116:
84:
33:
128:
96:
833:, one of the protagonists of the "battle of convoys". However his work as a naval writer did not come to an end. During the 1960s and early 1970s the Historical Office, which he had directed for nearly ten years, published his works dedicated to naval actions in the Mediterranean and to the organization of the Navy in a series of books on the history of
887:
should have avoided a resolutive clash, instead trying to keep its own communication lines open. Differently from his colleague Di
Giamberardino, Fioravanzo never thought that the major naval battle was the key of the strategy; vice versa, one or more naval battles would be sparked only by contrasts
583:
Generals Cappa and Mattei to write a series of norms aimed at easing the cooperation between the Navy and the Air Force, until that time very poor, and to create and publish the so-called "blue bulletin" that, every two weeks, updated operational commands on the activity of
Italian and British Navy
743:
towards 8th
Division led Fioravanzo to consider that he was going to clash with an Allied naval force under conditions of sharp inferiority. Considering the risk of losing two cruisers, but above all the lives of 1,500 crew members without being able to cause significant damage to their opponent,
868:
Generals and by himself. He was operatively involved in the Battle of Mid-June as battleships commander; as leader of the 8th
Division he was involved in the negative episode of the aborted Palermo shelling which cost him both leadership and career. However correct was his interpretation of the
662:. It was a purely "platonic" command: the refurbished battleships were in a reserve position, had no fuel and their operational deployment was not planned, and at any rate it had to be ruled out even for the 9th Division battleships, since the trend of the war was by then unfavorable for Italy.
554:
war room. He was able to follow the course of operations directly, along with other assistant admirals who rotated around the clock. Thus he oversaw all the operations in which the
Italian Navy was involved during the first twenty months of war, including, together with Admirals Ferreri and De
883:) in which he arrived as far as predicting a real inter-forces strategy. However, when the book was published in 1931, the time was not ripe yet for the Italian military to adopt such a doctrine. His strategical vision consisted of a defensive-active tactic. A smaller Navy like the
576:. The Department of Special Studies was concerned not only in projects, but also in the rewriting of tactical regulations, of operational statistics, of the writing of articles for magazines and newsletters, and of propaganda (via radio also).
804:). In his book Trizzino made accusations against the wartime Navy Staff, going as far as conjecturing that the admirals had betrayed the Italian Navy by favoring the Allied victory. Trizzino's book started the "legend" of a supposedly pro-
485:
of the
Reunited Naval Forces, a body set up in September 1935 to give a framework of homogeneity for the employment and command criteria of the two squadrons into which the Italian Navy was then divided ā this at a time when a clash with
447:(Maritime Magazine) as well as his first books of naval theory, in so doing becoming one of the most promising officers of the Navy. He was among those Navy officers who supported the idea that the Italian Navy should build and deploy
570:. As such Fioravanzo studied most projects of Navy "special operations" and the related deployment of forces. He was the one who, well before the war, devised the first draft of the plan for the forthcoming invasion of Malta, dubbed
648:
In
January 1943 the Italian fleet was reorganized and Fioravanzo, on 6 January, left the command of the 9th Division and the following day he took the lead of the 5th Division formed by the old refurbished battleships of the
645:, the higher commander at sea. The action of the 9th Division, together with that of the 3rd and 8th Division, forced the British to abandon the mission with no ballistic contact between the two sides.
607:
in view of a decisive offensive towards Egypt. The plan was never carried out if not partially, but there is little doubt that this study inspired positively the later strategy of the
Italian Navy.
377:
Fioravanzo commanded one of the 152-mm batteries and distinguished himself, along with a fellow soldier equal in rank named Parona, on 15 and 16 May 1916 in engaging
Austrian-Hungarian forces near
1157:
796:
From 1950 onwards he directed the Navy
Historical office. In that period being the head of such office, he was involved in a controversy with journalist Antonino Trizzino, author of the pamphlet
509:
The School command, in addition to its institutional role of preparing promising ship captains for promotion to higher ranks, also had the secondary task of participating in the control of the
1147:
1152:
537:). During the course of the war he was a Staff member until March 1942, when his assignments became of a mostly operational nature. In the meantime he had advanced to the rank of
837:(some of them posthumous). They are mandatory reading for all those who want to deepen their knowledge of history of the Italian Navy in the tragic period of World War II.
