Antonio Riva
Encyclopedia
Capitano Antonio Riva, (8 April 1896 Shanghai
– 17 August 1951 Beijing
) was an Italian
pilot
and a World War I flying ace
, credited with seven confirmed and seven unconfirmed aerial victories.
with Squadriglia 71a, when he shared a victory with Antonio Amantea
and another Italian pilot. The trio shot down Austro-Hungarian ace Julius Kowalczik
in his Albatros D.III
on 24 August 1917. Riva's next success came four months later, on 26 December 1917, after he had switched to flying a Hanriot HD.1
for Squadriglia 78a, when he shot down a DFW
reconnaissance plane solo, followed by a second win over another DFW, shared with Silvio Scaroni
and three British pilots. A month later, on 27 January 1918, Riva teamed with Guglielmo Fornagiari
for a fourth victory. On 15 June 1918, Riva became an ace. He and Amedeo Mecozzi
teamed to down a Hansa-Brandenburg C.I
. After a string of five unconfirmed claims, he would down two more planes in 1918, to bring his total to seven; he had an equal number of unconfirmed claims.
Confirmed victories are numbered and listed chronologically. Unconfirmed victories are denoted by "u/c" and may or may not be listed by date.
, China
, by a firing squad in 1951, along with a Japanese citizen, Ruichi Yamaguchi. They were convicted of being involved in a plot to assassinate Mao Zedong
and other high-ranking Communist officials.. The plot allegedly involved attacking Mao and other officials atop Tiananmen Gate with a mortar on the 1st of October 1950, during National Day celebrations.
However, there were several issues with the plot. Most obviously, the idea that two foreigners could carry a mortar all the way to Tiananmen Square during a large celebration seems highly improbable. The mortar seized from Riva's house was a nonfunctional part of an antique from the 1930s which could not have been used to attack anyone. Riva had found the antique in a junk pile outside the Holy See legation
; the unfortunate priest whose house was next to the other parts of the mortar was imprisoned for life. A map of the square seized from Yamaguchi's house and used as evidence was actually commissioned by the Beijing Fire Department, to whom Yamaguchi was selling firefighting equipment. It was alleged that the ringleader of the plot was an American serviceman named David Barrett, but he was simply a neighbor to the two who had moved out a year before. In any case, the incident was used to banish the Holy See from China. Two decades later, Zhou apologized to Barrett and invited him back to China.
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
– 17 August 1951 Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
) was an Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
and a World War I flying ace
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
, credited with seven confirmed and seven unconfirmed aerial victories.
World War I service
Riva began his successes while flying a NieuportNieuport
Nieuport, later Nieuport-Delage, was a French aeroplane company that primarily built racing aircraft before World War I and fighter aircraft during World War I and between the wars.-Beginnings:...
with Squadriglia 71a, when he shared a victory with Antonio Amantea
Antonio Amantea
Sottotenente Antonio Amantea was a World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories. He lived to become the last surviving Italian ace of the war.-World War I service:...
and another Italian pilot. The trio shot down Austro-Hungarian ace Julius Kowalczik
Julius Kowalczik
Offizierstellvertreter Julius Kowalczik was a World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories.-References:...
in his Albatros D.III
Albatros D.III
The Albatros D.III was a biplane fighter aircraft used by the Imperial German Army Air Service and the Austro-Hungarian Air Service during World War I. The D.III was flown by many top German aces, including Manfred von Richthofen, Ernst Udet, Erich Löwenhardt, Kurt Wolff, and Karl Emil Schäfer...
on 24 August 1917. Riva's next success came four months later, on 26 December 1917, after he had switched to flying a Hanriot HD.1
Hanriot HD.1
|-References:* Bruce, J.M. The Hanriot HD 1 Leatherhead: Profile Publications* Cheesman E.F. Fighter Aircraft of the 1914-1918 War Letchworth, Harletford Publications, 1960 pp. 82-83- External links :*...
for Squadriglia 78a, when he shot down a DFW
Deutsche Flugzeug-Werke
Deutsche Flugzeug-Werke, usually known as DFW was a German aircraft manufacturer of the early twentieth century. It was established by Bernhard Meyer and Erich Thiele at Lindenthal in 1910, and initially produced Farman designs under licence, later moving on to the Etrich Taube and eventually to...
reconnaissance plane solo, followed by a second win over another DFW, shared with Silvio Scaroni
Silvio Scaroni
Tenente Silvio Scaroni was an Italian World War I fighter pilot credited with 26 victories. He was the second ranking Italian ace of the war.-Early service:...
and three British pilots. A month later, on 27 January 1918, Riva teamed with Guglielmo Fornagiari
Guglielmo Fornagiari
Sergente Maggiore Guglielmo Fornagiari was a World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories.-References:...
for a fourth victory. On 15 June 1918, Riva became an ace. He and Amedeo Mecozzi
Amedeo Mecozzi
Amedeo Mecozzi was an Italian fighter ace of World War I, a general of the Italian Regia Aeronautica and a military theorist credited as the founding father of the "Attack air force" doctrine, which made him a strong opponent to general Giulio Douhet's theories.Mecozzi was orphaned when young, and...
teamed to down a Hansa-Brandenburg C.I
Hansa-Brandenburg C.I
-See also:-References:# Munson, Kenneth - Bombers, Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft 1914 - 1919 ISBN 0 7537 0918 X# # # -External links:* ....
