Military/Naval terminology (Past & Present), Italian

aiutante maggiore

Battalion adjutant. A high ranking officer assigned to assist the unit commander.

Al Valore Militare

Military Valor

Alpino (pl. Alpini)

Elite Alpine soldier of the Royal Army

alto mare

High Seas; International waters.

Ariete

Battering Ram

Artiglieria

Artillery

Artiglieria d’Armata

Heavy artillery

Artiglieria Divisionale

Divisional Artillery

Artiglieria Marittima

Marine artillery

Autobilinda

Armored car

Baistrocchi

a style of grey-green tunic with an open collar named after General Baistrocchi, Secretary of War.

barricata

barricade

Battaglione (pl. battaglioni)

Battalion. Normally, an infantry battalione is formed from several companies under the command of a maggiore (major) or tenente colonnello (lieutenant colonel).

It is the equivalent of an artillery gruppo (group).

Battaglione Fanti dell’Aria

Infantry of the Air Battalion

Battaglione Nazionale Paracadutisti

National Parachute Battalion

beretto da campagna

Black field cap, similar to German Model 43 worn by Black Brigade.

Bersaglieri (sing. Bersagliere)

Elite corp of sharpshooters.This type of light infantry are perhaps the most famous Italian soldiers.

They are distinguished by black cock feathers worn on their helmets or on their round, black hat with flat brim.

Brigadiere (or generale di brigata)

Brigadier General.

Brigadieri

Sergeant

Brigata

Brigade. A unit consisting of several regiments under the command of a generale di brigata or a brigadiere (Brigadier General).

Bustina

Literally, “small envelope”, reference to a style of side cap unique to the Italian army

Cacciatori

(= “hunters”). Light infantry equipped for fast movement.

Capitano

Captain

Capitano di vascello

Naval Captain. This rank is equivalent to an army colonnello (colonel).

Carabina

Carbine.

Carabiniere (pl. Carabinieri)

a soldier or military policeman armed with a carbine.

Carabinieri Reali

Military police, senior arm of the Royal Army.

Cavalleria

cavalry

Celere

Fast, quick

Chimico

Chemical

Chimico Mortaio

Chemical mortar

Cohort

A unit equivalent to a battalion

Colonnello

Colonel. Equivalent to a naval Capitano di Vascello.

Comando Generale

General Headquarters

Compagnia (pl. compagnie)

Company. An infantry unit commanded by a captaino (captain). It was composed of a hundred soldiers, subdivided into plotoni (platoons),

each commanded by tenente (lieutenant) or sotto-tenente (second lieutenant). It was the equivalent of a cavalry squadrone (squadron) or an artillery batteria (battery).

Console Generale

Militia equivalent of a brigade general of the Royal Army

Controaera (pl. Controaeri)

Anti-aircraft

Corazzato

Armored Cuirassier

Corazzieri

Cuirassiers, cavalry who wear armored breastplates

Cordellino

Fine braided material(gaberdine) used in the manufacture of officers’ tunics and breeches.

Croce al Valore Militare

Military Cross of Valor

Divisione

Division

Escerito

Army.

Fanteria

Infantry

Generale di brigata

See Brigadiere

Generalfeldmarshall

Field Marshal

Generali (sing. Generale)

Officers of general rank

Genio

a military specialist or engineer.

Granatieri

Grenadiers

Greca

Zigzag braid of Royal Army general’s peak cap

Gruppo

Group

Guardia alla Frontiera

Frontier Guard

Guardia di Finanza

Finance Guard. A dual purposed corps. Its primary function is to act as specialized police for tax and financial crimes. It is secondarily a military corps.

Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana

National Republican Guard

Guastatori

Assault Engineers

Guida

Guide

Intendente

A military supply officer.

Legione

Legion; unit equivalent to a regiment

Lugotente Generale

Militia equivalent of an army corps general of the Royal Army.

Maggiore

Major.

Maresciallo

Field Marshall or senior warrant officer

Marina

Navy

Merito di Guerra

War merit

Milizia Confinaria

Frontier Militia

Milizia Controaerei

Anti-aircraft militia

Milizia di Frontiera

Frontier Militia

Milizia Forestale

Forestry Militia

Milizia Nazionale della Strada

National Road Militia

Milizia Portuaria

Port Militia

Milizia Postelegrafonica

Post and Telegraph Militia

Milizia Universitaria

University Militia

Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale

Volunteer Militia for National Security

Mortaio

Mortar

Moschetto Automatico Beretta

Beretta Automatic machine-gun.

Mostreggiature

collar insignia designating unit ID & type

Motomitraglieri

Machine-gunners on motorcycles.

Motorizzata

Motorized

MT

Motor transport

NAAFI

Navy, Army and Airforce Institutes

Nappine

Tuft, pom-pom worn on Alpine-style cap

Ochiello

loop in rank braid on cuffs

Plotone

Platoon

Portuaria

adjective for Port

Raggruppamento/

Raggruppamenti

task force

Rando

military rations

Reggimento (pl. reggimenti)

Regiment. A military unit formed by several battalions commanded by a colonnello (colonel).

Reggimento Fanti dell’Aria

Infantry Regiment of the Air

Regiamarina

Royal Navy

Regio Esercito

Royal Army

Sahariana

a style of tropical tunic worn in the former Italian African colonies and in southern Italy.

Sergente Maggiore

Sergeant-Major

Sezione d’artiglieria

Section of artillery. A small artillery unit usually comprised of two cannons, howitzers. mortars. Several sections comprise a battery.

Societa Romana Costruzioni Meccaniche

a company which manufactured antipersonnel hand grenades.

Sotto Tenente

Second Lieutenant

Sottufficiale

(pl. Sottufficiali)

non-commissioned officer

Squadrone

Squadron; a cavalry unit.

Stato maggiore

General staff.

Tenente

First Lieutenant

Tenente Colonello

Lieutenant-Colonel

Truppa/Truppe

other ranks

Truppe Speciale

Special Troop

Ufficiale

Officer

Ufficiale d’ordinanza

Ordinance officer. A lieutenant or second lieutenant assigned to a commander for a variety of tasks and services.

Valore Militare

Military Valor

Zona

Zone