Bersaglieri , singular Bersagliere , (Italian pronunciation: [bersaʎˈʎɛːri], “sharpshooter”) are a troop of marksmen in the Italian Army’s infantry corps. They were originally created by General Alessandro Ferrero La Marmora on 18 June 1836 to serve in the Royal Sardinian Army, which later became the Royal Italian Army. They can be recognized by their distinctive wide-brimmed hats decorated with black western capercaillie feathers, which is worn with the dress uniform. The feathers are also applied to their combat helmets.
Italy began the Second World War with twelve Bersaglieri regiments of three battalions each. Over the preceding years the Army had resisted suggestions to dilute the regiment’s quality, and recruits continued to be of above-average size and stamina, endured intense physical training and had to qualify as marksmen. During the war an additional Bersaglieri regiment, the 18th, with three battalions was raised, but only one of its battalions saw combat.
- 1st Bersaglieri Regiment (I, VII, IX battalions) – initially III Army Corps; from March 1942: 2nd Cavalry Division “Emanuele Filiberto Testa di Ferro”
- 2nd Bersaglieri Regiment (II, IV, XVII battalions) – garrison unit in Euboea (Greece)
- 3rd Bersaglieri Regiment (XVIII, XX, XXV battalions) – 3rd Cavalry Division “Principe Amedeo Duca d’Aosta”; served on the Eastern Front
- 4th Bersaglieri Regiment (XXVI, XXIX, XXXI battalions) – garrison unit in Split (Yugoslavia)
- 5th Bersaglieri Regiment (XIV, XXII, XXIV battalions) – 131st Armored Division “Centauro”; destroyed in the Tunisian campaign
- 6th Bersaglieri Regiment (VI, XIII, XIX battalions) – 2nd Cavalry Division “Emanuele Filiberto Testa di Ferro”; from March 1942: 3rd Cavalry Division “Principe Amedeo Duca d’Aosta” on the Eastern Front
- 7th Bersaglieri Regiment (VIII, X, XI battalions) – 102nd Motorized Division “Trento”; destroyed in the Tunisian campaign
- 8th Bersaglieri Regiment (III, V, XII battalions) – 132nd Armored Division “Ariete”; destroyed in the Tunisian campaign; reformed in July 1943
- 9th Bersaglieri Regiment (XXVIII, XXX, XXXII battalions) – 101st Motorized Division “Trieste”; destroyed in the Second Battle of El Alamein
- 10th Bersaglieri Regiment (XVI, XXXIV, XXXV battalions) – German Division von Broich/von Manteuffel; destroyed in the Tunisian campaign
- 11th Bersaglieri Regiment (XV, XXVII, XXXIII battalions) – 1st Cavalry Division “Eugenio di Savoia”; from early 1942 attached to the 158th Infantry Division “Zara”
- 12th Bersaglieri Regiment (XXI, XXIII, XXXVI battalions) – 133rd Armored Division “Littorio”; destroyed in the Second Battle of El Alamein
- 18th Bersaglieri Armored Reconnaissance Regiment (LXVII, LXVIII, LXIX battalions) – garrison unit in the South of France; in spring 1942 the LXVII battalion was sent to the Eastern Front; remaining regiment joined the 136th Armored Legionary Division “Centauro” on 9 September 1943 in Rome
The Bersaglieri fought in the Italian invasion of France and in the Greco-Italian War, later Bersaglieri regiments were deployed on the Eastern Front. One battalion of Bersaglieri participated in the East African Campaign. Six Bersaglieri regiments served and were destroyed during the North African Campaign.
After the Armistice of Cassibile between the Kingdom of Italy and Western Allies on 8 September 1943, Italy split in half. The Republic of Salò continued the war alongside Nazi Germany. Its Army, the fascist National Republican Army, raised the 1st Bersaglieri Division “Italia”, which was attached to the German 14th Army in a sector on the Northern Apennines. The division fought along the Gothic Line, and at the end of the final allied offensive, along with two Wehrmacht and the last fascist divisions, surrendered after the Battle of Collecchio.[78][79][80]
On the other side of the front the Italian Co-belligerent Army raised a Bersaglieri battalion as part of the Combat Group “Legnano” from remnants of the 4th Bersaglieri Regiment.
.jpg)