1137:
719:
864:
which allowed to operate in a manner more adherent to the reality of the conflict. The air and naval successes of Summer 1942 are also partly due to the effort made by
822:, whose role in the Battle of the Mediterranean was made public in the early 1970s. In addition to being the director of the Historical Office, Fioravanzo directed the
1142:
769:
961:
788:
with the Allies, Fioravanzo was part of the commission tasked with epurating (substituting) Regia Marina personnel who had compromised themselves with Fascism.
840:
Admiral Fioravanzo died in Rome on 18 March 1975. As he requested in his last will, his entire personal archive was donated to the historical archive of the
1127:
677:
some days before. This brought a negative turn in Fioravanzo's career: due to the anticipated return of the Division without accomplishing the mission,
713:
765:
were heading towards 8th Division with an escort of destroyers. Thus, retrospectively, Fioravanzo's decision turned out to be the most sensible.
584:
Forces during the previous fortnight; moreover, the Admiral added his own critical remarks to the description of the most significant actions.
248:
826:(Maritime Magazine) to which he had been contributing since the 1920s with nearly fifty articles on a wide variety of naval-related subjects.
599:) and Air Force General Mattei like a full-blown inter-forces commission. In Cavallero's aims, the study was meant to elaborate the so-called
287:
and the First World War, from the 1920s he started his activity as a naval theorist and writer besides continuing his military career. During
283:
he was one of the main authors of the development of Italian naval doctrine between the two World Wars. After serving with distinction in the
728:, however, had engine troubles and therefore could not develop more than 28 knots of speed. Furthermore, neither cruiser was equipped with
295:, he held important commitments, both operational and related to General Staff. After the war he directed the Historical Office of the
1101:
1075:
346:
724:. In the evening of the next day, the Division left La Maddalena bound for Palermo, where the Allied ships were riding at anchor.
650:
401:
After the First World War, in 1921, Fioravanzo was assigned for some time to the Navy military command of the city of Pola (now
213:
232:
374:
after its sinking in July 1915. The crew manned gun batteries of mixed calibers that engaged the enemy on the sea frontline.
368:
224:
656:
416:
498:
566:
Above all Fioravanzo was responsible for the Navy Department of Special Studies: the actual "study office" of the then
240:
971:
966:
579:
Among Fioravanzo's most important tasks and initiatives it is worth mentioning that in May 1941, he collaborated with
470:
1132:
903:
611:
422:
236:
752:
693:
though remaining in active service. In practice, his career was over. Paradoxically, he was decorated with the
637:
689:. The disembarkement and the loss of the leading position made it impossible for Fioravanzo to be promoted to
244:
856:
Through his Admiral status in World War II he contributed to the improvement of the collaboration between
674:
560:
280:
205:
1050:
organizzazione della Marina durante il conflitto. Tomo II. Evoluzione organica dal 10-6-1940 al 8-9-1943
948:
610:
On 25 March 1942 he moved aboard ship to take command of the 9th Naval Division, which consisted of the
385:. In July Fioravanzo's battery (numbered 97 bis) was transferred near Monfalcone to be deployed against
327:
548:
During his early period at Rome, in the Staff, Fioravanzo had the function of assistant Admiral in the
1122:
1117:
918:
819:
759:
455:
603:
against the British Mediterranean Fleet, necessary to acquire the supremacy at least in the central
666:
818:. Today, the wartime setbacks encountered by the Italian Navy and Merchant Marine are credited to
632:
619:
572:
542:
482:
292:
209:
513:. In this function Commander Fioravanzo also played a role in blockading the Strait to prevent
32:
1097:
1071:
865:
861:
604:
580:
448:
386:
342:
284:
201:
197:
510:
89:
930:
815:
785:
777:
694:
686:
617:
battleships. The first combat action in which he participated was the contrast to British
534:
228:
1094:
Fucilate gli ammiragli. La tragedia della marina italiana nella seconda guerra mondiale
897:
872:
805:
736:
642:
592:
506:, head of a set of three torpedo boat squadrons which were affiliated with the school.
