Original Item: Only One Available: This is an excellent condition genuine WWII Italian 3 bronze band strap visor hat, and with the lowest bar being so large, this indicates the rank of Tenente Colonnello, or Lieutenant Colonel. The front of the cap has a lovely hand-embroidered bullion badge, showing a flaming bomb over crossed cannons with numerals “13” in the center, denoting the 13th Artillery Regiment "Granatieri di Sardegna".

The cap is in outstanding condition with the visor and chinstrap both in good shape, the latter being held in place by two Italian artillery buttons. The Tenente Colonnello (Lieutenant Colonel) cap band is in great shape with some staining, and the cap is virtually free of moth nips that we can see. 

The underside of the visor is in good order with just minor crazing of the leather. The interior shows a gorgeous retained sweatband. The celluloid sweat shield is intact, with the maker’s information reading:

FABBRICA BERRETTI
VISIERE-SOGGOLI
CIGNA MELCHIORRE
5-VIA M. GIODA-5
TELEF. 48-866
TORINO

The size is roughly 7 ⅛. An excellent Italian officer’s visor, one of the nicest we’ve had in a while. Ready to display.

On 10 June 1940, the day Italy entered World War II, the regiment consisted of a command, command unit, one group with 100/17 mod. 14 howitzers, one group with 75/27 mod. 11 field guns, one group with 75/13 mod. 15 mountain guns, and an anti-aircraft battery with 20/65 mod. 35 anti-aircraft guns. The regiment was assigned to the 21st Infantry Division "Granatieri di Sardegna", which also included the 1st Regiment "Granatieri di Sardegna" and 2nd Regiment "Granatieri di Sardegna". In December 1940 the regiment transferred its group with 75/13 mod. 15 mountain guns to the 30th Artillery Regiment "Lupi di Toscana" of the 7th Infantry Division "Lupi di Toscana", and received from the 30th Artillery Regiment "Lupi di Toscana" a group with 75/27 mod. 11 field guns. In 1941 the regiment's depot formed a second group with 100/17 mod. 14 howitzers for the regiment.

From May 1941 until November 1942 the division was on anti-partisan duty in occupied Yugoslavia and then returned to Rome. After the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943 the division was tasked to defend Italy's capital from invading German forces. By nightfall units of the Granatieri division were engaged in fierce combat with the German 2nd Fallschirmjäger Division at the Magliana bridge in the Magliana neighborhood on the southern outskirts of Rome. The grenadiers of the Granatieri division, the lancers of the Regiment "Lancieri di Montebello" (8th) and thousands of civilians fought the Germans until 10 September, when the flight of King Victor Emmanuel III to Apulia made further resistance senseless. On 12 September 1943 the Germans disbanded the division and its regiments.

For its role in the defence of the Rome the 13th Artillery Regiment "Granatieri di Sardegna" was awarded a Bronze Medal of Military Valor, which was affixed to the regiment's flag and is depicted on the regiment's coat of arms.