Gianfranco Gazzana Priaroggia (30 August 1912 in Milan

Milan

Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...

, killed in action

Killed in action

Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...

 23 May 1943 in the North Atlantic) was an officer in the Italian Royal Navy (Regia Marina

Regia Marina

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

). Gazzana-Priaroggia commanded multiple Italian submarines during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. Of Genoese

Genoa

Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....

 ancestry, he bore the nickname Ursus atlanticus affectionately given by his crews.

World War II

During the war, Gazzana-Priaroggia commanded the following submarines: Malachite, Durbo, Tazzoli, Archimede, and Leonardo da Vinci

Italian submarine Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci was a of the Italian navy during World War II. The unit operated in the Atlantic from September 1940 until its loss in May 1943, and became the top scoring non-German submarine of the all war.-Construction:...

. Submarines under his command were responsible for sinking a tonnage of 90.601 Gross Registered Tonnage

Tonnage

Tonnage is a measure of the size or cargo carrying capacity of a ship. The term derives from the taxation paid on tuns or casks of wine, and was later used in reference to the weight of a ship's cargo; however, in modern maritime usage, "tonnage" specifically refers to a calculation of the volume...

 (Bruttoregistertonnen, or BRT). With a higher score than Britain’s Wanklyn

Malcolm David Wanklyn

Lieutenant Commander Malcolm David Wanklyn VC, DSO & Two Bars was the Allies' most successful submariner in the Second World War in terms of tonnage sunk, and received the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British...

, in HMS Upholder

HMS Upholder (P37)

HMS Upholder was a Royal Navy U-class submarine built by Vickers-Armstrong at Barrow-in-Furness. She was laid down on 30 October 1939, launched on 8 July 1940 by Mrs. Doris Thompson, wife of a director of the builders. The submarine was commissioned on 31 October 1940...

, or America’s O’Kane

Richard O'Kane

Rear Admiral Richard Hetherington “Dick” O'Kane was a United States Navy submarine commander in World War II, who received a Medal of Honor for his service on the...

 in USS Tang

USS Tang (SS-306)

USS Tang was a Balao-class submarine of World War II. She was built and launched in 1943.In her short career, the Tang sank 33 ships displacing 116,454 tons Her commanding officer received the Medal of Honor for her last two engagements...

 (both later sunk), Gianfranco Gazzana-Priaroggia

Gianfranco Gazzana-Priaroggia

Gianfranco Gazzana Priaroggia was an officer in the Italian Royal Navy . Gazzana-Priaroggia commanded multiple Italian submarines during World War II...

 and Leonardo da Vinci

Italian submarine Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci was a of the Italian navy during World War II. The unit operated in the Atlantic from September 1940 until its loss in May 1943, and became the top scoring non-German submarine of the all war.-Construction:...

were the most successful non-German submariner and submarine in the conflict.

On 23 May 1943, Gazzana-Priaroggia was killed when the Leonardo da Vinci was sunk by the Destroyer

Destroyer

In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...

 HMS Active

HMS Active (H14)

HMS Active, the tenth Active , launched in 1929, was an A class destroyer. She served in World War II, taking part in the sinking of four submarines. She was broken up in 1947....

and the Frigate

Frigate

A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...

 HMS Ness

HMS Ness

Two vessels of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS Ness after the Scottish River Ness: was a River class destroyer launched on 5 January 1905 at J S White in Cowes and sold in 1919. was an River class frigate launched at Robbs in Leith on 30 July 1942 and sold in 1956, broken up at Newport....

west of Cape Finisterre

Cape Finisterre

right|thumb|300px|Position of Cape Finisterre on the [[Iberian Peninsula]]Cape Finisterre is a rock-bound peninsula on the west coast of Galicia, Spain....

. He was posthumously awarded the Medaglia d'oro al valor militare

Gold Medal of Military Valor

The Gold Medal of Military Valor is an Italian medal established on 21 May 1793 by King Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia "....per bassi ufficiali e soldati che avevano fatto azioni di segnalato valore in guerra" .The face of the medal displayed the profile of the king, and on its reverse was a flag...

 and Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...

.

Legacy

The Sauro class

Sauro class submarine

The Nazario Sauro class are submarines operated by the Italian Navy. All boats were built by Fincantieri in Monfalcone. There are three sub groups built in four batches:* Nazario Sauro class :...

 submarine S525 "Gianfranco Gazzana Priaroggia" of the Italian Republic

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...

's Navy (Marina Militare

Marina Militare

The Italian Navy is the navy of the Italian Republic. It is one of the four branches of military forces of Italy; formed in 1946, from what remained of the Regia Marina . As of 2008, the Italian Navy had 35,200 active personnel with 180 commissioned ships, 19 Floating Docks, and 123 aircraft...

) was named after Gazzana-Priaroggia. The S525 was completed in 1993.