60th Tank Battalion "M.O. Locatelli": Difference between revisions
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{{short description|Italian Army tank unit}} |
{{short description|Inactive Italian Army tank unit}} |
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{{Infobox military unit |
{{Infobox military unit |
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| unit_name =60th Tank Battalion "M.O. Locatelli" |
| unit_name = 60th Tank Battalion "M.O. Locatelli" |
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| native_name =60° Battaglione Carri "M.O. Locatelli" |
| native_name = 60° Battaglione Carri "M.O. Locatelli" |
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| image =CoA mil ITA btg carri 060.png |
| image = CoA mil ITA btg carri 060.png |
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| image_size =160px |
| image_size = 160px |
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| caption =Battalion coat of arms |
| caption = Battalion coat of arms |
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| dates = |
| dates = 15 May 1940 - 8 Feb. 1941<br>1 May 1960 - 17 Oct. 1992 |
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| disbanded = |
| disbanded = |
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| country ={{ITA}} |
| country = {{ITA}} |
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| countries = |
| countries = |
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| allegiance = |
| allegiance = |
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| branch =[[Italian Army]] |
| branch = [[Italian Army]] |
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| type = |
| type = |
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| role = |
| role = |
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| size = |
| size = |
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| command_structure = [[ |
| command_structure = [[Mechanized Brigade "Pinerolo"]] |
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| garrison =[[Altamura]] |
| garrison = [[Altamura]] |
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| garrison_label = |
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| nickname = |
| nickname = |
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| march = |
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| mascot = |
| mascot = |
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| anniversaries = 1 October 1927 |
| anniversaries = 1 October 1927 |
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| equipment = |
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The '''60th Tank Battalion "M.O. Locatelli"''' ({{ |
The '''60th Tank Battalion "M.O. Locatelli"''' ({{langx|it|60° Battaglione Carri "M.O. Locatelli"}}) is an inactive [[Armoured warfare|tank]] battalion of the [[Italian Army]], which was based in [[Altamura]] in [[Apulia]] and last operationally assigned to the [[Mechanized Brigade "Pinerolo"]]. The unit's lineage traces back to the [[World War II]] LX Tank Battalion L, which in 1940-41 fought in the [[Western Desert campaign]] and was destroyed during [[Operation Compass]] in the [[Battle of Beda Fomm]]. In 1960 the battalion was reformed and assigned to the [[Infantry Division "Avellino"]]. In 1965 the battalion was transferred to the [[Infantry Brigade "Pinerolo"]]. In 1975 the battalion was renamed 60th Armored Battalion "M.O. Locatelli" and in 1979 the battalion was renamed 60th Tank Battalion "M.O. Locatelli". In September 1992 the battalion entered the 60th Tank Regiment "M.O. Locatelli", but already one month later the regiment was renamed [[133rd Tank Regiment (Italy)|133rd Tank Regiment]] and the flag of the 60th Tank Regiment "M.O. Locatelli" was transferred to the Shrine of the Flags in the [[Vittoriano]] in [[Rome]].<ref name="60° Carri">{{cite book |last1=F. dell'Uomo, R. di Rosa |title=L'Esercito Italiano verso il 2000 - Vol. Secondo - Tomo I |date=2001 |publisher=SME - Ufficio Storico |location=Rome |page=531}}</ref><ref name="Pinerolo">{{cite web |title=Brigata Meccanizzata "Pinerolo" - La Storia |url=https://www.esercito.difesa.it/organizzazione/capo-di-sme/COMFOTER/Comando-Forze-Operative-Sud/Brigata-Meccanizzata-Pinerolo/Pagine/La-Storia.aspx |publisher=Italian Army |access-date=20 July 2024}}</ref> |
