The 52nd Infantry Regiment "Alpi" () is an inactive unit of the Italian Army last based in Portogruaro. The regiment carries the traditions of Giuseppe Garibaldi's Hunters of the Alps (), which were formed in spring 1859 for the Second Italian War of Independence. In September 1859, the five Cacciatori delle Alpi regiments were merged into two regiments and integrated into the Royal Sardinian Army's infantry arm. In 1866, the 52nd Infantry Regiment "Alpi" participated in the Third Italian War of Independence. In 1911–12 the regiment fought in the Italo-Turkish War. During World War I, the regiment fought on the Italian front and then on the Western Front. Before the outbreak of World War II, the regiment was assigned to the 22nd Infantry Division "Cacciatori delle Alpi", with which it fought in the Greco-Italian War and was then sent to occupied Yugoslavia as occupation force. After the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943 the division and its regiments were disbanded by invading German forces.

In 1958 the regiment was reformed in Cuneo as a training unit. In 1964 the regiment was reorganized and moved to Tarcento, where it was tasked with maintaining and manning fortifications of the Alpine Wall on the border with Yugoslavia. In 1976 the regiment was disbanded and its flag and traditions assigned to the 52nd Infantry Fortification Battalion "Alpi", which was assigned to the Mechanized Brigade "Isonzo". On 31 March 1993, the battalion was disbanded and the next day reformed in Portogruaro as training unit of the 5th Army Corps. On 31 August 1996, the battalion was disbanded. The regiment's anniversary falls on 20 September 1912, the day of the Battle of Sidi Bilal in Libya, during which the regiment distinguished itself and was awarded Italy's highest military honor a Gold Medal of Military Valor.

History Formation On 28 January 1859, the French Empire and the Kingdom of Sardinia signed a secret treaty of alliance against the Austrian Empire, which led to the Second Italian War of Independence. In preparation for the war the Royal Sardinian Army began to form new units. On 20 February 1859, a depot was formed in Cuneo, which trained volunteers arriving from the Austrian Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia and Trentino, the Papal Legations, the Duchy of Modena and Reggio, and the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza. On 17 March 1859, Giuseppe Garibaldi assumed command of the Cacciatori delle Alpi Corps. On the same date the depot in Cuneo formed the 1st Regiment Cacciatori delle Alpi, whose commanding officer was Enrico Cosenz. Also on the same date a depot was formed in Acqui, which was tasked with training volunteers arriving from the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and the central Italian Papal Legations. On 20 March 1859, a third depot was formed in Savigliano. On 7 April 1859, the depot in Savigliano formed the 2nd Regiment Cacciatori delle Alpi, whose commanding officer was Giacomo Medici. On 17 April 1859, the depot in Acqui formed the Regiment Cacciatori degli Appennini.

Second Italian War of Independence

At the outbreak of the war on 26 April the Cacciatori delle Alpi Corps consisted of two regiments and a Horse Guides Squadron. On 4 May 1859, the 3rd Regiment Cacciatori delle Alpi was formed, which on 8 May reached the other two regiments in the field. On 14 May 1859, the corps formed the 1st Bersaglieri Company. On 22 May the corps reached Arona and in the following night, two companies crossed the Ticino river and occupied Sesto Calende in Lombardy. Garibaldi then moved his entire corps into Lombardy, where he occupied Varese. On 26 May 1859, the Cacciatori delle Alpi won the Battle of Varese.

On 27 Mary 1859, Garibaldi began his march to Como and quickly encountered Austrian forces, which led to the Battle of San Fermo. After winning the battle Garibaldi's forces arrived in Como by nightfall. On the same day the depot in Cuneo formed an ambulance unit and a nurses company, and on 30 May the depot formed an artillery battery and a train unit. On 2 June 1859, the Regiment Cacciatori degli Appennini was assigned to the Garibaldi's corps and on the same day French forces commenced the crossing of the Ticino river into Lombardy. On 6 June, the depot in Cuneo formed a Sappers company and the same day Garibaldi, who had embarked his troops in Como on steamships, crossed Lake Como and occupied Lecco. On 8 June Garibaldi's corps arrived in Bergamo and on 14 June in Brescia. On 15 June 1859, the Cacciatori delle Alpi fought and lost the Battle of Treponti.

On 21 June 1859, the corps formed a Youth Battalion with three companies of teenagers. By now the corps had reached the shores of Lake Garda and Garibaldi was ordered to occupy the Valtellina. On 27 June 1859, the corps arrived in the Valtellina and began to move up the valley towards Bormio. On 1 July 1859, the Regiment Cacciatori degli Appennini was renamed 4th Regiment Cacciatori delle Alpi, while in Cuneo the formation of the 5th Regiment Cacciatori delle Alpi began. On 8 July 1859, the 4th Regiment Cacciatori delle Alpi arrived in Sondrio, where it joined the rest of Garibaldi's corps. On the same day Garibaldi ordered an attack towards Stelvio Pass, which failed. At the same time a battalion of Bersaglieri volunteers from Valtellina joined the corps. On 11 July 1859, the war ended with the Armistice of Villafranca.

