Ugo Tiberio
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Ugo Tiberio (
Campobasso Campobasso (, ; ) is a city and ''comune'' in southern Italy, the capital of the region of Molise and of the province of Campobasso. It is located in the high basin of the Biferno river, surrounded by Sannio and Matese mountains. Campobas ...
, 19 August 1904 –
Livorno Livorno () is a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of 152,916 residents as of 2025. It is traditionally known in English as Leghorn ...
, 17 May 1980) was an Italian
engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while ...
, naval officer and university teacher, best known for his role in the development of the
Gufo radar The Gufo radar (Owl) was an Italian naval search radar developed during World War II by the ''Regio Istituto Elettrotecnico e delle Comunicazioni della Marina'' (RIEC). Also known as the EC-3 ter. Description The first prototypes were designed ...
. He was the nephew of naval officer and scientist
Vincenzo Tiberio Vincenzo Tiberio (May 1, 1869 – January 7, 1915) was an Italian researcher and medical officer of the Medical Corps of the Italian Navy and physician at the University of Naples. Observing that people complained of intestinal disorders after the ...
.


Biography

Born in Campobasso in 1904 from Alberto Tiberio and Maria Rachele De Feo, he was directed to a career in the Navy by his maternal uncle
Vincenzo de Feo Vincenzo de Feo (September 16, 1876 in Campobasso – January 17, 1955 in Rome) was an Italian Admiral. He served as Governor of Italian Eritrea during 1937. Biography Vincenzo de Feo was born in Mirabello Sannitico near Campobasso in Septemb ...
. After graduating in
engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...
at the
University of Naples The University of Naples Federico II (; , ) is a public university, public research university in Naples, Campania, Italy. Established in 1224 and named after its founder, Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick II, it is the oldest public, s ...
in 1927, he specialized in
electrotechnics Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems that use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...
at the Higher School of Engineering in
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
in 1932. In 1934-1935 he fulfilled his
compulsory military service Conscription, also known as the draft in the United States and Israel, is the practice in which the compulsory enlistment in a national service, mainly a military service, is enforced by law. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it contin ...
in the
Royal Italian Army The Royal Italian Army () (RE) 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 Manfredo Fanti signed a decree c ...
, with the rank of second lieutenant in the Engineering Corps, and in July 1935 he was transferred at his own request to the
Royal Italian Navy The , ) (RM) or Royal Italian Navy was the navy of the Kingdom of Italy () from 1861 to 1946. In 1946, with the birth of the Italian Republic (''Repubblica Italiana''), the changed its name to ''Marina Militare'' ("Military Navy"). Origins ...
, with the rank of
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 the Naval Weapons Corps. He worked as a researcher in the Higher Institute of Radio Transmissions in Rome until 1936, when he was exonerated from active service. In the same year, together with his colleague Professor
Nello Carrara Nello Carrara (19 February 1900 – 5 June 1993) was an Italian physicist and founder of the Electromagnetic Wave Research Institute. He researched X-rays and was a pioneer of radar, but is best known for coining the term "microwave". Bio ...
, Tiberio developed a system for the localization of objects at a distance with magnetic waves called the EC1 "radio telemeter", an early form of
radar Radar is a system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), direction ( azimuth and elevation angles), and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It is a radiodetermination method used to detect and track ...
. The commands of the
Regia Marina The , ) (RM) or Royal Italian Navy was the navy of the Kingdom of Italy () from 1861 to 1946. In 1946, with the birth of the Italian Republic (''Repubblica Italiana''), the changed its name to '' Marina Militare'' ("Military Navy"). Origin ...
, however, did not realize the importance of this discovery, and Tiberio was forced to relegate his radar studies to a "second job", with scarce funds and few collaborators.Paolo Alberini, Franco Prosperini, Dizionario biografico Uomini della Marina 1861-1946, pp. 514-515 Tiberio was recalled into service in January 1937, following Italy's involvement in the
Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...
, resuming his studies within the Royal Electrotechnical and Communications Institute (''Regio Istituto Elettrotecnico e delle Comunicazioni della Marina, RIEC'') in
Livorno Livorno () is a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of 152,916 residents as of 2025. It is traditionally known in English as Leghorn ...
, where he worked until 1943. From 1937 to 1953 he was also a teacher at the Naval Academy of Livorno; in 1938 he was promoted to the rank of
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 ...
of the Naval Weapons Corps, and in 1940 he became teacher of electrotechnics at the
University of Palermo The University of Palermo () is a public university, public research university in Palermo, Italy. It was founded in 1806, and is currently organized in 12 Faculties. History The University of Palermo was officially founded in 1806, although it ...