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Originally the unit, like all Italian tank units, was part of the army's infantry arm, but on 1 June 1999 the tankers specialty was transferred from the infantry arm to the cavalry arm. The battalion's anniversary falls, as for all tank units, which have not yet distinguished themselves on the battlefield, on 1 October 1927, the day the tankers speciality was founded.<ref name="60° Carri"/> |
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== History == |
== History == |
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=== World War II === |
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The battalion was formed during the [[Italian Army 1975 reform|1975 army reform]]: on 1 November 1975 the LX Armored Battalion of the [[Infantry Brigade "Pinerolo"]] was renamed 60th Armored Battalion "M.O. Locatelli". The 60th Locatelli was granted a new flag on 12 November 1976 by decree 846 of the [[President of the Italian Republic]] [[Giovanni Leone]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Decreto del Presidente della Repubblica 12 novembre 1976, n. 846 |url=https://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/atto/serie_generale/caricaDettaglioAtto/originario?atto.dataPubblicazioneGazzetta=1976-12-22&atto.codiceRedazionale=076U0846 |publisher=Quirinale - Presidenza della Repubblica |access-date=7 December 2019}}</ref> The battalion received the traditions of the LX Tank Battalion "L", which had been formed by the XX Tank Battalion "L" in [[Italian Libya]] in December 1939. Equipped with [[L3/35]] tankettes the LX battalion fought in the early stages of the [[Western Desert Campaign]] and was destroyed during the [[Battle of Sidi Barrani]] near [[Buq Buq]] by the British [[Western Desert Force]]. |
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{{See also|60th Infantry Division "Sabratha"}} |
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[[File:Captured L3 and L3 cc tankettes.jpg|thumb|right|Abandoned [[L3/35]] tankettes in [[Bardia]] after the Italian surrender]] |
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On 15 May 1940, the LX Tank Battalion L (with L standing for {{langx|it|"Leggero"}} or Light) was formed in [[Tripolitania]] [[Italian Libya|Libya]] and assigned to the [[60th Infantry Division "Sabratha"]]. The battalion was equipped with obsolete [[L3/35]] tankettes. On 20 July 1940, the battalion moved to the [[Cyrenaica]] and assigned to the 61st Infantry Division "Sirte". On 30 August 1940, the battalion transferred one of its companies to the Mixed Tank Battalion of the [[Maletti Group]], while the battalion itself was assigned to the [[XXI Army Corps (Italy)|XXI Corps]]. In early December 1940, the battalion was assigned to the [[Babini Group|Special Armored Brigade]], with which it fought during the British [[Operation Compass]]. After the Italian defeat in the [[Battle of Sidi Barrani]], the [[Battle of Bardia|fall of Bardia]] and the [[British capture of Tobruk]] the Special Armored Brigade, which tried to stop the British offensive on 24 January at [[Derna, Libya|Derna]] and [[Mechili]]. However in the night of 28/29 January Italian forces disengaged and with the Special Armored Brigade as rearguard retreated West to [[Benghazi]].<ref name="60° Carri"/> |
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On 5 February 1941, the Italian forces retreated from Benghazi and the LX Tank Battalion formed again the rearguard. On 6 February, the retreating Italian formations found their escape route blocked by the British [[Combeforce]] at [[Beda Fomm]] and in the ensuing [[Battle of Beda Fomm]] the last remnants of the Italian [[10th Army (Italy)|10th Army]], including the LX Tank Battalion L, were annihilated. On 8 February 1941, the LX Tank Battalion L was declared lost due to wartime events.<ref name="60° Carri"/> |
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=== Cold War === |
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After World War II the LX Armored Battalion was reformed on 1 May 1960 as armored unit of the [[Infantry Brigade "Avellino"]]. The Avellino was disbanded on 30 October 1965 and the LX battalion was transferred to the [[Infantry Brigade "Pinerolo"]]. |