After the armistice Garibaldi reorganized his forces and by then the Cacciatori delle Alpi Corps consisted of the following units:

Cacciatori delle Alpi Corps, Major General Giuseppe Garibaldi 1st Regiment Cacciatori delle Alpi, Lieutenant Colonel Enrico Cosenz 4× battalions 2nd Regiment Cacciatori delle Alpi, Lieutenant Colonel Giacomo Medici 4× battalions 3rd Regiment Cacciatori delle Alpi, Lieutenant Colonel Nicola Ardoino 4× battalions 4th Regiment Cacciatori delle Alpi, Lieutenant Colonel Camillo Baldoni 4× battalions 5th Regiment Cacciatori delle Alpi, Lieutenant Colonel Giuseppe Marocchetti (formed on 8 August 1859) 4× battalions Valtellina Bersaglieri Battalion Youth Battalion 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Bersaglieri Company Horse Guides Squadron Artillery Battery Sappers Company Nurses Company Ambulance Unit Train Unit

On 15 July 1859, with peace negotiations with Austria underway, the Cacciatori delle Alpi ceased recruiting, and on 20 July the first troops were released from their regiments. On 7 August 1859, Garibaldi resigned as commander of the corps and left with the Horse Guides Squadron to occupy Bologna. On 7 September 1859, the corps was ordered to be reorganized as a standard Royal Sardinian Army infantry brigade with two infantry regiments of four battalions per regiment. Consequently, the five regiments of the corps were reduced to two regiments: the 2nd Regiment, 5th Regiment, and the four Bersaglieri companies formed the 1st Regiment, which was based in Como; while the 1st Regiment, 3rd Regiment, 4th Regiment, and the troops of the Youth Battalion older than 17 years formed the 2nd Regiment in Bergamo. On 11 October 1859, the Brigade "Cacciatori delle Alpi" was formed, and the two regiments were renamed 1st Infantry Regiment (Brigade "Cacciatori delle Alpi"), respectively 2nd Infantry Regiment (Brigade "Cacciatori delle Alpi").

On 30 November 1859, the Horse Guides Squadron, Artillery Battery, Sappers Company, Nurses Company, Ambulance Unit, and Train Unit were disbanded. On 14 May 1860, the brigade was renamed Brigade of the Alps () and the two regiments were renumbered as 51st Infantry Regiment (Brigade of the Alps) and 52nd Infantry Regiment (Brigade of the Alps). On 20 May 1860, the Valtellina Bersaglieri Battalion was disbanded and its personnel divided among the 51st and 52nd infantry regiments. At the same time Giuseppe Garibaldi, led the Expedition of the Thousand to Sicily, whose troops were primarily veterans of the Cacciatori delle Alpi Corps.

On 15 June 1859, the corps' Horse Guides Squadron was awarded a Bronze Medal of Military Valor for its conduct during the war. On the same date the corps' medical units were awarded a shared Bronze Medals of Military Valor for the care they had provided to friendly and enemy injured personnel. On 16 May 1909, as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Second Italian War of Independence, the Cacciatori delle Alpi Corps was awarded a Silver Medal of Military Valor for its conduct during the war. The three medals were duplicated and affixed to the flags of the 51st Infantry Regiment as well as the flag of the 52nd Infantry Regiment.

Third Italian War of Independence After the successful conclusion of Garibaldi's Expedition of the Thousand the Kingdom of Sardinia annexed the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. On 17 March 1861, King Victor Emmanuel II proclaimed himself King of Italy. in 1861, the Brigade of the Alps moved to Palermo. From 1862 to 1863 the Brigade of the Alps operated in the area between Trapani, Castellammare del Golfo, and Palermo to suppress the anti-Sardinian revolt, which had erupted in Southern Italy after the annexation of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

On 16 April 1861, the 52nd Infantry Regiment (Brigade of the Alps) ceded one of its battalions to help form the 62nd Infantry Regiment (Brigade "Sicilia"). On 1 August 1862, the regiment ceded one of its depot companies to help form the 65th Infantry Regiment (Brigade "Valtellina"), and its 17th Company and 18th Company to help form the 70th Infantry Regiment (Brigade "Ancona"). In 1866, the Brigade of the Alps participated in the Third Italian War of Independence, during which it fought in the Battle of Custoza.

On 25 October 1871, the brigade level was abolished, and the two regiments of the Brigade of the Alps were renamed 51st Infantry Regiment "Alpi", respectively 52nd Infantry Regiment "Alpi". On 2 January 1881, the brigade level was reintroduced, and the two regiments were renamed again as 51st Infantry Regiment (Brigade "Alpi") and 52nd Infantry Regiment (Brigade "Alpi"). On 1 November 1884, the 52nd Infantry Regiment ceded some of its companies to help form the 88th Infantry Regiment (Brigade "Friuli") in Milan. In 1895–96, the regiment provided nine officers and 281 enlisted for units deployed to Italian Eritrea for the First Italo-Ethiopian War.

Italo-Turkish War

In November 1911, the regiment was deployed to Libya for the Italo-Turkish War. On 4 December 1911, the regiment fought in the Battle of Ain Zara and on 20 January 1912 in the Battle of Gargaresc. On 20 September 1912, the regiment fought in the Battle of Sidi Bilal, during which the regiment distinguished itself and was awarded Italy's highest military honor a Gold Medal of Military Valor. The medal was affixed to the regiment's flag and added to the regiment's coat of arms. On 18 June 1913, the regiment fought in the Battle of Ettangi against Libyan rebels. At the end of 1913 the regiment was repatriated, however the regiment's I Battalion remained in Libya to continue the fight against the Libyan rebels.

World War I