Italian Navy

Marina Militare (Italian Navy) is one of the four branches of the military forces of Italy. It was born in 1946, as the Navy of the Italian Republic, from the ashes of the Regia Marina. Marina Militare celebrates on 10 June, on the anniversary (1918) of the sinking of the Austro-Hungarian battleship SMS Szent István.

Structure

Marina Militare is divided into six corps:

Stato Maggiore (the actual Navy);
Genio Navale (naval combat engineering)
Commissariato Militare Marittimo (commissariat)
Armi Navali (technical/gunnery specialist)
Corpo Sanitario (sanitary service)
Capitanerie di Porto (coast guard).

Ensign

The ensign of the Marina Militare is the Italian tricolour with Marina Militare emblem on the white third. The emblem is composed by a shield, whose four parts are reference to Medieval Italian Thalassocracies (Italian: Repubbliche Marinare):

1st quarter: on red, a golden winged lion wielding a sword (Republic of Venice);
2nd quarter: on white field, red cross (Republic of Genoa);
3rd quarter: on blue field, white cross (Republic of Amalfi);
4th quarter: on red field, white cross (Republic of Pisa).

The shield has a golden crown, that distinguish military vessels from merchant: the crown, "Corona rostrata", was proposed in 1939 by Admiral Cavagnari to the Government, as an acknowledge of the Italian Navy's origin since the Roman times. In the proposal, Adm. Cavagnari wrote that "in order to recall the common origin [of the Navy] from the Roman sailorship, the Insignia will be surmounted by the towered Crown with rostrums, the emblem of honour and valour the Roman Senate awarded to the leaders of naval victories, conquerors of lands and cities across the seas". Another difference with the merchant vessels flag is that the lion symbolizing the Republic of Venice has the book in its paw closed (the Mattew's Gospel, that on the Republic Insignia is open on the words "Pax tibi Marce, evangelista meus", Peace to you Mattew, my Evangelist) and it is wielding a sword.

History

The Marina Militare Italiana was born as Regia Marina on 17 March 1861, after the proclamation of the Italian Kingdom

See: Regia Marina

After World War II

At the end of World War II, Italy was as a devastated Nation after a 5 years of war. After the end of hostilities the Regia Marina, which at the beginning of the war was the fourth largest navy in the world with a mix of modernised and new battleships, started a long and complex rebuilding process. The important combat contributions of the Italian naval forces after the signing of the armistice with the Allies on 8 September 1943 and the subsequent cooperation agreement on 23 September 1943 left the Regia Marina in dramatic conditions, with much of its infrastructures and installations unusable and the ports mined and blocked by sunk ships. However a large number of its naval units had survived the war, although in a low efficiency state, which was due to the conflict and the old age of many vessels. They vessels that remained were:

2 Aircraft carries
5 Battleships
9 Cruisers
11 Destroyers
22 Frigates
19 Corvettes
44 Fast Coastal Patrol units
50 Minesweepers
16 Amphibious operations vessels
2 School ships, one of these was the sailing ship Amerigo Vespucci
1 support ship and plane transport
various Submarine units

The peace Treaty

The peace Treaty signed on 10 February 1947 in Paris was onerous for the Marina. Apart from territorial and material losses, also the following restrictions were imposed:

A ban to own, to build or to experiment with atomic weapons, self-propulsion projectiles or relative launchers, etc…
A ban to own Battleships, Aircraft carriers, Submarines and Amphibious Assault units.
A ban to operate military installations on the islands of Pantelleria, Pianosa and on the archipelago of Pelagie Islands.

The treaty also ordered Italy to put the following ships at the disposals of the winner nations United States, Soviet Union, Great Britain, France, Greece and Jugoslavia and Albania as war compensation:

3 Battleships: Giulio Cesare, Italia, Vittorio Veneto;
5 Cruisers: Emanuele Filiberto Duca d'Aosta, Attilio Regolo, Scipione Africano, Eugenio di Savoia and Eritrea;
7 Destroyers, 5 of the "Soldati" class and Augusto Riboty and Alfredo Oriani;
6 Minesweepers: like Aliseo and Fortunale;
8 Submarines: 3 of the "Acciaio" class;
1 Sailing School ship: Cristoforo Colombo.

The total displacement, Battleships excluded, of the future navy was not allowed to be greater than 67.500 tons, while the staff was caped at 25.000 men.