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On 1 May 1960, the Armored Battalion "Avellino" was formed in [[Salerno]] and assigned to the [[Infantry Division "Avellino"]], which during the same year was reduced to Infantry Brigade "Avellino". The battalion consisted of a command company, two tank companies, which were equipped with a mix of [[M24 Chaffee]] light and [[M47 Patton]] medium tanks, and one mechanized fusiliers company. In 1961 the battalion received [[M26 Pershing]] tanks and was renamed LX Armored Battalion "Avellino". On 25 March 1965, the LX Armored Battalion "Avellino" in Salerno was transferred to the [[3rd Armored Infantry Regiment (Italy)|3rd Armored Infantry Regiment]] and redesignated IX Tank Battalion, while on the same date the 3rd Armored Infantry Regiment's IX Tank Battalion in [[Altamura]] was redesignated as LX Armored Battalion "Avellino" and assigned to the Infantry Brigade "Avellino". On 1 October 1965, the Infantry Brigade "Avellino" was disbanded and the LX Armored Battalion was transferred to the [[Infantry Brigade "Pinerolo"]].<ref name="Pinerolo"/><ref name="60° Carri"/> |
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Tank and armored battalions created during the 1975 army reform were |
During the [[Italian Army 1975 reform|1975 army reform]] the army disbanded the regimental level and newly independent battalions were granted their own flags for the first time. On 1 November 1975, the LX Armored Battalion was renamed 60th Armored Battalion "M.O. Locatelli". Tank and armored battalions created during the 1975 army reform were named for officers, soldiers and partisans of the tank speciality, who had served in [[World War II]] and been awarded Italy's highest military honor the [[Gold Medal of Military Valor]]. The 60th Armored Battalion was named for [[:it:Giuseppe Locatelli|Lieutenant Giuseppe Locatelli]], who as commander of the 1st Company, I Tank Battalion M11/39 was killed in action on 19 November 1940 south of [[Sidi Barrani]].<ref name="60° Carri"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Giuseppe Locatelli |url=https://www.quirinale.it/onorificenze/insigniti/12734 |publisher=President of Italy |access-date=13 July 2024}}</ref> |
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The battalion was assigned to the [[Motorized Brigade "Pinerolo"]] and consisted of a command, a command and services company, two tank companies with [[M47 Patton]] tanks, and a mechanized company with M113 [[armored personnel carrier]]s. The battalion fielded now 536 men (34 officers, 83 non-commissioned officers, and 419 soldiers).<ref name="60° Carri"/><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=1190–1192}}</ref> On 12 November 1976 the [[President of the Italian Republic]] [[Giovanni Leone]] granted with decree 846 a new flag to the 60th Armored Battalion "M.O. Locatelli".<ref name="60° Carri"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Decreto del Presidente della Repubblica 12 novembre 1976, n. 846 |url=https://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/atto/serie_generale/caricaDettaglioAtto/originario?atto.dataPubblicazioneGazzetta=1976-12-22&atto.codiceRedazionale=076U0846 |publisher=Quirinale - Presidenza della Repubblica |access-date=24 June 2024}}</ref> |
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On 1 February 1979 the 60th Armored Battalion "M.O. Locatelli" ceded its two [[M113 armored personnel carrier|M113]] [[Armoured personnel carrier|armored personnel carrier]] equipped companies to the infantry battalions of the brigade and received two new tank companies. Consequently, the battalion was renamed on the same date 60th Tank Battalion "M.O. Locatelli". Additionally the battalion was equipped with modern [[Leopard 1]]A2 tanks and the brigade's infantry battalions were equipped with [[M113 armored personnel carrier|VCC-1]] [[Armoured personnel carrier|armored personnel carriers]]. Therefore, on 1 February 1979 the brigade was renamed Mechanized Brigade "Pinerolo".<ref name="Storia"/><ref name="verso il 2000"/> |
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In 1979 the Motorized Brigade "Pinerolo" was reorganized as [[Mechanized Brigade "Pinerolo"]] and consequently on 1 February 1979 the 60th Armored Battalion "M.O. Locatelli" was renamed 60th Tank Battalion "M.O. Locatelli". The battalion consisted now of a command, a command and services company, and three tank companies with [[M47 Patton]] tanks and fielded 434 men (32 officers, 82 non-commissioned officers, and 320 soldiers). In 1989 the battalion replaced its [[M47 Patton]] tanks with [[Leopard 1|Leopard 1A2]] [[main battle tank]]s.<ref name="Pinerolo"/><ref name="60° Carri"/> |
