Dragoni Di Piemonte

Regiment of Dragoons DRAGONI di PIEMONTE (1690 - today 1° Nizza Cavalry Regiment) Giovanni Cerino-Badone

The 4 July 1690 the Duke of Savoy Victor Amadeus II signs a capitulation with Bonifacio Antonio Solaro Compte de Macello to raise a Regiment of Dragoons called Dragons Jaunes, since their coat has to be completely yellow. After in the year the regiment is recalled Regiment Dragons de Piemont. In 1691 the regiment is officialy completed. The 30 august 1699 it loses all the horses and it is in service on foot. Only the 20 may 1701 Dragons de Piemont has again on its horses. In 1704 the Regiment englobes two companys from Savoia Cavalleria and from the Uguenots de Andrè Regis. With 10 company Dragoni di Piemonte the 27 march 1713 reaches Sicily, to form the new sabaudian garrison of the Kingdom of Sicily. The 16 october 1720 the Regiment leaves Sicily, with a total force of 8 companys, to Sardinia. Only in 1721 Dragons de Piemont comes back in Piedmont.

Service during the Polish Succession War In the october 1733 the piedmontese cavalry has the opportunity to move very fast in the western plains of the Duchy of Milan, around the Cityes of Mortara, Vigevano, Novara and Tortona. In november 1733 the Regiment has 10 companies. After the conquest of Milan at the beginning of 1734, after an higly manouvred campaign, Dragons de Piemont is present at the fight of Parma (29 june 1734), but, like others cavalry units, its movements are really quite limited. Another matter is the battle of Guastalla (19 september); on the left of the french-piedmontese line a major clash of cavalry units happens. The austrian cavalry (Regments Lanthieri, Zungenberg, Saxe-gotha, Balayra, Chavaignac) charges the allied ones. Before the enemy the austrians stops their horses and they gives a general volley, but their fire has little effects. So the allied counter-charge completely routs the enemy. Only the well directed volleys of austrian infantry from the second line crushed the french and piedmontese cavalry. On the right a gap in the austrian line is discovered by the King Charles Emmanuel III. An austrian counterattack led by Prince Wuttemberg is beaten off by rifled and foot companies of dragoons Regiments. One of these units is of the Dragons de Piemont. During the winter the Regiment is in the barracks at Casalpusterlengo In 1735 Dragons de Piemont is again campaigning in the east of Lombardy. In september it is present on the West side of lake of Garda supporting the french action on the East side. King Charles Emmanuel III's will of fight is now low and so at the end of the year, the 8 november, Dragons de Piemont takes winter quarters. In the follow years Dragoni di Piemonte has 5 squadrons of 2 companys each. The total strength is of 662 men. Of the 10 companys, 1 is of these is of reserve and another one is of depot.

Service during the Austrian Succession War In 1742 Dragoni di Piemonte is campaigning in Italy and Savoy: the first half of the year is spent campaigning agaist spanish army in the Padania Plain. In late summer a spanish offensive is launched against Savoy. Charles Emmanuel III wants a counter offensive and attached to La Salle's column we found Dragoon Regiment Dragoni di Piemonte. Only in jeunary 1743 the troops come back in Piedmont, leaving Savoy to the spanish. During the enemy offensive against Varaita Valley, in autumn 1743, the regiment is in the plain around Saluce, while the rifled company is entrenched at Villaretto during the combats from 24 september to 10 october around the Village of Chateau Dauphin. In 1744 the Dragoni di Piemonte are again in the country of the city of Saluce, ready to reach the valley where the main frenchspanish offensive will be launched. Conti's army break the front of the Alp in Stura and Varaita Valleys; it conquers in a second time the Fort of Demonte and it besieges Cuneo. The King trys to break the siege, and he moves his army on the

fields of Madonna dell'Olmo (30 september 1744). The cavalry is on the right of the piedmontese battleline; Dragoni di Piemonte is situated on the centre of the infantry line, first line, to close a gap in the front. The chevals de frise of the grenadiers are posted before the cavalry, so the enemy mounted forces has no match to come close. There was only an exchange of fire. In 1745 at Bassignana (27 september) Dragoni di Piemonte faces with the sabaudian army the Maillebois' offensive. All the six piedmontese cavalry regiments are on the left, around the village of Bassignana. They try to stop the advance of the enemy, but the units have to withdraw on Valence. During this movement Dragoni di Piemonte is on the bottom of the column and near the village of Pelizzari it has to face alone three enemy columns, Arembourg's, Pignatelli's and Gage's. After a short and violent defence, during that the rifled company led by Captain Della Villa is destroyed, many troopers surrend. Two regimental flags are lost in such occasion. In 1746 Dragoni di Piemonte is present in the Leutrum army, first patrolling the country around the city of Moncalieri, then it is present before the walls od Asti during the short siege (6-7 march 1746). The dragons excort the Leutrum's advance to the Citadel of Alessandria. Then the cavaly is employed in a campaign around the cities of Alessandria and Valenza. After the Battle of Pleisance (16 june 1746) a cavalry brigade (Cavalry Regiment Savoia, Dragoons Regiments Dragoni di Piemonte, Dragoni del Genevese) detached on the right side of the Po river has the possibility to fight in the battle of the Tidone (10 august 1746). The piedmontese have their best day of the entire war; they first block the french-spanish counterattack, facing 3 french squadrons (Dauphin, Vieuville) and the infantry line. Then, with the austrian Dragoons Regiment Savoyen, they charge three times the enemy cavalry, taking many prisoners and two flags (Lusitania, Dauphin). After such engagement the Regiment Dragoni di Piemonte, without its horses, is in the trench around the Fortress of Tortona (20 august &endash; 27 november 1746). Then, again monted, the dragoons are patrolling the mountain front in the west, until the end of the war in 1748.

Commanders of Dragoni di Piemonte under Charles Emmanuel III Giovanni Domenico Tapparello di Lagnasco Tommaso Solaro Conte di Moretta Augustin Martin de Challant Vittorio Amedeo Compte Maffei Cesare Agostino Oreglia Chevalier de Castino Victor Verdina Chevalier de St. Martin

25- 9- 1731 28- 1- 1736 7- 1- 1742 7- 3- 1747 6- 9- 1758 2 -7- 1768

Uniforms

1730-1752: Red coat, waistcoat (white in 1749), breeches white lining, cuffs. From 1750s the coat has also a white collar. Ten tinned buttons on each side of the coat, in five ranks of two. Three buttons on the cuffs. Horizontal pockets.

Tricorne with dark blue cockade on the left brim and white hem. In 1750 a bearskin cap for grenadiers was introduced. The tail was red, decorated with a white hem and a red and white pompon. Black leather gaiters.

1750-1773: (only principal differences from the previous issue): Red coat with white lapels. Since 1761 the Regiment has white breeches.

Colours

Regimental Colour: Red Banner with the great Coat of arms of Piedmont. Golden hem and decorations