5th Infantry Regiment "Aosta"

On 20 February 1690, the Fusiliers Regiment of His Royal Highness was established by Duke Victor Amadeus II. The Regiment was recruited and led by Colonel Giuseppe Filiberto Costa, Count of Trinità, as Ordnance Infantry Regiment in order to provide escort and protection to artillery. The Regiment was based in Vercelli.[4]

In December 1710, the Regiment incorporated the Regiment "Santa Giulia". On 16 September 1774, the Regiment assumed the name of the Regiment "Aosta".[1]

The "Aosta" Regiment, together with the Regiments "Savoia" and "Lombardia", formed the 1st Line Half Brigade in December 1798, later disestablished in May 1799.[1]

The Regiment fought in the campaigns of the Nine Years' War (from its establishment in 1690 to 1697), of the War of the Spanish Succession, of the War of the Quadruple Alliance (1718 to 1719), of the War of the Polish Succession, of the War of the Austrian Succession (from 1742 to 1748) and of the French invasion of Piedmont.[1]

With the fall of Napoleon, the Regiment was reestablished in July 1814 and took on the name of Brigade "Aosta" on 1 November 1815. From 4 May 1839 the Regiment took on the name of 5th Regiment.[1]

In the Kingdom of Italy, the regiment was engaged in the First Italian War of Independence, for which it was decorated with the Silver Medal of Military Valor, in the 1859 Second Italian War of Independence, for which it was decorated with the Gold Medal of Military Valour, in the repression of Brigandage in 1861, in Aspromonte in 1862, an operation for which the Regiment was decorated with a Bronze Medal of Military Valor, and in the 1866 Third Italian War of Independence.[1]

On 15 October 1871, the Regiment was renamed 5th Infantry Regiment "Aosta". the new denomination lasted until 1881, when the Regiment was renamed 5th Regiment (Aosta Brigade), due to the reintroduction of Brigades within the Royal Italian Army.[5]

The Regiment also provided personnel for the Italian conquest of Eritrea and Libya.

In the First World War, the 5th Infantry Regiment "Aosta" had three battalions. Each battalion had four rifle companies and a machine gun section.[5] The "Aosta" Brigade in 1915 was headquartered in Gemona.[6]

On 3 July 1915, the 5th regiment was sent to Sella Nevea and Raccolana Valley, to support the troops of the 4th Army Corps that attacked the Austrian stronghold of Plezzo.[6]

In early March 1916, the 5th and 6th Regiment "Aosta" got together in Conca di Plezzo, being deployed on the right bank of Isonzo and on the slopes of the Kukla. A few days after the end of the Fifth Battle of the Isonzo, on 19 March 1916, the Austrians, preceded by a destructive bombardment, attacked by surprise and managed to overcome the Italian defenses at the bottom of the valley. In the evening, the 8th and 9th companies of the 5th regiment counterattacked and reestablished the lines.[6]

With the Sixth Battle of the Isonzo (6-17 August 1916), the 5th Regiment was deployed with two battalions around Zagora and one on the Carso. Particularly intense was the battle around Zagora, where the Italian troops deeply attacked the Monte Santo, defended by the 62nd Austrian division. From November until the end of 1916, the infantrymen of the Aosta Brigade remained entrenched between Pecinka and Dosso Faiti.[6]

In April 1917, the Aosta Brigade was transferred to Asiago as reserve for the 20th Army Corps. In July it goes to the front line and is deployed between Strigno and Cima della Caldiera, in front of Mount Ortigara.[6]

Following the Battle of Caporetto, the whole Brigade retreated to the Col della Berretta. On 26 November 1917, the Austro-German offensive breached Italian lines, but the II Battalion of the 5th Regiment staged a counter-attack which managed to contain the enemy forces until reinforcements were sent. The II Battalion was annhilated in the action.[6] After the First Battle of Monte Grappa, the Aosta Brigade was sent to the rear lines to rest and reorganize.[6]

After the actions on the Montello, and after having lost 1223 troops in six days, the Aosta Brigade was sent to rest in the Brenta Valley. On 24 October 1918, the 5th Regiment attacked Mount Valderoa, succeding in seizing also Solaroli and Spinoncia mountains on 31 October 1918.[6]

The Regiment also fought in Ravnilaz, on the Carso, in Doberdò, Cima Debeli, on the Col Moschin and Cà d'Anna, on the Montello, and in Vittorio Veneto.[1]

At the end of more than three years of war, the Regiment was decorated with the Military Order of Savoy, an honour bestowed on all the infantry regiments involved in the War, and with a Gold Medal of Military Valour.[1]

With the application of the Royal Italian Army 1926 reform, the Regiment took the name of 5th Infantry Regiment "Aosta" with two Battalions.[5] Following the formation of the Brigades on three regiments, the Regiment was assigned to the XXVIII Infantry Brigade,[4] with the 6th Infantry Regiment "Aosta" and the 85th Infantry Regiment "Verona".[5]

In the period between the two world wars, the Regiment provided 458 personnel (4 Officers and 454 troops) for the Second Italo-Ethiopian War.[1][4]

Formed the "binary" Divisions in 1939, at the outbreak of the 2nd World War, the Regiment was placed in the 28th Infantry Division "Aosta" together with the twin 6th Infantry Regiment "Aosta" and the 22nd Artillery Regiment.[1] The 28th Infantry Division "Aosta" was part of the XII Army Corps, in turn directly dependent on the Army Group "Sud".[4]

The Regiment has the following subordinate units:[4][5]

• Command and command company;
• I Rifle Battalion;
• II Rifle Battalion;
• III Rifle Battalion;
• Mortars company with 81mm mortars;
• Support weapons battery with Cannone da 65/17 modello 13.

The Regiment was deployed to defend the Sicilian coasts and the Pelagie islands. Following the Allied invasion of Sicily in July 1943, the Regiment fought bitterly in Nicosia, Capizzi and Troina.[4]

Withdrawn from the front with the remains of the Division, the Regiment was sent to Trento to reorganize but here, following the Armistice of 8 September 1943, it was disestablished.[1][4]

On 1 October 1944, the Regiment was reestablished as 5th Internal Security Regiment "Aosta".[4] The Regiment drawn units and personnel from the 46th Infantry Regiment "Reggio" and was tasked with garrison and territorial defence duties.[1]

On 1 September 1946, the Regiment took the old name of 5th Infantry Regiment "Aosta", based in Messina where it remains to this day.[1] The structure of the Regiment was similar to the war structure:[5]

• command and command platoon (later company),
• three battalions,
• mortar company,
• Support weapons company.

On 31 December 1947, the Regiment ceded the III Battalion in order to contribute to the reestablishment of the Regiment "Acqui".[5]

On 1 October 1975, as part of the Italian Army 1975 reform, the Regiment was contracted to battalion with the name of 5th Motorized Battalion "Col della Berretta".[1]

On 31 August 1992 it resumed the regimental rank.[1]