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On 17 October 1992 the 60th Tank Battalion "M.O. Locatelli" was renamed [[133rd Tank Regiment (Italy)|133rd Tank Regiment]] without changing size or composition. On 9 October 1995 the [[31st Tank Regiment (Italy)|31st Tank Regiment]] in [[Bellinzago Novarese]] received the flag and name of the [[4th Tank Regiment (Italy)|4th Tank Regiment]] and transferred its own name and flag to the 133rd Tank Regiment in [[Altamura]], while on the same date the flag of the 133rd Tank Regiment was transferred to the army's Tank School in [[Lecce]], where it was stored in the commander's office, until, in case of war, the personnel of the Cavalry School would have formed the 133rd Tank Regiment.<ref>{{cite book |last1=F. dell'Uomo, R. Puletti |title=L'Esercito Italiano verso il 2000 - Vol. Primo - Tomo I |date=1998 |publisher=SME - Ufficio Storico |location=Rome |page=556}}</ref> On 3 December 1996 the Pinerolo, which fielded now two tank regiments, was renamed: Armored Brigade "Pinerolo".<ref name="Storia"/><ref name="verso il 2000"/> |
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=== Recent times === |
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In fall 2001 the 133rd Tank Regiment was disbanded and its flag transferred to the Shrine of the Flags in the [[Vittoriano]] in Rome. |
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On 28 September 1992, the 60th Tank Battalion "M.O. Locatelli" lost its autonomy and the next day the battalion entered the newly formed 60th Tank Regiment "M.O. Locatelli". On 17 October 1992, the 60th Tank Regiment "M.O. Locatelli" was renamed [[133rd Tank Regiment (Italy)|133rd Tank Regiment]] and the flag of the 60th Tank Regiment "M.O. Locatelli" was transferred to the Shrine of the Flags in the Vittoriano.<ref name="60° Carri"/> |
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== See also == |
== See also == |
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Latest revision as of 22:47, 25 October 2024
| 60th Tank Battalion "M.O. Locatelli" | |
|---|---|
| 60° Battaglione Carri "M.O. Locatelli" | |
 Battalion coat of arms | |
| Active | 15 May 1940 - 8 Feb. 1941 1 May 1960 - 17 Oct. 1992 |
| Country |  Italy |
| Branch | Italian Army |
| Part of | Mechanized Brigade "Pinerolo" |
| Garrison/HQ | Altamura |
| Motto(s) | "Irruento aggredisco" |
| Anniversaries | 1 October 1927 |
| Insignia | |
| Tank units gorget patches |  |
The 60th Tank Battalion "M.O. Locatelli" (Italian: 60° Battaglione Carri "M.O. Locatelli") is an inactive tank battalion of the Italian Army, which was based in Altamura in Apulia and last operationally assigned to the Mechanized Brigade "Pinerolo". The unit's lineage traces back to the World War II LX Tank Battalion L, which in 1940-41 fought in the Western Desert campaign and was destroyed during Operation Compass in the Battle of Beda Fomm. In 1960 the battalion was reformed and assigned to the Infantry Division "Avellino". In 1965 the battalion was transferred to the Infantry Brigade "Pinerolo". In 1975 the battalion was renamed 60th Armored Battalion "M.O. Locatelli" and in 1979 the battalion was renamed 60th Tank Battalion "M.O. Locatelli". In September 1992 the battalion entered the 60th Tank Regiment "M.O. Locatelli", but already one month later the regiment was renamed 133rd Tank Regiment and the flag of the 60th Tank Regiment "M.O. Locatelli" was transferred to the Shrine of the Flags in the Vittoriano in Rome.[1][2]
Originally the unit, like all Italian tank units, was part of the army's infantry arm, but on 1 June 1999 the tankers specialty was transferred from the infantry arm to the cavalry arm. The battalion's anniversary falls, as for all tank units, which have not yet distinguished themselves on the battlefield, on 1 October 1927, the day the tankers speciality was founded.[1]
History
[edit]World War II
[edit]
On 15 May 1940, the LX Tank Battalion L (with L standing for Italian: "Leggero" or Light) was formed in Tripolitania Libya and assigned to the 60th Infantry Division "Sabratha". The battalion was equipped with obsolete L3/35 tankettes. On 20 July 1940, the battalion moved to the Cyrenaica and assigned to the 61st Infantry Division "Sirte". On 30 August 1940, the battalion transferred one of its companies to the Mixed Tank Battalion of the Maletti Group, while the battalion itself was assigned to the XXI Corps. In early December 1940, the battalion was assigned to the Special Armored Brigade, with which it fought during the British Operation Compass. After the Italian defeat in the Battle of Sidi Barrani, the fall of Bardia and the British capture of Tobruk the Special Armored Brigade, which tried to stop the British offensive on 24 January at Derna and Mechili. However in the night of 28/29 January Italian forces disengaged and with the Special Armored Brigade as rearguard retreated West to Benghazi.[1]
