Giuseppe Santoro

Giuseppe Santoro (9 November 1894, in Naples – 2 June 1975) was a general in the Italian Air Force, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Regia Aeronautica during World War II. After the war, he was the author of the official history of the Italian Air Force during the Second World War.

Biography

Santoro was born in the San Ferdinando district of Naples on 9 November 1894, and after enlisting in the Royal Italian Army he participated in the First World War as lieutenant in the 12th Field Artillery Regiment and later as navigator in the Air Service of the Royal Italian Army. On 25 August 1917 he was assigned to the 26th Air Squadron, on 25 October in the 32nd Squadron and at the end of the war he was in service in the 2nd SVA Section. During his wartime service he earned two Silver Medals for Military Valor, and was wounded during a flight mission. In the early 1920s, with the creation of the Regia Aeronautica, Santoro joined to the new armed force, and in 1932 he was commander of the 20th Wing. A renowned theorist, he taught in various war schools, holding between 1934 and 1936 the position of teacher of air employment and logistics at the Aerial Warfare School of Florence. He was also editor of the magazine Le Vie dell'Aria, along with Gino D'Angelo.

He participated in the Second Italo-Ethiopian War. In February 1936 he was promoted to Air Brigade General (equivalent to air commodore) and later to Air Division General (equivalent to air vice marshal), and was given command of the 1st Fighter Division "Aquila". He left command of this unit on 6 July 1939, replaced by General Vincenzo Velardi.

He left active service in 1949, and in 1957 he published the official history of the Italian Air Force in World War II (L'Aeronautica italiana nella seconda guerra mondiale), in which he denounced the shortcomings and mistakes made by the military and industrial leadership in the years preceding the outbreak of the war.

He died in Naples on June 2, 1975.