Enrico Pezzi (22 May 1897 – 29 December 1942) was an

Italian Air Force , colours = , colours_label = , march = (Ordinance March of the Air Force) by Alberto Di Miniello , mascot = , anniversaries = 28 March ...

general 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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. The youngest general in the

Regia Aeronautica The Italian Royal Air Force (''Regia Aeronautica Italiana'') was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Regio Esercito, Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946. In 1946, the mon ...

, he is best known for leading the Italian Air Force in Russia, where he was killed during a rescue mission in late 1942, being 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 fa ...

. He was the brother of

Mario Pezzi Mario Pezzi may refer to: * Mario Pezzi (aviator) (1898 – 1968), Italian pilot * Mario Pezzi (priest) Mario Pezzi (born Gottolengo, 19 September 1941) is an Italian priest, theologian and catechist. He is one of leading names of the Neocatechume ...

, also a general in the Regia Aeronautica.

Biography

He was born in Collevecchio,

province of Rieti The Province of Rieti ( it, Provincia di Rieti) is a province in the Lazio region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Rieti. Established in 1927, it has an area of with a total population of 157,887 people as of 2017. There are 73 '' comuni'' ...

, on 22 May 1897, from a family with long military traditions; his father Luigi was a general in the

Royal Italian Army The Royal Italian Army ( it, Regio Esercito, , Royal Army) was the land force of the Kingdom of Italy, established with the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy. During the 19th century Italy started to unify into one country, and in 1861 Manf ...

, and his brothers Pio (killed in action on the

Karst Plateau The Karst Plateau or the Karst region ( sl, Kras, it, Carso), also locally called Karst, is a karst plateau region extending across the border of southwestern Slovenia and northeastern Italy. It lies between the Vipava Valley, the low hills su ...

during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

) and Mario were both officers. He began his military career in April 1917, when, after attending the Military School of

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, he was admitted to the Royal Military Academy of Artillery and Engineers in

Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. Th ...

to attend the reserve officer's course of the Royal Italian Army. He was promoted to

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until 1 ...

in February 1918 and assigned to the

field artillery Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, short range, long range, and extremely long range target engagement. Until the early 20 ...

, with which he participated in the last months of the First World War. Attracted by the world of

aviation Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' includes fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air craft such as hot ...

, in July 1923 he was admitted to attend the airplane observer course, obtaining the license in January of the following year, and in July 1924 he was transferred to the newly established

with the rank of

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 ...

.Ufficio Storico dell'Aeronautica Militare, Ordine Militare d'Italia 1911–1964, Rome, pp. 150–233 His first deployment was in the pacification of Tripolitania, where he earned a

War Merit Cross The War Merit Cross (german: Kriegsverdienstkreuz) was a state decoration of Nazi Germany during World War II. By the end of the conflict it was issued in four degrees and had an equivalent civil award. A " de-Nazified" version of the War Mer ...

and a

Silver Medal of Military Valor The Silver Medal of Military Valor ( it, Medaglia d'argento al valor militare) is an Italian medal for gallantry. Italian medals for valor were first instituted by Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia on 21 May 1793, with a gold medal, and, below it, ...

; after participating in numerous reconnaissance and strafing missions against the

Senussi The Senusiyya, Senussi or Sanusi ( ar, السنوسية ''as-Sanūssiyya'') are a Muslim political-religious tariqa ( Sufi order) and clan in colonial Libya and the Sudan region founded in Mecca in 1837 by the Grand Senussi ( ar, السنوس ...

guerrillas, he was forced to land in Senussi-controlled territory by an engine breakdown and was captured, but persuaded his captors to release him and submit to Italy. In June 1926 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 given command of the 28th Squadron of the 62nd Air Reconnaissance Group, based at the Pisa San Giusto airport, obtaining on the following year the

pilot license Pilot licensing or certification refers to permits for operating aircraft. Flight crew licences are regulated by ICAO Annex 1 and issued by the civil aviation authority of each country. CAA’s have to establish that the holder has met a specifi ...

