Regiment "Savoia Cavalleria" (3rd)

The Regiment "Savoia Cavalleria" (3rd) (Italian: Reggimento "Savoia Cavalleria" (3°)) is a cavalry unit of the Italian Army based in Grosseto in Tuscany. The regiment is the reconnaissance unit of the Paratroopers Brigade "Folgore". The regiment is named for the Duchy of Savoy in France, which makes the regiment, along with the Regiment "Nizza Cavalleria" (1st), one of two Italian Army units named for a French region, which once was part of the Kingdom of Sardinia.

In 1692, Victor Amadeus II, Duke of Savoy ordered to form two cavalry regiments for service in the Nine Years' War. One of the two new regiments was named Cavalry Regiment "Savoia" (Italian: Reggimento di Cavalleria "Savoia"). After the Nine Years' War the regiment was disbanded in 1699. In May 1701, after Victor Amadeus II had entered the War of the Spanish Succession the regiment was reformed. From 1701 to 1713, regiment fought in the War of the Spanish Succession. Between 1733 and 1735, the regiment fought in the War of the Polish Succession, and from 1741 to 1748 in the War of the Austrian Succession. From 1792 to 1796, the regiment fought in the War of the First Coalition against the French Republic. In November 1798, during the War of the Second Coalition, French forces occupied Piedmont, forced King Charles Emmanuel IV into exile, and formed the Piedmontese Republic, a French client-state. In January 1799, the regiment was disbanded.

In May 1814, King Victor Emmanuel I returned from exile in Sardinia and, on 1 December of the same year, the King ordered to reform the regiment. In 1848, the regiment fought in the First Italian War of Independence and in 1859 in the Second Italian War of Independence. In 1866, the regiment fought in the Third Italian War of Independence. During World War I the regiment formed together with the Regiment "Lancieri di Montebello" (8th) the VI Cavalry Brigade of the 3rd Cavalry Division "Lombardia". In November 1918, after the Battle of Vittorio Veneto, the regiment distinguished itself in the pursuit of the beaten Austro-Hungarian Army, for which it was awarded a Bronze Medal of Military Valor. During World War II the regiment was assigned, together with the Regiment "Lancieri di Novara", to the 3rd Cavalry Division "Principe Amedeo Duca d'Aosta", which in April 1941 fought in the invasion of Yugoslavia. In summer of the same year, the division was sent to the Soviet Union to fight in the Operation Barbarossa. In October 1941, the regiment distinguished itself in the capture of Donetsk and Horlivka in Ukraine, for which the regiment was awarded its second Bronze Medal of Military Valor. On 24 August 1942, the regiment charged Soviet forces at Izbushensky, for which the regiment was awarded Italy's highest military honor the Gold Medal of Military Valor. In January 1942, the regiment suffered heavy casualties during the Soviet Operation Little Saturn and, subsequently, the regiment's survivors were repatriated to Italy. After the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943 invading German forces disbanded the remnants of the regiment in the Emilia region, while the troops of the regiment's depot in Somma Lombardo escaped with the regiment's horses to Switzerland.

In October 1946, the Italian Army formed the 3rd Cavaliers Reconnaissance Group, which received the regiment's traditions and black gorget patches. In 1950, the group was expanded to 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment "Savoia Cavalleria". In 1957, the regiment moved to Meran, where it joined the IV Army Corps. In 1975, the regiment was disbanded and its I Squadrons Group became an autonomous unit and was renamed 3rd Armored Squadrons Group "Savoia Cavalleria". The squadrons group was equipped with a mix of M47 Patton tanks and M113 armored personnel carriers and assigned the traditions and standard of the Regiment "Savoia Cavalleria" (3rd). In 1992, the squadrons group lost its autonomy and entered the Regiment "Savoia Cavalleria" (3rd). The regiment then received wheeled Centauro tank destroyers. In 1995, the regiment's squadrons in Meran were disbanded and the regiment's standard was transferred to Grosseto in Tuscany, where it replaced the standard of the Regiment "Lancieri di Firenze" (9th) and took over the latter regiment's base, squadrons, and personnel. From 1995 to 2013, the regiment was the reconnaissance unit of the Mechanized Brigade "Friuli" respectively the reconnaissance unit of the Airmobile Brigade "Friuli". In September 2013 the regiment was transferred to the Paratroopers Brigade "Folgore".

The regiment's anniversary falls on 24 August 1942, to commemorate the regiment's charge at Izbushensky, for which the regiment was awarded a Gold Medal of Military Valor. As one of the two Italian Army heavy cavalry regiments, whose history dates back to the 17th century, the regiment's enlisted personnel is addressed as "Cavalier" (Italian: Cavaliere).