World War II

On 1 May 1941 the depot of the 21st Artillery Regiment "Trieste" in Piacenza formed the 121st Artillery Regiment. The regiment consisted of a command, a command unit, and three group with 75/18 mod. 35 howitzers.^[1] In March 1942 the regiment was assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division "Ravenna", which also included the 37th Infantry Regiment "Ravenna" and 38th Infantry Regiment "Ravenna". Upon entering the division the regiment was renamed 121st Artillery Regiment "Ravenna" and reorganized. The regiment now consisted of a command, a command unit, I and II groups with 75/18 mod. 35 howitzers, the XXVIII Group with 105/28 cannons, and the 51st and 303rd anti-aircraft batteries with 20/65 mod. 35 anti-aircraft guns.^[4]

The division was assigned to the Italian 8th Army, which was sent to the Eastern Front. After the arriving in the Soviet Union the regiment also received the 71st Anti-tank Battery with 75/39 anti-tank guns. On 16 December 1942 the Red Army commenced Operation Little Saturn, which destroyed most of the Italian 8th Army. The remnants of the Ravenna division were repatriated in April 1943.^[1][4]

After its return to Italy the regiment was based in Alessandria and being rebuilt with existing units. The regiment received a group with horse-drawn 100/17 mod. 14 howitzers, a group with horse-drawn 75/27 mod. 06 field guns, a group with mule-carried 75/13 mod. 15 mountain guns, and a battery with 20/65 mod. 35 anti-aircraft guns. The regiment was then transferred to Roccastrada in southern Tuscany to support the XVI Coastal Brigade.^[1][4]

For its conduct in the Soviet Union the regiment was awarded a Silver Medal of Military Valor, which was affixed to the regiment's flag and is depicted on the regiment's coat of arms.^[2][1][4] The regiment was still in the process of being rebuilt when it was disbanded by invading German forces after the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943.^[1][4]

Cold War

On 1 March 1951 the regiment was reformed as 121st Field Artillery Regiment in Reggio Emilia and assigned to the Infantry Division "Trieste", which also included the 21st Field Artillery Regiment. On 1 July 1951 the regiment consisted of command, a command unit, the newly raised I and II groups with M101 105mm towed howitzers, and the III Light Anti-aircraft Group with 40/56 autocannons, which had been formed by the Anti-aircraft Artillery School. On 25 August of the same year the regiment received from the Artillery School the IV Self-propelled Anti-tank Group with M18 Hellcat tank destroyers. On 3 November 1951 the regiment moved from Reggio Emilia to Modena and on 1 April 1952 the regiment received the V Self-propelled Anti-tank Group with M18 Hellcat tank destroyers.^[4][5]

On 1 January 1953 the regiment transferred its two groups with M18 Hellcat tank destroyers to the 21st Field Artillery Regiment. On 15 June 1953 the groups of the 21st Field Artillery Regiment were transferred to the 121st Field Artillery Regiment, which was renamed 21st Field Artillery Regiment. The same day the command and command unit of the now former 21st Field Artillery Regiment moved to Bologna, where they formed the 121st Heavy Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment. The new regiment was assigned to the VI Territorial Military Command and consisted of four newly formed anti-aircraft groups: the I, II, and III heavy anti-aircraft groups with American 90/50 M1 anti-aircraft guns, and the V Light Anti-aircraft Group with 40/56 autocannons. The formation of the new groups concluded in 1954.^[4][5]

On 1 April 1956 the V Light Anti-aircraft Group was renumbered IV Light Anti-aircraft Group. On 1 August 1963 the regiment was assigned to the army's Anti-aircraft Artillery Command. On 31 August 1964 the regiment ceded the II Heavy Anti-aircraft Group in Bologna to the 18th Light Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment. In turn the 121st Heavy Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment received the IX Heavy Anti-aircraft Group in Ferrara from the 17th Light Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment, which was renamed II Heavy Anti-aircraft Group and remained detached in Ferrara.^[4][5]

On 1 March 1970 the regiment received two groups from the 18th Light Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment: the II Light Anti-aircraft Group with 40mm L/70 autocannons in Reggio Emilia and IV Light Anti-aircraft Group with 40mm L/70 autocannons in Bologna. On the same date the two groups were renumbered as I and II groups and the regiment changed its name to 121st Light Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment. The remaining heavy groups were disbanded.^[4][5]

As part of the 1975 army reform the 18th Light Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment was disbanded on 18 November 1975 and the next day the regiment's two remaining groups joined the 121st Light Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment. After the reform each of the four light anti-aircraft groups fielded 471 men (24 officers, 89 non-commissioned officers, and 358 soldiers).^[6] The regiment consisted now of the following units:^[4][5]

On 10 March 1977 the 2nd Light Anti-aircraft Group moved from Bologna to Mestre, afterwards the 1st Light Anti-aircraft Group moved from Reggio Emilia to Bologna. From January 1986 to June 1987 the regiment's batteries were deployed to Sicily to protect Italian and American air bases on the island due to the increased tension between the West and Libya. In 1988 the introduction of the Stinger man-portable air-defense systems commenced, followed in 1991 by the introduction of SIDAM 25 self-propelled anti-aircraft guns.^[4][5]

With the end of the Cold War the regiment was reduced in size: on 17 September 1992 the 3rd Light Anti-aircraft Group in Rimini left the regiment and the next day entered the reformed 18th Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment and on 30 October of the same year the 4th Light Anti-aircraft Group in Ferrara was disbanded. On 14 December 1993 the 2nd Light Anti-aircraft Group in Mestre left the regiment and the next day the group was renamed 17th Light Anti-aircraft Artillery Group "Sforzesca". On the same date, 15 December 1993, the regiment changed its name to 121st Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment.^[4][5]

On 1 October 1997 the regiment was awarded the honorary title "Ravenna" to commemorate the division it served with during World War II. On 1 January 2002 the regiment was assigned to the Anti-aircraft Artillery Brigade. In October 2002 the command of the 17th Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment "Sforzesca" in Rimini moved to Sabaudia and the regiment's group with Skyguard Aspide air defence systems was assigned to the 121st Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment "Ravenna" as 2nd Anti-aircraft Group. On 11 September 2009 the Anti-aircraft Artillery Brigade was merged with the Anti-aircraft Artillery School to form the Anti-aircraft Artillery Command.^[5]

On 30 September 2019 the 2nd Anti-aircraft Group in Rimini was disbanded and its personnel and materiel merged into the 1st Anti-aircraft Group in Bologna.^[7]