478:
437:
335:
276:
1111:
829:
Fioravanzo left the direction of the Historical Office in 1959, succeeded by Admiral
588:
494:
487:
474:
942:
936:
884:
857:
834:
830:
808:
705:
690:
682:
665:
On 14 March 1943 he became the leader of the 8th Naval Division, replacing Admiral
567:
413:
360:
296:
288:
272:
182:
155:
133:
121:
700:
The mission began on the evening of 6 August 1943 when the Admiral, set sail from
596:
550:
909:
624:
502:
and in that same year he took over the Naval Command School and the destroyer
429:
382:
1089:, XLVIII, Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, Roma, 1997, pp. 114ā116;
924:
845:
745:
529:
When Italy entered World War II on 10 June 1940, Fioravanzo was promoted to
308:
52:
1068:
La guerra italiana sul mare. La Marina tra vittoria e sconfitta, 1940ā1943
367:(Navy Group). The first nucleus of the Group was formed by crewmen of the
709:
412:
In 1923, after advancing to senior officer status he took command of the
320:
773:
685:
High Command) decided to leave him ashore and replace him with Admiral
670:
406:
390:
268:
186:
751:
After the war, it was ascertained through perusal of US archives that
587:
The joint Navy-Air Force study had been encouraged by Chief of Staff
433:
869:
tactical situation, this was acknowledged only later, in retrospect.
1018:
intervento navale italiano nella guerra civile spagnola. Parte III"
432:
to protect Italian interests threatened by tensions between ethnic
812:
784:, in case he could not bring himself to do so. Later, during the
781:
729:
701:
628:
518:
378:
316:
312:
101:
56:
772:
was signed, Fioravanzo was the military commander of the city of
631:. This action took place in the wider naval clashed known as the
473:, which resulted in a serious political crisis between Italy and
443:
At the same time Fioravanzo began to publish his articles in the
744:
Fioravanzo decided not to complete the mission and sail back to
514:
402:
888:
on the respective aims - nothing else than traffic operations.
871:
From the doctrinal point of view Fioravanzo was an advocate of
748:
although well-aware that this meant the end of his own career.
185:
Staff, 9 Naval Division, 5 Naval Division, 8th Naval Division,
258:
author, historian, director of Italian Navy Historical Office
1020:. Rivista Italiana Difesa NĀ° 3, marzo 1987, pp. 84ā92;
493:
From 14 January to 12 October 1936 he was in charge of the
271:. He was considered one of the main "intellectuals" of the
517:-shipped supplies from reaching Republican-held ports in
1063:. Aviazione e Marina NĀ° 125, September 1975, p. 17;
462:, and subsequently he assumed command of the destroyer
1041:. Storia Militare NĀ° 119, August 2003, pp. 14ā21;
319:, although the family, of noble heritage, hailed from
359:
He took part to the First World War in the northern
1158:
Italian military personnel of the Italo-Turkish War
641:and Fioravanzo participated on orders from Admiral
254:
220:
193:
170:
162:
147:
139:
107:
77:
63:
39:
23:
591:who in fact used admiral Fioravanzo, Army General
389:for use in the planned battle for the conquest of
341:He was still a cadet when he participated in the
1148:Recipients of the Silver Medal of Military Valor
267:(14 August 1891 ā 18 March 1975) was an Italian
770:Armistice between Italy and Allied armed forces
1153:Recipients of the War Cross for Military Valor
811:. Trizzino was fully acquitted in 1954 by the
780:, in charge of taking the Italian warships to
623:, which goal was to take a supply convoy from
393:. Later on it was moved back to Punta Sdobba.
962:Military history of Italy during World War II
712:) with the Division formed by light cruisers
8:
466:and of the related 7 torpedo boat squadron.
