Why have elite Italian marksmen worn black feathers on their headdresses for over 100 years? (7 photos)

The Bersaglieri are the famous elite Italian branch of riflemen, who stand out for their incredibly strange plumes on their headdress in the form of black massive feathers.





Regardless of the changes in the appearance of the Bersaglieri over the centuries, only one element of their equipment remains untouched. Yes, you guessed it, we are talking about black feathers. The Bersaglieri wore black feathers on their hats in the early 19th century, continued to wear them on their helmets throughout the 20th century, and today wear them attached to a tactical/ballistic helmet and don't seem to be getting rid of them anytime soon.

Why do elite soldiers need to wear huge black feathers on their helmet? Does this give any advantage on the battlefield? Why did they even need them? What function did these feathers perform or perform?

A short excursion into the history of the appearance of the Italian Bersaglieri



It is generally accepted that the Bersaglieri were created in 1836 by the captain and Italian aristocrat Alessandro La Marmora, who, at his own financial expense, spent a whole decade studying the military art of different countries in order to create an ideal lightly armed rifle regiment that would have high mobility, maneuverability and could perform complex tasks. combat missions even in difficult terrain (mountainous or forested areas).

When La Marmora was able to secure a meeting with the chief minister, Matteo Agnier de Geney, in 1831, he gained serious connections that, within a few years, allowed him to prepare and present his unique corps of riflemen to the king of the Sardinian kingdom himself. Already in 1836, the trained detachment of Bersaglieri was shown to King Charles Albert, who was pleased with what he saw and the very first decree established a new Italian corps of riflemen - Bersaglieri, and he appointed the captain himself as commander of this corps and allowed him to personally train soldiers, at the same time allocating serious funding .

This is how the story of these famous Italian soldiers began.





In 1836, the Bersaglieri riflemen officially became part of the Piedmontese armed forces. By 1852, the Italian Bersaglieri army already had as many as 10 battalions of four companies each. On September 20, 1870, the Bersaglieri gained fame at home when they captured Rome, liberating the city from the power of the Pope and further strengthening their position in the fight for the unification of Italy.

In the early years of their founding, the Bersaglieri acted as skirmishers or shock troops, moving from place to place at a run, covering slow-moving lines and columns. A sophisticated system of sound signals allowed the army to quickly deploy Bersaglieri units and effectively command them on the battlefield, or even occasionally use them in the role of highly mobile saboteurs, capable of ambushing the enemy and quickly retreating.



Bersaglieri during the First World War

During the First World War, some Bersaglieri served in bicycle battalions in order to more effectively carry out maneuver operations on the battlefields. By the way, Benito Muscolini himself fought in the Bersaglieri regiment in 1915-1917, where he was even able to become famous among his comrades when, during attacks, he was always the first to jump out of the trenches shouting: “Long live Great Italy!”



Today, the Bersaglieri are the elite of Italian special forces, renowned for their agility, shooting accuracy and exacting physical standards. Unlike the US Rangers, Navy SEALs, Air Force Special Tactical Teams or Special Forces, the Italian Bersaglieri are capable of maneuvering as fast independent units on the battlefield and performing a variety of combat roles.

But why do they wear feathers on their heads?



Since the 19th century, the characteristic feathers of the Bersaglieri have been attached to brimmed hats called “vaira.” Fortified “vaira” hats with brims were worn slightly slanted and served to protect the head from slashing blows from a saber, and the attached side plume of bright black capercaillie or pheasant feathers was necessary for shooters to cast shadows on the eye, with which the Bersaglieri took aim.



The summer sun in the Mediterranean could be very bright, hot and unforgiving, and there was no sun visor or sunglasses for 19th century shooters. When conducting aimed fire, when the bright rays were very blinding, the Bersaglieri simply adjusted the hat so that the feathers from it fell onto the eye and provided protection for the eyesight.

Nowadays, these same feathers are a badge of honor, attracting recruits and strengthening the spirit of a proud corps of soldiers. Today, feathers can be said to be attached to the ballistic helmets of the Bersaglieri as a tribute to tradition and a key identification mark of this elite unit, in much the same way that modern English Grenadier Guards wear long bearskin caps on guard duty outside Buckingham Palace.

Today, the Bersaglieri are a formidable, modern mechanized combat force that commands the respect of the international community. They have performed valiantly in numerous national and international conflicts. Italy's goal is to have a small, well-balanced military of high quality, and their feathered troops help them greatly in this.