View source for 5th Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment "Pescara"

{{short description|Inactive Italian Army air-defence unit}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = 5th Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment "Pescara"
| native_name = 5° Reggimento Artiglieria Controaerei "Pescara"
| image = CoA mil ITA rgt artiglieria c a 005.png
| image_size = 160px
| caption = Regimental coat of arms
| dates = 1 June 1930 — 8 Sept. 1943<br>1 March 1947 — 26 Oct. 2012
| disbanded =
| country = {{ITA}}
| countries =
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| branch = [[Italian Army]]
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| garrison = [[San Donà di Piave]]
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| motto = "Inter nube detonans hostem exterret"
| colours =
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| anniversaries = 15 June 1918 - [[Second Battle of the Piave River]]
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| identification_symbol = {{Inline block|[[File:Mostrina - Artiglieria controaerei.png|32px]]|div}} {{Inline block|style=transform: scaleX(-1);|[[File:Mostrina - Artiglieria controaerei.png|32px]]|div}}
| identification_symbol_label = Regimental [[Italian Army gorget patches|gorget patches]]
}}
The '''5th Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment "Pescara"''' ({{langx|it|5° Reggimento Artiglieria Controaerei "Pescara"}}) is an inactive [[air defence]] regiment of the [[Italian Army]], which was based in [[San Donà di Piave]] in [[Veneto]]. Originally a regiment of the [[Royal Italian Army]], the unit was last active from 1947 to 2012. During the [[Cold War]] the regiment was equipped with [[MIM-23 Hawk]] air defence missile systems and formed, together with the [[4th Anti-aircraft Missile Artillery Regiment]], the air defence belt of the Italian Army in the country's Northeast.<ref name="Pescara">{{cite book |last1=F. dell'Uomo, R. Puletti |title=L'Esercito Italiano verso il 2000 - Vol. Primo - Tomo II |date=1998 |publisher=SME - Ufficio Storico |location=Rome |page=211}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Pescara"/>
== History ==
On 15 December 1926 the 9th Anti-aircraft Artillery Center was formed in [[Pescara]], which incorporated the existing 9th Anti-aircraft Group. On 1 January 1927 the center consisted of a command, a mixed group with two trucked batteries with [[Cannone da 75/27 A.V.|75/27 C.K.]] anti-aircraft guns and a positional battery with [[Cannone da 76/45 S 1911|76/45]] anti-aircraft guns, a photo-electricians unit, and a depot. The center's photo-electricians operated [[searchlight]]s.<ref name="Pescara"/>
On 1 April 1930 the center received from the [[6th Anti-aircraft Artillery Center]] a trucked group with 75/27 C.K. anti-aircraft guns and a photo-electricians unit. On 1 June of the same year the center changed its name to 5th Trucked Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment. In April 1931 the two photo-electricians units were disbanded and in each of the two trucked groups a photo-electricians section and an [[Acoustic location|acoustic locator]] squad. In 1933 the regiment moved from Pescara to [[Palmanova]].<ref name="Pescara"/>
On 1 January 1934 the regiment changed its name to 5th Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment. The same year the regiment moved from Palmanova to [[Padua]]. On 6 September 1935 the regiment was mobilized for the [[Second Italo-Ethiopian War]]. The regiment was sent to [[Sicily]], with its command and I Group were deployed to [[Gela]], while the II Group was deployed to [[Comiso]]. During the war the regiment's depot in Padua formed the 1st Battery with [[Breda 20/65 mod.35|20/65 mod. 35]] anti-aircraft guns, which was sent to [[Italian Eritrea]], and the 258th and 259th positional batteries, which were deployed to [[Cyrenaica]] in [[Italian Libya]]. The regiment was demobilized on 12 July 1936.<ref name="Pescara"/>
