232nd Signal Regiment (Italy)

Active Italian Army signal unit

232nd Signal Regiment

232° Reggimento Trasmissioni

Regimental coat of arms

Active| 1 Nov. 1975 — 30 April 1991
29 Sept. 2004 — today[1]
Country|  Italy
Branch| Italian Army
Part of| Signal Command
Garrison/HQ| Avellino
Motto(s)| "Forte animo ed agile mente"
Anniversaries| 20 June 1918 - Second Battle of the Piave River
Decorations|
1x Silver Medal of Military Valor*
1x Bronze Medal of Army Valor
* awarded to the LI Mixed Engineer Battalion "Legnano"[2]
Insignia
Signallers gorget patches|

Military unit

The 232nd Signal Regiment (Italian: 232° Reggimento Trasmissioni) is a deployable signals regiment of the Italian Army based in Avellino in Campania. The unit was formed in 1958 as a battalion and assigned to the Armored Division "Ariete". In 1975 the battalion was named for the Fadalto Pass and received the number 232nd, which had been used by the 232nd Connections Company that served with the 132nd Armored Division "Ariete" during the Western Desert Campaign of World War II. With the name and number the battalion also received its own flag. In 1991 the battalion was disbanded and in 2004 reformed as 232nd Signal Regiment, which initially consisted only of the Battalion "Legnano". In 2015 the regiment reformed the Battalion "Fadalto" as its second signal battalion. The regiment is assigned to the army's Signal Command and affiliated with the Division "Acqui".[3][4] The regimental anniversary falls, as for all signal units, on June 20, the height of the Second Battle of the Piave River in 1918.[5]

## History

[edit]

### World War II

[edit]

Main article: 132nd Armored Division "Ariete"

In February 1939 the 132nd Mixed Engineer Company was formed by 4th Engineer Regiment in Verona for the 132nd Armored Division "Ariete". On 11 August 1941 132nd Mixed Engineer Company was split to form the 132nd Engineer Company and the 232nd Connections Company, which both entered the newly formed XXXII Mixed Engineer Battalion. The division participated in the Western Desert Campaign. The division and battalion were destroyed in the Second Battle of El Alamein in November 1942 and declared lost due to wartime events on 8 December 1942.[1][4][6]

### Cold War

[edit]

Main article: Armored Division "Ariete"

On 23 May 1948 the Italian Army formed the Armored Brigade "Ariete" in Rome. The brigade included a connections platoon that grew over the next years into a company. The brigade had been transferred in 1948 to the city of Pordenone in the Friuli region in Northern Italy. On 1 October 1952 the brigade was expanded to Armored Division "Ariete". On 1 October 1958 the company was expanded to Signal Battalion "Ariete" and based in the city of Casarsa. The battalion consisted of a command, a command platoon, and two signal companies.[1][4]

During the 1975 army reform the army disbanded the regimental level and newly independent battalions were granted for the first time their own flags. During the reform signal battalions were renamed for mountain passes.[7] On 1 November 1975 the Signal Battalion "Ariete" was renamed 232nd Signal Battalion "Fadalto".[1][4] After the reform the battalion consisted of a command, a command and services platoon, two signal companies, and a repairs and recovery platoon and fielded 572 men (19 officers, 99 non-commissioned officers, and 454 soldiers).[8] On 12 November 1976 the President of the Italian Republic Giovanni Leone issued decree 846, which granted the battalion a new flag.[9]

For its conduct and work after the 1976 Friuli earthquake the battalion was awarded a Bronze Medal of Army Valor, which was affixed to the battalion's flag.[2][10]

In 1986 the Armored Division "Ariete was disbanded and therefore on 1 August 1986 the battalion was transferred to the 5th Army Corps' Signal Command. On 1 June 1989 the battalion was reorganized and now consisted of a command, a command and services company, the 1st and 2nd signal center companies, and the 3rd Radio Relay Company.[1][4]

With the end of the Cold War the Italian Army began to draw down its forces and on 30 April 1991 the battalion was disbanded. On 13 May 1991 the flag of the 232nd Signal Battalion "Fadalto" was transferred to the Shrine of the Flags in the Vittoriano in Rome.[1][4]

### Recent times

[edit]

On 29 September 2004 the 232nd Signal Regiment was formed in Avellino as a projection signal regiment capable to deploy and operate outside Italy. The regiment consisted of a command, a command and services company, and the Battalion "Legnano" with three signal companies. The regiment received the flag and traditions of the 232nd Signal Battalion "Fadalto", as well as the traditions of the Signal Battalion "Legnano", which had been part of the Infantry Division "Legnano" and was disbanded on 29 November 1975. On 1 October 2015 the regiment formed the Battalion "Fadalto".[1][11][12]

