Mantova Mechanized Brigade

Brigata Meccanizzata Mantova
Coat of Arms of the Mechanized Brigade Mantova
Active	1 March 1915 - 1919 1 October 1986 - 30 August 1997 1 January 2003 - 15 July 2013
Country	Italy
Branch	Italian Army
Type	Infantry
Role	Mechanized Infantry
Part of	5th Army Corps
Garrison/HQ	Cividale del Friuli

The Mantova Mechanized Brigade was a mechanized brigade of the Italian Army. Its core units were mechanized infantry battalions. The brigade's headquarters was in the city of Cividale del Friuli. All the brigade's units were based in the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. In 2003 the Mantova was raised again as a division command.

The Mantova Brigade was activated on 1 March 1915 in preparation for Italy's entry into the First World War. Initially the brigade consisted of the 113th and 114th infantry regiment and was the 1st Army's reserve infantry formation. During the first year of the war the brigade was employed on the borders of Trentino. In 1916 it became part of the 37th Territorial Division and fought in the Battle of Asiago. Afterwards the brigade was transferred to the 57th Territorial Division and moved to the area of Redipuglia. In 1917 the brigade was again on the heavily contested Asiago plateau. In 1918 the brigade participated in the Battle of the Piave River near Nervesa and in the Vittorio Veneto. In November 1919 the brigade was disbanded.

On 15 March 1942 the 104th Infantry Division Mantova was raised in Verona with the re-activated 113th and 114th infantry regiments and the 11th Artillery Regiment Monferrato. At first the division was based in Piedmont, then in Apulia and Calabria. After allied forces had landed on the Italian peninsula and an armistice between Italy and the Allies had been signed, the division stayed loyal to the Italian King Victor Emmanuel III.