Bruto Brivonesi (22 November 1888 – 1 June 1979) was an Italian admiral during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Biography

Early life and career

Brivonesi was born in

Ancona Ancona (, also , ) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region in central Italy, with a population of around 101,997 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region. The city is located northeast of Rome, on the Adriatic S ...

in 1888,Paolo Alberini, Franco Prosperini, ''Dizionario Biografico Uomini della Marina 1861-1946'', Roma, Ufficio Storio dello Stato Maggiore della Marina Militare, 2015. the son of Benedetto Brivonesi and Ida Costanzi, and entered the

Italian Naval Academy The Italian Naval Academy (Italian: ''Accademia Navale'') is a coeducational military university in Livorno, which is responsible for the technical training of military officers of the Italian Navy. History The Hospitals The Hospital of St. Jame ...

Livorno Livorno () is a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of 158,493 residents in December 2017. It is traditionally known in English as Leghorn (pronou ...

in 1905, graduating as an

ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...

on 1 March 1909. After promotion to

Sub-Lieutenant Sub-lieutenant is usually a junior officer rank, used in armies, navies and air forces. In most armies, sub-lieutenant is the lowest officer rank. However, in Brazil, it is the highest non-commissioned rank, and in Spain, it is the second high ...

on 29 August 1911, he participated in the

Italo-Turkish War The Italo-Turkish or Turco-Italian War ( tr, Trablusgarp Savaşı, "Tripolitanian War", it, Guerra di Libia, "War of Libya") was fought between the Kingdom of Italy and the Ottoman Empire from 29 September 1911, to 18 October 1912. As a result o ...

aboard the

battleship A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of large caliber guns. It dominated naval warfare in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The term ''battleship'' came into use in the late 1880s to describe a type of ...

Sardegna Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label=Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after ...

''. Having been promoted to

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

on 1 January 1915, he participated in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, at first embarked on various ships, including the battleship '' Regina Elena'', and later as artillery group commander in the Naval Brigade, fighting on the

Piave river The Piave ( la, Plavis, German: ''Ploden'') is a river in northern Italy. It begins in the Alps and flows southeast for into the Adriatic Sea near the city of Venice. One of its tributaries is the Boite. In 1809 it was the scene of a battle du ...

. He distinguished himself during the fighting near Cortellazzo (July 1918), and the lower Piave (October 1918), receiving two Bronze Medals of Military Valor and a

War Merit Cross The War Merit Cross (german: Kriegsverdienstkreuz) was a state decoration of Nazi Germany during World War II. By the end of the conflict it was issued in four degrees and had an equivalent civil award. A " de-Nazified" version of the War Merit ...

.Stéphan Jules Buchet, ''Un sottotenente di vascello nel conflitto italo-turco'', in ''Bollettino d'Archivio dell'Ufficio Storico della Marina Militare'', Roma, Ufficio Storico della Marina Militare, March 2012, pp. 33-35. After the end of the war he commanded several

torpedo boat A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval ship designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs were steam-powered craft dedicated to ramming enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes. Later evolutions launched variants of se ...

s, was promoted

lieutenant commander Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding rank i ...

on 1 July 1922 and became

executive officer An executive officer is a person who is principally responsible for leading all or part of an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization. In many militaries and police forces, an executive officer, o ...

of the

protected cruiser Protected cruisers, a type of naval cruiser of the late-19th century, gained their description because an armoured deck offered protection for vital machine-spaces from fragments caused by shells exploding above them. Protected cruisers re ...

Campania Campania (, also , , , ) is an administrative Regions of Italy, region of Italy; most of it is in the south-western portion of the Italian peninsula (with the Tyrrhenian Sea to its west), but it also includes the small Phlegraean Islands and the i ...

''. On 30 July 1926 he became

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

, and in the subsequent years he was given command of the

destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in ...

s , ''Daniele Manin'' and ''Insidioso''. Before taking command of the

training ship A training ship is a ship used to train students as sailors. The term is mostly used to describe ships employed by navies to train future officers. Essentially there are two types: those used for training at sea and old hulks used to house classr ...

Cristoforo Colombo Christopher Columbus * lij, Cristoffa C(or)ombo * es, link=no, Cristóbal Colón * pt, Cristóvão Colombo * ca, Cristòfor (or ) * la, Christophorus Columbus. (; born between 25 August and 31 October 1451, died 20 May 1506) was a ...

'' in March 1930, he held the post of

Chief of Staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...

of the 1st Destroyer Division. He then spent a brief period in shore assignments at the Ministry of the Navy and in command of the schools of the Royal Corps of Naval Crews ('' Corpo Reali Equipaggi Marittimi'', C.R.E.M.) at the Varignano naval base (

La Spezia La Spezia (, or , ; in the local Spezzino dialect) is the capital city of the province of La Spezia and is located at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the southern part of the Liguria region of Italy. La Spezia is the second largest city ...

). On 1 November 1932 he was promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

and assumed the post of Chief of Staff of the 1st Naval Squadron and then, between 1934 and 1936, he commanded the

heavy cruiser The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range and high speed, armed generally with naval guns of roughly 203 mm (8 inches) in caliber, whose design parameters were dictated by the Washington Naval Tr ...

Bolzano Bolzano ( or ; german: Bozen, (formerly ); bar, Bozn; lld, Balsan or ) is the capital city of the province of South Tyrol in northern Italy. With a population of 108,245, Bolzano is also by far the largest city in South Tyrol and the third la ...

