2nd Alpine Division Tridentina

This article is about the historic Italian 2nd Alpine Division Tridentina. For the historic Italian Army brigade, see Alpine Brigade Tridentina.

2a Divisione Alpina Tridentina
Coat of Arms of the 2nd Alpine Division Tridentina
Active	31 October 1935 – 28 January 1943 1 January 2003 - today
Country	Italy
Branch	Regio Esercito
Type	Alpini
Role	Mountain Infantry
Size	17,460 men
Part of	Italian Alpine Corps 1942-1943
Garrison/HQ	Meran
Engagements	World War II Italian War in Soviet Union
Commanders
Notable commanders	General Luigi Reverberi

The 2nd Alpine Division Tridentina was a World War II Mountain Infantry division of the Italian Army. The Alpini that formed the divisions are a highly decorated and elite mountain corps of the Italian Army comprising both infantry and artillery units. After World War II, the traditions and name of the 2nd Alpine Division Tridentina were carried on by the Alpine Brigade Tridentina, which was elevated to division command in 2003 and augmented to full division in 2013.

Order of battle

• 5th Alpini Regiment
  • Morbegno battalion
  • Tirano battalion
  • Edolo battalion
• 6th Alpini Regiment
  • Verona battalion
  • Vestone battalion
  • Val Chiese battalion
• 2nd Alpine Artillery Regiment
  • Val Camonica artillery group
  • Vicenza artillery group
  • Bergamo artillery group
• 2nd Engineer Battalion
• 206th Auto-Transport Battalion
• 402nd, 417th Carabinieri Companies
• 619th, 620th, 622nd, 623rd Field Hospitals

History

The division participated in the Axis invasion of the Soviet Union. The division was all but destroyed in Operation Little Saturn in 1943, after the Alpini had initially brought to a halt a Russian attack on their headquarters and supply base in Rossosh.

Today

In 2002 the Italian Army raised three division commands, with one of the three always readily deployable for NATO missions. The army decided that each division should carry on the traditions of one of the divisions that served with distinction in World War II. Therefore on 1 December 2003 the Tridentina Division Command was activated in Bolzano which carries on the traditions of the 2nd Alpine Division Tridentina and the Alpine Brigade Tridentina.

In the 2013 Army reform it was decided to abolish the corps level in the Italian Army and combat brigades were placed directly under the three divisions. The Tridentina Division now commands of the following brigades:

• Julia Alpine Brigade
• Taurinense Alpine Brigade

Together with the Friuli Division and the Acqui Division the Tridentina will come directly under the Armys Operational Center (Centro Operativo dell’Esercito or COE) once COMFOTER has been disbanded.

See also

• Italian Army in Russia