669:. In this capacity he was ordered to shell
1025:Corazzate classe Vittorio Veneto. Parte II
31:
20:
1138:Italian military personnel of World War I
673:, which had fallen into the hands of the
877:La guerra sul mare e la guerra integrale
233:Commemorative Italian-Austrian war medal
983:
311:, a town about 20 km southeast of
1143:Regia Marina personnel of World War II
875:from very early on. His main work was
249:Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
7:
1087:Dizionario biografico degli italiani
381:and hindering their advance towards
458:on the newly commissioned cruiser
14:
1128:People from the Province of Padua
241:Medal of the Unification of Italy
595:(who would later be executed at
428:, with which he was sent to the
126:
114:
94:
82:
1061:ammiraglio Giuseppe Fioravanzo"
1034:. Edizioni Bizzarri, Roma 1973;
1027:. Edizioni Bizzarri, Roma 1973;
881:War at sea and combined warfare
776:and offered to replace Admiral
721:Emanuele Filiberto Duca d'Aosta
189:military commander and prefect.
225:Silver Medal of Military Valor
1:
1070:. Milano, Mondadori, 2001,
1032:Corazzate classe Caio Duilio
1030:Franco Bargoni, Franco Gay.
1023:Franco Bargoni, Franco Gay.
1096:. Milano, Mondadori, 1987,
972:Italian Co-Belligerent Navy
967:Battle of the Mediterranean
471:Second Italo-Abyssinian War
330:in 1909 and graduated as a
1174:
915:Tenente di Vascello (1918)
291:, having been promoted to
237:Inter-allied Victory medal
999:V. Tur, op. cit. pag. 222
990:V. Tur, op. cit. pag. 221
910:Primo Tenente di Vascello
275:; together with admirals
30:
904:Sottotenente di Vascello
1052:. Roma, U.S.M.M., 1975;
943:Ammiraglio di Divisione
539:Ammiraglio di Divisione
421:, an old vessel of the
245:Military Order of Italy
561:Battle of Cape Matapan
345:aboard the battleship
206:Battle of Cape Matapan
1044:Giuseppe Fioravanzo.
949:Ammiraglio di squadra
737:aerial reconnaissance
365:Raggruppamento Marina
328:Italian Naval Academy
152:Ammiraglio di Squadra
140:Years of service
1066:Giorgio Giorgerini.
931:Capitano di Vascello
919:Capitano di corvetta
735:The sighting by the
454:He then served as a
289:the Second World War
204:, Second World War,
1083:Giuseppe Fioravanzo
1039:"Obiettivo Palermo"
925:Capitano di fregata
802:Ships and armchairs
667:Raffaele de Courten
490:seemed inevitable.
265:Giuseppe Fioravanzo
200:, First World War,
25:Giuseppe Fioravanzo
1037:Enrico Cernuschi.
792:After World War II
715:Giuseppe Garibaldi
633:Battle of Mid-June
620:Operation Vigorous
559:, that led to the
543:Divisional Admiral
483:Commander-in-Chief
293:Divisional Admiral
210:Battle of Mid-June
1081:Walter Polastro.
1055:Aldo Fraccaroli.
866:Regia Aeronautica
862:Regia Aeronautica
824:Rivista Marittima
739:of unknown ships
697:for that action.
638:Operation Harpoon
625:Alexandria, Egypt
605:Mediterranean Sea
581:Regia Aeronautica
477:, Fioravanzo was
449:aircraft carriers
445:Rivista Marittima
387:Monte San Michele
343:Italo-Turkish War
285:Italo-Turkish War
262:
261:
202:Spanish Civil War
198:Italo-Turkish War
1165:
1133:Italian admirals
1060:
1049:
1017:
1012:Franco Bargoni.
1000:
997:
991:
988:
939:(1 January 1939)
511:Strait of Sicily
299:for many years.
