Alberto del Bono

Alberto del Bono (Parma, 21 September 1856 – Rome, 26 July 1932) was an Italian admiral and politician.

Naval career He attended the naval schools of Naples and Genoa. Graduating in 1873 he entered the navy and was promoted on multiple occasions. Commander of the cruiser Ettore Fieramosca from 18 December 1906 to 13 April 1908, he then assumed command of the battleship Regina Elena on 21 September 1908. In December of that year he distinguished himself in the relief efforts following the Messina earthquake, and around this time became acquainted with Umberto Cagni, commander of the battleship Napoli and Paolo Thaon di Revel, commander of the Vittorio Emanuele.

Promoted rear admiral on 19 February 1911, he was a member of the Superior Navy Council from 16 March to 6 September 1911. He served as Minister of the Navy in the Boselli and Orlando governments and was appointed senator of the Kingdom of Italy.

Del Bono was also at odds with both France and Britain over Italy's role in the peace settlement with the Ottoman Empire. In the Treaty of London (1915) and in the Agreement of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne London and Paris had agreed that Italy should occupy extensive territories in Anatolia following the Ottoman defeat. However in the event Britain and France were determined mainly to se use their own advantage in the region, and supported the Greek Occupation of Smyrna. Foreign Minister Sidney Sonnino urged del Bono to send Italian warships into the Aegean Sea, but the British and French manoeuvred to keep Italy out of an active role, and the Italian crews in Rhodes were debilitated by the Spanish flu.

In the postwar debates about the future size and profile of the Italian navy, Del Bono supported building more battleships and declared his intention to complete the construction of the Caracciolo, though he did not give much consideration to the future role of aircraft carriers and naval aviation. After leaving active service in 1921 he worked in the steel industry as manager of the Metallurgica Bresciana company (formerly Tempini) finally becoming president of Aero Espresso Italiana. "The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Distinguished Service Medal to Alberto del Bono, Vice Admiral, Italian Navy, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished service in a position of great responsibility to the Government of the United States, as member of an Allied Force during World War I."