On 5 February 1941, the Italian forces retreated from Benghazi and the LX Tank Battalion formed again the rearguard. On 6 February, the retreating Italian formations found their escape route blocked by the British Combeforce at Beda Fomm and in the ensuing Battle of Beda Fomm the last remnants of the Italian 10th Army, including the LX Tank Battalion L, were annihilated. On 8 February 1941, the LX Tank Battalion L was declared lost due to wartime events.[1]
Cold War
[edit]On 1 May 1960, the Armored Battalion "Avellino" was formed in Salerno and assigned to the Infantry Division "Avellino", which during the same year was reduced to Infantry Brigade "Avellino". The battalion consisted of a command company, two tank companies, which were equipped with a mix of M24 Chaffee light and M47 Patton medium tanks, and one mechanized fusiliers company. In 1961 the battalion received M26 Pershing tanks and was renamed LX Armored Battalion "Avellino". On 25 March 1965, the LX Armored Battalion "Avellino" in Salerno was transferred to the 3rd Armored Infantry Regiment and redesignated IX Tank Battalion, while on the same date the 3rd Armored Infantry Regiment's IX Tank Battalion in Altamura was redesignated as LX Armored Battalion "Avellino" and assigned to the Infantry Brigade "Avellino". On 1 October 1965, the Infantry Brigade "Avellino" was disbanded and the LX Armored Battalion was transferred to the Infantry Brigade "Pinerolo".[2][1]
During the 1975 army reform the army disbanded the regimental level and newly independent battalions were granted their own flags for the first time. On 1 November 1975, the LX Armored Battalion was renamed 60th Armored Battalion "M.O. Locatelli". Tank and armored battalions created during the 1975 army reform were named for officers, soldiers and partisans of the tank speciality, who had served in World War II and been awarded Italy's highest military honor the Gold Medal of Military Valor. The 60th Armored Battalion was named for Lieutenant Giuseppe Locatelli, who as commander of the 1st Company, I Tank Battalion M11/39 was killed in action on 19 November 1940 south of Sidi Barrani.[1][3]
The battalion was assigned to the Motorized Brigade "Pinerolo" and consisted of a command, a command and services company, two tank companies with M47 Patton tanks, and a mechanized company with M113 armored personnel carriers. The battalion fielded now 536 men (34 officers, 83 non-commissioned officers, and 419 soldiers).[1][4] On 12 November 1976 the President of the Italian Republic Giovanni Leone granted with decree 846 a new flag to the 60th Armored Battalion "M.O. Locatelli".[1][5]
In 1979 the Motorized Brigade "Pinerolo" was reorganized as Mechanized Brigade "Pinerolo" and consequently on 1 February 1979 the 60th Armored Battalion "M.O. Locatelli" was renamed 60th Tank Battalion "M.O. Locatelli". The battalion consisted now of a command, a command and services company, and three tank companies with M47 Patton tanks and fielded 434 men (32 officers, 82 non-commissioned officers, and 320 soldiers). In 1989 the battalion replaced its M47 Patton tanks with Leopard 1A2 main battle tanks.[2][1]
Recent times
[edit]On 28 September 1992, the 60th Tank Battalion "M.O. Locatelli" lost its autonomy and the next day the battalion entered the newly formed 60th Tank Regiment "M.O. Locatelli". On 17 October 1992, the 60th Tank Regiment "M.O. Locatelli" was renamed 133rd Tank Regiment and the flag of the 60th Tank Regiment "M.O. Locatelli" was transferred to the Shrine of the Flags in the Vittoriano.[1]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j F. dell'Uomo, R. di Rosa (2001). L'Esercito Italiano verso il 2000 - Vol. Secondo - Tomo I. Rome: SME - Ufficio Storico. p. 531.
- ^ a b c "Brigata Meccanizzata "Pinerolo" - La Storia". Italian Army. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
- ^ "Giuseppe Locatelli". President of Italy. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
- ^ Stefani, Filippo (1989). La storia della dottrina e degli ordinamenti dell'Esercito Italiano - Vol. III - Tomo 2°. Rome: Ufficio Storico - Stato Maggiore dell'Esercito. pp. 1190–1192.
- ^ "Decreto del Presidente della Repubblica 12 novembre 1976, n. 846". Quirinale - Presidenza della Repubblica. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
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