Luigi Corsi (

La Spezia La Spezia (, or ; ; , in the local ) is the capital city of the province of La Spezia and is located at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the southern part of the Liguria region of Italy. La Spezia is the second-largest city in the Liguria ...

, 4 April 1898 –

Aegean Sea The Aegean Sea is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea between Europe and Asia. It is located between the Balkans and Anatolia, and covers an area of some . In the north, the Aegean is connected to the Marmara Sea, which in turn con ...

, 29 March 1941) was an Italian naval officer during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Biography

He was born in

on April 4, 1898, the son of a naval officer, and entered the Naval Academy of Livorno at a young age, being commissioned as

ensign Ensign most often refers to: * Ensign (flag), a flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality * Ensign (rank), a navy (and former army) officer rank Ensign or The Ensign may also refer to: Places * Ensign, Alberta, Alberta, Canada * Ensign, Ka ...

in 1916. He took part in the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

on surface vessels, being promoted to sub-lieutenant in 1917 and to

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

in 1918. After the end of the war he assumed command of the

destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...

''Confienza'', with which in 1923 he participated in the occupation of the island of

Corfu Corfu ( , ) or Kerkyra (, ) is a Greece, Greek island in the Ionian Sea, of the Ionian Islands; including its Greek islands, small satellite islands, it forms the margin of Greece's northwestern frontier. The island is part of the Corfu (regio ...

during the crisis between Italy and Greece. After promotion to lieutenant commander, in 1932 he received the command of the destroyer ''Espero'', with which he spent a period in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

(from February to October 1932), protecting Italian citizens and interests during the Sino-Japanese conflict.Paolo Alberini, Franco Prosperini, ''Dizionario Biografico Uomini della Marina 1861-1946'', pp. 159-160 In 1933 he was promoted to

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

, and during the

Second Italo-Ethiopian War The Second Italo-Ethiopian War, also referred to as the Second Italo-Abyssinian War, was a war of aggression waged by Fascist Italy, Italy against Ethiopian Empire, Ethiopia, which lasted from October 1935 to February 1937. In Ethiopia it is oft ...

he held the position of Chief of Staff of the 1st Naval Squadron; after the end of the war he became deputy commander and director of studies of the Naval Academy, as well as commanding officer of the

training ship A training ship is a ship used to train students as sailors. The term is mostly used to describe ships employed by navies to train future officers. Essentially there are two types: those used for training at sea and old hulks used to house class ...

''Amerigo Vespucci'' from 17 June 1936 to 13 May 1937. In 1939 he was promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

, and on 1 March 1940 he assumed command of the

heavy cruiser A heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range and high speed, armed generally with naval guns of roughly 203 mm (8 inches) in calibre, whose design parameters were dictated by the Washington Naval Treat ...

''Zara''. At the command of his ship he took part in the battle of Punta Stilo, on 9 July 1940 (for which he was awarded a

War Cross for Military Valor The War Cross for Military Valor () is an Italian order for military valor. Established in 1922, the cross may be awarded only in time of war. Appearance The medal is a Greek cross made of copper. Inscribed on the horizontal arms is ''Al Val ...

), as well as in convoy operations and in sorties against British operations

Hats A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...

and MB. 5. ''Zara'' later became the

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...

of the commander of the 1st Cruiser Division, Admiral

Carlo Cattaneo Carlo Cattaneo (; 15 June 1801 – 6 February 1869) was an Italian philosopher, writer, and activist, famous for his role in the Five Days of Milan in March 1848, when he led the city council during the rebellion. Early life and education Cat ...

, and in this capacity took part in the

battle of Cape Matapan The Battle of Cape Matapan () was a naval battle during the Second World War between the Allies, represented by the navies of the United Kingdom and Australia, and the Royal Italian Navy, from 27 to 29 March 1941. Cape Matapan is on the so ...

Death

During the battle, in the night between 28 and 29 March 1941, ''Zara'''s sistership ''Pola'' was disabled by a

torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, such ...

dropped by a

torpedo bomber A torpedo bomber is a military aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes. Torpedo bombers came into existence just before the World War I, First World War almost as soon as aircraft were built that were capable of carryin ...

, and the 1st Cruiser Division was ordered back to her assistance, thus running into the battleships of Admiral

Andrew Browne Cunningham Admiral of the Fleet Andrew Browne Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope, (7 January 1883 – 12 June 1963) was a British officer of the Royal Navy during the Second World War. He was widely known by his initials, "ABC". Cunningh ...

Mediterranean Fleet The British Mediterranean Fleet, also known as the Mediterranean Station, was a formation of the Royal Navy. The Fleet was one of the most prestigious commands in the navy for the majority of its history, defending the vital sea link between ...

. Before being able to react, ''Zara'' was hit by fifteen broadsides from HMS ''Valiant'', HMS ''Warspite'' and HMS ''Barham'' and turned into a floating wreck, with her rudder, engines and armament disabled and much of her crew killed or wounded. Corsi and Cattaneo, who had both remained unscathed, discussed what to do and came to the conclusion that the ship had to be

scuttled Scuttling is the act of deliberately sinking a ship by allowing water to flow into the hull, typically by its crew opening holes in its hull. Scuttling may be performed to dispose of an abandoned, old, or captured vessel; to prevent the vesse ...

. They therefore gathered the crew on the stern, where Cattaneo announced his decision, and Corsi ordered a final cheer and then gave the order to abandon ship. As squads of volunteers opened the

seacock A seacock is a valve on the hull of a boat or a ship, permitting water to flow into the vessel, such as for cooling an engine or for a salt water faucet; or out of the boat, such as for a sink drain or a toilet. Seacocks are often a Kingston val ...

s and prepared to blow up the ship's magazines, ''Zara'' was hit by a torpedo fired by HMS ''Jervis'' and sank after a violent explosion. Corsi was not among the survivors; conflicting accounts exist on his fate, one claiming that he retired to the chartroom and went down with the ship, another that he abandoned the ship with the last of the crew as she went down, having refused a place on a raft, and was never seen again. He was posthumously awarded the

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 for deeds of outstanding gallantry in war by junior officers and soldiers. The face of the medal displayed the profile o ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Corsi, Luigi 1898 births 1940s missing person cases 1941 deaths Italian military personnel killed in World War II Missing person cases in Greece Missing Italian people People lost at sea Recipients of the Gold Medal of Military Valor Regia Marina personnel of World War II

Biography

Death

See also

References