Mechanized Brigade "Gorizia"

Brigata Meccanizzata Gorizia
Coat of Arms of the Mechanized Brigade Gorizia
Active	20 October 1975 - 30 October 1996
Country	Italy
Branch	Italian Army
Type	Infantry
Role	Armored warfare
Part of	1975-1986 Folgore Mechanized Division 1986-1996 5th Army Corps
Garrison/HQ	Gorizia

The Gorizia Mechanized Brigade was a mechanized brigade of the Italian Army. Its core units were mechanized infantry battalions. The brigade's headquarters was in the city of Gorizia. All the brigades units where based in the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The brigades name was chosen in memory of the World War I Battle of Gorizia. The brigades sister brigade the Vittorio Veneto Armored Brigade was named to commemorate the World War I Battle of Vittorio Veneto.

History

Gorizia

22 Piccinini

41 Modena

82 Torino

183 Nembo

53 Umbria

63 Cagliari

46 Trento

class=notpageimage|

Gorizia Mechanized Brigade battalions in 1989

The brigade was activated during a major reorganization of the Italian Army: in 1975 the regiment level was abolished and battalions came under direct command of newly formed brigades, which combined units from different arms. On 20 October 1975 the Gorizia Mechanized Brigade was activated along with the Vittorio Veneto Armored Brigade from disbanded regiments of the Folgore Mechanized Division. The Gorizia took command of the 82nd Infantry Regiment Torino and the 183rd Infantry Regiment Nembo. The Folgore division also received the Trieste Mechanized Brigade in Bologna.

The Folgore Mechanized Division was part of the 5th Army Corps based in North-Eastern Italy. The 5th Army Corps was tasked with defending the Italian-Yugoslavian border against possible attacks by either the Warsaw Pact, or Yugoslavia or both. The Gorizia brigade’s duty was to defend the city of Gorizia. The two position infantry battalions were tasked to man and hold the fixed positions of the Alpine Wall. The brigades strength was around 5,000 men and it was composed by the following units:

• Gorizia Command and Signal Battalion, in Gorizia
• 22nd Tank Battalion M.O. Piccinini, in San Vito al Tagliamento, (Leopard 1 Main battle tanks)
• 33rd Position Infantry Battalion Ardenza, in Fogliano Redipuglia (transferred in 1986 to the Vittorio Veneto Armored Brigade)
• 41st Mechanized Infantry Battalion Modena, in Villa Vicentina, (VCC-2 Armoured personnel carriers)
• 63rd Position Infantry Battalion Cagliari, in San Lorenzo Isontino
• 82nd Mechanized Infantry Battalion Torino, in Cormons, (VCC-2 Armoured personnel carriers)
• 183rd Mechanized Infantry Battalion Nembo, in Gradisca d'Isonzo, (VCC-2 Armoured personnel carriers)
• 46th Self-propelled Field Artillery Group Trento, in Gradisca d'Isonzo, (M109 Self-propelled howitzers)
• Gorizia Logistic Battalion, in Gradisca d'Isonzo
• Gorizia Anti-tank Company, in Gorizia
• Gorizia Engineer Company, in Cormons

On 31 October 1986 the Italian Army abolished the divisional level and brigades, that until then had been under one of the Armys four divisions, came forthwith under direct command of the Armys 3rd or 5th Army Corps. The Gorizia along with the Vittorio Veneto came under the 5th Army Corps, while the Trieste was transferred to the 3rd Army Corps. From the disbanded Folgore Division the Gorizia received the 53rd Position Infantry Battalion Umbria, in Pavia di Udine.

After the end of the Cold War the Italian Army began to draw down its forces: as first the 63rd Position Infantry Battalion Cagliari was disbanded on 30 November 1991, followed by the 53rd Position Infantry Battalion Umbria on 31 March 1993, while the 183rd Mechanized Infantry Battalion Nembo was transferred to the Folgore Parachute Brigade in 1991. At the same time for traditional reasons the battalions were renamed as regiments without changing composition or strength. For the last year of its life the brigades was composed by the following units:

• Gorizia Command and Tactical Support Battalion, in Gorizia
• 2nd Tank Regiment, in San Vito al Tagliamento, (Leopard 1A2 Main battle tanks)
• 41st Mechanized Infantry Regiment Modena, in Gradisca d'Isonzo, (VCC-2 Armoured personnel carriers)
• 82nd Mechanized Infantry Regiment Torino, in Cormons, (VCC-2 Armoured personnel carriers)
• 184th Self-propelled Field Artillery Group Nembo, in Gradisca d'Isonzo, (M109L Self-propelled howitzers)
• Gorizia Logistic Battalion, in Gradisca d'Isonzo

On 30 September 1995 the 41st Infantry Regiment was disbanded. On 30 October 1996 the brigade was disbanded with the rest of its units. Only the 82nd Infantry Regiment remained and passed to the Mantova Mechanized Brigade.