Luigi Corsi (

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 ...

, 4 April 1898 –

Aegean Sea The Aegean Sea ; tr, Ege Denizi (Greek language, Greek: Αιγαίο Πέλαγος: "Egéo Pélagos", Turkish language, Turkish: "Ege Denizi" or "Adalar Denizi") is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea between Europe and Asia. It ...

, 29 March 1941) was an Italian naval officer 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

He was born in

on April 4, 1898, the son of a naval officer, and entered the Naval Academy of Livorno at a young age, being commissioned as ensign in 1916. He took part 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 ...

on surface vessels, being promoted 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 ...

in 1917 and 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 ...

in 1918. After the end of the war he assumed 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 ...

''Confienza'', with which in 1923 he participated in the occupation of the island of

Corfu Corfu (, ) or Kerkyra ( el, Κέρκυρα, Kérkyra, , ; ; la, Corcyra.) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea, of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the margin of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The isl ...

during the crisis between Italy and Greece. After promotion to

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 ...

, in 1932 he received the command of the destroyer ''Espero'', with which he spent a period in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

(from February to October 1932), protecting Italian citizens and interests during the Sino-Japanese conflict.Paolo Alberini, Franco Prosperini, ''Dizionario Biografico Uomini della Marina 1861-1946'', pp. 159-160 In 1933 he was promoted to

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 during the

Second Italo-Ethiopian War The Second Italo-Ethiopian War, also referred to as the Second Italo-Abyssinian War, was a war of aggression which was fought between Italy and Ethiopia from October 1935 to February 1937. In Ethiopia it is often referred to simply as the Itali ...

he held the position of Chief of Staff of the 1st Naval Squadron; after the end of the war he became deputy commander and director of studies of the Naval Academy, as well as commanding officer 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 ...

''Amerigo Vespucci'' from 17 June 1936 to 13 May 1937. In 1939 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 on 1 March 1940 he assumed command of the heavy cruiser ''Zara''. At the command of his ship he took part in the

battle of Punta Stilo 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 Second World War. Ships of the Italian ''Regia Marina'' were opposed by vessels of the British Roya ...

, on 9 July 1940 (for which he was awarded a War Cross for Military Valor), as well as in convoy operations and in sorties against British operations

Hats A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...

and MB. 5. ''Zara'' later became the

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...

of the commander of the 1st Cruiser Division, Admiral

Carlo Cattaneo Carlo Cattaneo (; 15 June 1801 – 6 February 1869) was an Italian philosopher, writer, and activist, famous for his role in the Five Days of Milan in March 1848, when he led the city council during the rebellion. Early life Cattaneo was born i ...

, and in this capacity took part in the battle of Cape Matapan.

Death

During the battle, in the night between 28 and 29 March 1941, ''Zara'''s sistership ''Pola'' was disabled by a

torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, su ...

dropped by a torpedo bomber, and the 1st Cruiser Division was ordered back to her assistance, thus running into the battleships of Admiral

Andrew Browne Cunningham Admiral of the Fleet Andrew Browne Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope, (7 January 1883 – 12 June 1963) was a senior officer of the Royal Navy during the Second World War. He was widely known by his initials, "ABC". Cunningham ...

Mediterranean Fleet The British Mediterranean Fleet, also known as the Mediterranean Station, was a formation of the Royal Navy. The Fleet was one of the most prestigious commands in the navy for the majority of its history, defending the vital sea link between t ...

. Before being able to react, ''Zara'' was hit by fifteen

broadside Broadside or broadsides may refer to: Naval * Broadside (naval), terminology for the side of a ship, the battery of cannon on one side of a warship, or their near simultaneous fire on naval warfare Printing and literature * Broadside (comic ...

s from HMS ''Valiant'', HMS ''Warspite'' and HMS ''Barham'' and turned into a floating wreck, with her rudder, engines and armament disabled and much of her crew killed or wounded. Corsi and Cattaneo, who had both remained unscathed, discussed what to do and came to the conclusion that the ship had to be scuttled. They therefore gathered the crew on the stern, where Cattaneo announced his decision, and Corsi ordered a final cheer and then gave the order to abandon ship. As squads of volunteers opened the

seacock A seacock is a valve on the hull of a boat or a ship, permitting water to flow into the vessel, such as for cooling an engine or for a salt water faucet; or out of the boat, such as for a sink drain or a toilet. Seacocks are often a Kingston va ...

s and prepared to blow up the ship's magazines, ''Zara'' was hit by a torpedo fired by HMS ''Jervis'' and sank after a violent explosion. Corsi was not among the survivors; conflicting accounts exist on his fate, one claiming that he retired to the chartroom and went down with the ship, another that he abandoned the ship with the last of the crew as she went down, having refused a place on a raft, and was never seen again. He was posthumously awarded the

Gold Medal of Military Valor The Gold Medal of Military Valour ( it, Medaglia d'oro al valor militare) is an Italian medal established on 21 May 1793 by King Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia for deeds of outstanding gallantry in war by junior officers and soldiers. The fac ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Corsi, Luigi 1898 births 1940s missing person cases 1941 deaths Italian military personnel killed in World War II Missing person cases in Greece People lost at sea Recipients of the Gold Medal of Military Valor Regia Marina personnel of World War II

Biography

Death

See also

References