The adhesion to the NATO

The great changes in the international politic situation convinced, still, Great Britain and United States to give up to the handing in of the greater units, which were dismantled in La Spezia between 1948 and 1955, including the flagship aircraft carrier "''Aquila''". Soviet union, instead, claimed the handing in of the warship "Giulio Cesare" and much of units to her attributed. The cruisers "Attilio Regolo" and "Scipione Africano" became the French "Chateaurenault" and "Guichen", while the "Eugenio di Savoia" became the Greek "Helli". So just a little part of the fleet not transferred and not demolished could be reinserted in the Marina.

The growing attention turned from the Soviets to the Mediterranean Sea, and the consequential American attempts to contrast these expansionistic targets, transformed Italian seas in the main confront place between the two great international powers, contributing to the re-statement of Italy’s importance and of its ports thanks to her natural strategic geographical position.

With the new elections in 1948, the Kingdom of Italy became the Italian Republic, and the Regia Marina (‘’”Royal Navy”’’) toke on the name of Marina Militare Italiana. In full Marshall Plan and in a context where Europe was going to be divided in two set against blocks, Italy began to entertain talks with United States aimed to obtain adequate safety guarantee. Washington government, greatly interested to keep own installations on the peninsula, loosened peace Treaty bonds by insert Italian nation into the Mutual Defense Assistance Programme (MDAP).

On 4 April 1949, Italy subscribed the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), corroborating her impossibility to contributing actively in the organization: that lead to the definitive repeal of the peace Treaty bonds by the end of 1951, with the consent of all of Western nations.

The potentiation of the fleet

With the adhesion to the NATO, to the Marina Militare was assigned the control about the Adriatic Sea and Strait of Otranto, let alone the defence of the communication maritime lines in the Tyrrhenian Sea. To release these tasks was carried out a "Studio sul potenziamento della Marina italiana in relazione al Patto Atlantico" (Study about the potentiation of the Italian navy with reference to the Atlantic Pact), whith which were located the structures and the methods for the potentiation of the Marina Militare.

This solution required a great economic effort aimed to the rebuilding and transformation of the fleet outlived to the conflict; it was also settled the supply of the United States of the remaining units to reach the necessary forces complex. However the program carried on slowly both for the economic problems of Italy determined by the post-war period rebuilding process and by the obstacles placed by some of European governments hesitating in front of the perspective to see rise a Navy capable to contrast the other Western naval forces.

Present Day Marina Militare

Today's Marina Militare is a modern navy with ships of every type, such as aircraft carriers, modern frigates, submarines, amphibious ships and plenty of other smaller ships, including oceanographic research ships. The fleet is besides in continuous evolution; the Marina Militare is now providing herself of a new bigger aircraft carrier (the Cavour), new destroyers, submarines and multipurpose frigates. Actually the Marina Militare is the fifth largest navy in the world after United States, United Kingdom, France and Russia. In modern times, the Marina Militare, being a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), has taken part in many coalition peacekeeping operations.

Ships

Currently Active

Aircraft carriers (CVS-ASW)

Giuseppe Garibaldi (C 551)

Destroyers

De la Penne class

Luigi Durand De la Penne (D 560) (formerly Animoso)
Francesco Mimbelli (D 561) (formerly Ardimentoso)

Amphibious transport dock ships

San Giorgio class

San Giorgio (L 9892)
San Marco (L 9893)
San Giusto (L 9894)

Frigates

Maestrale class

Maestrale (F 570)
Grecale (F 571)
Libeccio (F 572)
Scirocco (F 573)
Aliseo (F 574)
Euro (F 575)
Espero (F 576)
Zeffiro (F 577)

Corvettes - Patrol Ships

Soldati class

Artigliere (F 582)
Aviere (F 583)
Bersagliere (F 584)
Granatiere (F 585)

Minerva class - 1st series

Minerva (F 551)
Danaide (F 553)
Urania (F 552)
Sfinge (F 554)

Minerva class - 2nd series

Driade (F 555)
Chimera (F 556)
Fenice (F 557)
Sibilla (F 558)

Cassiopea class

Cassiopea (P 401)
Libra (P 402)
Spica (P 403)
Vega (P 404)

Comandanti class (NUMC)

Comandante Cigala Fulgosi (P 490)
Comandante Borsini (P 491)
Comandante Bettica (P 492)
Comandante Foscari (P 493)

Cassiopea 2 class (NUPA)

Sirio (P 409)
Orione (P 410)

Esploratore class

Esploratore (P 405)
Sentinella (P 406)
Vedetta (P 407)
Staffetta (P 408)

Mine Warfare Vessels

Lerici class - 1st series

Lerici (M 5550)
Sapri (M 5551)
Milazzo (M 5552)
Vieste (M 5553)

Lerici class – 2nd series

Gaeta (M 5554)
Termoli (M 5555)
Alghero (M 5556)
Numana (M 5557)
Crotone (M 5558)
Viareggio (M 5559)
Chioggia (M 5560)
Rimini (M 5561)

