 75/27 mod. 11 field guns, one group with mule-carried 75/13 mod. 15 mountain guns, and a depot. In January 1935 the regiment was renamed 18th Artillery Regiment "Gran Sasso".

In 1935-36 the regiment was mobilized for the Second Italo-Ethiopian War and sent to Eritrea, with three groups with 75/13 mod. 15 mountain guns, one of which had been ceded by the 13th Artillery Regiment "Granatieri di Sardegna". While the regiment was overseas the regiment's depot in L'Aquila formed on 1 June 1935 the 44th Artillery Regiment, which incorporated the Gran Sasso's 100/17 mod. 14 group and 75/27 mod. 11 group, and a newly formed group with 65/17 mod. 13 mountain guns, which on 15 October 1935 were replaced by 75/13 mod. 15 mountain guns.

In Ethiopia the 18th Artillery Regiment "Gran Sasso" fought in the Christmas Offensive in 1935 and the Battle of Shire in 1936. In August 1936 the 18th Artillery Regiment "Gran Sasso" returned from overseas and on 15 September the 44th Artillery Regiment was disbanded and the next day its groups were incorporated by the 18th Artillery Regiment "Gran Sasso". Already in May 1937 the 18th Artillery Regiment "Gran Sasso" helped reform the 44th Artillery Regiment by raising the command, the command unit, and one 75/27 mod. 06 field guns for the reformed regiment, which was assigned to the 62nd Infantry Division "Marmarica". On 1 October of the same year the 18th Artillery Regiment "Gran Sasso" ceded its II Group with 75/27 mod. 06 field guns to help reform the 45th Artillery Regiment, which was assigned to the 63rd Infantry Division "Cirene".

In May 1939 the regiment was renamed 17th Artillery Regiment "Pinerolo" and the same month the regiment's depot in L'Aquila reformed the 53rd Artillery Regiment "Arezzo" for the 53rd Infantry Division "Arezzo".

World War II
On 10 June 1940, the day Italy entered World War II, the regiment consisted of a command, command unit, a group with 100/17 mod. 14 howitzers, one group with 75/27 mod. 06 field guns, the 324th Anti-aircraft Battery with 20/65 mod. 35 anti-aircraft guns, and one group with 75/13 mod. 15 mountain guns, which was reorganized into a group with 75/27 mod. 06 field guns.

In December 1940 the regiment transferred its two groups with 75/27 mod. 06 field guns to the 32nd Artillery Regiment "Marche" of the 32nd Infantry Division "Marche" and the 56th Artillery Regiment "Casale" of the 56th Infantry Division "Casale" and received from the two regiments two groups with 75/13 mod. 15 mountain guns in return. In January 1941 the 24th Infantry Division "Pinerolo", which also included the 13th Infantry Regiment "Pinerolo" and 14th Infantry Regiment "Pinerolo", was sent to Albania to reinforce the crumbling Italian front during the Greek offensive in the Greco-Italian War. For its conduct in Albania the regiment was awarded a War Cross of Military Valor, which was affixed to the regiment's flag and is depicted on the regiment's coat of arms.

In June 1941 the division was transferred to Larissa in Thessaly in Greece to suppress the growing Greek Resistance. The division remained on anti-partisan duty until the Armistice of Cassibile was announced on 8 September 1943. In the confusion after the armistice the division was the only Italian division in continental Greece to refuse German demands to surrender. On 15 September the division moved into the Pindus mountain range, where the division entered into a collaboration agreement with the Greek People's Liberation Army (ELAS). However, by October the ELAS forced the remaining troops of the Pinerolo to surrender their supplies and weapons, and used the Italian soldiers as forced labor for the rest of the war. The remnants of the division were repatriated to Italy in March 1945.

Cold War
On 15 March 1947 the regiment was reformed in Fossano as 18th Anti-tank Field Artillery Regiment. The regiment consisted of a command, a command unit, two groups with QF 6-pounder anti-tank guns, and one group with QF 17-pounder anti-tank guns, which had been ceded by the 155th Field Artillery Regiment. In May 1947 the regiment moved from Fossano to San Marco di Mereto di Tomba, but already in September of the same year the regiment moved to Udine and was assigned to the Infantry Division "Mantova". Over the next years the regiment replaced its QF 6-pounder anti-tank guns with QF 17-pounder anti-tank guns.