=== World War II ===
At the outbreak of [[World War II]] the regiment consisted of a command, a command unit, and four groups (IV, VI, XIV, and XIX) equipped with [[Cannone da 75/46 C.A. modello 34|75/46 mod. 34]] anti-aircraft guns. In 1940 the VI Group was sent to North Africa, where it participated in the [[Western Desert campaign]]. The IV and XIX groups were sent to [[Italian protectorate of Albania (1939–1943)|occupied Albania]], where they participated in the [[Greco-Italian War]]. In July 1941 the IV and XIX groups were assigned to the [[Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia]], which was Italy's contribution to the [[Operation Barbarossa|German invasion of the Soviet Union]]. In 1942 the two groups were assigned to the [[4th Anti-aircraft Artillery Grouping]], which also included the 5th Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment's XXXVI Trucked Group. The grouping and its groups were destroyed in winter 1942/43 during [[Operation Little Saturn]].<ref name="Pescara"/>
During the war the regiment's depot in [[Padua]] mobilized the following units:<ref name="Pescara"/>
* XXXVI Trucked Group with [[Cannone da 75/46 C.A. modello 34|75/46 mod. 34]] anti-aircraft guns
* LXXIV Trucked Group with 75/46 mod. 34 anti-aircraft guns
* CVII Trucked Group with 75/46 mod. 34 anti-aircraft guns
* DVI Trucked Group with [[Cannone da 90/53|90/53]] anti-aircraft guns on [[Breda 52]] trucks
* DXXIV Trucked Group with 90/53 anti-aircraft guns
* DXXVI Trucked Group with 90/53 anti-aircraft guns
* XXIII Positional Group with [[7.5 cm kanon PL vz. 37|7.5cm PL vz.37]] anti-aircraft guns
* XXIV Positional Group with 7.5&nbsp;cm PL vz.37 anti-aircraft guns
The regiment and its depot were disbanded by [[Operation Achse|invading German forces]] after the announcement of the [[Armistice of Cassibile]] on 8 September 1943.<ref name="Pescara"/>
=== Cold War ===
On 1 March 1947 the 5th Light Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment was reformed in [[Pisa]] with the personnel and materiel of the VI Anti-aircraft Group of the [[33rd Field Artillery Regiment (Italy)|33rd Field Artillery Regiment]]. The VI Anti-aircraft Group had participated in the [[Italian campaign (World War II)|Italian campaign]], first with the [[184th Artillery Regiment "Nembo"]] of the [[184th Infantry Division "Nembo"]] of the [[Italian Liberation Corps]] and then as part of the [[Artillery Regiment "Folgore"]] of the [[Combat Group "Folgore"]] of the [[Italian Co-belligerent Army]]. The 5th Light Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment was assigned to the [[Infantry Division "Folgore"]] and consisted of a command, a command unit, the I Group with [[Bofors 40 mm L/60 gun|40/56]] [[autocannon]]s, and the II Group with 40/56 autocannons. At the end of 1947 the regiment moved from Pisa to [[Padua]] and in September 1949 to [[Mestre]].<ref name="Pescara"/><ref name="Athena">{{cite book |last1=Fossati |first1=Ivo |title=L'Esercito Italiano 1946 - 2020 - L'Artiglieria |date=2022 |publisher=Athena Books |location=Milan |page=67 |url=https://issuu.com/rivista.militare1/docs/esercito_italiano_1946-2020-l_artiglieria-testo |access-date=27 November 2023}}</ref>
On 1 January 1950 the regiment took administrative and disciplinary control of the CII Group with [[Cannone da 90/53|90/53]] anti-aircraft guns of the [[V Territorial Military Command]]. On 1 January 1951 the Infantry Division "Folgore" included the following artillery regiments:<ref name="Pescara"/><ref name="Athena"/>
{{Tree list}}
* '''[[Infantry Division "Folgore"]]''', in [[Treviso]]<ref name="Pescara"/><ref name="Athena"/>
