Post by flakstruk on Aug 21, 2022 1:19:52 GMT
Alberto De Zara
8 April 1889
Padua, Kingdom of Italy
Died
4 June 1951 (aged 62)
Foggia, Italy
Allegiance
Kingdom of Italy
Service/branch
Regia Marina
Years of service
1907-1946
Rank
Ammiraglio di squadra
Service:
inter-war years he first commanded a gunboat in the Dodecanese, and then the river gunboat Ermanno Carlotto on the Yangtze in the Far East, from 1922 to 1925. In 1933, promoted to captain, he was slated to be the first commander of the modern cruiser Emanuele Filiberto Duca d'Aosta, commissioned two years later; from April 1937 he transferred on the cruiser Raimondo Montecuccoli, which was assigned to the Far East til November 1938. On 2 January 1939 he was promoted to rear admiral, and from April he became commander of the maritime command in newly occupied Albania.
On Italy's declaration of war (10 June 1940), Da Zara was assigned to command two cruisers of the 4th Division (the da Giussano and the da Barbiano), and in such capacity he fought, albeit in a very minor role, in the Battle of Punta Stilo (also called the "Battle of Calabria"). Afterwards, he was assigned to some minor commands, such as commander of the La Spezia Naval Base. On 5 March 1942 he took command of the 7th Naval Division (replacing Raffaele de Courten), made of the four light cruisers of the Montecuccoli and D'Aosta classes; on 15 June 1942, his command fought the Battle of Pantelleria ("Operation Harpoon"), often considered one of the few squadron-sized Italian successes on the sea during the war. His division sailed again to contest Operation Pedestal, but its sortie was aborted and had to return to port.
On 1 August 1943 Da Zara took command of the 5th Division, made up of the two old battleships Duilio and Andrea Doria, stationed at Taranto. When the Italian armistice with the Allies was proclaimed, he complied with the orders to sail to Malta and, on arrival, because of the death of Admiral Carlo Bergamini, took command of the whole Italian fleet. Da Zara remained in Malta until December 1943, when he returned to Italy, and after commanding the military department of the Ionian Sea and inspector of the naval forces, he retired from active duty in October 1946.
With regard to harpoon, his division coordinated with air cover, to close in with and engage with convoy. Used dds to lay smoke for the cruisers to engage
8 April 1889
Padua, Kingdom of Italy
Died
4 June 1951 (aged 62)
Foggia, Italy
Allegiance
Kingdom of Italy
Service/branch
Regia Marina
Years of service
1907-1946
Rank
Ammiraglio di squadra
Service:
inter-war years he first commanded a gunboat in the Dodecanese, and then the river gunboat Ermanno Carlotto on the Yangtze in the Far East, from 1922 to 1925. In 1933, promoted to captain, he was slated to be the first commander of the modern cruiser Emanuele Filiberto Duca d'Aosta, commissioned two years later; from April 1937 he transferred on the cruiser Raimondo Montecuccoli, which was assigned to the Far East til November 1938. On 2 January 1939 he was promoted to rear admiral, and from April he became commander of the maritime command in newly occupied Albania.
On Italy's declaration of war (10 June 1940), Da Zara was assigned to command two cruisers of the 4th Division (the da Giussano and the da Barbiano), and in such capacity he fought, albeit in a very minor role, in the Battle of Punta Stilo (also called the "Battle of Calabria"). Afterwards, he was assigned to some minor commands, such as commander of the La Spezia Naval Base. On 5 March 1942 he took command of the 7th Naval Division (replacing Raffaele de Courten), made of the four light cruisers of the Montecuccoli and D'Aosta classes; on 15 June 1942, his command fought the Battle of Pantelleria ("Operation Harpoon"), often considered one of the few squadron-sized Italian successes on the sea during the war. His division sailed again to contest Operation Pedestal, but its sortie was aborted and had to return to port.
On 1 August 1943 Da Zara took command of the 5th Division, made up of the two old battleships Duilio and Andrea Doria, stationed at Taranto. When the Italian armistice with the Allies was proclaimed, he complied with the orders to sail to Malta and, on arrival, because of the death of Admiral Carlo Bergamini, took command of the whole Italian fleet. Da Zara remained in Malta until December 1943, when he returned to Italy, and after commanding the military department of the Ionian Sea and inspector of the naval forces, he retired from active duty in October 1946.
With regard to harpoon, his division coordinated with air cover, to close in with and engage with convoy. Used dds to lay smoke for the cruisers to engage
