115:
95:
629:, which bombed Italian artillery positions. While the attack of the 7th Indian Brigade was repelled, the 10th Indian Brigade and the tanks managed to penetrate the defenses on the western side, while the Gaullist forces broke through in the southwestern sector. Bonetti capitulated in the afternoon of April 8, after having as much equipment as possible dumped into the harbor.
468:
was being fought, it became clear that the fall of
Eritrea and Massawa was only a matter of time; Bonetti devised a plan to save the few ships able to deal with an ocean travel, and the destruction of all remaining vessels to prevent them from falling into enemy hands. On his orders, submarines
589:
Bonetti was also the commander of the
Massawa Fortress Area and its garrison, which numbered about 10,000 men; after the end of the Battle of Keren, this was the last Italian military presence in Eritrea, along with a few hundred men in the
739:
I. O. S. Playfair, J. R. M. Butler, "The
Mediterranean and Middle East: The Early Successes Against Italy (to May 1941)", pp. 441-442, History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series.
586:
and a floating crane) so that their wrecks would blockade the port entrances and render the harbour unusable for a long period. All ships were scuttled between April 1 and April 8, 1941.
764:
601:
telephoned
Bonetti and requested him to surrender and not to obstruct the port by scuttling ships, threatening otherwise to abandon the Italian civilian population in
769:
245:
655:
and placed in command of the
Livorno Naval Academy; he was placed in auxiliary for age limits in October 1947. In 1956 he was promoted to
478:
31:
516:
510:
233:
374:
262:
701:
610:
343:
266:
779:
606:
440:
and of the
Hydrographic Survey Vessel Group which from 1934 to 1938 carried out several hydrographic campaigns in
774:
637:
325:
274:
633:
618:
270:
560:. Bonetti arranged the scuttling of the ships in Massawa (nine Italian and five German merchant ships, the
419:
178:
496:
304:
208:
759:
754:
392:
319:
400:
432:. Afterwards, he directed for three years the Hydrographic Institute, before being promoted to
583:
506:
378:
331:
223:
403:
in the seas of Italy (except for one year when he was attached to the
Hydrographic Office in
100:
626:
465:
457:
316:
411:. In 1923 he graduated in nautical sciences and hydrography. In 1927 he was promoted to
557:
719:
748:
645:
416:
312:
184:
652:
561:
556:
to avoid being captured, part of them in the port of
Massawa and the others in the
453:
335:
288:
240:
142:
120:
622:
602:
598:
350:
228:
549:
460:
and given command of the Naval High
Command East Africa, with headquarters in
358:
572:
553:
412:
382:
354:
159:
632:
For his defense of
Massawa, Bonetti was awarded the Officer's Cross of the
594:
naval base. Massawa was encircled by Commonwealth forces on April 5, 1941;
30:
641:
488:
656:
595:
579:
492:
461:
441:
433:
308:
54:
339:
300:
78:
50:
524:. Between March 31 and April 2, the last five remaining destroyers (
659:
and transferred to the reserve. He died in Genoa 19 February 1961.
591:
521:
404:
388:, and he received a commendation for an action in September 1917.
287:(March 3, 1888 – February 16, 1961) was an Italian admiral during
82:
74:
58:
614:
651:
Repatriated after the war, Bonetti was promoted to the rank of
334:
Bonetti distinguished himself in command of landing parties in
697:
695:
693:
691:
605:. Bonetti twice refused the ultimatum; on April 8, the
689:
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681:
679:
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675:
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671:
256:
216:
149:
134:
126:
106:
88:
64:
37:
21:
487:left Eritrea at the end of March 1941, headed to
613:simultaneously attacked Massawa, supported by
311:in 1906, graduating in 1909 with the rank of
8:
456:, and at the end of the year he was sent to
391:From 1920 to 1926 Bonetti, with the rank of
395:, commanded the hydrographic survey vessel
735:
733:
731:
729:
727:
29:
18:
765:Italian military personnel of World War I
452:In November 1940 Bonetti was promoted to
715:
713:
711:
709:
702:Biographical Dictionary Men of the Navy.
552:; all other ships, on Bonetti's orders,
667:
770:Regia Marina personnel of World War II
548:) were sent on a last attack against
7:
491:(home of the Italian Atlantic base
373:; during this period he received a
353:, Bonetti served for 21 months on
14:
648:, and remained there until 1945.
464:. A few months later, while the
315:. His first assignments were on
113:
93:
582:three tugboats, as well as two
720:the Scapa Flow in the Red Sea.