** [[33rd Field Artillery Regiment (Italy)|33rd Field Artillery Regiment]], in [[Padua]]
** [[41st Anti-tank Field Artillery Regiment (Italy)|41st Anti-tank Field Artillery Regiment]], in [[Bassano del Grappa]]
** [[184th Field Artillery Regiment (Italy)|184th Field Artillery Regiment]], in Treviso
** 5th Light Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment, in [[Mestre]]
{{Tree list/end}}
On 30 January 1951 the regiment ceded its I Group to the 33rd Field Artillery Regiment and its II Group to the [[184th Field Artillery Regiment]] and the next day the regiment was reorganized as 5th Heavy Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment. The CII Group was now fully assigned to the regiment, which also received the CI Group with 90/53 anti-aircraft guns, which, like the CII, had been formed by the Anti-aircraft Artillery School. On 18 July 1951 the two groups were redesignated as I and II heavy anti-aircraft groups. On 1 April 1953 the III Heavy Anti-aircraft Group with 90/53 anti-aircraft guns and the V Group with 40/56 autocannons were formed. In April 1956 the 90/53 anti-aircraft guns were replaced by American [[90 mm gun M1/M2/M3|90/50 M1]] anti-aircraft guns and the V Group was redesignated as IV Group. On 13 May 1957 the regiment received the V Light Anti-aircraft Group with 40/56 autocannons from the [[3rd Mountain Artillery Regiment (Italy)|3rd Mountain Artillery Regiment]] of the [[Alpine Brigade "Julia"]]. At the end of the year the regiment consisted of the following units:<ref name="Pescara"/><ref name="Athena"/>
{{Tree list}}
* [[File:CoA mil ITA rgt artiglieria c a 005.png|30px]] '''5th Heavy Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment''', in [[Mestre]]<ref name="Pescara"/>
** Command Unit
** I Heavy Anti-aircraft Group with [[90 mm gun M1/M2/M3|90/50 M1]] anti-aircraft guns
** II Heavy Anti-aircraft Group with 90/50 M1 anti-aircraft guns
** III Heavy Anti-aircraft Group with 90/50 M1 anti-aircraft guns
** IV Light Anti-aircraft Group with [[Bofors 40 mm L/60 gun|40/56]] autocannons
** V Light Anti-aircraft Group with 40/56 autocannons
{{Tree list/end}}
On 15 May 1960 the V Light Anti-aircraft Group was disbanded. On 1 August 1963 the regiment was assigned to the army's [[Anti-aircraft Artillery Command (Italy)|Anti-aircraft Artillery Command]] and on 31 August of the same year the IV Light Anti-aircraft Group was disbanded.<ref name="Pescara"/><ref name="Athena"/>
On 10 October 1963 the Anti-aircraft Artillery School formed the 8th Anti-aircraft Missile Battery, with which the introduction of the [[MIM-23 Hawk]] air defence missile systems commenced. On 1 August 1964 the regiment was reorganized as missile air defence regiment and renamed 5th Anti-aircraft Missile Artillery Regiment. The regiment now consisted of the following units:<ref name="Pescara"/><ref name="Athena"/>
{{Tree list}}
* [[File:CoA mil ITA rgt artiglieria c a 005.png|30px]] '''5th Anti-aircraft Missile Artillery Regiment''', in [[Mestre]]<ref name="Pescara"/>
** Command Unit
** I Missile Group
** II Missile Group
** 25th Signal Company
{{Tree list/end}}
On 28 September 1967 the I Missile Group moved to [[San Donà di Piave]] and on 14 October the II Missile Group moved to [[Rovigo]].<ref name="Pescara"/> As part of the [[Italian Army 1975 reform|1975 army reform]] the regiment's Command Unit was reorganized as Command and Services Battery. After the reform each of the two Missile Groups fielded 957 men (50 officers, 304 non-commissioned officers, and 603 soldiers).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Stefani |first1=Filippo |title=La storia della dottrina e degli ordinamenti dell'Esercito Italiano - Vol. III - Tomo 2° |date=1989 |publisher=Ufficio Storico - Stato Maggiore dell'Esercito |location=Rome |pages=1182–1183}}</ref> The regiment's new organization was now as follows:
{{Tree list}}
