Antonino Toscano

Antonino Toscano (19 July 1883 – 13 December 1941) was an Italian admiral during World War II. He was killed in the Battle of Cape Bon.

Early life and career

Born in Agrigento in 1887, Toscano entered the Italian Naval Academy at Livorno in 1905; he was commissioned as an ensign in February 1909. In 1911, after being promoted to sub-lieutenant, he joined the crew of the torpedo boat Astore, taking part in the Italo-Turkish War. Toscano was awarded a Silver Medal of Military Valor for his part in this raid.

At the beginning of December 1941, the supply lines between Italy and Libya were in a dire situation: during the previous month, attacks by the Force K had led to the destruction of several Italian convoys (most notably the Duisburg convoy) and the loss of nearly 70% of the supplies sent to Libya, including 92% of the fuel. The Italo-German forces in North Africa, facing a new Allied offensive, were in urgent need of fuel and ammunitions. Supermarina (the general staff of the Royal Italian Navy), at the request of Comando Supremo (the supreme command of the Italian armed forces), developed an emergency plan of transport of badly needed supplies using warships. started to shadow them.

Stokes's destroyers were, indeed, just off Cape Bon by then, and they had spotted the Italian ships. The course reversal accelerated the approach between the two groups, and the Allied destroyers attacked together; Sikh fired her guns and four torpedoes against Da Barbiano (the distance was less than 1,000 meters), Legion did the same, Isaac Sweers opened fire against Di Giussano. Toscano ordered full speed and to open fire (and also, to Di Giussano, to increase speed to 30 knots) and Da Barbiano also started a turn to port (on orders from the ship's commander, Captain Giorgio Rodocanacchi), but at 3.22, before her guns were able to fire (only some machine guns managed to), the cruiser was hit by a torpedo below the forwardmost turret, which caused her to list to port. Da Barbiano was then raked with machine gun fire, which killed or wounded many men and set fire to the fuel barrels, and hit by a second torpedo in the engine room. At 3.26 Maori also fired two torpedoes at Da Barbiano, and opened fire with her guns, hitting the bridge. Moments after, the cruiser was hit by another torpedo in the stern (possibly launched by Legion); meanwhile, Di Giussano was also hit and disabled. Da Barbiano rapidly listed to port, while the fires quickly spread all over the ship and also into the sea, fueled by the floating fuel, and the crew started to abandon ship. Leading seaman (sottocapo) Vincenzo Antro was presumably the last man to see Toscano alive; while descending on deck, he met a gravely wounded and barely standing Toscano, who asked for help. Antro carried the admiral on his back, left him near the floatplane hangar and then went forward to look for a raft or some more men who could help, but found neither; when he returned to Toscano, and his efforts to help him proved useless (Toscano was unable to move anymore), the admiral told Antro to leave him and save himself. Shortly thereafter, at 3:35, Da Barbiano capsized and sank in a sea of flame. Admiral Toscano was never seen again; he lost his life along with 533 more men from Da Barbiano and 283 from Di Giussano, which also sank a few hours later. He was posthumously awarded the Gold Medal of Military Valor.