to 225 men, but in turn each battalion received its own machine gun section with two machine guns, a submachine-gun section with two Villar Perosa submachine guns, and a Sapper unit with 88 men. On 3 March 1916 the regimental command of the 1st Bersaglieri Regiment was disbanded and its battalions became autonomous. At the end of 1916 the Bersaglieri fielded: 15 regiments (one in Albania, 14 in Italy) 48 battalions on foot (45 grouped in 15 regiments and three autonomous battalions). Each of these battalions consisted of four companies of 225 men each, a sapper unit, a machine-gun section, and two submachine-gun sections 15 autonomous battalions on foot (two deployed to Rhodes, thirteen in Libya). Each of these battalions consisted of three companies of 250 men each and a machine-gun section 12 cyclist battalions, each with three companies of 150 men and a machine-gun section Early in 1917 each battalion in Italy received a second submachine-gun section and in May the battalions were thoroughly reorganized: the machine gun sections of each battalion were increased to a machine gun company with six machine guns, while the battalion's 4th companies were grouped in independent "marching" battalions (Battaglione di Marcia), which acted as personnel reserve for the armies deployed to the front. After the defeat at Caporetto the Italian army was forced to retreat from the Isonzo river to the Piave river. During the retreat four Bersaglieri regiments and three autonomous battalions were so badly mauled that they had to be disbanded: besides the wartime regiments 15 and 21, also the peacetime regiments 4 and 9 were disbanded. Thus at the end of 1917 the Bersaglieri corps consisted of: 16 regiments (one in Albania, 15 in Italy) 48 battalions on foot (grouped in 16 regiments). Each of these battalions consisted of three companies of 225 men each, a machine gun company, a sapper unit, and two submachine-gun sections. 15 autonomous battalions on foot (two deployed to Rhodes, ten in Libya). Each of these battalions consisted of three companies of 250 men each and a machine-gun section 12 cyclist battalions, each with three companies of 150 men and a machine-gun section After the Battle of Caporetto the Chief of Staff of the Italian Army Luigi Cadorna was finally dismissed and replaced by Armando Diaz. Diaz reorganized the army and ordered the Bersaglieri battalions to be reorganized: the companies on foot were reduced to