. He was able to solve the theoretical problem of calculating the intensity of the echo, giving substantial contribution to the development of the radar equation, which he described in an article published in 1939; he proposed and discussed two implementation schemes, one with frequency modulation and one with pulses, proposing to test both while giving preference to the first, on which he based his radar prototype. He also suggested the use of the
Doppler effect The Doppler effect (also Doppler shift) is the change in the frequency of a wave in relation to an observer who is moving relative to the source of the wave. The ''Doppler effect'' is named after the physicist Christian Doppler, who described ...
for locating vehicles; he developed a device based on this principle which he called the radiotachometer, due to the greater accuracy in measuring the speed of objects. In June 1940, a few days before Italy's entry into the
Second World War 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 ...
, Tiberio married Miss Noemi Fontana, who however suddenly died shortly after their wedding; in October 1942 he remarried with Bianca Maria Valentini, who would give him two children (Paolo, born in 1943, and Roberto, born in 1946). Only after the defeat suffered in the nocturnal battle of Cape Matapan, in March 1941, the importance of his work was reevaluated, and he was summoned by the Italian Supreme Command and requested to build a functional radar as soon as possible. Less than a month later, on 20 April 1941, his prototype was tested and was revealed to be able to locate a ship from a distance of 12 kilometres, and an
aircraft An aircraft ( aircraft) is a vehicle that is able to flight, fly by gaining support from the Atmosphere of Earth, air. It counters the force of gravity by using either Buoyancy, static lift or the Lift (force), dynamic lift of an airfoil, or, i ...
from 34 kilometres. Tiberio was then promoted to
major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...
for exceptional merits; his work led to the realization of two radar models, "Gufo" ("Owl", for naval use) and "Folaga" ("Coot", for coastal surveillance), of which 50 and 150 items, respectively, were ordered from the SAFAR and Marelli companies; only thirteen Gufos and four Folagas, however, were delivered before the
Armistice of Cassibile The Armistice of Cassibile ( Italian: ''Armistizio di Cassibile'') was an armistice that was signed on 3 September 1943 by Italy and the Allies, marking the end of hostilities between Italy and the Allies during World War II. It was made public ...
. After the Armistice Tiberio, still serving at the Naval Academy (which had been relocated to
Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...
following the bombing of Livorno), sailed to
Brindisi Brindisi ( ; ) is a city in the region of Apulia in southern Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. Historically, the city has played an essential role in trade and culture due to its strategic position ...
in Allied-controlled
southern Italy Southern Italy (, , or , ; ; ), also known as () or (; ; ; ), is a macroregion of Italy consisting of its southern Regions of Italy, regions. The term "" today mostly refers to the regions that are associated with the people, lands or cultu ...
along with the rest of the academy personnel and cadets. He was discharged from active service in September 1944. After the war, Tiberio continued his research work in the field of applied
electronics Electronics is a scientific and engineering discipline that studies and applies the principles of physics to design, create, and operate devices that manipulate electrons and other Electric charge, electrically charged particles. It is a subfield ...
,
telecommunications Telecommunication, often used in its plural form or abbreviated as telecom, is the transmission of information over a distance using electronic means, typically through cables, radio waves, or other communication technologies. These means of ...
,
electromagnetic propagation Radio propagation is the behavior of radio waves as they travel, or are propagated, from one point to another in vacuum, or into various parts of the atmosphere. As a form of electromagnetic radiation, like light waves, radio waves are affected ...
and
bioengineering Biological engineering or bioengineering is the application of principles of biology and the tools of engineering to create usable, tangible, economically viable products. Biological engineering employs knowledge and expertise from a number ...
, publishing numerous essays and writings. In 1955 he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel of the naval reserve in the Naval Weaponry Corps. He taught electrotechnics at the
University of Cagliari The University of Cagliari () is a public research university in Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy. It was founded in 1606 and is organized in 11 faculties. History The ''Studium Generalis Kalaritanum'' was founded in 1606 along the lines of the old ...
from 1947, theory of
electromagnetic waves In physics, electromagnetic radiation (EMR) is a self-propagating wave of the electromagnetic field that carries momentum and radiant energy through space. It encompasses a broad spectrum, classified by frequency or its inverse, wavelength, ran ...
at the University of Naples from 1953, and finally
radio-frequency engineering Radio-frequency (RF) engineering is a subset of electrical engineering involving the application of transmission line, Waveguide (electromagnetism), waveguide, Antenna (radio), antenna, radar, and Electromagnetic radiation, electromagnetic fiel ...
at the
University of Pisa The University of Pisa (, UniPi) is a public university, public research university in Pisa, Italy. Founded in 1343, it is one of the oldest universities in Europe. Together with Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa and Sant'Anna School of Advanced S ...
from 1954 to 1979, when he retired. He died in Livorno in 1980.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tiberio, Ugo 1904 births 1980 deaths People from Campobasso Regia Marina personnel of World War II Radar pioneers Academic staff of the University of Pisa University of Naples Federico II alumni