In 1946, the battalion split to form the Engineer Battalion "Mantova" and the Connections Battalion "Mantova", which were both assigned to the Infantry Division "Mantova". In 1975, the battalion was renamed 104th Engineer Battalion "Torre" and assigned the flag and traditions of the 7th Engineer Regiment. In 1986, the Mechanized Division "Mantova" and the 104th Engineer Battalion "Torre" were disbanded. On 23 January 2024, the flag and traditions of the 7th Engineer Regiment, which also carries the traditions of the CIV Mixed Engineer Battalion, Engineer Battalion "Mantova", and 104th Engineer Battalion "Torre", were assigned to the Multinational CIMIC Group, which, upon receiving the flag, was renamed 7th CIMIC Regiment.[3][4][5] The regiment's anniversary falls, as for all engineer units, on 24 June 1918, the last day of the Second Battle of the Piave River.[1]
History
On 1 July 1918, the Royal Italian Army formed the 7th Engineer Regiment (Telegraphers). After the end of World War I the Royal Italian Army reorganized its forces and on 31 March 1920, the 7th Engineer Regiment (Telegraphers) was disbanded. In 1975, the traditions of the 7th Engineer Regiment (Telegraphers) were assigned to the 5th Signal Battalion "Rolle", which in 1992 entered the 7th Signal Regiment. Since then the traditions of the 7th Engineer Regiment (Telegraphers) are perpetuated by the 7th Signal Regiment.[1]
Interwar years
On 1 October 1922, the Royal Italian Army formed the 6th Army Corps Engineer Grouping in Florence. The grouping received a Sappers Battalion and a Telegraphers Battalion, which had been formed on 1 April 1920 for the VIII Army Corps. On the same date, 1 October 1922, the VIII Army Corps was renumbered as VI Army Corps. The grouping also received a miners company from the disbanded Miners Engineer Regiment. After its formation the grouping consisted of a command, a sappers-miners battalion, a telegraphers battalion, which included four dovecotes located in Florence, La Spezia, Piacenza, and Nava, a photo-electricians company, and a depot.[1]
In April 1923, one of the regiment's sappers-miners companies moved to Ozieri in Sardinia and established a detachment, which in May 1923 was transferred to the 7th Army Corps Engineer Grouping. In 1926, the VI Army Corps was renumbered as VII Army Corps and consequently, on 1 December 1926, the grouping was renamed 7th Engineer Regiment. During the same year the regiment formed a new dovecote in Portoferraio, while the dovecotes in Nava and in Piacenza were transferred to the 2nd Engineer Regiment respectively the 3rd Engineer Regiment. In February 1928, the regiment ceded some of its personnel to help form the depot of the newly formed 11th Engineer Regiment. On 28 October 1932, the regiment received the I Radio-Telegraphers Battalion of the disbanded 1st Radio-Telegraphers Regiment.[1][6]
In March 1935, in preparation for the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, the regiment mobilized a divisional engineer command, the I Connections Battalion, I Mixed Battalion, IV Sappers Battalion, XXX Sappers Battalion, and various smaller units. At the end of 1936 the regiment consisted of a command, an engineer battalion, a telegraphers battalion, a radio-telegraphers battalion, five dovecotes, and a depot. In January 1937, the telegraphers and radio-telegraphers battalions were renamed connections battalions.[1]
World War II
During World War II the regiment's depot in Florence mobilized the following units:[1]
On 1 October 1944, the Italian Co-Belligerent Army formed the CIV Mixed Engineer Battalion in Cosenza, which was assigned to the Combat Group "Mantova". The battalion consisted of a command, the 79th Engineer Company, and the 107th Teleradio Company. Both companies were transferred from the 104th Infantry Division "Mantova", which had remained loyal to King Victor Emmanuel III after the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile. The Combat Group "Mantova" was equipped with British materiel and dressed in British uniforms. The combat group fought on the allied side in the Italian campaign. On 1 January 1945, the 4th Engineer Company joined the battalion.[1]
After the end of the war the CIV Mixed Engineer Battalion was based in Albissola and remained assigned to the Combat Group "Mantova". On 15 October 1945, the combat group was reorganized as Infantry Division "Mantova". On 6 September 1946, the battalion split to form the Engineer Battalion "Mantova" and the Connections Battalion "Mantova", which were both assigned to the Infantry Division "Mantova". After the split the battalion, which consisted of a command, the 4th Engineer Company, and the 79th Engineer Company, moved from Albissola to Borgo San Dalmazzo. In 1947, the battalion moved from Borgo San Dalmazzo to Udine, and by November 1947, the battalion consisted of a command, a command platoon, the 1st Engineer Company, the 2nd Engineer Company, and the Field Park Company. In 1950, the battalion formed the 3rd Engineer Company.[1]
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 engineer battalions were named for a lake, if they supported an corps-level command, or a river, if they supported a division or brigade. On 1 November 1975, the Engineer Battalion "Mantova" was renamed 104th Engineer Battalion "Torre". The battalion was named for the Torre river, which flows near the battalion's base in Udine. After the reform the 104th Engineer Battalion "Torre" consisted of a command, a command and park company, and two engineer companies.[1] At the time the battalion fielded 527 men (30 officers, 68 non-commissioned officers, and 429 soldiers).[7]
On 12 November 1976, the President of the Italian RepublicGiovanni Leone assigned with decree 846 the flag and traditions of the 7th Engineer Regiment to the battalion. The battalion also received the traditions of all engineer units, which had served with the "Mantova" division and Combat Group "Mantova".[1][8]
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 and added to the battalion's coat of arms.[1][2] Due to the damage the battalion's base in Udine had suffered in the earthquake the battalion moved to Orzano di Remanzacco.[1]
In 1986 the Italian Army disbanded the divisional level. Consequently, on 30 September 1986, the command of the Mechanized Division "Mantova" was disbanded, followed by the 104th Engineer Battalion "Torre" on 31 October 1986. The following 6 November, the flag of the 7th Engineer Regiment was transferred to the Shrine of the Flags in the Vittoriano in Rome for safekeeping.[1]
Recent times
Multinational CIMIC Group personnel during a field exerciseThe flag of the 7th Engineer Regiment is retrieved from the Shrine of the Flags in the Vittoriano in Rome
On 23 January 2024, the flag and traditions of the 7th Engineer Regiment were assigned to the Multinational CIMIC Group, which upon receiving the flag was renamed 7th CIMIC Regiment. The regiment is assigned to the Tactical Intelligence Brigade and part of the NATO Response Force.[3][4][5]
Organization
As of 2024 the 7th CIMIC Regiment is organized as follows:[5]
^F. dell'Uomo, R. Puletti (1998). L'Esercito Italiano verso il 2000 - Vol. Primo - Tomo II. Rome: SME - Ufficio Storico. p. 310.
^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. 1184–1185.
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