Trieste Troops Command

Comando Truppe di Trieste
Coat of Arms of the Trieste Troops Command
Active	26 October 1954 - 1 October 1986
Country	Italy
Branch	Italian Army
Part of	5th Army Corps
Garrison/HQ	Trieste

The Trieste Troops Command was an Italian Army command located in the city of the Trieste and tasked with the defense of the city in case of a Yugoslav-Italian war.

History

Origins

After World War II the city of Trieste and the surrounding territory became the Free Territory of Trieste under direct responsibility of the United Nations Security Council. The territory was split into the Yugoslav administered Zone B in the South and the British-American administered Zone A in the north, which included the city of Trieste. The Allied Military Government administered Zone A, which was divided into peacekeeping and law enforcement sectors protected by 5,000 American troops (Trieste United States Troops - TRUST) and 5,000 British troops (British Element Trieste Force - BETFOR).

In 1953 Britain and the United States stated their intention to leave Zone A and hand its administration over to Italy. Subsequent negotiations led to the signing of the London Memorandum on 5 October 1954 by the foreign ministers of the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, and Yugoslavia. The Memorandum gave Zone A with Trieste to Italy for an ordinary civil administration, and Zone B, which had already had a communist government since 1947, to Yugoslavia.

American and British forces immediately began to withdraw from Zone A and on 26 October 1954 the last TRUST commander, Major General John A. Dabney handed over control of Zone A to the Italian 82nd Infantry Regiment Torino which was transferred from its base in Forlì to Trieste and formed the core of the provisional Groupement "T".

On 15 September 1955 the Groupement "T" was reduced to 22nd Zonal Military Command and the 82nd Infantry Regiment Torino entered the Folgore Infantry Division, which was given the task to defend the Yugoslav-Italian border between Gorizia and Trieste. On 1 April 1962 the 82nd Infantry Regiment Torino moved to Gorizia and was replaced in Trieste by the 151st Infantry Regiment Sassari.

Trieste Military Command

A 105/22 mod. 14/61 105mm towed howitzer as used by the 14th Field Artillery Regiment

On 1 September 1962 151st Infantry Regiment Sassari and the 14th Field Artillery Regiment entered the newly raised Trieste Military Command, which was tasked with the defence of the city. The area between the city and the Timavo river to its North was to be defended by the Pozzuolo del Friuli Cavalry Brigade's 2nd Piemonte Cavalleria Regiment, which fielded two armored squadrons groups equipped with a mix of tanks and armored personnel carriers in Villa Opicina and Sgonico. The Piemonte Cavalleria was supported by the II Self-propelled Field Artillery Group in Banne, which was part of the 8th Self-propelled Field Artillery Regiment of the Pozzuolo del Friuli brigade. After its activation the Trieste Military Command came under the 5th Army Corps and consisted of the following units:

• Trieste Military Command, in Trieste
  • 151st Infantry Regiment Sassari, in Trieste
    • Command Company, in Trieste
    • I Battalion, in Trieste
    • II Battalion, in Trieste
    • III Battalion, in Trieste
    • Anti-tank Company, in Trieste
  • 14th Field Artillery Regiment, in Trieste (Duca delle Puglie barracks)
    • Command Battery, in Trieste
    • I Field Artillery Group, in Trieste, with 105/22 mod. 14/61 105mm towed howitzers
    • II Field Artillery Group, in Muggia, with 105/22 mod. 14/61 105mm towed howitzers
  • Recruit Training Company, in Trieste
  • Signal Platoon, in Trieste
  • Engineer Platoon, in Trieste
  • Light Aviation Section, in Prosecco

On 1 December 1968 the command was renamed Trieste Troops Command.

1975 reform

In 1975 the Italian army undertook a major reform of its forces and structure: the regimental level was abolished and battalions came under direct command of newly created multi-arms brigades. At the same time the divisions were reorganized and their areas of responsibility were redefined. On 30 September 1975 the 151st Infantry Regiment Sassariwas disbanded and its II and III battalion put into reserve status, while the I Battalion was renamed as 1st Motorized Infantry Battalion San Giusto. Likewise, the 14th Field Artillery Regiment and the II Field Artillery Group were disbanded and the I Field Artillery Group renamed 14th Field Artillery Group Murge. At the same time the artillery group was equipped with the more powerful and more modern M114 towed howitzers. After the reform the Trieste Troops Command consisted of the following units:

• Trieste Military Command, in Trieste
  • Trieste Troops Command and Signal Battalion, in Trieste
  • 1st Motorized Infantry Battalion San Giusto, in Trieste
  • 14th Field Artillery Group Murge, in Trieste, with M114 155mm towed howitzers
  • Trieste Troops Recruit Training Company, in Trieste
  • Trieste Troops Engineer Platoon, in Trieste
  • 554th Multirole Helicopter Squadron, in Prosecco
  • Logistics Base, in Muggia

Additionally the command stored and maintained the materiel for the 43rd Motorized Infantry Battalion Forlì and 255th Motorized Infantry Battalion Veneto, which in case of war would have been activated and filled with reservists from Trieste and the surrounding villages. During the same reform the Pozzuolo del Friuli Cavalry Brigade was split and the 2nd Piemonte Cavalleria Regiment used as core for the newly formed Vittorio Veneto Armored Brigade, which took over the defense of the area between Trieste and the Timavo.

1986 reform

In 1986 the Italian Army abolished the divisional level and the Trieste Troops Command, headed at the time by Division General was disbanded on 1 October 1986. The 1st Motorized Infantry Battalion San Giusto was transferred to the Vittorio Veneto Mechanized Brigade, and the 14th Field Artillery Group Murge to the Artillery Command of the 5th Army Corps. The remaining units, including the two reserve battalions, were disbanded.