On 29 and 30 October 1917, in a small village in Friuli called Pozzuolo, just under a thousand brave Italian soldiers managed to slow down, for twenty-four hours, 2 German and Austrian divisions, thus allowing the entire III Army, and Italy all, to have the time to settle on the Piave river, a prerequisite for victory.
5 squadrons of the "Genova Cavalleria" (4th) and "Lancieri di Novara" (5th) regiments participated in the historic enterprise with some company of the brigade Bergamo. In the ammunition pouches for only two hours of combat, an Italian machine gun against ten automatic weapons of the opponent, a strength ratio of one to ten, non-existent supplies, five white weapon charges and half the force remaining on the field.
The 2nd cavalry brigade in Pozzuolo on the morning of October 30 included 968 men in its ranks, including officers, non-commissioned officers and troops, only 501 remained in the evening, so among the dead and missing it had lost almost half its strength.
With these numbers the legend became reality and the Italian soil was saved.
At dawn on October 30, the first contact with the enemy was taken by two patrols of the Genoa Cavalleria, north of the town of Pozzuolo.
At about 11,00, the vanguard of the 117th German division carried out its first attack in force, but was repelled by machine guns and the 2nd squadron of the Genoa Cavalleria.
At about 12,00 the attack was renewed with greater force, but was again rejected, this time with the bayonet and a subsequent attempt to circumvent by the German forces was foiled with a charge of the 4th squadron of the regiment Novara Lancers.
At 14,00 the German division joined units of the 60th Austrian Infantry Division that attacked Pozzuolo opposed by the regiment Genoa Cavalleria. At 16,30 the German and Austrian troops managed to overcome the barricade that prevented access from Terenzano. The 4th squadron of the Novara Lancers he charged the enemies to repel them but despite all the efforts of the knights and the population, at 17,30 pm the enemy managed to place some machine guns in the houses of the town, making the position of the cavalry brigade unsustainable.
After eight hours of fighting, the Capodilista general ordered the regiments to remount on horseback and to fall back on Santa Maria di Sclaunicco.
The last to leave Pozzuolo was the 4th squadron of the Genoa Cavalleria, who, close by the enemy, carried out a last charge, in which he was almost completely annihilated and his commander lost his life.
The resistance in the town ceased only at 19 pm, after a defense that the same enemy recognized as valiant.
The noble deeds and sacrifice of those days have become a symbol for the Italian Cavalry which, keeping faith with its ideals of spirit of service and absolute dedication to the homeland, continues to operate with the same enthusiasm and unchanged passion in every operation on the national territory and abroad.
To all the Knights of Italy the warmest wishes for this important anniversary!
