Mountain Artillery Group "Belluno"

The Mountain Artillery Group "Belluno" (Italian: Gruppo Artiglieria da Montagna "Belluno") is an inactive mountain artillery group of the Italian Army, which was based in Pontebba in Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

[2][3] The group was reformed in 1947 and assigned in 1951 to the 3rd Mountain Artillery Regiment of the Alpine Brigade "Julia".

The regimental anniversary falls, as for all Italian Army artillery units, on June 15, the beginning of the Second Battle of the Piave River in 1918.

On 17 July 1910 the brigades of the Royal Italian Army's two mountain artillery regiments were redesignated as groups and dropped their numbers.

The Mountain Artillery Group "Belluno" was in 1915–16 deployed at the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, on Monte Piana, in the Sexten valley, and at the Kreuzberg Pass.

As Alpini units were traditionally numbered from West to East the army decided that the 2nd Mountain Artillery Regiment and 3rd Mountain Artillery Regiment should swap numbers.

In June 1940 the regiment participated in the invasion of France and in November 1940 it was sent to Albania for the Greco-Italian War.

[2][3][6] In August 1942, the 5th Alpine Artillery Regiment "Pusteria" participated in the Axis occupation of Vichy France.

After the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943 the regiment and its groups were disbanded by invading German forces.

On 15 October 1949 the group entered the newly formed Alpine Brigade "Julia".

On 30 September 1975 the 3rd Mountain Artillery Regiment was disbanded and the next day its remaining three groups became autonomous units and were assigned to the Alpine Brigade "Julia".

[8] On 12 November 1976 the President of the Italian Republic Giovanni Leone issued decree 846, which assigned the flag and traditions of the 3rd Mountain Artillery Regiment to the Mountain Artillery Group "Conegliano".

[2][3] After the end of the Cold War the Italian Army began to draw down its forces.