Highly decorated Italian Servicemen?

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The Desert Fox
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Highly decorated Italian Servicemen?

#1

Post by The Desert Fox » 30 Nov 2002, 15:23

The Poor italians have often been the butt of some ridicule as to their performance in ww2. However the more enlightened of us know much of these ridicule cannot fully be justified.

I was wondering who where some of the most highly decorated italian Servicemen of ww2? Who where some of the more notable army, navy and airforce servicemen.

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The Desert Fox

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Rodrigo
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#2

Post by Rodrigo » 30 Nov 2002, 20:26

OK, the italians performance at war was not excellent but "ridicule" it`s a very strong word.


JLEES
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Italian Military in the War

#3

Post by JLEES » 30 Nov 2002, 20:56

Although many believe that the Italian military performance is the conflict was bad there were a number of brave Italian soldiers that fought hard, proved their bravery, but still lack much needed recognition. Fascist-Italy's failure was more do to its higher level strategic planning by Mussolini and his weak General Staff, which resulted in mistakes and her poor operational performance. Generally the soldier's at the ground level had high morale at the beginning of the conflict, but due to this poor upper-level mismanagement of forces, generally poor equipment to fight with, poor propaganda having no relevance with reality and then defeat on the battlefield by an enemy growing stronger everyday, morale soon began to crumble. Nevertheless, the Italian soldier fought hard and courageously in Greece, Africa and Russia when called upon to perform. There is in getting around the fact that the Italian army in Ethiopia gave the British an excellent fight in 1941 before the colonies destruction. The morale of the Italian soldier of 1940 was far different then the average combatant in 1943.
James

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Lupo Solitario
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#4

Post by Lupo Solitario » 30 Nov 2002, 22:34

James, there's a current trend to read the italian military failure as "incompetence" (to be kind, many use the word "cowardice"....) of the average italian soldier. Many people seem believe that success or defeat in war depends by "genetical" skills of armies involved (same people who lose time in telling "We are more courageous than you" and so on).
For good scholars, reality is different: army performarces are more often the result of determinate leader decisions, of resources involved and of the kind of society of which are expressions. Complicated but more interesting than treating a dramatic event as war as it was the final match of a football league...

Back to original thread question, I got no idea of who had been the most decorated italian of WWII but there had been many for many rilevant events. Men as Mimbelli, Buscaglia, Fecia di Cossato, Ruspoli, Martinat (only to tell first ones come in my mind) can anyway stand in every Hall of Honor you can imagine

ciao

Lupo

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Italian Hero

#5

Post by JLEES » 30 Nov 2002, 23:20

Lupo Good to hear from you again!

I may be wrong but I believe the most decorated Italian hero of the war might be Captain Enzo Grossi commander of the Barbarigo. But this maybe a bad example to use because his two claimed US battleships sunk: the USS Mississippi and USS Maryland were incorrectly credited to him. Nevertheless, I believe Grossi was given two Italian Gold Medals and one Iron Cross 1st Class. Was there another Italian whom won Two Gold Medals?
James

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SM79Sparviero
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six Gold Medals

#6

Post by SM79Sparviero » 01 Dec 2002, 01:56

Alexandria,December, 19, 1941.In one night six gold medals were got by six Italian gallant "incursori" ( raider-frogmen).

Tenente di Vascello Luigi Durand De La Penne and Capo Emilio Bianchi critically damaged battleship HMS Valiant

Capitano del genio Navale Antonio Marceglia and sottocapo Spartaco Schergat critically damaged battleship HMS Queen Elizabeth

Capitano Vincenzo Martellotta and capo Mario Marino severely damaged the tanker Sagona and the English destroyer Jervis.

Their weapons were a genial submarine slow torpedo (Siluro a Lenta Corsa) , a very good training and their courage.
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Csaba Becze
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#7

Post by Csaba Becze » 01 Dec 2002, 02:03

Yes, the Italians had a lot of excellent and brave soldiers.