* [[File:CoA mil ITA rgt artiglieria c a 005.png|30px]] '''5th Anti-aircraft Missile Artillery Regiment''', in [[Mestre]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Malatesta |first1=Leonardo |title=I segreti della Guerra Fredda. Le strutture militari della NATO presenti in Italia durante il conflitto atomico |url=https://www.letture.org/i-segreti-della-guerra-fredda-le-strutture-militari-della-nato-presenti-in-italia-durante-il-conflitto-atomico-leonardo-malatesta |access-date=27 November 2023}}</ref>
** Command and Services Battery, in Mestre
** 1st Missile Group, in [[San Donà di Piave]]
*** Command and Services Battery, in San Donà di Piave
*** 1st Missile Battery, in [[Mereto di Tomba|Plasencis]] (Site 1)
*** 2nd Missile Battery, in [[Terzo d'Aquileia]] (Site 2)
*** 3rd Missile Battery, in [[Caorle|San Giorgio di Livenza]] (Site 3)
*** 4th Missile Battery, in [[Fontanafredda]] (Site 4)
** 2nd Missile Group, in [[Rovigo]]
*** Command and Services Battery, in Rovigo
*** 5th Missile Battery, in [[Scorzè|Peseggia]] (Site 5)
*** 6th Missile Battery, in [[Cona, Veneto|Conetta]] (Site 6)
*** 7th Missile Battery, in [[Trecenta|Marzanata di Trecenta]] (Site 7)
*** 8th Missile Battery, in [[Longare|San Rocco di Longare]] (Site 8)
** 25th Signal Company, in Mestre
{{Tree list/end}}
The 5th Anti-aircraft Missile Artillery Regiment was the Italian Army's forward deployed air defence unit, which covered the area of operation of the [[V Army Corps (Italy)|5th Army Corps]]. The regiment operated from eight fixed sites, which were numbered from 1 to 8.<ref name="Pescara"/>
{{Location map+ | Northern Italy
| width = 900
| float = center
| caption = Location of the groups and batteries of the [[4th Anti-aircraft Missile Artillery Regiment]] ([[File:Blue 0080ff pog.svg|10px]]) and the 5th Anti-aircraft Missile Artillery Regiment ([[File:Orange ff8040 pog.svg|10px]]) in 1989.
| relief = 1
| places =
{{Location map~ | Northern Italy | background= white |label=<small>'''4th Rgt.'''</small> |lat= 45.156389 |long= 10.791667 |position=right |mark=Blue 0080ff pog.svg|marksize = 12}}
{{Location map~ | Northern Italy | background= white |label=<small>1st Group</small> |lat= 44.416111 |long= 12.201667 |position=right |mark=Blue 0080ff pog.svg|marksize = 10}}
{{Location map~ | Northern Italy | background= white |label=<small>1 Bty.</small> |lat= 44.764167 |long= 12.213889 |position=right |mark=Blue 0080ff pog.svg|marksize = 8}}
{{Location map~ | Northern Italy | background= white |label=<small>2 Bty.</small> |lat= 44.263889 |long= 12.294167 |position=right |mark=Blue 0080ff pog.svg|marksize = 8}}
{{Location map~ | Northern Italy | background= white |label=<small>3 Bty.</small> |lat= 43.958889 |long= 12.590278 |position=right |mark=Blue 0080ff pog.svg|marksize = 8}}
{{Location map~ | Northern Italy | background= white |label=<small>2nd Group</small> |lat= 45.133333 |long= 10.024722 |position=right |mark=Blue 0080ff pog.svg|marksize = 10}}
{{Location map~ | Northern Italy | background= white |label=<small>5 Bty.</small> |lat= 45.336389 |long= 10.895278 |position=right |mark=Blue 0080ff pog.svg|marksize = 8}}
{{Location map~ | Northern Italy | background= white |label=<small>6 Bty.</small> |lat= 44.992778 |long= 10.131944 |position=right |mark=Blue 0080ff pog.svg|marksize = 8}}
{{Location map~ | Northern Italy | background= white |label=<small>7 Bty.</small> |lat= 45.136389 |long= 9.701389 |position=right |mark=Blue 0080ff pog.svg|marksize = 8}}
{{Location map~ | Northern Italy | background= white |label=<small>8 Bty.</small> |lat= 45.341667 |long= 10.171944 |position=right |mark=Blue 0080ff pog.svg|marksize = 8}}
{{Location map~ | Northern Italy | background= white |label=<small>9 Bty.</small> |lat= 45.012778 |long= 10.810278 |position=right |mark=Blue 0080ff pog.svg|marksize = 8}}
{{Location map~ | Northern Italy | background= white |label=<small>'''5th Rgt.'''</small> |lat= 45.490556 |long= 12.238056 |position=right |mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg|marksize = 12}}
