by JulioMoc » Mon Mar 06, 2006 2:59 pm
Well, Admiral Arturo Riccardi is a mystery to me. I couldn't find anything about him. No dates of birth and death, nothing. I only know that he commanded RM from December 1940 to 1943.
Does anyone have any information about this man, or any picture maybe? These are especially rare AFAIK. I haven't seen any...
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by Steen Ammentorp » Tue Mar 07, 2006 9:29 am
Admiral Arturo Riccardi was a member of the Italian Senate and you will find a short bio of him (in Italian) and a picture at this url: http://notes9.senato.it/W3/senatoridita ... 0,riccardi
I hope you find it useful.
Kind Regards
Steen Ammentorp
The Generals of World War II
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by SUPERMARINA » Tue Mar 07, 2006 12:05 pm
Admiral Riccardi was one of the two "bright boys", the other was Adm. Domenico Cavagnari, of Grande Ammiraglio Thaon di Revel, the master and commander of the Regia Marina during World War One.
The two were fierce rivals until 1943. Cavagnari supported the battleships while Riccardi was the prophet of the sea lanes defense. These positions were the two faces of the same coin, of course.
Riccardi had been the commander of the Prima Squadra (the Taranto based part of the fleet in 1937-1939); he was responsible for the civilian traffic at first, in 1940, and become the chief of the navy in Dec. 1940.
The fact he was the godfather of Marcello Petacci (the brother of Mussolini unfortunate mistress) caused some voices against him, but the families were deep friendly since the beginning of the century so we can dismiss this "charge".
Riccardi had the fame of a good fellow but could be quite harsh as his strong hand confirmed during the 1942-1943 season of the Rotta della morte (Death route) for Tunis in spite of the tired condition of the officers and the crews of the DDs and the TBs, not to mention the freighters personnel.
According to a long memorandum of his dated Feb. 1943 and now at the Archivio Ufficio Storico della Marina Militare, he appreciated correctly the naval Anglosaxon effort in the Med. could not last beyond late Summer 1943. Italy, so, had to endure until that deadline, then she would be able to have got time again on her side until Summer 1944.
According to the same scenario in the meanwhile, the attrition on the British traffic would change the political terms of the war granting, at least, Italy, the chance to end the war in an honorable and profitable way.
He was sacked on 27 July 1943 by the new navy minister Adm. De Courten who wanted to be the only master of the navy (quite an understandable want, I believe).
He didn't join the Republican Fascist Navy, but like Thaon di Revel, Cavagnari, Iachino, and Sansonetti (this one was Riccardi deputy since July 1941 and, later, De Courte one until the Italian Armistice) he confirmed on 11 Sept 1943 the principle any officer and NCO of the Italian Navy had the moral right to chose his side of the fence; the only condition was to the best for the Navy and the Country.
After the war he retired; except for a brief forward for a book edited in the Fifties about the history of a DD commander he didn't write anything. With his old rival Cavgnari, anyway, did some conferences after the war; my late friend Bandini attended these conferences and his notes are, still today, quite precious to study that time.
EC
Well, Admiral Arturo Riccardi is a mystery to me. I couldn't find anything about him. No dates of birth and death, nothing. I only know that he commanded RM from December 1940 to 1943.
Does anyone have any information about this man, or any picture maybe? These are especially rare AFAIK. I haven't seen any...
------------
by Steen Ammentorp » Tue Mar 07, 2006 9:29 am
Admiral Arturo Riccardi was a member of the Italian Senate and you will find a short bio of him (in Italian) and a picture at this url: http://notes9.senato.it/W3/senatoridita ... 0,riccardi
I hope you find it useful.
Kind Regards
Steen Ammentorp
The Generals of World War II
-------------
by SUPERMARINA » Tue Mar 07, 2006 12:05 pm
Admiral Riccardi was one of the two "bright boys", the other was Adm. Domenico Cavagnari, of Grande Ammiraglio Thaon di Revel, the master and commander of the Regia Marina during World War One.
The two were fierce rivals until 1943. Cavagnari supported the battleships while Riccardi was the prophet of the sea lanes defense. These positions were the two faces of the same coin, of course.
Riccardi had been the commander of the Prima Squadra (the Taranto based part of the fleet in 1937-1939); he was responsible for the civilian traffic at first, in 1940, and become the chief of the navy in Dec. 1940.
The fact he was the godfather of Marcello Petacci (the brother of Mussolini unfortunate mistress) caused some voices against him, but the families were deep friendly since the beginning of the century so we can dismiss this "charge".
Riccardi had the fame of a good fellow but could be quite harsh as his strong hand confirmed during the 1942-1943 season of the Rotta della morte (Death route) for Tunis in spite of the tired condition of the officers and the crews of the DDs and the TBs, not to mention the freighters personnel.
According to a long memorandum of his dated Feb. 1943 and now at the Archivio Ufficio Storico della Marina Militare, he appreciated correctly the naval Anglosaxon effort in the Med. could not last beyond late Summer 1943. Italy, so, had to endure until that deadline, then she would be able to have got time again on her side until Summer 1944.
According to the same scenario in the meanwhile, the attrition on the British traffic would change the political terms of the war granting, at least, Italy, the chance to end the war in an honorable and profitable way.
He was sacked on 27 July 1943 by the new navy minister Adm. De Courten who wanted to be the only master of the navy (quite an understandable want, I believe).
He didn't join the Republican Fascist Navy, but like Thaon di Revel, Cavagnari, Iachino, and Sansonetti (this one was Riccardi deputy since July 1941 and, later, De Courte one until the Italian Armistice) he confirmed on 11 Sept 1943 the principle any officer and NCO of the Italian Navy had the moral right to chose his side of the fence; the only condition was to the best for the Navy and the Country.
After the war he retired; except for a brief forward for a book edited in the Fifties about the history of a DD commander he didn't write anything. With his old rival Cavgnari, anyway, did some conferences after the war; my late friend Bandini attended these conferences and his notes are, still today, quite precious to study that time.
EC
