Career
Of Genoese ancestry, he bore the nickname Ursus atlanticus affectionately given by his crews. During the war, Gazzana-Priaroggia served on several submarines, most famously on the Tazzoli (as second-in-command of the fellow submarine ace Carlo Fecia di Cossato). Then he was appointed commander of the Archimede and finally of the Leonardo da Vinci.
He was responsible for sinking or damaging 120,243 GRT (Bruttoregistertonnen, or BRT).
With a higher score than Britain"s Malcolm David Wanklyn in HMS Upholder, or America"s Richard O"Kane in United States Ship Tang (both later sunk), Gazzana-Priaroggia and Leonardo da Vinci were the most successful non-German submariner and submarine in the conflict. On 23 May 1943, Gazzana-Priaroggia, returning from his last successful patrol (for which he had earned a battlefield promotion to the rank of Capitano di corvetta), died alongside his crew when the Leonardo da Vinci was sunk by the destroyer HMS Active and the frigate HMS Ness west of Cape Finisterre.
The Sauro class submarine S525 "Gianfranco Gazzana Priaroggia" of the Italian navy"s Navy (Marina Militare) was named after Gazzana-Priaroggia. The S525 was completed in 1993.
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