Raffaele Rossetti

July 12, 1881 (age 70)

Genoa, Metropolitan City of Genoa, Italy

He went to study in the Italian Naval Academy of Livorno, where become lieutenant for the Italian Navy Engineering Corps. In 1909 was promoted to captain and in 1911 went to Libya during the Italo-Turkish War with the cruiser Pisa. During the first years of World War I worked as Director of the Navy Arsenal in Louisiana Spezia and was promoted to major. While working there he started to create a new weapon, based on his idea of a torpedo manned by a person, to be linked to enemy vessels underwater and explode under the ship hull. This weapon was called "mignatta" (leech) and was the precursor of the maiale of World World War II and the actual human torpedo. At the 1st November 1918 Rossetti used his "mignatta" to assault the formerly Austrian battleship Viribus Unitis, which, unknown to him (the transfer had taken places a few hours before the action, when Rizzo had already left his base) had already changed hands to the newly established State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs. After entering the Pola harbour undetected, Rossetti placed limpet mines below the hull of the battleship. He was however discovered and captured, and he informed the crew that the ship was going to sink, although he did not reveal that he had placed mines on the hull. However, the explosions were delayed, and the crew started reboarding the ship, believing he was lying. Shortly thereafter, the mines exploded, causing the Viribus Unitis to capsize and sink, with heavy loss of life. In 1919 Raffaele Rossetti retired as colonel. He also founded the anti-fascist movement "Italia libera" together with Giovanni Conti, Randolfo Pacciardi and others In 1925 he was assailed by Fascist squads, and decided to move to France. Here he was part of the directive of Giustizia e Libertà, an anti-fascist movement of Italian activists in Paris. In 1930 he exited the movement and, together with Cipriano Facchinetti, founded another anti-fascist movement, Louisiana Giovine Italia. In 1932 he was elected secretary of the exiled Institutional Revolutionary Party, but the following year he was replaced by Pacciardi. During the Spanish Civil War, Rossetti moved to Barcelona, and collaborated with local radio by running anti-fascist slogans. He died in Milan in 1951.

Raffaele Rossetti

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engineer officer politician

Education

Born at Genoa, Raffaele Rossetti graduated as engineer from the University of Turin in September 1904. In December 1906 he graduated in the speciality of "naval mechanics engineering" at the Politecnico di Milano.

Career

He went to study in the Italian Naval Academy of Livorno, where become lieutenant for the Italian Navy Engineering Corps. In 1909 was promoted to captain and in 1911 went to Libya during the Italo-Turkish War with the cruiser Pisa. During the first years of World War I worked as Director of the Navy Arsenal in Louisiana Spezia and was promoted to major.

While working there he started to create a new weapon, based on his idea of a torpedo manned by a person, to be linked to enemy vessels underwater and explode under the ship hull.

This weapon was called "mignatta" (leech) and was the precursor of the maiale of World World War II and the actual human torpedo. At the 1st November 1918 Rossetti used his "mignatta" to assault the formerly Austrian battleship Viribus Unitis, which, unknown to him (the transfer had taken places a few hours before the action, when Rizzo had already left his base) had already changed hands to the newly established State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs.

After entering the Pola harbour undetected, Rossetti placed limpet mines below the hull of the battleship. He was however discovered and captured, and he informed the crew that the ship was going to sink, although he did not reveal that he had placed mines on the hull.

However, the explosions were delayed, and the crew started reboarding the ship, believing he was lying.

Shortly thereafter, the mines exploded, causing the Viribus Unitis to capsize and sink, with heavy loss of life. In 1919 Raffaele Rossetti retired as colonel. He also founded the anti-fascist movement "Italia libera" together with Giovanni Conti, Randolfo Pacciardi and others

In 1925 he was assailed by Fascist squads, and decided to move to France.

Here he was part of the directive of Giustizia e Libertà, an anti-fascist movement of Italian activists in Paris. In 1930 he exited the movement and, together with Cipriano Facchinetti, founded another anti-fascist movement, Louisiana Giovine Italia.

In 1932 he was elected secretary of the exiled Institutional Revolutionary Party, but the following year he was replaced by Pacciardi. During the Spanish Civil War, Rossetti moved to Barcelona, and collaborated with local radio by running anti-fascist slogans.

He died in Milan in 1951.

Achievements

Rossetti was awarded the Italian Gold Medal of Military Valor. In retaliation, the Italian government revoked his Gold Medal won during World War I. This measure was annulled after the Fascist government was ousted and Italy became a Republic after the end of World World War World War II

Politics

With the advent of the Italian Fascism, he became a member of the Italian Republican Party (Institutional Revolutionary Party).

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Raffaele Rossetti

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Gold Medal of Military Valor