{{Location map~ | Northern Italy | background= white |label=<small>1st Group</small> |lat= 45.633333 |long= 12.566667 |position=top |mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg|marksize = 10}}
{{Location map~ | Northern Italy | background= white |label=<small>1 Bty.</small> |lat= 46.068056 |long= 13.103889 |position=right |mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg|marksize = 8}}
{{Location map~ | Northern Italy | background= white |label=<small>2 Bty.</small> |lat= 45.788889 |long= 13.370833 |position=right |mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg|marksize = 8}}
{{Location map~ | Northern Italy | background= white |label=<small>3 Bty.</small> |lat= 45.625833 |long= 12.820556 |position=right |mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg|marksize = 8}}
{{Location map~ | Northern Italy | background= white |label=<small>4 Bty.</small> |lat= 45.945556 |long= 12.548889 |position=right |mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg|marksize = 8}}
{{Location map~ | Northern Italy | background= white |label=<small>2nd Group</small> |lat= 45.070278 |long= 11.790556 |position=right |mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg|marksize = 10}}
{{Location map~ | Northern Italy | background= white |label=<small>5 Bty.</small> |lat= 45.570278 |long= 12.173889 |position=right |mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg|marksize = 8}}
{{Location map~ | Northern Italy | background= white |label=<small>6 Bty.</small> |lat= 45.170000 |long= 12.003333 |position=right |mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg|marksize = 8}}
{{Location map~ | Northern Italy | background= white |label=<small>7 Bty.</small> |lat= 45.023056 |long= 11.414167 |position=right |mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg|marksize = 8}}
{{Location map~ | Northern Italy | background= white |label=<small>8 Bty.</small> |lat= 45.472778 |long= 11.591944 |position=right |mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg|marksize = 8}}
}}
=== Recent times ===
On 13 September 1992 the 5th Anti-aircraft Missile Artillery Regiment was disbanded and the next day the regiment was reformed in San Donà di Piave as 5th Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment by reorganizing the 1st Missile Group. The same day the [[3rd Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment (Italy)|3rd Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment]] was reformed in Rovigo by reorganizing the 2nd Missile Group.<ref name="Pescara"/> On 1 October 1997 the regiment was awarded the honorary title "Pescara" to commemorate the city of its founding.<ref name="Athena"/>
On 31 October 2001 the Missile Group in San Donà di Piave was disbanded and the flag of the 3rd Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment was transferred from Rovigo to the Shrine of the Flags in the [[Vittoriano]] in Rome. The next day the flag of the 5th Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment "Pescara" moved from San Donà di Piave to Rovigo, where the regiment assumed control of the Missile Group there. On 1 January 2002 the regiment was assigned to the Anti-aircraft Artillery Brigade, which on 11 September 2009 was merged with the Anti-aircraft Artillery School to form the [[Anti-aircraft Artillery Command (Italy)|Anti-aircraft Artillery Command]].<ref name="Athena"/>
On 26 October 2012 the 5th Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment "Pescara" was disbanded and the regiment's flag was transferred to the Shrine of the Flags in the Vittoriano in Rome.<ref name="Athena"/>
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Italian Army}}
{{Italian Army Artillery Regiments}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:5th Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment}}
[[Category:Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiments of Italy]]