Carlo Fecia di Cossato

Carlo Fecia di Cossato
Born	25 September 1908 Rome, Italy
Died	27 August 1944 (1944-08-28) (aged 35) Naples, Italy
Allegiance	Kingdom of Italy
Service/branch	Regia Marina
Years of service	1928–1944
Commands	Ciro Menotti (submarine) Enrico Tazzoli (submarine) Aliseo (torpedo boat) 3rd Torpedo Boat Squadron
Battles/wars	Second Italo-Ethiopian War Spanish Civil War World War II Battle of the Mediterranean Battle of the Atlantic Action off Bastia
Awards	Gold Medal of Military Valour Silver Medal of Military Valor (twice) Bronze Medal of Military Valor (twice) War Cross for Military Valor Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Iron Cross First Class Iron Cross Second Class

Carlo Fecia di Cossato (25 September 1908 – 27 August 1944) was an officer in the Regia Marina (Italian Royal Navy), in command of submarines and torpedo boats during World War II. He was credited with the confirmed sinking of 23 enemy ships (16 Allied ships before the Armistice of Cassibile, with the submarine Enrico Tazzoli, and 7 German vessels after the armistice, with the torpedo boat Aliseo).^[1] He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and of the Gold Medal of Military Valor, the highest decoration of the Italian Armed Forces.^[1][2][3]

Fecia di Cossato was born in Rome, Italy, on 25 September 1908. He graduated from the Naval Academy in Livorno in 1928 and assumed his duties as an officer at the Italian Naval Detachment in China. In the early 1930s, he was an officer on two submarines and his service included participation in the Spanish Civil War.^[2]

At the beginning of World War II, Fecia di Cossato was the commander of the submarine Ciro Menotti based in Messina; after some months he was transferred to Bordeaux and given command of the submarine Tazzoli. This submarine operated in the Atlantic Ocean, sinking 18 ships with a total tonnage of 96,553 tons; 16 of these ships, for a total tonnage of 86,545 GRT, were sunk under Fecia di Cossato's command.^[2] In February 1943, at the end of the mission near Brazil he was transferred to Italy, where he was given command of a squadron of torpedo boats.^[2]

After the Allies' Armistice with Italy, he fought with bravery against German shipping near Bastia, sinking seven enemy vessels.^[1] Fecia di Cossato was displeased with the events of late 1943 and early 1944, and committed suicide in Naples on 27 August 1944.