at the

Cerveteri Cerveteri () is a town and '' comune'' of northern Lazio in the region of the Metropolitan City of Rome. Known by the ancient Romans as Caere, and previously by the Etruscans as Caisra or Cisra, and as Agylla (or ) by the Greeks, its modern nam ...

flight school, where he had been temporarily seconded. Returning to

Pisa Pisa ( , or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the ...

in May 1928, he became a pilot of

Ansaldo A.300 The Ansaldo A.300 was an Italian general-purpose biplane aircraft built by the Ansaldo company (now part of FIAT) of Turin from 1920 to 1929. It also served as a light bomber, transport, fighter and reconnaissance aircraft, and finally as an a ...

aircraft. From 28 May 1928 he commanded the 24th Squadron until 10 October 1931; in 1929 he married Miss Elena Queirolo, daughter of Senator Giovan Battista Queirolo.Vincenzo Lioy, L'Italia in Africa. L'opera dell'Aeronautica. Eritrea Somalia Etiopia (1919–1937) Vol.2, pp. 24-43-97Chris Dunning, Combat Units of the Regia Aeronautica. Italia Air Force 1940–1943, pp. 39-40-49 In October 1931, after promotion to Major, he was given command of the 23rd Fighter Group, based at the

Bresso Airfield Bresso Airfield ( it, Aeroporto di Bresso, ), also known as Aeroporto Giampiero Clerici, is an aerodrome in Bresso, in the Milan metropolitan area. Originally built in 1912, the field served as a ''factory airfield'' until the nearby Breda f ...

, and in July 1932 of the XLV Group of the 14th Daytime Bombing Wing, based in

Ferrara Ferrara (, ; egl, Fràra ) is a city and ''comune'' in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital of the Province of Ferrara. it had 132,009 inhabitants. It is situated northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream ...

. He returned to Pisa in April 1934 to take command of the 62nd Air Observation Group, as well as of the San Giusto air base. He held this post until September 1936, when, after promotion to lieutenant colonel, he took part in operations in

East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa: Due to the histori ...

, as commander of the advanced base of

Gura, Eritrea Gura ( ti, ጉራዕ) or Gura’e is a settlement in Eritrea's Debub region in northeast Africa. It is located in the eponymous Gura Valley in the southeastern Eritrean highlands. It is about SE of Dekemhare and about SSE of the capital Asmara. ...

, being awarded another Silver Medal of military valor for his role in the conquest of

Dembidolo Dembidollo, ( om, Dambi Doolloo), also spelled Dembi Dolo, is a market town and separate woreda in south-western Ethiopia. It is the capital of Kelam Welega Zone of the Oromia Region. This town has a latitude and longitude of with an elev ...

, where he personally landed the first Italian troops in a makeshift airfield. He was repatriated in December 1936 and in November 1937, a month after being promoted to

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

for war merits, he was given command of the 20th Air Observation Wing, stationed in Centocelle. From December of the following year, at the head of the "

Sparrowhawk Sparrowhawk (sometimes sparrow hawk) may refer to several species of small hawk in the genus ''Accipiter''. "Sparrow-hawk" or sparhawk originally referred to ''Accipiter nisus'', now called "Eurasian" or "northern" sparrowhawk to distinguish it f ...

" Wing of the

Aviazione Legionaria The Legionary Air Force ( it, Aviazione Legionaria, es, Aviación Legionaria) was an expeditionary corps from the Italian Royal Air Force that was set up in 1936. It was sent to provide logistical and tactical support to the Nationalist facti ...

, he fought in the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlism, Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebeli ...

, where he earned a third silver medal for military valor. After repatriation, in July 1939 he assumed command of the newly established 41st Land Bombardment Wing, based in

Reggio Emilia Reggio nell'Emilia ( egl, Rèz; la, Regium Lepidi), usually referred to as Reggio Emilia, or simply Reggio by its inhabitants, and known until 1861 as Reggio di Lombardia, is a city in northern Italy, in the Emilia-Romagna region. It has abou ...