. After a string of five unconfirmed claims, he would down two more planes in 1918, to bring his total to seven; he had an equal number of unconfirmed claims.
List of aerial victories
See also Aerial victory standards of World War IAerial victory standards of World War I
During World War I, the national air services involved developed their own methods of assessing and assigning credit for aerial victories.The victory scores of the pilots represented at List of World War I flying aces often cannot be definitive, but are based on itemized lists that are the best...
Confirmed victories are numbered and listed chronologically. Unconfirmed victories are denoted by "u/c" and may or may not be listed by date.
| No. | Date/time | Aircraft | Foe | Result | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 August 1917 | Nieuport 11 Nieuport 11 |-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Angelucci, Enzio, ed. The Rand McNally Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft. New York: The Military Press, 1983. ISBN 0-517-41021-4.... |
Albatros D.III Albatros D.III The Albatros D.III was a biplane fighter aircraft used by the Imperial German Army Air Service and the Austro-Hungarian Air Service during World War I. The D.III was flown by many top German aces, including Manfred von Richthofen, Ernst Udet, Erich Löwenhardt, Kurt Wolff, and Karl Emil Schäfer... serial number 53.33 |
Destroyed | Forte Luserna Luserna Luserna is a comune in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 25 km southeast of Trento... |
Victory shared with Antonio Amantea Antonio Amantea Sottotenente Antonio Amantea was a World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories. He lived to become the last surviving Italian ace of the war.-World War I service:... and another aviator |
| 2 | 26 December 1917 | Hanriot HD.1 Hanriot HD.1 |-References:* Bruce, J.M. The Hanriot HD 1 Leatherhead: Profile Publications* Cheesman E.F. Fighter Aircraft of the 1914-1918 War Letchworth, Harletford Publications, 1960 pp. 82-83- External links :*... |
DFW DFW DFW may refer to:*Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport*Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, a metropolitan area in north Texas*Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources*Division of Fisheries and Wildlife... reconnaissance plane s/n G128 |
Destroyed | Signoressa | |
| 3 | 26 December 1917 @ 0920 hours | Hanriot HD.1 | DFW reconnaissance plane | Destroyed | Camalo | Victory shared with Silvio Scaroni Silvio Scaroni Tenente Silvio Scaroni was an Italian World War I fighter pilot credited with 26 victories. He was the second ranking Italian ace of the war.-Early service:... , Arthur Jarvis, two other RFC Royal Flying Corps The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance... pilots |
| 4 | 27 January 1918 | Hanriot HD.1 | Enemy airplane | Destroyed | San Marino San Marino San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino , is a state situated on the Italian Peninsula on the eastern side of the Apennine Mountains. It is an enclave surrounded by Italy. Its size is just over with an estimated population of over 30,000. Its capital is the City of San Marino... |
Victory shared with Guglielmo Fornagiari Guglielmo Fornagiari Sergente Maggiore Guglielmo Fornagiari was a World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories.-References:... |
| u/c | 1 May 1918 | Hanriot HD.1 | Enemy airplane | Cimadolmo | Cosimo Rennella Cosimo Rennella Sergente Cosimo Rennella Barbatto was an Ecuadorian World War I flying ace of Italian heritage. He was credited with seven confirmed aerial victories flying for Italian aviation during the war; however, his pioneering aviation activities both before and immediately following the war were probably... was also involved |
|
| 5 | 15 June 1918 @ 1000 hours | Hanriot HD.1 | Hansa-Brandenburg C.I Hansa-Brandenburg C.I -See also:-References:# Munson, Kenneth - Bombers, Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft 1914 - 1919 ISBN 0 7537 0918 X# # # -External links:* .... |
Destroyed | Between Montello Montello -Companies:* Montello Private Finance, a real estate bridging finance company based in London.-Places:Australia*Montello, Tasmania, the home ground of Burnie United FCItaly*Montello, Lombardy, a comune in the Province of Bergamo... and Nervesa della Battaglia Nervesa della Battaglia Nervesa della Battaglia is a comune in the Province of Treviso in the Italian region Veneto, located about 45 km north of Venice and about 20 km north of Treviso.... |