375:Silver Medal of Military Valor
263:Silver Medal of Military Valor
205:Naval High Command East Africa
202:Italian Hydrographic Institute
1:
377:. Later in the war he became
611:10th Indian Infantry Brigade
344:War Cross for Military Valor
267:War Cross for Military Valor
495:), while the colonial ship
436:returned to the command of
407:), and later the submarine
16:Italian admiral (1888–1961)
796:
448:World War II and aftermath
299:Mario Bonetti was born in
169:(hydrographic survey ship)
638:Order of the German Eagle
424:, and then of submarines
415:and given command of the
275:Order of the German Eagle
28:
569:Vincenzo Giordano Orsini
369:and later in command of
303:in 1888 and entered the
634:Military Order of Italy
619:4th Royal Tank Regiment
271:Military Order of Italy
401:hydrographic campaigns
361:, first on submarines
305:Italian Naval Academy
295:Early life and career
246:East African Campaign
209:Italian Naval Academy
127:Years of service
501:, the merchant ship
393:lieutenant commander
640:. He was sent to a
554:scuttled themselves
438:Ammiraglio Magnaghi
397:Ammiraglio Magnaghi
167:Ammiraglio Magnaghi
780:People from Arezzo
507:auxiliary cruisers
636:and the Cross of
379:executive officer
357:with the rank of
332:Italo-Turkish War
282:
281:
234:Adriatic Campaign
224:Italo-Turkish War
787:
775:Italian admirals
740:
737:
722:
717:
704:
699:
475:Galileo Ferraris
342:, receiving the
317:armored cruisers
119:
117:
116:
108:
101:Kingdom of Italy
99:
97:
96:
71:
68:16 February 1961
47:
45:
33:
19:
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786:
785:
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745:
744:
743:
738:
725:
718:
707:
700:
669:
665:
625:troops and the
565:Giovanni Acerbi
534:Cesare Battisti
466:Battle of Keren
450:
430:Antonio Sciesa
399:during various
297:
273:
269:
265:
252:
163:
139:Contrammiraglio
114:
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94:
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73:
69:
49:
43:
41:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
793:
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767:
762:
757:
747:
746:
742:
741:
723:
705:
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584:floating docks
558:Dahlak Islands
449:
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197:Antonio Sciesa
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147:
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136:
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110:
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72:(aged 72)
66:
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34:
26:
25:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
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646:British India
643:
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635:
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628:
624:
620:
616:
612:
608:
604:
600:
597:
593:
587:
585:
581:
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570:
566:
563:
562:torpedo boats
559:
555:
551:
547:
543:
539:
535:
531:
530:Daniele Manin
527:
526:Nazario Sauro
523:
519:
518:
513:
512:
508:
504:
500:
499:
494:
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486:
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467:
463:
459:
455:
447:
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435:
431:
427:
423:
422:
418:
417:scout cruiser
414:
410:
406:
402:
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389:
387:
384:
380:
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372:
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364:
360:
356:
352:
347:
345:
341:
337:
333:
330:; during the
329:
328:
323:
322:
318:
314:
310:
306:
302:
294:
292:
290:
286:
285:Mario Bonetti
276:
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255:
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185:scout cruiser
182:
181:
177:
174:
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161:
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153:
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144:
140:
137:
133:
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111:
105:
102:
91:
87:
84:
80:
76:
67:
63:
60:
56:
52:
40:
36:
32:
27:
23:Mario Bonetti
20:
653:vice admiral
650:
631:
588:
575:
568:
564:
545:
541:
537:
533:
529:
525:
515:
509:
502:
497:
485:Guglielmotti
484:
479:
474:
470:
454:rear admiral
451:
437:
429:
425:
420:
408:
396:
390:
385:
370:
366:
362:
348:
326:
320:
298:
289:World War II
284:
283:
241:World War II
217:Battles/wars
196:
190:
179:
172:
166:
155:
143:Rear Admiral
138:
121:Regia Marina
70:(1961-02-16)
48:3 March 1888
760:1961 deaths
755:1888 births
623:Free French
603:East Africa
599:Lewis Heath
520:sailed for
351:World War I
229:World War I
199:(submarine)
193:(submarine)
175:(submarine)
749:Categories
550:Port Sudan
359:lieutenant
355:submarines
89:Allegiance
44:1888-03-03
573:minelayer
480:Archimede
413:commander
383:destroyer
327:San Marco
160:submarine
130:1906–1947
642:POW camp
580:gunboats
503:Himalaya
489:Bordeaux
150:Commands
107:Service/
657:admiral
617:of the
596:General
546:Pantera
517:RAMB II
498:Eritrea
493:Betasom
462:Massawa
458:Eritrea
442:Red Sea
434:captain
426:Balilla
381:of the
349:During
309:Leghorn
191:Balilla
55:Tuscany
578:, two
576:Ostia
571:, the
511:RAMB I
421:Quarto
386:Ardito
340:Tobruk
313:ensign
301:Arezzo
257:Awards
180:Quarto
118:
109:branch
98:
79:Ligury
51:Arezzo
663:Notes
615:tanks
592:Assab
542:Leone
538:Tigre
522:Japan
471:Perla
405:Genoa
336:Derna
83:Italy
75:Genoa
59:Italy
609:and
567:and
544:and
514:and
505:and
483:and
428:and
371:F 10
367:F 13
365:and
338:and
324:and
321:Pisa
156:F 10
135:Rank
65:Died
38:Born
644:in
627:RAF
607:7th
409:N 3
363:F 7
307:in
173:N 3
751::
726:^
708:^
670:^
621:,
540:,
536:,
532:,
528:,
477:,
473:,
444:.
346:.
291:.
162:)
81:,
77:,
57:,
53:,
187:)
183:(
158:(
145:)
141:(
46:)
42:(
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