281:Di Giamberardino
214:Italian Campaign
132:
130:
129:
120:
118:
117:
109:
100:
98:
97:
90:Kingdom of Italy
88:
86:
85:
70:
49:
47:
35:
21:
1173:
1172:
1168:
1167:
1166:
1164:
1163:
1162:
1108:
1107:
1058:
1047:
1015:
1009:
1004:
1003:
998:
994:
989:
985:
980:
958:
937:Contrammiraglio
894:
870:
854:
816:Court of Appeal
798:Navi e poltrone
794:
786:co-belligerence
778:Alberto Da Zara
695:Croce di Guerra
687:Luigi Biancheri
652:Conte di Cavour
557:Operation Gaudo
535:Counter-Admiral
531:Contrammiraglio
527:
399:
397:Inter-war years
357:
355:First World War
326:He entered the
307:He was born in
305:
255:Other work
229:Croce di Guerra
181:light cruiser,
127:
125:
124:
115:
113:
95:
93:
92:
83:
81:
72:
68:
51:
45:
43:
26:
17:
16:Italian admiral
12:
11:
5:
1171:
1169:
1161:
1160:
1155:
1150:
1145:
1140:
1135:
1130:
1125:
1120:
1110:
1109:
1106:
1105:
1092:Gianni Rocca.
1090:
1079:
1064:
1053:
1042:
1035:
1028:
1021:
1008:
1005:
1002:
1001:
992:
982:
981:
979:
976:
975:
974:
969:
964:
957:
954:
953:
952:
946:
940:
934:
928:
922:
916:
913:
907:
901:
893:
890:
873:naval aviation
853:
850:
793:
790:
643:Angelo Iachino
593:Antonio Gandin
526:
523:
479:Chief of Staff
398:
395:
356:
353:
348:Benedetto Brin
336:Sub-lieutenant
315:in north-east
304:
301:
260:
259:
256:
252:
251:
222:
218:
217:
195:
191:
190:
177:torpedo boat,
172:
168:
167:
166:97/bis battery
164:
160:
159:
149:
145:
144:
141:
137:
136:
111:
105:
104:
79:
75:
74:
71:(aged 83)
65:
61:
60:
50:14 August 1891
41:
37:
36:
28:
27:
24:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1170:
1159:
1156:
1154:
1151:
1149:
1146:
1144:
1141:
1139:
1136:
1134:
1131:
1129:
1126:
1124:
1121:
1119:
1116:
1115:
1113:
1103:
1102:88-04-43392-2
1099:
1095:
1091:
1088:
1084:
1080:
1077:
1076:88-04-50150-2
1073:
1069:
1065:
1062:
1054:
1051:
1043:
1040:
1036:
1033:
1029:
1026:
1022:
1019:
1011:
1010:
1006:
996:
993:
987:
984:
977:
973:
970:
968:
965:
963:
960:
959:
955:
950:
947:
944:
941:
938:
935:
932:
929:
926:
923:
920:
917:
914:
911:
908:
905:
902:
899:
898:Guardiamarina
896:
895:
891:
889:
886:
882:
878:
874:
867:
863:
859:
851:
849:
847:
843:
838:
836:
832:
827:
825:
821:
817:
814:
810:
807:
803:
799:
791:
789:
787:
783:
779:
775:
771:
766:
764:
763:
757:
756:
749:
747:
742:
738:
733:
731:
727:
723:
722:
717:
716:
711:
707:
703:
698:
696:
692:
688:
684:
680:
676:
672:
668:
663:
661:
659:
654:
653:
646:
644:
640:
639:
634:
630:
626:
622:
621:
616:
614:
608:
606:
602:
598:
594:
590:
589:Ugo Cavallero
585:
582:
577:
575:
574:
569:
564:
562:
558:
553:
552:
546:
544:
540:
536:
532:
524:
522:
520:
516:
512:
507:
505:
501:
500:
496:
495:light cruiser
491:
489:
488:Great Britain
484:
480:
476:
475:Great Britain
472:
467:
465:
461:
457:
452:
450:
446:
441:
439:
435:
431:
427:
425:
420:
419:
415:
410:
408:
404:
396:
394:
392:
388:
384:
380:
375:
373:
