Raffaele Rossetti
Encyclopedia
Raffaele Rossetti was an Italian engineer
and military naval officer who sank the main battleship
of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the end of World War I
. He was also a politician of the Italian Republican Party
.
, Raffaele Rossetti graduated as engineer
from the University of Turin
in September 1904. He went to study in the Italian Naval Academy
of Livorno
, where become lieutenant
for the Italian Navy Engineering Corps.
In December 1906 he graduated in the speciality of "naval mechanics engineering" at the Politecnico di Milano.
In 1909 was promoted to captain
and in 1911 went to Libya
during the Italo-Turkish War
with the cruiser Pisa. During the first years of World War I
worked as Director of the Navy Arsenal in La Spezia
and was promoted to major
.
While working there he started to create a new weapon, based on his bright idea of a torpedo
manned by a person, to be linked to enemy vessels underwater and explode under the ship hull. This weapon was called "mignatta" (leech) and was the precursor of the maiale of World War II
and the actual human torpedo.
At the end of October 1918 Rossetti used his "mignatta" to assault the Austrian battleship Viribus Unitis
. He succeeded and thus obtained the Italian Gold Medal of Military Valor
.
In 1919 Raffaele Rossetti retired as colonel
. With the advent of the Italian Fascism
, he became a member of the Italian Republican Party
(PRI). He also founded the anti-fascist movement "Italia libera" together with Giovanni Conti
, Randolfo Pacciardi
and others. In 1925 he was assailed by Fascist squads, and decided to move to France. Here he was part of the directive of Giustizia e Libertà
, an anti-fascist movement of Italian activitists in Paris
. In 1930 he exited the movement and, together with Cipriano Facchinetti, founded another anti-fascist movement, La Giovine Italia. In the 1932 he was elected secretary of the exiled PRI, but the following year he was replaced by Pacciardi.
During the Spanish Civil War
, Rossetti moved to Barcelona
, and collaborated with local radio by running anti-fascist slogans. In retaliation, the Italian government revoked him the Gold Medal won during World War I. This measure was annulled after the Fascist government was ousted and Italy became a Republic after the end of World War II
.
He died in Milan
in 1951.
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
and military naval officer who sank the main battleship
SMS Viribus Unitis
SMS Viribus Unitis was the first Austro-Hungarian dreadnought battleship of the . Its name, meaning "With United Forces", was the personal motto of Emperor Franz Joseph I.Viribus Unitis was ordered by the Austro-Hungarian navy in 1908...
of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He was also a politician of the Italian Republican Party
Italian Republican Party
The Italian Republican Party is a liberal political party in Italy.The PRI is party with old roots that originally took a left-wing position, claiming descent from the political position of Giuseppe Mazzini...
.
Biography
Born at GenoaGenoa
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....
, Raffaele Rossetti graduated as engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
from the University of Turin
University of Turin
The University of Turin is a university in the city of Turin in the Piedmont region of north-western Italy...
in September 1904. He went to study in the Italian Naval Academy
Accademia Navale di Livorno
The Italian Naval Academy is a coeducational military university in Leghorn , which is responsible for the technical training of military officers of the Italian Navy.-The Hospital of St. James:...
of Livorno
Livorno
Livorno , traditionally Leghorn , is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of approximately 160,000 residents in 2009.- History :...
, where become lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
for the Italian Navy Engineering Corps.
In December 1906 he graduated in the speciality of "naval mechanics engineering" at the Politecnico di Milano.
In 1909 was promoted to captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
and in 1911 went to Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
during 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...
with the cruiser Pisa. During the first years of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
worked as Director of the Navy Arsenal in La Spezia
La Spezia
La Spezia , at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the Liguria region of northern Italy, is the capital city of the province of La Spezia. Located between Genoa and Pisa on the Ligurian Sea, it is one of the main Italian military and commercial harbours and hosts one of Italy's biggest military...
and was promoted to major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
.
While working there he started to create a new weapon, based on his bright idea of a torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
manned by a person, to be linked to enemy vessels underwater and explode under the ship hull. This weapon was called "mignatta" (leech) and was the precursor of the maiale of 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...
and the actual human torpedo.
At the end of October 1918 Rossetti used his "mignatta" to assault the Austrian battleship Viribus Unitis
SMS Viribus Unitis
SMS Viribus Unitis was the first Austro-Hungarian dreadnought battleship of the . Its name, meaning "With United Forces", was the personal motto of Emperor Franz Joseph I.Viribus Unitis was ordered by the Austro-Hungarian navy in 1908...
. He succeeded and thus obtained the Italian Gold Medal of Military Valor
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...
.
In 1919 Raffaele Rossetti retired as colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
. With the advent of the Italian Fascism
Italian Fascism
Italian Fascism also known as Fascism with a capital "F" refers to the original fascist ideology in Italy. This ideology is associated with the National Fascist Party which under Benito Mussolini ruled the Kingdom of Italy from 1922 until 1943, the Republican Fascist Party which ruled the Italian...
, he became a member of the Italian Republican Party
Italian Republican Party
The Italian Republican Party is a liberal political party in Italy.The PRI is party with old roots that originally took a left-wing position, claiming descent from the political position of Giuseppe Mazzini...
(PRI). He also founded the anti-fascist movement "Italia libera" together with Giovanni Conti
Giovanni Conti
Giovanni Conti was a deputy of the Kingdom of Italy and a senator in the Italian Republic.He was born in Montegranaro, Marche. He became member of the Italian Republican Party in 1912 and was elected into the Italian Parliament in 1921.He died in Rome in 1957.- References : Italian Wikipedia...
, Randolfo Pacciardi
Randolfo Pacciardi
Randolfo Pacciardi was an Italian politician, a member of the Italian Republican Party . He was also an officer who fought during World War I and in the Spanish Civil War.-Biography:...
and others. In 1925 he was assailed by Fascist squads, and decided to move to France. Here he was part of the directive of Giustizia e Libertà
Giustizia e Libertà
Giustizia e Libertà was an Italian anti-fascist organization, active from 1929 to 1945.- Italian anti-fascist organization :The anti-fascist organization Giustizia e Libertà was founded in Paris in 1929 by the Italian refugees Carlo Rosselli, Emilio Lussu, Alberto Tarchiani, and Ernesto Rossi...
, an anti-fascist movement of Italian activitists in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. In 1930 he exited the movement and, together with Cipriano Facchinetti, founded another anti-fascist movement, La Giovine Italia. In the 1932 he was elected secretary of the exiled PRI, but the following year he was replaced by Pacciardi.
During the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, Rossetti moved to Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, and collaborated with local radio by running anti-fascist slogans. In retaliation, the Italian government revoked him the Gold Medal won during World War I. This measure was annulled after the Fascist government was ousted and Italy became a Republic after the end of 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...
.
He died 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 ,...
in 1951.
Sources
- The Fate of the Viribus Unitis by Raffaele Paolucci. in "The Fortnightly Review" (New York), Vol. 105, 1919, 977-988.
- The Sinking of the Viribus Unitis by Raffaele Rossetti. in "Great Moments of Adventure". edited by Evan J. David. Duffield and Co., 1930.