JLEES:
Grossi was a very strange man; BTW, if I know correctly, he got the Ritterkreuz also (not just the EK I)

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Daniel L
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#8

Post by Daniel L » 01 Dec 2002, 02:40

Excellent picture Sparviero! That's what I would call a modern version of Baron von Munchhausen.

Does anyone have some information about those Italians that drove some small motorboat right into a battleship?

regards

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The Desert Fox
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#9

Post by The Desert Fox » 01 Dec 2002, 03:05

Lupo Solitario wrote: Back to original thread question, I got no idea of who had been the most decorated italian of WWII but there had been many for many rilevant events. Men as Mimbelli, Buscaglia, Fecia di Cossato, Ruspoli, Martinat (only to tell first ones come in my mind) can anyway stand in every Hall of Honor you can imagine

ciao

Lupo
I would be interested to know a little more about Mimbelli, Buscaglia, Fecia di Cossato, Ruspoli, Martinat. What branches of service where they in, and when did they get their awards?

regards
The Desert Fox

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Csaba Becze
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#10

Post by Csaba Becze » 01 Dec 2002, 04:33

I know just a bit about this people:

Buscaglia was the most famous Italian torpedo-bomber pilot(he perished in 1944 in Allies side);
Fecia di Cossato was an U-boat commander (RK, Italian Gold Medal for Bravery); Mimbelli was also a navy officer, but in a torpedo-boat (if I know correctly).

I ma interested in the details also...

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Grossi May be the Guy!

#11

Post by JLEES » 01 Dec 2002, 13:06

Csaba,
If Grossi won two Italian Gold medals for bravery, a German knights Gross, and an Iron Cross I Class, he may have been the highest decorated Italian in WWII and the RSI. Meanwhile, I’m sure there were other Italians who did braver deeds, but Grossi may have been the highest decorated Italian in the war. Does anyone know of another Italian who has achieved a higher number of decorations?
James

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Csaba Becze
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#12

Post by Csaba Becze » 01 Dec 2002, 13:36

Unfortunately, Grossi had just a very ferile imagination... I prefer the other two eminent U-boat commanders, who got the Medaglia d'Oro al Valor Militare and the RK (Fecia di Cossato and Gazzana-Priaroggia)

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Grossi

#13

Post by JLEES » 01 Dec 2002, 15:03

Csaba,
I agree! Although Grossi was possibly the highest winner of high awards, there is no possibility he deserved them for his claimed achievements of two US battleships. You almost have to yell “foul play” when dealing with Grossi on this issue.
James

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April 16th, 1941.Destroyer Luca Tarigo

#14

Post by SM79Sparviero » 01 Dec 2002, 15:04

UNGUIBUS ET ROSTRO(=with your claws, with your beak). It was written on the deck of Destroyer-flotilla leader Luca Tarigo, Navigatori class.

In the night the destroyer and the smaller Baleno and Lampo were on escort service for a merchant convoy. Four British destroyers attacked the convoy with the help of a state-of-art radar.The Tarigo was hitten by several armour-piercing shells that irreparably damaged the turbogenerator .The gunners lacked any electric power to move 120 mm twin guns .
Lieutenant Ettore Bisagno, a junior officer while his ship was sinking trained the torpedo tube launcher on the enemy, managing to hit and sink the flotilla-leader Mohawk. He moved the triple torpedo tubes with the only power of his arms,"with his claws and his beak", and launched 3 torpedoes with the emergency explosive charge.

Commander Pietro De Cristofaro who had a leg amputated by a shell saw the enemy sinking while he was smoking his last cigarette .

They both got a gold medal.A really merited gold medal.

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Csaba Becze
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#15

Post by Csaba Becze » 02 Dec 2002, 10:07

JLEES,

Just a few words about Grossi again. If I know correctly, once he attacked a British corvette - without success -, and claimed an US battleship 8O . I am afraid, that he was similar, than Baron Münchhausen...

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