371:
366:
362:
354:
352:
350:
349:
344:
339:
337:
333:
332:guardiamarina
329:
324:
322:
318:
314:
310:
302:
300:
298:
294:
290:
286:
282:
278:
274:
270:
266:
257:
253:
250:
246:
242:
238:
234:
230:
226:
223:
219:
215:
211:
207:
203:
199:
196:
192:
188:
184:
180:
176:
173:
169:
165:
161:
157:
153:
150:
146:
142:
138:
135:
123:
112:
106:
103:
91:
80:
76:
67:18 March 1975
66:
62:
58:
54:
42:
38:
34:
29:
22:
19:
1093:
1086:
1082:
1067:
1056:
1045:
1038:
1031:
1024:
1013:
995:
986:
885:Regia Marina
880:
876:
858:Regia Marina
855:
841:
839:
835:Regia Marina
831:Aldo Cocchia
828:
823:
809:Regia Marina
801:
797:
795:
767:
761:
755:Philadelphia
754:
750:
740:
734:
725:
720:
714:
706:La Maddalena
699:
691:Vice Admiral
683:Regia Marina
678:
664:
658:Andrea Doria
657:
651:
647:
636:
618:
612:
609:
600:
586:
578:
573:Operation C3
571:
568:Regia Marina
565:
556:
549:
547:
538:
530:
528:
525:World War II
508:
503:
499:Armando Diaz
497:
492:
468:
463:
459:
453:
451:of its own.
444:
442:
423:
417:
414:torpedo boat
411:
400:
376:
369:
364:
361:Adriatic Sea
358:
347:
340:
331:
325:
306:
303:Early career
297:Italian Navy
273:Regia Marina
264:
263:
194:Battles/wars
183:Regia Marina
179:Armando Diaz
178:
174:
156:Vice Admiral
151:
134:Italian Navy
122:Regia Marina
69:(1975-03-18)
18:
1123:1975 deaths
1118:1891 births
852:Conclusions
679:Supermarina
601:mass action
597:Cephallonia
551:Supermarina
469:During the
338:) in 1912.
1112:Categories
1007:References
892:Promotions
430:Dodecanese
383:Monfalcone
78:Allegiance
46:1891-08-14
846:Monselice
768:When the
760:USS
753:USS
746:La Spezia
726:Garibaldi
555:Courten,
456:subaltern
309:Monselice
231:(twice),
143:1912-1959
53:Monselice
956:See also
762:Savannah
741:en route
710:Sardinia
704:towards
613:Littorio
418:Calliope
321:Florence
277:Bernotti
212:(1942),
208:(1941),
175:Calliope
171:Commands
108:Service/
806:British
774:Taranto
671:Palermo
660:classes
481:of the
464:Freccia
460:Trieste
407:Croatia
391:Gorizia
372:cruiser
363:in the
269:admiral
187:Taranto
1100:
1074:
951:(1953)
945:(1940)
933:(1934)
927:(1928)
921:(1923)
912:(1916)
906:(1914)
900:(1912)
842:Comune
675:Allies
615:-class
504:Aquila
434:Greeks
424:Pegaso
370:Amalfi
221:Awards
131:
119:
110:branch
99:
87:
1059:'
1048:'
1016:'
978:Notes
820:Ultra
813:Milan
782:Malta
730:radar
702:Genoa
681:(the
629:Malta
519:Spain
438:Turks
426:class
379:Duino
317:Italy
313:Padua
102:Italy
57:Padua
1098:ISBN
1072:ISBN
860:and
758:and
718:and
655:and
515:USSR
436:and
403:Pula
279:and
163:Unit
148:Rank
73:Rome
64:Died
40:Born
1085:in
844:of
635:or
627:to
545:).
409:).
1114::
1057:"L
1014:"L
848:.
732:.
563:.
521:.
440:.
405:,
351:.
323:.
247:,
243:,
239:,
235:,
227:,
1104:.
1078:;
1046:L
879:(
800:(
708:(
541:(
533:(
334:(
216:.
158:)
154:(
59:)
55:(
48:)
44:(
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