Manin Armored Brigade
132^ Brigata Corazzata Manin | |
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![]() 132nd Armored Brigade Manin Insignia | |
Active | 1 October 1975 – October 1, 1986 |
Country |
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Branch | Italian Army |
Type | Cavalry |
Role | Armored warfare |
Size | Brigade |
Part of | Armored Division Ariete |
Garrison/HQ | Aviano |
Colors | blue and red |
The 132nd Armored Brigade Manin was a short-lived armored brigade of the Italian Army based in the country's North-East. Its core units were Tank and Bersaglieri battalions from the disbanded 132nd Tank Regiment of the 132nd Armored Division Ariete. The brigade's headquarters was in the city of Aviano and the brigade's name honored the Italian unification hero Daniele Manin
Constitution
The brigade was activated during a major reorganization of the Italian Army: in 1975 the regimental level was abolished and battalions came under direct command of newly formed multi-arms brigades. On 1 October 1975 the 132nd Armored Brigade Manin was activated along with the 32nd Armored Brigade Mameli followed one month later by the 8th Mechanized Brigade Garibaldi. To form the Manin the 132nd Tank Regiment of the Ariete Armored Division was reorganized and elevated to brigade. The Ariete Armored Division was part of the 5th Army Corps based in North-Eastern Italy. The 5th Army Corps was tasked with defending the Yugoslav-Italian border against possible attacks by either the Warsaw Pact, or Yugoslavia or both. The Ariete Armored Division was the corps' armored reserve. The brigade's authorized strength was 3,381 men (214 Officers, 516 non-commissioned officers and 2,651 soldiers) and it consisted initially of the following units:
132nd Armored Brigade Manin, in Aviano- Command and Signal Battalion, in Aviano
8th Tank Battalion M.O. Secchiaroli, in Aviano, with M60A1 main battle tanks 10th Tank Battalion M.O. Bruno, in Aviano, with M60A1 main battle tanks 27th Bersaglieri Battalion Jamiano, in Aviano, with VCC-1 armored personnel carriers 20th Self-propelled Field Artillery Group Piave, in Maniago, with M109G 155mm Self-propelled howitzers (former III Self-propelled Field Artillery Group, 132nd Armored Artillery Regiment) Ariete Logistic Battalion, in Maniago- Ariete Anti-tank Company, in Aviano
- Ariete Engineer Company, in Maniago
Deactivation
During 1986 the Italian Army abolished the divisional level and brigades, that until then had been under one of the Army's four divisions, came forthwith under direct command of the Army's 3rd or 5th Army Corps. As the Armored Division Ariete carried a historically significant name, the division ceased to exist on 30 September in Pordenone and the next day the command of the 132nd Armored Brigade Manin moved from Aviano to Pordenone and changed its name to 132nd Armored Brigade Ariete and the name Manin was stricken from the roll of active units of the Italian Army.