Alberto Da Zara' was one of the most notable admirals of the Italian Regia Marina

Regia Marina

The Regia Marina dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification...

. He joined it in 1907 and fought aboard battleships in the Italo-Turkish War

Italo-Turkish War

The Italo-Turkish or Turco-Italian War was fought between the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Italy from September 29, 1911 to October 18, 1912.As a result of this conflict, Italy was awarded the Ottoman provinces of Tripolitania, Fezzan, and...

 and the First World War. In the inter-war years he alternated between commanding torpedo boat

Torpedo boat

A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...

s and cruiser

Cruiser

A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...

s and acting as a naval commander in the Aegean Sea

Aegean Sea

The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...

 and the Far East

Far East

The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...

. He became an admiral in 1939 and after some minor commands early in the Second World War he led 7th Naval Division, playing a major part in the Battle of Pantelleria

Operation Harpoon (1942)

Not to be confused with Operation Harpoon Operation Harpoon was one of two simultaneous Allied convoys sent to supply Malta in the Axis-dominated Mediterranean Sea in mid-June 1942, during the Second World War. One convoy, Operation Vigorous, left Alexandria. The other, Operation Harpoon, travelled...

. After the Italian armistice with the Allies, he was interned on Malta

Malta

Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...

.

Family

Alberto's father was a former cavalry officer and his brother Guido died fighting in Croatia

Croatia

Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...

 as a cavalry officer on 16 February 1943 while commanding the Cavalleggeri di Alessandria regiment. Da Zara never married, but he won the nickname latin lover by his conduct in high society in Italy and the Far East - during his time in China, his conquests seem to have included Wallis Simpson, future wife of Edward VIII of the United Kingdom

Edward VIII of the United Kingdom

Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...

.

Ranks

Guardiamarina (1911), Sottotenente di Vascello (1913), Tenente di Vascello (1915), Capitano di Corvetta (1923), Capitano di Fregata (1927), Capitano di Vascello (1933), Contrammiraglio (1939), Ammiraglio di Divisione (1941), Ammiraglio di Squadra (1944).

Honours

• Military Order of Italy
  Military Order of Italy
  The Military Order of Italy is the highest military order of the Italian Republic and the former Kingdom of Italy. It was founded as the Military Order of Savoy, a national order by the King of Sardinia, Vittorio Emanuele I, Duke of Savoy in 1815...
  
   - Commander
• War Merit Cross
  War Merit Cross (Italy)
  The Italian War Merit Cross was instituted by King Victor Emanuel III on 19 January 1918.From its institution till 30 May 1927, 1,034,924 Crosses were issued.-Eligibility:...
  
  
• Commemorative Medal for the Italo-Turkish War 1911-1912
  Commemorative Medal for the Italo-Turkish War 1911-1912
  The Commemorative Medal for the Italo-Turkish War 1911-1912 was a medal instituted by Vittorio Emanuele III of Savoy on 21 November 1912 for all civilian personnel and Italian and colonial troops who fought against the Ottoman Empire in the Italo-Turkish War of 1911 to 1912....
  
  
• Commemorative Medal for the Italo-Austrian War 1915-1918
  Commemorative Medal for the Italo-Austrian War 1915-1918
  The Commemorative Medal for the Italo-Austrian War 1915-1918 was the Italian campaign medal for World War I....
  
   (4 campaign-year stars)
• Commemorative Medal of the Unity of Italy
  Commemorative Medal of the Unity of Italy
  The Italian Risorgimento was celebrated by a series of medals set up by the three kings who ruled during the long process of unification - the Commemorative Medal for the Campaigns of the War of Independence and the various versions of the Commemorative Medal of the Unity of Italy, which were...
  
  
• Allied Victory Medal
  Allied Victory Medal (Italy)
  The Allied Victory Medal was the Italian variant of the Victory Medal...
  
  
• Order of Aviz
  Order of Aviz
  The Military Order of Aviz , previously to 1910 Royal Military Order of Aviz , previously to 1789 Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz , previously Knights of St. Benedict of Aviz or Friars of Santa Maria of Évora, is a Portuguese Order of Chivalry...
  
  - awarded by Portugal