The Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Lodi" (15th) ( - "Chevau-légers of Lodi") is a cavalry unit of the Italian Army based in Lecce in Apulia. In 1859, the Kingdom of Sardinia, after being victorious in the Second Italian War of Independence, traded the Duchy of Savoy and the County of Nice for the region of Lombardy, which the French Empire had received from the Austrian Empire after the war. In September of the same year, the Royal Sardinian Army formed the Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Lodi", which was named for the city of Lodi in Lombardy. In 1866, the regiment fought in the Third Italian War of Independence and in 1870 in the Capture of Rome. In 1911-13, the regiment was deployed to Libya for the Italo-Turkish War. In World War I the regiment's squadrons fought on the Italian front, Albanian front, Western front, and Macedonian front. After the war the regiment was disbanded. During World War II the regiment was reformed as Armored Reconnaissance Grouping "Cavalleggeri di Lodi". The grouping fought in the Tunisian campaign, during which it was destroyed.
In 1952, during the Cold War, the Italian Army formed an armored squadron, which was given the name and traditions of the regiment. The squadron was assigned to the Armored Division "Centauro" as the division's reconnaissance unit. In 1956, the squadron was expanded to squadrons group. In 1975, the squadrons group was renamed 15th Squadrons Group "Cavalleggeri di Lodi" and assigned the regiment's standard. In 1986, the Armored Division "Centauro" was disbanded and the squadrons group reorganized as a tank formation and assigned to the Mechanized Brigade "Brescia". In 1991, the squadrons group lost its autonomy and entered the 15th Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Lodi", which one year later was renamed Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Lodi" (15th). In 1995, the regiment was disbanded and regiment's standard transferred to the Shrine of the Flags in the Vittoriano in Rome for safekeeping. In 2020, the regiment was reformed as the reconnaissance unit of the Mechanized Brigade "Pinerolo". The regiment's anniversary falls on 26 October 1911, the day the regiment's 1st and 2nd squadrons dismounted and charged Ottoman Army troops, which had broken into the Italian line at Bu Meliana to the South of Tripoli, for which the regiment was awarded a Silver Medal of Military Valor. As the regiment is a Chevau-léger unit, its enlisted personnel is addressed as "Chevau-léger" ().
History Italian Wars of Independence Second Italian War of Independence
On 21 July 1858, French Emperor Napoleon III and the Prime Minister of Sardinia Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour met in Plombières and reached a secret verbal agreement on a military alliance between the French Empire and the Kingdom of Sardinia against the Austrian Empire. On 26 January 1859, Napoleon III signed the Franco-Sardinian Treaty, followed by King Victor Emmanuel II on 29 January 1859. On 9 March 1859, Sardinia mobilized its army, followed by Austria on 9 April. On 23 April, Austria delivered an ultimatum to Sardinia demanding its demobilization. Upon Sardinia's refusal, Austria declared war on 26 April and three days later the Austrians crossed the Ticino river into Piedmont. Consequently, France honored its alliance with Sardinia and declared war on Austria on 3 May 1859, which led to the Second Italian War of Independence. On 24 June 1859, the three armies met in the Battle of Solferino. On 11 July 1859, Emperor Napoleon III and Emperor Franz Joseph I met at Villafranca and concluded the Armistice of Villafranca, which transferred Lombardy, then part of the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia, from Austria to France. France and Sardinian would then exchange Lombardy for the Duchy of Savoy and the County of Nice.
After the conclusion of the armistice the French and Sardinian armies occupied Lombardy. On 16 September 1859, the nine cavalry regiments of the Royal Sardinian Army ceded each one squadron to help form three new Chevau-légers regiments: Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Milano" and Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Lodi", which were named for cities in Lombardy, and the Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Montebello", which was named for the Battle of Montebello, that had been fought on 20 May of the same year. The Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Lodi" was formed in the city of Alessandria and received the squadrons ceded by the Regiment "Nizza Cavalleria", Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Saluzzo", and Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Alessandria". As one of the Royal Sardinian Army's light cavalry regiments, the regiment's troops were armed with musket, pistol, and sabre. However already on 6 June 1860, the Sardinian War Ministry ordered that the army's light cavalry regiments would be equipped henceforth only with sabre and pistol.
In 1863-64, the regiment operated in southern Italy to suppress the anti-Sardinian revolt, which had erupted after the Kingdom of Sardinia had annexed the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. During this time the regiment was first based in Aversa in Campania and then in Lucera in Apulia. On 16 February 1864, the regiment ceded its 6th Squadron to help form the Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Caserta". Five days later, on 21 February, the regiment's 1st Squadron clashed with rebels at Torre Oppido. On 9 July of the same year, the regiment battled rebels led by Carmine Crocco near the Ofanto river.