. In September 1939 the 41st Wing was transferred to the

Ponte Olivo Airfield Ponte Olivo Airfield is an abandoned pre- World War II airport and later wartime military airfield in Sicily, 3 km north of Gela. Its last known use was by the United States Army Air Force Twelfth Air Force in 1944 during the Italian C ...

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

, and after Italy's entry into the

Second World War 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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

it participated in the siege of Malta and in the North African campaign.Ufficio Storico dell'Aeronautica Militare, I Reparti dell'Aeronautica Militare Italiana, pp. 138–140 In April 1941 Pezzi left command of the 41st Wing and was transferred to the 9th Air Brigade "Leone", of which he assumed command in the following June. For his wartime activities he was awarded another Silver Medal for Military Valor, and in February 1942 he was promoted to Air Brigade General (equivalent to air commodore), thus becoming the youngest general of the Regia Aeronautica. He was then appointed commander of the air force component of the

Italian Army in Russia The Italian Army in Russia ( it, Armata Italiana in Russia; ARMIR) was an army-sized unit of the Royal Italian Army which fought on the Eastern Front during World War II between July 1942 and April 1943. The ARMIR was also known as the 8th I ...

, distinguishing himself in operations on the Eastern Front, for which he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the

Military Order of Savoy The Military Order of Savoy was a military honorary order of the Kingdom of Sardinia first, and of the Kingdom of Italy later. Following the abolition of the Italian monarchy, the order became the Military Order of Italy. History The origin o ...

and his fifth and last Silver Medal for Military Valor by the Italian authorities, as well as the Cross of Merit of the

Order of the German Eagle The Order of Merit of the German Eagle (german: Verdienstorden vom Deutschen Adler) was an award of the German Nazi regime, predominantly to foreign diplomats. The Order was instituted on 1 May 1937 by Adolf Hitler. It ceased to be awarded follo ...

1st Class with Swords, the

Iron Cross The Iron Cross (german: link=no, Eisernes Kreuz, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). King Frederick William III of Prussia e ...

First Class and the Iron Cross Second Class.Franco Pagliano, Storia di diecimila aeroplani, pp. 68–290 On 29 December 1942, after the beginning of

Operation Little Saturn Operation Little Saturn was a Red Army offensive on the Eastern Front of World War II that led to battles in Don and Chir rivers region in German-occupied Soviet Union territory in 16–30 December 1942. The success of Operation Uranus, launch ...

, Pezzi was informed that about 12,000 soldiers, including two thousand wounded, had been surrounded by the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian language, Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist R ...

in Chertkovo, and decided to personally fly there along with medical colonel Federico Bocchetti, in order to bring food and

medicine Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, and Health promotion ...

s and evacuate the most serious among the wounded. Pezzi and Bocchetti took off from

Voroshilovgrad Luhansk (, ; uk, Луганськ, ), also known as Lugansk (, ; russian: Луганск, ), is a city in what is internationally recognised as Ukraine, although it is administered by Russia as capital of the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR). A ...

with a

Savoia-Marchetti SM.81 The Savoia-Marchetti SM.81 ''Pipistrello'' ( Italian: bat) was the first three-engine bomber/transport aircraft serving in the Italian ''Regia Aeronautica''.Angelucci and Matricardi 1978, p. 188. When it appeared in 1935, it represented a real ...

and reached Chertkovo, delivering the supplies to the besieged garrison and loading several wounded before taking off again; however, the aircraft, its eight-man crew and the wounded never reached Voroshilovgrad, and were never seen again. General Pezzi was posthumously awarded the

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pezzi, Enrico 1897 births 1942 deaths Regia Aeronautica personnel of World War II Italian military personnel of World War I Italian military personnel of the Spanish Civil War Italian military personnel of the Second Italo-Ethiopian War Italian military personnel killed in World War II Italian generals Italian Air Force generals Recipients of the Gold Medal of Military Valor Recipients of the Silver Medal of Military Valor Italian aviators Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in the Soviet Union Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1942 Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in Ukraine