''. On 1 January 1937 he was promoted to the rank of

rear admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...

, and assigned to the Ministry of the Navy as a member and secretary for military affairs of the Superior Council of the Navy. In September 1938 he was given command of the Naval Academy in Livorno, a role he kept until August 1939. On 1 September 1939 he was promoted to vice admiral; on that same month he returned at the Ministry and remained there until April 1940.

World War II and aftermath

On 25 April 1940 Brivonesi was appointed commander of the 5th Naval Division, consisting of the battleships '' Duilio'' and ''

Andrea Doria Andrea Doria, Prince of Melfi (; lij, Drîa Döia ; 30 November 146625 November 1560) was a Genoese statesman, ', and admiral, who played a key role in the Republic of Genoa during his lifetime. As the ruler of Genoa, Doria reformed the Repu ...

'', a role he would hold till 7 November 1941.Charles D. Pettibone, ''The Organization and Order of Battle of Militaries in World War II. Vol.VI'', p. 160 Italy entered

on 10 June 1940, and Brivonesi commanded the 5th Naval Division in several missions, including the

Battle of Calabria The Battle of Calabria, known to the Italian Navy as the Battle of Punta Stilo, was a naval battle during the Battle of the Mediterranean in the World War II, Second World War. Ships of the Kingdom of Italy, Italian ''Regia Marina'' were oppose ...

; his division was also involved in the

Battle of Taranto The Battle of Taranto took place on the night of 11–12 November 1940 during the Second World War between British naval forces, under Admiral Andrew Cunningham, and Italian naval forces, under Admiral Inigo Campioni. The Royal Navy launched ...

, where ''Duilio'' was torpedoed and heavily damaged. In the same period, Brivonesi also held for some months the rank of chief of staff of the 1st Fleet. After leaving the command of the 5th Division in November 1941, he was assigned to

Supermarina Supermarina was the headquarters of the Italian Royal Navy (''Regia Marina'') established on 1 June 1940, just before Italy entered the Second World War. The Army and Air Force equivalents were '' Superesercito'' and '' Superaereo'', which were su ...

as Inspector of the anti-submarine forces. He held this office until April 1943; on 1 January 1943 he was promoted to

admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

. Between 1940 and 1942 he was also a member of the Naval Weapons Projects Committee and of the Superior Committee for the coordination of technical projects. On 10 April 1943 Brivonesi was given command of the Ionian and Southern Adriatic Naval Department, with headquarters in

Taranto Taranto (, also ; ; nap, label= Tarantino, Tarde; Latin: Tarentum; Old Italian: ''Tarento''; Ancient Greek: Τάρᾱς) is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto, serving as an important com ...

. On 7 September 1943 Brivonesi participated in a meeting held at the General Staff of the Navy in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, in the presence of the Chief of Staff

Raffaele de Courten Raffaele de Courten (Milan, 23 September 1888 – Frascati, 23 August 1978) was an Italian admiral. He was the last Chief of Staff of the Regia Marina. Life Raffaele de Courten was born in Milan in 1888. He joined the Naval Academy of Leghorn ...

, where he was informed of the imminent proclamation of the armistice with the Allies. When the

armistice of Cassibile The Armistice of Cassibile was an armistice signed on 3 September 1943 and made public on 8 September between the Kingdom of Italy and the Allies during World War II. It was signed by Major General Walter Bedell Smith for the Allies and Brig ...

was announced, on 8 September 1943, Brivonesi ensured that all units and commands under his jurisdiction would comply with the terms of the armistice; when Admiral Giovanni Galati refused to hand over his ships to the Allies, Brivonesi placed him under arrest. At the same time, however, Brivonesi allowed two German

E-Boat E-boat was the Western Allies' designation for the fast attack craft (German: ''Schnellboot'', or ''S-Boot'', meaning "fast boat") of the Kriegsmarine during World War II; ''E-boat'' could refer to a patrol craft from an armed motorboat to a lar ...

s and a MFP to retrieve a load of German mines, leave Taranto unopposed and sail north. The German vessels immediately laid their mines in the Taranto roads (causing the loss of minelayer HMS ''Abdiel'', a British

minesweeper A minesweeper is a small warship designed to remove or detonate naval mines. Using various mechanisms intended to counter the threat posed by naval mines, minesweepers keep waterways clear for safe shipping. History The earliest known usage of ...

and an Italian

tug A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, suc ...

) and later sank the Italian destroyer ''Quintino Sella'' and the Italian

gunboat A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies. History Pre-steam ...

''Aurora'' on their way north, and captured six Italian merchants before reaching Venice. During the

co-belligerence Co-belligerence is the waging of a war in cooperation against a common enemy with or without a formal treaty of military alliance. Generally, the term is used for cases where no alliance exists. Likewise, allies may not become co-belligerents in a ...

and immediately after the war, Brivonesi held successively the positions of Deputy Chief of Staff of the Navy, General Secretary of the Navy, Inspector of Naval Forces from 1 October 1946 to 4 April 1947, and Commander-in-chief of the Italian naval forces from 5 April 1947 to 18 December 1948Marina Militare
/ref> He finally left active service in September 1951, and he was president of the Naval League from 25 July 1950 to 31 January 1960. He died in Rome on 1 June 1979.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brivonesi, Bruto 1888 births 1979 deaths Italian military personnel of World War I Regia Marina personnel of World War II Italian admirals