Third Italian War of Independence On 20 June 1866, the Third Italian War of Independence between the Kingdom of Italy and the Austrian Empire began. During the war the Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Lodi" formed, together with the Regiment "Lancieri di Milano" and Regiment "Lancieri di Montebello", the I Cavalry Brigade of the IV Corps of the Army of the Po, which operated along the Po river. On 5 July 1866, the Army of the Po began the siege of the Austrian fortress at Borgoforte and during the night between 6 and 7 July the army crossed the Po river. On 11 July, the first forces of the Army of the Po entered Rovigo, which had been abandoned by the Austrians, as the Austrian forces in Italy had received the order to retreat towards the Isonzo river and the Trentino region. On 14 July, the Italian IV Corps ceded five divisions and the Italian I Corps one division to form the V Corps and VI Corps. Additionally the Italian II Corps and III Corps ceded both one division to form the VIII Corps. Afterwards the Army of the Po, which now consisted of the I, IV, V, VI, and VIII corps with a combined force of 14 divisions and six cavalry brigades, began a rapid advance through Veneto towards the Isonzo river without encountering Austrian forces.
In September 1870, the regiment was attached to the 2nd Division, which invaded the Papal States from Orvieto and on 20 September participated in the Capture of Rome. On 10 September 1871, the regiment was renamed 15th Cavalry Regiment (Lodi). On 1 January 1872, the regiment ceded one of its squadrons to help form the 20th Cavalry Regiment (Roma). On 5 November 1876, the regiment was renamed Cavalry Regiment "Lodi" (15th). On 1 October 1883, the regiment ceded its 6th Squadron to help form the Cavalry Regiment "Catania" (22nd). In 1887, the regiment provided personnel and horses for the formation of the 1st Africa Cavalry Squadron and the Mounted Hunters Squadron, which fought in the Italo-Ethiopian War of 1887–1889. On 1 November of the same year, the regiment ceded one of its squadrons to help form the Cavalry Regiment "Vicenza" (24th). In 1895-96, the regiment provided 69 enlisted for units deployed to Italian Eritrea for the First Italo-Ethiopian War. On 16 December 1897, the regiment was renamed Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Lodi" (15th). On 1 October 1909, the regiment ceded its 3rd Squadron to help form the Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Udine" (29th).
Italo-Turkish War On 29 September 1911, the Kingdom of Italy declared war against the Ottoman Empire, which started the Italo-Turkish War. On 5 October 1911, sailors of the Royal Italian Navy occupied Tripoli in Libya. On 11 October, the sailors were replaced by the 84th Infantry Brigade (Brigade "Venezia"), two battalions of the 40th Infantry Brigade (Brigade "Bologna"), and a battalion of the 11th Bersaglieri Regiment. The next day, on 12 October, more Italian units arrived in Tripoli, including the I Group of the Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Lodi" (15th). The I Group, which consisted of the regiment's 1st Squadron and 2nd Squadron, occupied the Ottoman Army's cavalry barracks at Bu Meliana to the South of Tripoli. Two weeks later, in the early hours of 26 October, Ottoman forces attacked the Italian line at Bu Meliana and the I Group was ordered to drive the enemy back. Due to the urgency of a counterattack, the group charged dismounted and with fixed bayonets. By 10:30 in the morning, the Ottoman forces had been driven back and three platoons of the group mounted their horses to pursue the fleeing enemy. For the valor shown on the day by the regiment's 1st Squadron and 2nd Squadron, the regiment was awarded a Silver Medal of Military Valor, which was affixed to the regiment's standard.
One year later, in October 1912, the regiment's command and II Group, which consisted of the 3rd and 4th squadrons, arrived in Tripoli. On 23 March 1913, the regiment's II Group and the 1st Savari Squadron encountered Libyan rebels near Monterus Nero. The three Italian squadrons dismounted and fired on the rebels, which soon numbered an estimated 1,000 men. The Italian squadrons then retreated on foot for three kilometers, keeping the rebels at bay through concentrated rifle fire, before mounting their horses and disengaging. After having moved out of sight of the enemy force, the three squadrons dismounted to allow the horses some rest. One hour later, the squadrons mounted their horses and charged with drawn sabers the enemy, which broke and dispersed. For the valor shown on the day by the regiment's 3rd Squadron and 4th Squadron, the regiment was awarded a Silver Medal of Military Valor, which was affixed to the regiment's standard.
World War I At the outbreak of World War I the regiment consisted of a command, the regimental depot, and two cavalry groups, with the I Group consisting of three squadrons and the II Group consisting of two squadrons and a machine gun section. However, as the regiment's 1st Squadron was still deployed in Libya, where it remained for the duration of the war, the regiment formed the 6th Squadron, which was assigned to the regiment's II Group. In April 1916, the 1st Cavalry Division "Friuli" and 4th Cavalry Division "Piemonte" were dismounted for service in the trenches of the Italian front, and the remaining squadrons of the I Group of the Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Lodi" (15th) were dismounted and transferred to two of the dismounted cavalry regiments as reinforcements: the 2nd Squadron was assigned to the Regiment "Lancieri di Novara" (5th) of the 1st Cavalry Division "Friuli", while the 3rd Squadron was assigned to the Regiment "Cavalleggeri Guide" (19th) of the 4th Cavalry Division "Piemonte".