Ponza class

Ponza (A 5364)
Levanzo (A 5366)
Tavolata (A 5367)
Palmaria (A 5368)
Procida (A 5383)

Submarines

U212A class

C.te Salvatore Todaro (S 526)
Sciré (S 527)

Sauro IV class

Primo Longobardo (S 524)
Gianfranco Gazzana Priaroggia (S 525)

Sauro III class

Salvatore Pelosi (S 522)
Patricio (Pato) Prini (S 523)

Sauro class

Leonardo da Vinci (S 520)

Auxiliaries

Squadron Replenishment Ships

Etna (A 5326)
Stromboli (A 5327)
Vesuvio (A 5329)

Gasoline Tankers

Panarea (A 5370)
Linosa (A 5371)
Favignana (A 5372)
Salina (A 5373)

Water Transports

Ticino (A 5376)
Tirso (A 5377)

Vehicle Transport Ships

Gorgona (A 5347)
Tremiti (A 5348)
Caprera (A 5349)
Pantelleria (A 5351)
Lipari (A 5352)
Capri (A 5353)

Weapons Test Ships

Carabiniere ( F 581) (Frigate size)
Raffaele Rossetti (A 5315)
Vincenzo Martellotta (A 5320)

Others

Anteo (A 5309): Submarine Rescue and Salvage Ship
Elettra (A 5340): Electronic Warfare Ship

Training ships

Palinuro (A 5311)
Amerigo Vespucci (A 5312)

Corsaro class

Stella Polare (A 5313)
Corsaro II (A 5316)

Decommissioned Ships

Andrea Doria class cruisers (1964 - 1991): 2 vessels
Vittorio Veneto class cruisers (1969 - 2003): 1 vessel
Audace class destroyers: 2 vessels
Lupo class frigates: 4 vessels
Submarines: Alfredo Cappellini (S-507) Evangelista Torricelli (S-512), Livio Piomarta (S-515).
Sauro class submarines: Sauro (S518), Di Cossato (S519), Da Vinci (S520), Marconi (S521)

Under Construction

Cavour aircraft carrier: 1 vessel (Cavour), 2007
Orizzonte class AA destroyer: 2 vessels, (Andrea Doria and Caio Duilio), to replace destroyers Audace and Ardito, 2008 and 2010
"Rinascimento (FREMM)" class frigates: 10 vessels, to replace class frigates Maestrale and Lupo (decommissioned)

Rank Structure


Ufficiali generali General officers
Ammiraglio (Chief of Defense Staff) Admiral

Ammiraglio di Squadra Squad Admiral (Vice Admiral)	Ammiraglio di Divisione Division Admiral ( Rear Admiral Upper Half)		Contrammiraglio Rear Admiral (Rear Admiral Lower Half)
Ufficiali superiori Senior officers

Capitano di vascello Naval Vessel Captain (Captain)	Capitano di fregata Frigate Captain (Commander)		Capitano di corvetta Corvette Captain (Lieutenant Commander)
Ufficiali inferiori Junior officers

Tenente di vascello Naval Vessel Lieutenant (Lieutenant)	Sottotenente di vascello Naval Vessel Sub-lieutenant (Lieutenant Junior Grade)	Guardiamarina Ensign	Aspirante guardiamarina Ensign Apprentice
Sottufficiali Warrant Officers

Primo maresciallo luogotenente First Lieutenant Warrant Officer	Primo maresciallo First Warrant Officer		Capo di prima classe First Class Chief
		File:IT-Navy-OR9.jpg	File:IT-Navy-OR8.jpg
Capo di seconda classe Second Class Chief	Capo di terza classe Third Class Chief	Secondo capo Second Chief	Sergente Sergeant
Truppa Troops
File:IT-Navy-OR7.jpg	File:IT-Navy-OR6.jpg		File:IT-Navy-OR5.jpg
Sottocapo di prima classe scelto First Class Senior Sub-Chief Chief Petty Officer	Sottocapo di prima classe First Class Sub-Chief Petty Officer First Class		Sottocapo di seconda classe Second Class Sub-Chief Petty Officer Second Class
File:IT-Navy-OR4.jpg	File:IT-Navy-OR3.jpg		no insignia
Sottocapo di terza classe Third Class Sub-Chief Petty Officer Third Class	Sottocapo Sub-Chief Seaman	Comune di prima classe First Class Seaman Seaman Apprentice	Comune di seconda classe Second Class Seaman Seaman Recruit

External links

Marina Militare homepage
Italian Navy from www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk - 10 pages of photos
Italian Navy Italian Navy