## Organization

[edit]

As of 2023 the 232nd Signal Regiment is organized as follows:[13][12]

* 232nd Signal Regiment, in Avellino[13][12]
* Command and Logistic Support Company
* Battalion "Legnano"
* 1st Signal Company
* 2nd Signal Company
* 3rd Signal Company
* Battalion "Fadalto"
* 4th Signal Company
* 5th Signal Company
* 6th Signal Company

## External links

[edit]

* Italian Army Website: 232° Reggimento Trasmissioni

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g "232° Reggimento Trasmissioni - La Storia". Italian Army. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
2. ^ a b "232° Reggimento Trasmissioni - Il Medagliere". Italian Army. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
3. ^ "232° Reggimento Trasmissioni". Italian Army. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
4. ^ a b c d e f F. dell'Uomo, R. Di Rosa (1998). L'Esercito Italiano verso il 2000 - Vol. Secondo - Tomo II. Rome: SME - Ufficio Storico. p. 412.
5. ^ "Comando Trasmissioni". Italian Army. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
6. ^ Bollettino dell'Archivio dell'Ufficio Storico N.II-3 e 4 2002. Rome: Ministero della Difesa - Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito - Ufficio Storico. 2002. p. 329. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
7. ^ "Reparti Telematici e Guerra Elettronica". Esercito Italiano. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
8. ^ Stefani, Filippo (1989). La storia della dottrina e degli ordinamenti dell'Esercito Italiano - Vol. III - Tomo 2°. Rome: Ufficio Storico - Stato Maggiore dell'Esercito. p. 1186.
9. ^ "Decreto del Presidente della Repubblica 12 novembre 1976, n. 846". Quirinale - Presidenza della Repubblica. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
10. ^ "232° Battaglione Trasmissioni "Fadalto"". Quirinale - Presidenza della Repubblica. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
11. ^ "Cambio al vertice, al 232° Reggimento Trasmissioni". OrticaLab. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
12. ^ a b c "Cenni storici del 232° Reggimento Trasmissioni" (PDF). Giornale L'Irpina. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
13. ^ a b "232° Reggimento Trasmissioni". Italian Defense Ministry. Retrieved 23 December 2023.

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Italian Army

Four-star rank (OF 9)|

Chief of the Army General Staff

Three-star rank (OF 8)|

* COMFOTER
* NRDC-ITA
* COMLOG
* COMFORDOT
* COMFOP Nord
* COMFOP Sud
* COMFOTER Support
* COMTA

Two-star rank (OF 7)|

| Divisions|

* "Acqui"
* "Tridentina"
* "Vittorio Veneto"

|

Other|

* Army Aviation Command
* Army Simulation and Validation Center
* Army Training Command and Application School
* Engineer Command

One-star rank (OF 6)|

| Brigades|

* "Aosta"
* "Ariete"
* "Folgore"
* "Friuli"
* "Garibaldi"
* "Granatieri di Sardegna"
* "Julia"
* "Pinerolo"
* "Pozzuolo del Friuli"
* "Sassari"
* "Taurinense"
* Army Aviation Support
* NRDC-ITA Support
* Tactical Intelligence

|

Commands|

* Army Special Forces
* Artillery
* Anti-aircraft Artillery
* Signal
* Logistic Support

Other|

* Military Academy
* Army NCO School
* Infantry School
* Cavalry School
* Administrative School
* Medical and Veterinary School
* Alpine Training Center
* Army Aviation Training Center

* v
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* e

Italian Army signal units

Active|

| Combat support|

1st Signal Regiment, 2nd Alpine Signal Regiment, 7th Signal Regiment, 11th Signal Regiment, 232nd Signal Regiment

|

National support|

3rd Signal Regiment, 32nd Signal Regiment, 46th Signal Regiment,
44th TLC Support Battalion "Penne", 184th TLC Support Battalion "Cansiglio"

Electronic Warfare|

9th Cybernetic Security Regiment "Rombo", 33rd EW Regiment

Inactive|

| Combat support|

Signal Battalion "Legnano", 13th Signal Battalion "Mauria", 107th Signal Battalion "Predil", 231st Signal Battalion "Sempione"

|

National support|

41st Signal Regiment, 42nd Signal Battalion "Pordoi", 43rd Signal Regiment, 45th Signal Regiment, 47th Signal Battalion "Gennargentu"

Electronic Warfare|

8th Signals Intelligence Battalion "Tonale"
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