Italian submarines in World War Two

Italian Commanders


Lorenzo Bezzi

Born  22 Oct 1906Tortona (Alessandria)
Died  27 Jun 1940(33)Killed in action

Ranks

  C.C.Capitano di Corvetta

Decorations

  Cavaliere dell'ordine della Corona d'Italia
16 Dec 1945 Medaglia d'argento al valore militare (posthumous)
24 Jun 1947 Medaglia d'oro al valore militare (posthumous)

Career information

CONSOLE GENERALE LIUZZI (C.C. C.O.): from ? to 27.06.1940 (sunk, Bezzi was killed).

Commands listed for Lorenzo Bezzi


Submarine Type Rank From To
Console Generale Liuzzi (LZ)Ocean goingC.C. 194027 Jun 1940

Ships hit by Lorenzo Bezzi

No ships hit by this Commander.

War patrols listed for Lorenzo Bezzi

 SubmarineDateTimePortArr. dateArr. timeArr. portMilesDescription
Console Generale Liuzzi (LZ)10 Jun 1940Taranto10 Jun 1940TarantoAt Taranto at the outbreak of the war

Console Generale Liuzzi (LZ)14 Jun 1940Time???Taranto14 Jun 19401345TarantoExercises?

1.Console Generale Liuzzi (LZ)16 Jun 19401100Taranto27 Jun 19401945+SunkSailed for patrol off Famagusta (southeast of Cyprus) between 34°20'N and 35°40'N and 33°00'E and 35°00'E. She had left her patrol at midnight on 25 June 1940 and was returning home when she was sunk by the destroyers HMS Dainty, HMS Decoy, HMS Defender, HMS Ilex and HMAS Voyager in 33°46'N, 27°27'E. Ten killed (including Bezzi), fifty-eight (or fifty-six?) survivors. Bezzi was awarded the Medaglia D'Oro.
  27 Jun 1940
1830-1945+ (e)
At 1830 hours, the destroyers HMS Dainty, HMS Decoy, HMS Defender, HMS Ilex (of 2nd D.F.) and HMAS Voyager (of 10th D.F.) were proceeding on a northerly course, when a submarine was detected on the surface by HMS Dainty.

This was Console Generale Luizzi. She submerged and attempted to escape. HMS Dainty obtained a contact and dropped a first pattern of depth charges at 1850 hours. This was followed by a pattern from HMS Ilex at 1857 hours and another ten minutes later. At 1926 hours, it was the turn of HMS Decoy to drop a pattern. The destroyer HMAS Voyager was very noisy and disturbed the ASDIC operators, she was instructed to stay away and does not appear to have dropped any depth-charges. At about 1928 hours, HMS Defender dropped a pattern and the submarine was brought to the surface after she had attempted to escape by going down to 170-180 metres. HMS Dainty attempted to sink her by gunfire, but could not score any hits in the heavy seas. She finally dropped a single depth charge 30 feet from the submarine and Liuzzi sank at about 2000 hours.

There were fifty-eight survivors in all. Thirteen survivors were picked up by HMAS Voyager and the remainder were picked up by other destroyers. Ten were killed (including Bezzi, who was awarded the Medaglia d'Oro posthumously).

Survivors from Liuzzi and/or Rubino are shown arriving at Alexandria on the MovieTone newsreel of 8th August 1940.

3 entries. 3 total patrol entries (1 marked as war patrols) and 1 events.

Italian Commanders

Italian Submarines