The 32nd Tank Regiment () is a tank regiment of the Italian Army based in Tauriano in Friuli Venezia Giulia. Originally the regiment, like all Italian tank units, was part of the infantry, but since 1 June 1999 it is part of the cavalry. Operationally the regiment is assigned to the 132nd Armored Brigade "Ariete".
History
Formation
The regiment was formed on 15 September 1936 in Verona as 2nd Tank Infantry Regiment with four battalions: IV, V, and XI assault tanks battalions and the III Breach Tanks Battalion. The assault tanks battalions fielded L3/35 tankettes, while the breach tanks battalion fielded Fiat 3000 light tanks. Its structure at its foundation was as follows:
2nd Tank Infantry Regiment, in Verona
IV Assault Tanks Battalion "Monti", in Bolzano (L3/35 tankettes) V Assault Tanks Battalion "Venezian", in Trieste (L3/35 tankettes) XI Assault Tanks Battalion "Gregorutti", in Udine (L3/35 tankettes) III Breach Tanks Battalion, in Verona (Fiat 3000 light tanks) 2nd Tank Training Center, in Verona 2nd Tank Materiel Maintenance Workshop, in Verona
The regiment was renamed 32nd Tank Infantry Regiment on 1 December 1938 and received the IV Breach Tanks Battalion in Vercelli from the 1st Tank Infantry Regiment. On the day of the 32nd regiment's founding, it and the 8th Bersaglieri Regiment entered the II Armored Brigade in Milan, which had been formed on 15 July 1937 with the 3rd Bersaglieri Regiment. On 1 February 1939 the brigade was dissolved and the 32nd Tank Infantry Regiment, 8th Bersaglieri Regiment and newly raised 132nd Armored Artillery Regiment entered the newly raised 132nd Armored Division "Ariete". On the same date the regiment received the II Assault Tanks Battalion "Berardi" from the 1st Tank Infantry Regiment. During the same year the regiment also received the CCCXI Breach Tanks Battalion (former I Breach Tanks Battalion) from the 31st Tank Infantry Regiment and the CCCXXIII Breach Tanks Battalion (former V Breach Tanks Battalion) from the 1st Tank Infantry Regiment, while ceding the V Assault Tanks Battalion "Venezian" to the 3rd Tank Infantry Regiment. The regiment then began the process of forming new medium tank battalions with the personnel of the breach tank battalions. In April 1940 battalions were renamed and the regiment entered World War II with the following structure:
32nd Tank Infantry Regiment, in Verona
I Tank Battalion "L" (L3/35 tankettes, former II Assault Tanks Battalion "Berardi") II Tank Battalion "L" (L3/35 tankettes, former IV Assault Tanks Battalion "Monti") III Tank Battalion "L" (L3/35 tankettes, former XI Assault Tanks Battalion "Gregorutti") I Tank Battalion "M" (M11/39 tanks, former III (CCCXXI) Breach Tanks Battalion) II Tank Battalion "M" (M11/39 tanks, former IV (CCCXXII) Breach Tanks Battalion) III Tank Battalion "M" (M13/40 tanks, former V (CCCXXIII) Breach Tanks Battalion) IV Tank Battalion "M" (M13/40 tanks, former I (CCCXI) Breach Tanks Battalion) V Tank Battalion "M" (M13/40 tanks, raised 11 November 1940)
World War II
After Italy's entry into World War II on 10 June 1940 the 32nd regiment ceded some of its units to other regiments: the I and II tank battalions M were ceded on 11 June to the 4th Tank Infantry Regiment for transfer to Libya for the planned invasion of Egypt. The IV Tank Battalion "M" was ceded to the 31st Tank Infantry Regiment based in Albania to bolster it for the upcoming invasion of Greece, and during fall 1940 the III and V tank battalions "M" were deployed to Libya, with the III arriving in September and the V arriving in November 1940. The two battalions fielded 37 M13/40 tanks each and entered the Special Armored Brigade of General Valentino Babini.
On the day the British offensive Operation Compass began the II Tank Battalion "M" was destroyed during the British Attack on Nibeiwa. Most tank battalion "L" were destroyed during the Battle of Bardia, while the I Tank Battalion "M" was annihilated during the British capture of Tobruk. The III, V, VI, XXI tank battalions M clashed with the 7th British Armoured Division in the action at Mechili. The end for the units of the Italian 10th Army came on 6–7 February 1941 when their retreat was blocked by the 7th British Armoured Division at Beda Fomm and the furious and futile attempts of the tank battalions to open a breach in the British line during the Battle of Beda Fomm came to naught. With 7 February 1941 the 10th Army with all its units and all the reinforcements sent to it had been destroyed or captured by the British XIII Corps.