On 1 January 1951 the Infantry Division "Mantova" included the following artillery regiments:


 * Infantry Division "Mantova", in Gorizia
 * 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, in Gradisca d'Isonzo
 * 5th Field Artillery Regiment, in Palmanova
 * 18th Anti-tank Field Artillery Regiment, in Udine
 * 155th Field Artillery Regiment, in Udine
 * 4th Light Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment, in Cervignano del Friuli

On 1 July 1951 the regiment was disbanded and its groups transferred to other regiments: the I and III groups to the 155th Field Artillery Regiment and the II Group to the 184th Field Artillery Regiment.

On 1 June 1952 the regiment was reformed in Rome as 18th Field Artillery Regiment. The regiment consisted of a command, a command unit, the I and II groups with QF 25-pounder field guns, and the III Group with 40/56 autocannons. Exactly one year later, on 1 June 1953, the regiment was reorganized and renamed 18th Heavy Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment. Now based in Foligno the regiment consisted of a command, a command unit, the I and II groups with 90/53 anti-aircraft guns, and the V Group with 40/56 autocannons.

On 18 February 1958 the regiment moved from Foligno to Rimini. On 1 April 1956 regiment was equipped with American 90/50 M1 anti-aircraft guns and consisted of a command, a command unit, the I and II heavy anti-aircraft groups with 90/50 M1 anti-aircraft guns, and the IV Light Anti-aircraft Group with 40/56 autocannons. On 10 June of the same year the IV Light Anti-aircraft Group moved to Ravenna. On 1 August 1959 the regiment added the III Heavy Anti-aircraft Group with 90/50 M1 anti-aircraft guns. On 30 October the III Heavy Anti-aircraft Group was disbanded and the IV Light Anti-aircraft Group was renumbered as III Group.

On 1 August 1963 the regiment was assigned to the army's Anti-aircraft Artillery Command and on 1 September of the same year the regiment was reorganized and renamed 18th Light Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment. The regiment consisted now of a command, a command unit, and three groups with 40mm L/70 autocannons. On 1 September 1964 the regiment received the II Heavy Anti-aircraft Group in Bologna from the 121st Heavy Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment. The group was equipped with 40mm L/70 autocannons and renamed IV Light Anti-aircraft Group. On 1 November 1964 the II Light Anti-aircraft Group of the regiment moved to Reggio Emilia. On 1 March 1970 the regiment's II and IV groups were transferred to the 121st Light Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment and the 18th Light Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment's III Group was renumbered as II Group.

As part of the 1975 army reform the 18th Light Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment was disbanded on 18 November 1975 and the next day the regiment's two remaining groups joined the 121st Light Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment. Afterwards the flag of the 18th Light Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment was transferred to the Shrine of the Flags in the Vittoriano in Rome.

On 2 May 1976 the 18th Field Artillery Group "Gran Sasso" was formed in Bracciano with the personnel and materiel of the I Group of the disbanded 13th Field Artillery Regiment. To avoid confusion with the support units of the Motorized Brigade "Pinerolo" the group was named for the regiment's first name, the Gran Sasso mountain. On the same date the group received the flag of the 18th Artillery Regiment, and with decree 846, which was issued by the President of the Italian Republic Giovanni Leone on 12 November 1976, the group was officially assigned the traditions of the 18th Artillery Regiment.

The group was assigned to the Artillery School and consisted of a command, a command and services battery, a battery with M114 155mm towed howitzers, a battery with towed M59 155mm field guns, and a battery with M115 203mm towed howitzers. In 1978 the group replaced the M114 with modern FH70 155mm howitzers.

On 31 March 1981 the 18th Field Artillery Group "Gran Sasso" was disbanded and the next day its personnel was used to form the Complementary Officers Cadets Group of the Artillery School. Once more the flag of the 18th Artillery Regiment was returned to the Shrine of the Flags in the Vittoriano in Rome.

Recent times
On 18 September 1992 the 18th Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment was reformed in Rimini by reorganizing the 3rd Light Anti-aircraft Group of the 121st Light Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment. The regiment's 1st Anti-aircraft Group consisted of three batteries and was equipped with Stinger man-portable air-defense systems and Skyguard Aspide air defence systems.

On 30 June 1997 the flag of the 18th Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment left the base in Rimini and began its journey to Rome, where the next day the flag was once more returned to the Shrine of the Flags in the Vittoriano. On the same day, 1 July 1997, the flag of the 17th Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment was transferred from Villafranca to Rimini, where the 17th Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment "Sforzesca" was formed with the units of the disbanded 18th Regiment.