7th Bersaglieri Regiment
7° Reggimento bersaglieri
Regimental coat of arms
Active	1 Jan. 1871 — today
Country	Italy
Branch	Italian Army
Part of	Mechanized Brigade "Pinerolo"
Garrison/HQ	Altamura
Motto(s)	"Celeritate ac virtute"
Anniversaries	18 June 1836
Decorations	1x Military Order of Italy 1x Gold Medal of Military Valor 1x Silver Medal of Military Valor 2x Bronze Medals of Military Valor [1]
Insignia
Bersaglieri gorget patches

The 7th Bersaglieri Regiment ( Italian: 7° Reggimento Bersaglieri) is an active unit of the Italian Army based in Altamura in Apulia. The regiment is part of the army's infantry corps' Bersaglieri speciality and operationally assigned to the Mechanized Brigade "Pinerolo". ^[2] The regiment was formed in 1871 by the Royal Italian Army with preexisting battalions. During World War I the regiment served on the Italian front. ^{[3] [4]}

The regiment's anniversary falls, as for all Bersaglieri units, on 18 June 1836, the day the Bersaglieri speciality was founded. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

History

On 1 January 1871 the 7th Bersaglieri Regiment was formed in Verona with the VIII Battalion, X Battalion, XI Battalion, and XV Battalion, which were transferred from the 2nd Bersaglieri Regiment. The four battalions were renumbered as I, II, III, and IV battalion upon entering the new regiment. On 16 September 1883 the IV Battalion was transferred to the newly formed 11th Bersaglieri Regiment. On 18 June 1886, all Bersaglieri battalions resumed their original numbering and afterwards the 7th Bersaglieri Regiment consisted of the VIII Battalion, X Battalion, and XI Battalion. ^{[3] [4]}

The VIII Battalion had been formed by the Royal Sardinian Army in 1850 and the X Battalion in 1852. In 1855 the VIII Battalion's 29th and 30th companies were assigned to the IV Provisional Bersaglieri Battalion, while the X Battalion's 37th and 38th companies were assigned to the V Provisional Bersaglieri Battalion. The two provisional battalions were part of the Sardinian Expeditionary Corps, which fought in the Crimean War. The two battalions fought in the Battle of the Chernaya and the Siege of Sevastopol. ^{[3] [4]}

In 1859 the VIII and X battalions fought in the Second Italian War of Independence. During the war the X Battalion distinguished itself in the Battle of Solferino and was awarded a Bronze Medal of Military Valor, which was affixed to the flag of the 7th Bersaglieri Regiment and added to the regiment's coat of arms, when the battalion joined the regiment. ^{[1] [4]} The same year the XI Battalion was formed. In 1860-61 the three battalions participated in the Sardinian campaign in central and southern Italy. In 1866 the battalions participated in the Third Italian War of Independence and fought in the Battle of Custoza, during which the VIII Battalion distinguished itself and was awarded a Bronze Medal of Military Valor. In September 1870 the X Battalion participated in the capture of Rome. ^{[3] [4]}

In 1887-88 the regiment's 12th Company was deployed to Eritrea for the Italo-Ethiopian War of 1887–1889. In 1895-96 the regiment provided 23 officers and 267 troops to help form the I, II, IV, and V provisional battalions, which were deployed to Eritrea for the First Italo-Ethiopian War. On 1 October 1910 the regiment's depot in Brescia formed the VII Cyclists Battalion. In 1911, the regiment's 12th Cyclists Company was deployed to Libya for the Italo-Turkish War. Furthermore the regiment provided 15 officers and 744 troops to augment units fighting in the war. ^{[3] [4]}

Organization

As of 2024 the 7th Bersaglieri Regiment consists of:^{[ citation needed]}

The Command and Logistic Support Company fields the following platoons: C3 Platoon, Transport and Materiel Platoon, Medical Platoon, and Commissariat Platoon. The regiment is equipped with Freccia wheeled infantry fighting vehicles. The Maneuver Support Company is equipped with Freccia mortar carriers with 120mm mortars and Freccia IFVs with Spike LR anti-tank guided missiles.^{[ citation needed]}

See also

• Bersaglieri

References

External links

• Italian Army Website: 7th Bersaglieri Regiment