5th Tank Battalion "M.O. Chiamenti"

5th Tank Battalion "M.O. Chiamenti"
5° Battaglione Carri "M.O. Chiamenti"
Battalion coat of arms
Active	11 Nov. 1940 - 8 Feb. 1941 Oct. 1975 - 25 Aug. 1992
Country	Italy
Branch	Italian Army
Part of	Armored Brigade "Ariete"
Garrison/HQ	Tauriano
Motto(s)	"Con fede ed animo indomito"
Anniversaries	8 February 1941 - Battle of Beda Fomm
Decorations	1x Silver Medal of Military Valor 1x Silver Medal of Army Valor
Insignia
Tank units gorget patches

The 5th Tank Battalion "M.O. Chiamenti" (Italian: 5° Battaglione Carri "M.O. Chiamenti") is an inactive tank battalion of the Italian Army based in Tauriano in Friuli Venezia Giulia. Originally the battalion, like all Italian tank units, was part of the infantry, but since 1 June 1999 it is part of the cavalry. Operationally the battalion was last assigned to the Armored Brigade "Ariete".

History

The battalion was formed during the 1975 army reform: on 30 September 1975 the 32nd Tank Regiment was disbanded and the next day its XXIII Bersaglieri Battalion became the 23rd Bersaglieri Battalion "Castel di Borgo", while its III Tank Battalion became the 3rd Tank Battalion "M.O. Galas" and the V Tank Battalion became the 5th Tank Battalion "M.O. Chiamenti". As the standard and traditions of the 32nd Tank Regiment were assigned to the 3rd Galas the 5th Chiamenti was granted a new standard on 12 November 1976 by decree 846 of the President of the Italian Republic Giovanni Leone. The battalion received the traditions of the V Tank Battalion "M", which had been formed by the 32nd Tank Infantry Regiment on 11 November 1940 and fought in the early stages of the Western Desert Campaign and was destroyed by the British XIII Corps in the Battle of Beda Fomm on 7–8 February 1941. For its service and sacrifice the V Tank Battalion "M" was awarded a Silver Medal of Military Valor, which was transferred from the standard of the 32nd Tank Regiment to the newly created flag of the 5th Tank Battalion "M.O. Chiamenti".

Ceremony in memory of the soldiers who died in Beda Fomm, caserma Forgiarini, february 1989

For its conduct and work after the 1976 Friuli earthquake the battalion was awarded a Silver Medal of Army Valor, which was affixed to the battalion's standard and added to the battalion's coat of arms.

Tank and armored battalions created during the 1975 army reform were all named for officers, NCOs and Tankmen who were posthumously awarded Italy's highest military honor the Gold Medal of Military Valor for heroism during World War II 1940-43 or during the Liberation War 1943-45. The 5th Tank Battalion's name commemorated 32nd Tank Infantry Regiment Maresciallo Carlo Chiamenti, who had served in the IV Tank Battalion "M" and was killed in action on 15 April 1941 during the Axis Invasion of Yugoslavia. Equipped with M60A1 Patton main battle tanks the battalion joined the Armored Brigade "Mameli", whose headquarters had been formed from the 32nd Tank Regiment's headquarters.

After the end of the Cold War the Italian Army began to draw down its forces and the "Mameli" was the first brigade disbanded. On 1 April 1991 the brigade was deactivated along with some of its subordinate units, while the 3rd and 5th tank battalions, and 23rd Bersaglieri Battalion joined the 132nd Armored Brigade "Ariete". On 25 August 1992 the 5th Tank Battalion "M.O. Chiamenti" disbanded as well and its personnel entered the "Galas" battalion, which reformed the 32nd Tank Regiment the following day.

See also

• 132nd Armored Brigade "Ariete"