Folgore Mechanized Division The " Folgore " Mechanized Division was an mechanized division of the Italian Army . Its core units were three mechanized brigades The brigades headquarter was in the city of Treviso . History . World War II . The divisions history begins on 25 September 1944 with the formation of the " Folgore " Combat Group of the Italian Co - Belligerent Army with soldiers from the disbanded 184th Airborne Division " Nembo " . The name of the combat group was chosen in commemoration of the bravery of the 185th Airborne Division " Folgore " , which fought to annihilation in the Second Battle of El Alamein . The " Nembo " itself had been raised in 1942 with the " Folgores " 185th Parachute Infantry Regiment as its core unit . The combat group consisted of the " Nembo " Parachute Infantry Regiment , the Italian Navy s " San Marco " Amphibious Infantry Regiment , the " Folgore " Parachute Artillery Regiment and the CLXXXIV ( 184th ) Engineer Battalion . Each of the two infantry regiments consisted of three infantry battalions , a mortar company armed with British ML 3 inch mortars and an anti - tank company armed with British QF 6 pounder guns . The artillery regiment consisted of four artillery groups with British QF 25 pounder guns , one anti - tank group with British QF 17 pounder guns and one anti - air group armed with British versions of the Bofors 40mm gun . Equipped also with British uniforms the Combat Group took part in the Italian Campaign of World War II as part of the British XIII Corps . During the war the fascist regime in Northern Italy fielded the 1st Parachute Arditi Regiment " Folgore " , which also fielded a " Nembo " and a " Folgore " battalion . Cold War . At the end of World War II the combat group was based in Florence . When the " San Marco " Regiment returned to the Navy on 5 September 1945 the combat group received the " Garibaldi " Regiment as replacement . The " Garibaldi " Regiment had been formed on 25 April 1945 in Viterbo with the re - patriated veterans of the " Garibaldi " Partisan Division , which had fought alongside the Yugoslav Partisans on the Yugoslav Front after the Armistice of Cassibile between Italy and the Western Allies . The " Garibaldi " Division was formed when the 19th Infantry Division " Venezia " on garrison duty in Montenegro refused to surrender or ally with the Germans . The " Venezia " together with men of the 1st Alpine Division " Taurinense " , who had refused to surrender too ( mainly the Ivrea battalion and Aosta artillery group ) saw heavy combat in Montenegro and out of its 16 , 000 men only 3 , 800 made it back to Italy . From these veterans the " Garibaldi " Regiment was raised with the battalions : " Aosta " , " Venezia " and " Turin " ' . On 15 October 1945 the combat group was elevated to division and began to move to the Northern Italian city of Treviso . As the " Folgore " along with the " Mantova " Infantry Division formed the first line of defence towards Yugoslavia it was augmented with the 5th Lancers Reconnaissance Battalion , the 33rd Artillery Regiment , the 41st Anti - tank Artillery Regiment and the 5th Anti - air Artillery Regiment . On 1 November 1948 the " Garibaldi " Regiment was renamed as 182nd Infantry Regiment " Garibaldi " , the " Nembo " Regiment was renamed as 183rd Infantry Regiment " Nembo " and the " Folgore " Artillery Regiment was renamed as 184th Artillery Regiment . In 1949 the 5th Lancers was expanded to regiment and equipped with tanks , changing its name to 5th Armoured Cavalry Regiment " " Lancieri di Novara " " . In 1951 the division lost the 41st Anti - tank Artillery and the 5th Anti - air Artillery regiments and the became a fully motorized division in the following years . On 15 September 1955 the division received the 82nd Infantry Regiment from the " Trieste " Infantry Division . As the division fielded now three regiments with three motorized infantry battalions each the army decided to transform the " Garibaldi " regiment into an armoured regiment . On 1 November 1958 the " Garibaldi " finished its transformation and became the 182nd Armoured Infantry Regiment with a M47 Patton tank battalion and a mechanized Bersaglieri battalion . In anticipation of the transformation of the " Garibaldi " regiment the division had already lost on 1 April 1957 the 5th Armoured Cavalry Regiment " " Lancieri di Novara " " , which was used to raise the " Pozzuolo del Friuli " Cavalry Brigade . On 1 January 1963 the army raised the " Folgore " Parachute Brigade in Pisa and both units were to keep the memory and traditions of the Italian airborne divisions of World War II alive . In 1963 the " Folgore " division added the 53rd Infantry Regiment " Umbria " and in 1964 it received the Reconnaissance Squadron " " Cavalleggeri di Saluzzo " " . The unit did not see any other changes until 23 October 1975 . During 1975 the army had decided to abolish the regimental level and place all battalions under multi - arm brigades . Therefore on 23 October 1975 the regiments of the " Folgore " were split and added to newly raised brigades . The regimental headquarters were transformed into brigade commands and the division added the " Trieste " Mechanized Brigade . During 1975 the division became a fully mechanized division and by the end of the year consisted of the following units . The division was disbanded on 31 October 1986 and its units came under direct command of the 5th Army Corps . Today . The traditions of the " Folgore " divisions are today carried on by the " Folgore " Parachute Brigade , while the name of the " Garibaldi " division and regiment live on in the " Garibaldi " Bersaglieri Brigade .