185th Paratroopers Reconnaissance Target Acquisition Regiment "Folgore"
Italian special operations forces unit / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The 185th Paratroopers Reconnaissance Target Acquisition Regiment "Folgore" (Italian: 185° Reggimento Paracadutisti Ricognizione Acquisizione Obiettivi "Folgore", abbreviated as: 185° RAO) is an Italian Army special forces unit. The regiment is part of the Italian Army's infantry arm's Paracadutisti speciality and assigned to the Army Special Forces Command.[1][2]
185th Paratroopers Reconnaissance Target Acquisition Regiment "Folgore" | |
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185° Reggimento Paracadutisti Ricognizione Acquisizione Obiettivi "Folgore" | |
Active | 1 April 1941 – 9 Jan. 1944 1 Jan. 1963 — 30 June 1998 21 June 2013 — today |
Country | Italy |
Branch | Italian Army |
Part of | Army Special Forces Command |
Garrison/HQ | Livorno |
Motto(s) | "Come folgore" |
Anniversaries | 20 April 1945 - Operation Herring |
Insignia | |
Regimental gorget patches |
The regiment was the first Italian paratroopers regiment to be formed. The regiment was assigned to the Paratroopers Division, which was intended to parachute onto Malta during the planned invasion of Malta. When the invasion was canceled the division was sent in September 1942 to North Africa as reinforcement for the German-Italian Panzer Army Africa. Before leaving Italy the regiment was detached and used to form the 184th Infantry Division "Nembo". When the Nembo division was sent to Sardinia the regimen was once more detached and sent to Apulia. In July 1943 the regiment fought against the Allied invasion of Sicily. After the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943 the regiment split, with some units joining the German side and some the allied side. In January 1944 the regiment was disbanded and its personnel assigned to the CLXXXV Paratroopers Battalion "Nembo" or the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron "Folgore", which both served on the allied side in the Italian campaign. In 1963 regiment was reformed with two battalions. In 1975 the regiment was reduced to a battalion sized training unit, which was disbanded in 1998. In 2013 the regiment's flag and traditions were assigned to the army's 185th Paratroopers Reconnaissance Target Acquisition Regiment "Folgore", which until then had been assigned the flag and traditions of the 185th Artillery Regiment "Folgore".[1]