Victory shared with Amedeo Mecozzi Amedeo Mecozzi Amedeo Mecozzi was an Italian fighter ace of World War I, a general of the Italian Regia Aeronautica and a military theorist credited as the founding father of the "Attack air force" doctrine, which made him a strong opponent to general Giulio Douhet's theories.Mecozzi was orphaned when young, and... |
| u/c | 16 June 1918 @ 1030 hours | Hanriot HD.I | Hansa-Brandenburg C.I | Between Malborghetto Valbruna Malborghetto Valbruna Malborghetto Valbruna is a comune in the Province of Udine in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about 100 km northwest of Trieste and about 50 km northeast of Udine, on the border with Austria. , it had a population of 1,025 and an area of 120.5 km²... and Fontigo |
Mario Fucini Mario Fucini Tenente Mario Fucini was a World War I flying ace who claimed credit for 13 aerial victories during the war; seven of these were confirmed in 1919.-Reference:... and another Italian aviator were also involved |
|
| u/c | 16 June 1918 | Hanriot HD.I | Enemy airplane | Pillonetto | ||
| u/c | 12 August 1918 | Hanriot HD.I | DFW reconnaissance plane | Santa Lucia di Piave Santa Lucia di Piave Santa Lucia di Piave is a comune with 7.226 inhabitants in the province of Treviso.... |
||
| u/c | 6 October 1918 @ 1550 hours | Hanriot HD.I | DFW reconnaissance plane | Susegana Susegana Susegana is a comune in the Province of Treviso in the Italian region Veneto, located about north of Venice and about north of Treviso.-History:... |
Amadeo Mecozzi and another Italian aviator were involved | |
| u/c | 6 October 1918 @ 1550 hours | Hanriot HD.I | Albatros D.V Albatros D.V |-See also:-Bibliography:*Bennett, Leon. Gunning for the Red Baron. College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press, 2006. ISBN 1-58544-507-X.... |
Susegana | ||
| 6 | 27 October 1918 @ 1620 hours | Hanriot HD.I | Enemy two-seater | Pieve di Soligo Pieve di Soligo Pieve di Soligo is a town with a population of 12,096 inhabitants. It located at the northern province of Treviso, near the border with the province of Belluno in Veneto, Italy.-Notable people:... |
Victory shared with another Italian aviator | |
| u/c | 28 October 1918 | Hanriot HD.I | LVG LVG Luftverkehrsgesellschaft m.b.H. was a German aircraft manufacturer based in Berlin-Johannisthal, which began constructing aircraft in 1912, building Farman-type aircraft. The company constructed many reconnaissance and light bomber biplanes during World War I.The raid on London in 1916 was... |
Between Pederobba Pederobba Pederobba is a comune in the Province of Treviso in the Italian region Veneto, located about 60 km northwest of Venice and about 30 km northwest of Treviso... and Grave di Papadopoli |
||
| 7 | 29 October 1918 @ 0729 | Hanriot HD.I | Hansa-Brandenburg C.I s/n 369.175 | Destroyed | Oderzo Oderzo Oderzo is a town and comune in the province of Treviso, Veneto, northern Italy.It lies in the heart of the Venetian plain, about 66 km to the northeast of Venice... |
Another Italian aviator was involved |
Death
Antonio was executed in BeijingBeijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, by a firing squad in 1951, along with a Japanese citizen, Ruichi Yamaguchi. They were convicted of being involved in a plot to assassinate Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
and other high-ranking Communist officials.. The plot allegedly involved attacking Mao and other officials atop Tiananmen Gate with a mortar on the 1st of October 1950, during National Day celebrations.
However, there were several issues with the plot. Most obviously, the idea that two foreigners could carry a mortar all the way to Tiananmen Square during a large celebration seems highly improbable. The mortar seized from Riva's house was a nonfunctional part of an antique from the 1930s which could not have been used to attack anyone. Riva had found the antique in a junk pile outside the Holy See legation
People's Republic of China – Holy See relations
There have been no official People's Republic of China – Holy See relations since 1951.The Beijing government broke off diplomatic relations with the Holy See in 1951 after a complicated incident...
; the unfortunate priest whose house was next to the other parts of the mortar was imprisoned for life. A map of the square seized from Yamaguchi's house and used as evidence was actually commissioned by the Beijing Fire Department, to whom Yamaguchi was selling firefighting equipment. It was alleged that the ringleader of the plot was an American serviceman named David Barrett, but he was simply a neighbor to the two who had moved out a year before. In any case, the incident was used to banish the Holy See from China. Two decades later, Zhou apologized to Barrett and invited him back to China.