The 151st Infantry Regiment "Sassari" () is an active unit of the Italian Army based in Cagliari in Sardinia. The regiment is named for the city of Sassari and part of the Italian Army's infantry arm. As of 2023 the regiment is assigned to the Mechanized Brigade "Sassari".
The regiment was formed in preparation for Italy's entry into World War I. During the war the regiment fought on the Italian front and was awarded, together with its sister-regiment the 152nd Infantry Regiment "Sassari", two times Italy's highest military honor the Gold Medal of Military Valour, making the two regiments the only units to be twice so honored during the entire war. During World War II the regiment was assigned to the 12th Infantry Division "Sassari", which in 1941 participated in the invasion of Yugoslavia. Afterwards the division remained in Yugoslavia on occupation duty. In March 1943 the division was transferred to Rome, where it was informed of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943. Tasked with defending Rome from invading German forces the regiment was forced to surrender on 10 September. In 1962 the regiment was reformed and based in Trieste. In 1975 the regiment was disbanded and on 1 January 1976 it was reformed as a battalion sized training unit in Cagliari. In 1992 the regiment was reformed and has been active as mechanized unit since then.
History
Formation
On 1 March 1915 the 151st Infantry Regiment (Brigade "Sassari") was formed in Sinnai near Cagliari in the South of Sardinia. On the same date the 152nd Infantry Regiment (Brigade "Sassari") and the command of the Brigade "Sassari" were formed in Tempio Pausania near Sassari in the North of Sardinia. The brigade consisted of personnel levied in Sardinia by the following pre-war regiments:
45th Infantry Regiment (Brigade "Reggio") in Tempio Pausania: Command of the Brigade "Sassari" and 152nd Infantry Regiment 46th Infantry Regiment (Brigade "Reggio") in Sinnai: 151st Infantry Regiment
Each regiment consisted of three battalions, which each fielded four fusiliers companies and one machine gun section.
World War I
During World War I the Brigade "Sassari" fought on the Italian front: in July 1915 during the First Battle of the Isonzo on the Karst plateau and then in November during the Fourth Battle of the Isonzo on the slopes of Monte San Michele. On 15 May 1916 Austro-Hungary commenced the Battle of Asiago and the brigade was transferred to the Sette Comuni plateau. On 16 June 1916 the brigade entered the line to retake the Italian positions on Monte Castelgomberto and Monte Fior. By 18 June the positions were back in Italian hands, but the brigade had suffered 3,120 casualties, more than half of the personnel it had entered the front with.
On 3 August 1916 King Victor Emmanuel III awarded to the regiments of the Brigade "Sassari" Italy's highest military honor, the Gold Medal of Military Valour, for having retaken the lost Italian positions on the Sette Comuni plateau. On the same day the regiments of the Brigade "Regina" were awarded a Gold Medal of Military Valour, making the two brigades the first Italian units to be so awarded during the war.
In June 1917 the brigade attacked Austro-Hungarian positions on Monte Zebio and in September the brigade was back in the East on the Banjšice plateau for the Eleventh Battle of the Isonzo. After the Italian defeat in the Battle of Caporetto the brigade fought delaying actions at Buttrio and on the Monticano river from 27 October to 8 November. From 10 December 1917 the brigade was back on the Sette Comuni plateau.
From 28 to 31 January 1918 the brigade retook the Italian positions on Col del Rosso and Col d'Echelle at the cost of 897 casualties. In June the brigade defended Croce di Musile and Losson on the Piave river during the Second Battle of the Piave River. During the Battle of Vittorio Veneto the brigade attacked over the Piave at San Lucia di Piave and after breaking through the Austro-Hungarian lines advanced to Sacile, where brigade reached the news of the Armistice of Villa Giusti.
On 15 June 1920 the King awarded the regiments of the Brigade "Sassari" for having retaken Col del Rosso and Col d'Echelle with a second Gold Medal of Military Valour, making the two regiments the only units to be twice awarded a Gold Medal during the entire war.